Simple Health Cures

   Constipation is defined as failure to have a bowel movement after 3 days or more.It can be alleviated or prevented by drinking plenty of fluids, exercising regularly, taking time to relax and eating a diet with a content of fiber, grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Fiber absorbs water there by, providing bulk in the intestines and facilitating bowel movement.

   In chronic constipation, the common functional causes are those which hamper normal bowel movements because of storage, transportation and evacuating mechanisms of the colon are deranged. Our constipation mix has been formulated to slowly bring muscle tone to the digestive tract of digestive juices, and healing of inflammed tissue. When taken continuously for three  weeks to a month, bowel movement regain their normal functionality.

   The multi purpose vitamin, ascrobic acid or vitamin Ccan prove to be an effective remedy for constipation, as one of its functions and proven capability is in its role as a mild laxative. In addition to its property of boosting immune system function and its effectiveness as an antioxidant. Most people who use this vitamin at a dosage level of about 3,000 mg daily experience a loosening of the stool and the alleviation of  other symptoms. There may be cases of this not occurring in certain people, in such eventualities it is recommended that along with 3,000 mg dose, the mineral magnesium can be taken, the combination of the vitamin and the mineral will prove effective, this mineral has mild laxative properties besides its other functions within the body.

  This is traditionally used remedy in the treatment of constipation. The seds of this plant have a soothing effect on the mucus lining of the alimentary canal. The seeds must be soaked in water and then taken. Isphagula seeds act by binding the waste in the alimentary canal and bringing them to a consistency in which they can be eliminated from the body.

   Rhubarb is also commonly used in allopathic medicine for its purgative properties. Rhubarb  contains several tannins that are beneficial in voiding the waste from the alimentary canal. But rhubarb can be used only in simple cases of constipation, and it has no effect in chronic constipation.Bulk-forming laxatives come from plants with a high fiber and mucilage content that expand when they came in contact with water: examples include psyllium, flaxseed, and fenugreek. As the volume in the bowel increases, a reflex muscular contraction occurs, stimulating a bowel movement. These mild laxatives are best suited for long term use in people with constipation.

   Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains is the best way to get natural fiber in your diet. If your diet consists of a lot of meat products, fats and dairy products you are setting yourself up for disaster and a lot of problems with constipation.

   Among the several home remedies that have proved beneficial in controlling diabetes, perhaps most important is the use of bitter gourd. It has lately been established that bitter gourd contains a hypoglycaemic or insulin-like principle, designated as “plantinsulin” which has been found valuable inlowering the blood and urine sugar levels. It should, therefore , be included liberally in the diet of  every morning on an empty stomach. The seeds can be added to food in a powdered form. Diabetics can also use bitter gourd in the form of a decoction by boiling the pieces in water or in the form of dry powder.

   Indian Gooseberry with its high vitamin C content, is considered valuable in diabetes. A tablespoon of its juices, mixed with a cup of bitter gourd juice, taken daily for two months, will stimulate the islets of langerhans, that is the isolated group of cells that secrete the hormone insulin in the pancreas. This mixture reduces the blood sugar in diabetes.

   Grapefruit is a splendid food in the diet of a diabetic patient. If grapefruits were eaten more liberally, there would be much less diabetes. If you have sugar, use three grapefruits three times a day. If you do not have sugar, but a tendency towards it and want to prevent it, use three a day.

   The seeds of fenugreek have been found effective in the treatment of diabetes. Fenugreek seeds,when given in varying doses of 25gm to 100 daily, diminish reactve hyperglycaemia in diabetic patients. Levels of glucose, serium cholesterol, and triglycerides were also signnificantly reduced in the diabetes patients when the seeds were consumed.

  For a milder type of diabetes, two tablespoons of germinated black gram, taken with half of cup of fresh bitter gourd juice and a teaspoon of honey, is said to be useful. It should be taken once daily for three to four months. A restriction should be placed on the intake of carbonhydrates. Even in severes cases, regular use of this combination, with other precautions, is useful as a health-giving food for the prevention of various complications that may arise due to malnutrition in diabetics.

   The seeds of parslane are useful in diabetes. A teaspoon of the seeds should be taken every day with half a cup of water forthree to fourmonths. It will increase the body’s own insulin and help in curing diabetes.

   The tender leaves of the mango tree are considered useful in diabetes. An infusion is prepared by soaking 15 gm of freshleaves in 250 ml of water overnight, and squeezing them well in the water in themorning. This filtrate should be taken every morning to control early diabetes. As a alternative, the leaves should be dried in the shade, powdered and preserved for use when necessary. Half a teaspoon of thispowder should be taken twice a day.

   Besides bitter gourd, certain other vegetables have been found useful in diabetes. These include string beans, cucumber, onion, and garlic. Tea made of the pods of string beans is valuable in diabtes.

   Predominanlty a disease of later life, tpye 2 diabetes generally develops after age 40. Blood sugar levels usually rise slowly and progresstively over the years before they became high enough to be considered in the diabetic range.

   Two condition impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose, often precede tpye 2 diabetes, and for this reason are known collectively as pre-diabetes. In both types of pre-diabetes, blood sugars levels are above normal, but not high enough to be considered clinical diabetes.

   A conservative estimate is that more than 20 million U.S. adults have pre-diabetes and therefore are much moreprone to developing type 2 diabetes. Like people with type2 diabetes, those with pre-diabetes tend to be overweight have high bloodpresure and abnormal liqid levels, and have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

   Type 2 diabetes and its underlying causes, insulin resistance and defective insulin secretion, probably have a genetic basis. But in most cases, environmental factors also play a major role. For example, before the 20th century, diabetes was virtually unknown to Native Americans.

   But as hunting or farming gave way to a sedentary lifestyle, higher fat diets, and obesity diabetes became rampant. People from many other cultures have had similar experiences after adopting “Western” habits. Thus, in people who are are genetically susceptible, the influences of older age indreasing obesity, and a sederitary lifestyle all unmask the tendency to develop diabetes.

   The distribution of body fat also seems to be particularly important. People who tend to store fat in their abdominal area rather than their hips-so-called central obesity-are more likely to became diabetic.

   Bipolar disorder is an illness of severe mood swings. It is also called manic depression. If you have this illness, you may have periods of severe high or low moods. These periods may impact your day-to-day functioning. The high moods are called acute mania. They can make you feel restless, grouchy, or very happy. The low moods are called depression. They can make you feel very sad. Some people can have a mixed state. That’s when you have acute mania and depression at the same time. Both women and men get bipolar disorder in equal numbers. The disease is usually first seen in adults  18 and older.

   There are different kinds of bipolar disorder. You may not fit exactly into any one kind. But your doctor will be able to tell what form of bipolar disorder you have. People with bipolar 1 disorder have episodes of extremely high moods called mania and sometimes extremely low moods called depression. You may also have high and low moods at the same time. This is called mixed states or mixed mania. Some people with bipolar 1 disorder may see or hear things that are not there. People with bipolar 2disorder may have severe periods of depression but have a milder form of mania. This is called hypomania.

   No one knows the exact causes of bipolar disorder. Experts have found that, like any other illness, some factors may increase the risk. These factors may be in a person’s genes. Imbalances of sertain chemicals in the brain are thought to lead to symptoms of the illness. Medicine plays a key role in balancing these chemicals.

   Over 2 million American adults have bipolar disorder. But these numbers could be higher. That’s because many people with this illness don’t know they have it. So they don’tseek treatment. Everyone is different and this disease can effect people differently. Talk to a doctor to see if you or a loved one has bipolar disorder.

   In bipolar disorder, times of mania or depression are called episodes. Even with treatment, the average person with bipolar disorder has 4 episodes in the first 10 years of the illness. Without treatment, most people will have episodes more often. What are the signs of acute mania or a mixed spisodes? Feel overly happy, feel hyper, feel grouchy, Feel restless, Have difficulty concertrating. You may also think and talk fast or treat people in a rude manner. You may go days with little or no sleep. Acute mania can also make you feel as if you are on top of the world. This may lead to very reckless behavior, like causing problems at work, spending sprees, Risky sex, Abuse of alcohol or drugs. In a mixed episodes of bipolar disorder, you may feel mania and depressed symptoms at the same time. Signs of a mixed state include feeling very sad, hopeless and full of energy. Sometimes if an acute manic or mixed state is severe, you may have thoughts that are unusual. you might even hear voices or see things that are not there.

   Bipolar disorder can have serious effects on your life and thelives of yourloved ones. You may see some problems day to day, but you should know thelong-term problems that this disease can cause. Bipolar disorder can cause problems withrelationships, jobs, and family. Married people with bipolar disorder are 2 to 3 times more likely to get divorced than those who do not have the disease. Bipolar disorder is often not treated or misdiagnosed. Because of this, you may not understand your own behavior and your loved ones may feel frustrated.

   There is no cure yet for bipolar disorder. But it can be treated in most people. Most people with the disease see a doctor or psychiatrist for treatment. Some talk to a social worker or psychologist for treatment with therapy along with taking medicine. Each person is different. Treatment must meet a person’s needs.

   What is obseeive- compulsive disorder? ( OCD) is an illness that causes people to have unwanted thoughts ( obsession) and to repeat certain behaviors ( compulsive) over and over again. We all have habits and routines in our daily lives, such as brushing our teeth before bed. However, for people with OCD, patterns of behavior get in the way of their daily lives. Most people with OCD know that their obsessions and compulsion make no sense, but they can’t ignore or stop them.

   What is obsessions? Are ideas, images and impulses that run through the person’smind over and over again. A person with OCD doesn’t want to have these thoughts and find them disturbing, but he or she can’t control them. Sometimes these thoughts just come once in a while and are only mildly annoying. Other times, a person who has OCD will have obsessive thoughts all the time.

    What are compulsions?Thoughts make people who have OCD feel nervous and afraid. They try to get rid of these feelings by performing certain behaviors according to “rules” that they make up for themselves. These behaviors are compulsions. For example, a person who has OCD  may have obsessive thoughts about germs. Because of these thoughts, the person may wash his or her hands  repeatly after using a public toilet. Performing these behaviors usually only makes the nervous feelings go away for a short time.When the fear and nervousness return, the person who has OCD repeats the routine all over again.

   What are some common obessions? Fear of dirt or germs, Disgust with bodily waste or fluids, Concern with order, symmetry ( balance) and exactness, Worry that a task has been done poorly, even when the person knows this is not true, Fear of thinking evil or sinful thoughts, Thinking about certain sounds, images, words or numbers all the time, Need for constant reassurance, Fear of harming a family member or friend.

   What are some common compulsion? Cleaning and glooming, such as washing hands, showering or brushing teeth over and over again,  Checking drawers, door locks and appliances to be sure they are shut,locked or turned off, Repeating such asgoing in and out of a door, sitting down and getting up from a chair, or touching certain objects several times, Ordering and arranging items in certain ways, Counting over and over to a certain number, Saving newspaper, mail or containers when they are no longer needed, Seeking constant reassurance and approval.

   How common is OCD? For many years, OCD was thought to be rare. Some recent studies show that asmany as 3 million Americans ages 18 to 54 may have OCD at any one time. This is about 2.3% of the people in this age group. OCD affects men and women equally.

   What causes OCD? No one has found a single, proven cause of OCD. Some research shows that it may have to do with chemicals in the brain that carry messages from one nerve cell to another. One of these chemicals, called serotonin helps to keep people from repeating the same behaviors over and over . A person who has OCD may not have enough serotonin. Many people who have OCD can function better when they take medicines that increase the amount of serotonin in their brain.

    What is social phobia? Most people feel nervous in certain social situations, such as having a job interview going to a high school reunion or giving a speech. Most of us worry about what we’re going to say, do or even wear during these events. These events often become easier with some experience. However, for people who have social phobia ( also called social anxiety disorder), these events and other social situations can be very frightening and disabling.

   People who have have social phobia usually begin to notice it when they are in their early teens, although some people have had it for as long as they can remember. For others, it develops later in life, as social demands increase. Social phobia often runs in families. Sometimes it leads to other problems, such as depression or substances abuse.

how does a person who has social phobia feel? Most people who have social phobia have a strong fear of being embarrassed in front of people. People who have social phobia feel as though everyone is watching them and will see them blush, sweat or otherwise show their fear and anxiety. They often believe that showing anxiety is a sign of weakness or inferiority. They also believe other people are more confident and competent.

    Anxiety can be a normal “alarm system” alerting you to danger. Imagine coming home and finding a burglar in your living room. Your heart beats fast. Your palms get sweaty. Your mind races. In this situation, anxiety can provide an extra spark to help you get out of danger. In more normal but busy situations, anxiety can give you the energy to get things done. But sometime anxiety can be out of control, giving you a sense of dread and fear for no apparent reason. This kind of anxiety disrupt your life.

   Generalized anxiety disorder is ongoing worry or fear that isn’t related to a particular event or situation, or is out of proportion to what you would expect- for instance, constantly worrying about a child who is perfectly healthy. Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include muscle tension, trembling, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, irritability, loss of sleep and not being able to concentrate.

   Panic diorder is another type of anxiety. it occurs when you have repeated periods of extreme panic, called panic attacks. Suppose one day you’re getting out of your car to go to work. Suddenly, your chest feels tight. Your heart races. You begin to feel dizzy and faint. You start to choke. You feel as if the end is near. Was it all in your head? No. Most likely, you had a panic attack. Panic attacks last about 5 to 30 minutes and may include any of the symptoms listed below. Panic attacks can lead to phobias if they aren’t treated. Panic attack symptoms- Feeling like you’re going to choke, Chest pressure or chest pains, Pounding heart, Racing pulse, Dizziness or lightheadedness, Shortness of breath or tightness in the troat, Sweating, Trembling or shaking, Nausea, Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet, Hot flashes or chills, Sense of unreality or dreamlike sensations, Extreme fear of losing control, doing something embarrassing, going”crazy” or dying.

   A phobia is an extreme, unreasonable fear in response to something specific.There are lots of different phobias, including fear of crowds, bridges, snakes, spiders, heights, open places or social embarrassment. A phobia is only considered a problem when it keeps you from living a noraml life. An example is being afraid to leave home because you are afraid to leave home because you are afraid of one of the things listed.

   What cause anxiety disorders? Suppose the fire alarm goes off in your home. You race around frantically to find the fire instead, you find that there is no fire- the alarm just isn’t working properly.

   It’s the same with anxiety disorders. Your body mistakenly triggers your alarm system when there is no danger. This may due to a chemical imbalance in your body. It may also be related to an unconscious memery, to a side effect of a medicine or to an illness.

   Can anxiety disorders be treated? Yes, Talk to your family doctor if you think you have an anxiety disorder. He or she  can help you form a plan to develop skills to cope with your anxiety. Your doctor may also suggest counseling and prescribe medicine if needed. The following are some tips on coping with anxiety.

   Control your worry. Pick a place and time to do your worrying. Make it the same place and time every day. Spend 30 minutes thinking about your concern and what you can do about them.

   Muscle relaxation is sample, Start by choosing a muscle and holding it tight for a few seconds. Then relax the muscle. Do this with all of your muscle. Try starting with your feet muscles and working your way up your body.

   Exercise regularly, People who have anxiety often quit exercising. But exercise can give you a sense of well- being and help decrease feelings of anxiety.

   Get plenty of sleep

   Avoid caffeine. Caffeine may increase your sense of anxiety because it stimulates your nervous system.

   Confront the things that have you anxious in the past.

   Use medicine if it helps

   Talk about your anxiety with your doctor

  The most important thing is to taken action

   Post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD) is a type of anxiety problem. It can develop after your safety or life is threatened, or after you experience or see a traumatic event. Some example of traumatic events are a natural disaster, rape, severe car crash or fighting in a war. Usually, the event makes you feel very afraid or helpless. People with PTSD have trouble coping with and getting over traumatic events and often feel the effects for months afterward.

   Whether you’ll develop PTSD may depend partly on how severe and intense the trauma was and how long it lasted. People who have anxiety, depression or other mental disorders are morelikely to develop PTSD. People who have been victims of previous trauma are also at greater risk.

Who is at risk for developing PTSD?

* Anyone who has been victimized

* Anyone who has seen a violent act

* Survivors of rape, domestic violence, physical assault such as a mugging or any other random act of violence

* Survivors of unexpected events such ascar wrecks

*Survivors of natural disasters such as hurricanes

* Anyone who was sexually or physically abused

* Anyone dianosed with alife-threatening illness or those who have had surgery

   What are the symptoms of PTSD they are flashbacks, nightmares, bad memories or hallucinations. Trying not to think about the trauma or staying away from people who remind you of  it, Not being able to recall parts of what happen.

   How is PTSD treated, There are many treatments available. medicines for depression or anxiety may be helpful. Talking to a mental health professional and your friends and family about the event and your feelings can also help. PTSD can cause depression and substance abuse. These problems should be treated before or during PTSD treatment.

   How long does PTSD last? PTSD can be treated successfully. However, without treatment, it can last serveral months to many years, depending on what happened to you and how you feel about it.

   What  is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is ongoing worry or fear that isn’t related to a particular event or situation, or is out of proportion to what you would expect. For instance, a person who has (GAD) may constamtly worry about a child who is perfectly healthy. About 4 million adults in the United States have GAD. Women are more likely to have it than men. It usually begins to affect people when they are in their early 20’s.

   Most people worry from time to time, and these occasional worries are normal. They don’t mean that you have GAD. If you have GAD, you worry so much that it interferes with your day-to-day life, and you feel tense and worried more days than not. Other signs of GAD include the following: Trouble falling or staying asleep, Muscle Tension, Irritability, Trouble concentrating, Getting tired easily, Restlessness or feeling “Keyed up”or on edge

   If you feel tense most of the time and have some of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will probably examine you and ask some questions to make sure that something else isn’t causing your symptoms. Sometime certain kinds of medicine may cause GAD. You could also have these symptoms if your thyroid gland is too active, or if you are depressed. However, if your doctor doesn’t find any other reason for you symptoms, you may need to be treated for GAD.

   People with GAD must learn ways to cope with anxiety and worry. You’ll probably need some counseling to help you figure out what’s making you so tense. Also you may need to take some medicine to help you feel less anxious. Your doctor can recommend the treatment that is right for you.

   Patients with GAD can get better. If you take medicine for generalized anxiety disorder, you may be able to stop taking it at some point in the future. Your doctor will tell you if it’s ok to stop taking your medicine.

   Many commonly prescribed antidepressants work by keeping the neurotransmitter serotonin circulating in the brain. Herb such as Siberian ginserg, licorice and St.  John- wort  also increase the availability of serotonin in the brain.

   Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a very powerful antidepressant.

   St. John-wort ( Hypericum perforatum) has a long history of folk use for treating anxiety and depression.

   Ginkgo ( Ginkgo biloba) is found to be useful in relieving depression, especially in the elderly who suffer reduced blood flow to the brain according to result form clinical trials.

   Siberian Gingseng (Eleutherococus senticosus) improves the balance of important neurotran smitters ( including serotonin,dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) in the brain.

   Balm- A member of the mint family, this herb also is known as mclissa. Use the leaves and tops when they are fresh and green rather than dried.

   Basil- Add fresh basil leaves to salad to help lift depression.

   Borage- is a natural and effective antidepressant. Use the leaves and seeds to alleviate sadness, pensiveness, and melancholy.

  Damiana- this herb stimulates the nervous system and helps to improve the mood.

   Kava Kava- eases mental arguish and anxiety.

   Oat Straw- is high in silicai which help supports and strengthen the central nervous systems.