Chronic Constipation: This Thing is Not a Joke; Get Rid of It ASAP (part 2)

In continuation of the article titled above, you by now may have realized why it is of uttermost important to have a clean and free flowing colon by avoiding the causes of chronic constipation. I will now go over the possible solutions of its symptoms for your edification.

Chronic Constipation: Effective Solutions

In some cases, there are residues in the body (gall stones, impacted fecal matter, etc) that are “stuck”. Intestinal residue may have to be assisted mechanically via a raw fruit and vegetable diet (for a while, if you don’t want to go the route of being 80% or more raw) and regular fasts.

Every change of diet for the better should start with a 1-2 day fast. Of course, you must get the body prepared gradually for this with the proper transition diet which is also issued in the text. Before this 24-48 hour fast, ensure to observe the following menu suggestion.

Solutions for Chronic Constipation: Suggested Diet Menu

Breakfast: Fresh Juice

Lunch: One or two seasonal juicy fruits

Supper: Vegetables: Cooked, Raw or a combination.

Never drink during a meal. The more liquids you consume while eating, the more difficult it is to digest the foods, as the liquids tend to dilute the digestive juices.

Also ensure to chew each mouthful of your meals thoroughly. This is known as Fletcherism: A process which involves you chewing each mouthful to a liquid or semi-solid pulp, by consciously masticating a mouthful of food over and over, ensuring to mix it with your saliva. Between each mouthful swallowed, purposely have between 4-6 seconds of a brief pause as well. When you observe this, it not only allows your stomach and intestines to rest as in a fast and this consequently promotes elimination that hereby enables the vital organs to recuperate. By ‘fletcherizing’ mono-meals of fruit say Melons in summer or Apples in fall, this can used as a form of a preparatory stage for a fast.

Furthermore, thoroughly masticating your meals helps to curb your appetite so you don’t over eat even the best foods as assimilation is greatly enhanced through this discipline.
Moreover, this (besides a fast of course) is one sure-fire method of avoiding chronic constipation.

Chronic Constipation: Exercise also Matters.

Another way in which both mild and chronic constipation can be avoided will be by engaging in physical exercise. This acts as a stimulant for peristalsis, the wave-like motion in the visceral organs that induces a natural relief from constipation. However, on this subject, perhaps the best form of exercise for chronic constipation relief will be the incomparable Yoga. Let me take this time to introduce you to some effective yoga poses that combat constipation effectively.

Chronic Constipation: Yoga Poses that Could Help

1. The Bow Pose
2. The Shoulder Stand
3. The Peacock Pose
4. The Abdominal Lifts
5. The Breathing Exercises.

These poses specifically target the abdominal region of the body and in executing them; one finds a natural remedy for constipation. Adequate information on these poses can be found on several Yoga sites online or you can fire up your favorite search engine and get the information on them. However for interested parties, I have ensured to describe in detail the execution of these poses to combat chronic constipation in my book.

Remember, the human body before all other physiological considerations is an air-gas engine constructed in its entirety-with the exception of the bones-from a rubber like, very elastic, spongy material, called flesh and tissues. For this mechanism to work most efficiently, obstruction in these tissues needs to be eliminated. With the methods listed above you too can naturally be free of chronic constipation and well on your way to improved health, vigor and vitality.

Foras Aje is an independent researcher and author of Fitness: Inside and out, a book on improving physical and mental health naturally. For more information on natural health and wellness visit http://www.bodyhealthsoul.com

Fat-Free Salad Dressing - Why You Should Never Eat It

Fat-free salad dressings aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It turns out that key nutrients in vegetables, such as beta-carotene and lutein, aren’t absorbed without fat.

Iowa State University, Columbus researchers tested blood samples after people ate salads with three different salad dressings, containing 0, 6 or 28 grams of canola oil. The dressing with the most fat produced the highest degree of nutrient absorption.

Another study at Ohio State University, Ames, found that adding 2.5 tablespoons of avocado to salads or salsa increased nutrient absorption dramatically, for example, by 13.6 times for beta-carotene, which protects against heart disease, and by 4.3 times for lutein, necessary for eye health. Other research has shown that some fat in a meal leaves you more satisfied.

Bottled Dressings: Good and Bad

That said, you don’t need unhealthy fat, often found in bottled dressings as saturated or trans (”hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated”) fats. Also, avoid sky-high levels of sodium, unhealthy sweeteners, or additives such as artificial flavors, colors, texture enhancers and preservatives. Look for olive-oil based dressings without artificial ingredients — real seasonings and herbs taste better.

As an alternative, making your own dressing doesn’t have to be complicated. Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar are always a good bet. Or, use avocado combined with lemon or lime juice.

Adding too much dressing — even if it’s healthy — also isn’t good. To avoid the pitfall, try this:

1. Buy flavorful dark greens, preferably organic ones. Tasteless greens are an invitation to overdo the dressing.

2. Don’t just pour dressing onto your salad plate. Put the greens, alone, in a big bowl and drizzle the dressing over them, gently — they can’t swim. Toss lightly but thoroughly until the leaves are evenly coated, then add the rest of your salad vegetables and toss a couple more times. This way, your salad will have more flavor.

If washing a big bowl is too much bother, you can always find your nearest 99-cent store, buy a bunch of cheap bowls and toss them in the trash when you’re done. Just kidding.

About The Author

Vera Tweed is a veteran health journalist and the editor of http://www.HealthyTricks.com, an online newsletter that makes healthy living more convenient, enjoyable and attainable.

Why Do You Need Raw Juice Therapy?

When I was a kid, my mom used to make me different kinds of juices like orange, tomato, and carrot juices. I always like them until now as they do increase the appetite.

But, I wasn’t sure about the benefits until one day, when I got older; I saw my aunt consumed so many juices everyday.

I noticed that this was part of her cancer treatment. She got better after an intensive course of consuming 13 glasses of juices each day. An example of her juice combinations is orange, carrot, and dark leafy greens.

Thanks to the juice therapy she is still with us until now.

Today, there are more and more people consuming fruit and vegetable juices as part of their lifestyle to increase healthy life. They think it is the simplest form of prevention and cure.

Most sicknesses are the direct result of the lack or deficiency of vitamins, minerals and salts needed by the body to function properly. It’s important for us to make sure we have enough of those substances. Raw juice therapy can be the answer.

Raw juice therapy is a way of healing and preventing sickness through an exclusive diet of fruits and vegetables juices. It is also the most effective way to bring back health and restore the body.

Based on the http://healthlibrary.com, here are some juices needed to cure some ailments:

1. Sore Throat - apricot, grapes, lemon, pineapple, prune, tomato, carrot and parsley.
2. Headache - grapes, lemon, carrot, lettuce and spinach.
3. Colds - lemon, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, carrot, onion, celery and spinach.
4. Influenza - apricot, orange, lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, carrot, onion and spinach.
5. Allergies - apricot, grapes, carrot, beet and spinach.
6. Eye Disorders: apricot, tomato, carrot, celery, parsley and spinach.
7. Constipation - apple, pear, grapes, lemon, carrot, beet, spinach and watercress.
8. Diabetes - citrus fruits, carrot, celery, lettuce and spinach.
9. Acne - grapes, pear, plum, tomato, cucumber, carrot, potato and spinach.
10. Asthma - apricot, lemon, pineapple, peach, carrot, radish and celery.

You may drink the juice every three hours or take five to six times a day until you feel better. The quantity of juice on each occasion may be 250 ml on the first day and increased by 50 ml each succeeding day ’till you can take 600 ml on each occasion.

If you want to do raw juice therapy, here are things you must consider to give the best juice for your body:

• Drink the juice immediately after you make it.
• Use only fresh ripe fruits and vegetables.
• Extract fruits and vegetables only as much as you need for immediate consumption.
• Oxidation happens rapidly in fruit and vegetables after you make them into juice. If you store them too long they might lose the medicinal value. For example, apples turn brown so quickly.
• Add water if the juice is too sweet, especially for diabetics.

Enjoy your favorite juice…

Riana Lance writes about health in some publications. Twice a week she informs her health tips and knowledge in a newsletter. Subscribe to get your free twice a week newsletters so you can stay healthy for the rest of your life from Heathifica.com

Let’s Listen to Bill Clinton’s Advice on Modern Biotechnology

Since he left office, former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, has dedicated almost all his life championing the cause of the poor, here in America and abroad.

From winning concessions for cheaper drugs from multinational pharmaceutical companies to manage HIV/AIDS - the No. 1 killer disease in poor countries - to fundraising in aid of victims of Hurricane Katrina and Tsunami earthquake, President Clinton has joined the league of men and women who always nurse the dream of a world without hunger and diseases.

Last week, President Clinton continued his efforts when he advised delegates at the BIO 2006 Convention in Chicago to fight the culture of fear that seems to dominate the debate about modern biotechnology.

“We should be driven by science, evidence and argument, not by assertion and fear.”

President Clinton, a staunch supporter of genetic engineering during his presidency (and even now), reminded the delegates that “…everything we do to build a world that will be fit for our children and grand children will depend upon continued advances in biotechnology.”

Modern biotechnology, as President Clinton puts it, is a technology that can’t just be wished away by misrepresenting facts, a practice those opposed to this technology have perfected to an art.

Opponents of modern biotechnology and especially genetically engineered foods have taken it upon themselves to mislead and misrepresent. Such behavior only derails the drive to guarantee every man and woman in this world food.

Perhaps, nobody better understands the plight of the world’s poor than President Clinton. He’s a relentless globe trotter and has an eye-witness account of the sufferings of millions of hungry and malnourished children in Africa and Asia. All, then, should heed his advice that modern biotechnology holds the key to sustainable development .

President Clinton’s endorsement of modern biotechnology as a tool to enhance global food security must be taken very seriously.

The world must learn to take the facts as it finds them and keep trying to move humanity forward.

Nutrition Basics: Part I

Here’s an interesting question. Why do we eat? If it were up to me, I wouldn’t deal with the hassle of cooking then cleaning up the meal, washing the dishes and whatnot. Add on top of that having kids, taking care of them and all they want to eat, plus they make even more messes! Why do we have to eat food?

1. We eat for energy.

2. We eat because our bodies need food to heal and repair itself.

3. If we don’t eat, we would starve from lack of nutrients.

Nutrient. The base word for nutrition. Did you know that Nutrition is actually a science? Nutrition focuses on the interactions between living organisms (such as humans) and their food. Nutrition includes the study of the biological processes used in consuming food and our body’s ability to use the nutrients contained in that food.

To break things down for you, there are six classes of nutrients that each have a role within the body:

1. Water - water is found in all tissues of the body and makes up 55-60% of the body. Your body can go 8 weeks without food, but only days without water.
2. Protein - proteins are amino acids, which provide the body enzymes, antibodies, hemoglobin and hormones.
3. Fats - fats compose 15% of the body, it is the energy source, the building blocks for cell membranes. Fats are required for the absorption of many vitamins and for the absorption of food for proper energy regulation. Some good fats to include in your diet are fish oils, flax oil, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and real butter.
4. Carbohydrates - 2% of our body is carbohydrate based. Carbs provide fuel for the brain, a quick source of energy, regulates protein and fat metabolism and is a good source of fiber.

5. Vitamins - vitamins compose 1% of our body and function as helpers that are essential for growth vitality and health. They also help with digestion, elimination and resistance to disease. A depletion of vitamins in the body can lead to a variety of disorders and general health problems.
6. Minerals - 4% of our body is composed of minerals. These are what remains of the body in ash, when tissues are burned. Out of 103 known minerals, at least 18 are essential for good health.

When you eat your meals through out the day, you want to make sure you have the proper balance of nutrients. You can do this at each meal or look over your whole day to determine your balance.

Here’s a Basic Nutrition Eating Guide:

- 40% Carbohydrates- mostly veggies, some grains and fruit
- 30% Proteins - meats, poultry, fish and dairy
- 30% Fats - real butter, coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil, supplement with Omega 3’s and Fish oils.

What does all this mean to you? What do these percentages mean? Basically these percentages are based on your caloric intakes each day. But who counts calories? From my experience, only people who want to lose weight or gain weight! As you are reading this, grab a piece of paper and draw a circle on the paper. This will help you get a visual of what I’m talking about. Think about this circle representing a plate, a plate that you eat your food on. Now draw two lines that meet in the middle, two lines that take up 40% of your circle. Now on the side of your circle that you have left, draw another line from the middle of the circle, dividing what is left of the circle in half. This makes two 30% sections.

The majority of your carb intake should be vegetables that are raw or slightly steamed. Include 2-3 fresh whole fruits (not juice) per day. Occasionally include starchy carbs like whole grain breads, brown rice, etc. Whenever possible select organic products, because they are always the best for our bodies. Especially choosing items with thin skins like apples, grapes and strawberries. Avoid all processed and refined carbohydrates, this includes all sugar/white flour products. So, in your circle, in the large section, put vegetables into portion, those are your carbs.

Incorporate good source of proteins into your diet, like:

-grass-fed beef
-free-range poultry
-whole, raw or cultured dairy products
-organic free-range eggs
-Low-toxicity seafood

Avoid:

-Soy
-Farmed Seafood
-Pasteurized and homogenized milk

Incorporate fats into your diet by:
-Eating nuts and seeds
-Raw, cold-processed oils from nuts & seeds (these are in dark bottles and containers, not clear)
-Cold-processed, extra virgin olive oil
-Saturated fats from healthy sources
-Butter & other raw dairy fats
-Raw, organic coconut oils

Avoid:

-Hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated fats
-Highly processed vegetable oils
-Trans fatty acids
-Fried foods

Stephanie Meyer is a Certified Nutritional Therapist. She has been working from home and helping people find hope through good nutrition since 1997 after struggling with her own health issues and finding out that she could be healthy again. Visit her home on the web at http://www.CrossOverToHealth.com

Vitamin D & Vitamin K and the Importance in Health and Disease

Vitamin D is necessary for proper bone and teeth formation and for the healthy functioning of the thyroid gland. It assists in the assimilation of calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals from the digestive tract. This vitamin is found in the rays of the sun, fish, milk, eggs, butter, and sprouted seeds. A deficiency can cause gross deformation of bones and severe tooth decay.

The recommended daily allowance of this vitamin for both adults and children is 400 to 500
international units. Therepeutically, upto 4,000 to 5,000 units a day for adult or half of this for
children, is a safe dose, if taken for not longer than one month. It is beneficial in the treatment of
muscular fatigue, constipation and nervousness. It can be toxic if taken in excessive doses,
especially for children. Signs of toxicity are unusual thirst, sore eyes, itching skin, vomiting,
diarrhoea, urinary urgency, abnormal calcium deposits in blood vessel walls, liver, lungs, kidneys,
and stomach.

Vitamin K is necessary for the proper clotting of blood, prevention of bleeding and normal liver
functions. It aids in reducing excessive menstrual flow. This vitamin is contained in egg yolk,
cow’s milk, yogurt, alfalfa, green and leafy vegetables, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage and
tomato. Its deficiency can lead to sufficient bile salts in the intestines, colitis, lowered vitality and
premature aging.

To learn more about the energy principle in healing, please read:

Cost-free Miracle Asthma Cure
Overcome Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes Naturally
Alternative Treatments for Incurable Diseases made easy

The Food Guide Pyramid

The Food Guide Pyramid is one manner for Americans to read how to eat healthy. A rainbow of colored, vertical stripes stands for the five food groups plus fats and oils. Here is what the colors stand for:

orange = grains
green = vegetables

red = fruits

yellow = fats and oils

blue = milk and dairy products

purple = meat, beans, fish, and nuts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) modified the pyramid in spring 2005 because they wanted to do a more enhanced job of narrating to Americans how to be healthy. The agency later released a special variation for children. On this website you will observe a girl ascending the staircase up the side of the pyramid. That is an example of showing kids how important it is to exercise and be active every day. From another perspective, play a lot! The stairs are also a way of showing that you can make changes in stages to be more healthy. One step at a time, understand?

The Pyramid Speaks to us in several ways. Let us all confront a few of the additional topics this new symbol is trying to pass on:

A person should eat a wide variety of foods. A balanced diet is one that makes use of all the food groups. From another perspective, have foods from every color, every day.

We should eat less of some foods, and extra of others. You can see that the bands for meat and protein are purple and oils are yellow and less pronounced than the other ones. The reason is because you need less of those varieties of foods than your need of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy foods.

Your family also can see the bands start out fatter and get skinnier as they approach the top side. That is designed to show you that not all foods are made as good as others, even within a fit food group like fruit. Sometimes, apple pie might be in that thin section of the fruit band because it has a lot of added sugar and fat. A whole apple would be turn up in the broad part for you can eat more of those in a fit eating regimen.

We should all make nutrition personal. Through the USDA’s MyPyramid website, families can get personal recommendations about the mix of nutrients they need to have and how much he or she must be eating. There is a children’s’ variation of the website available as well. To understand better ways of applying the food pyramid get access to Super Food Seminars and interviews with Famous Raw Food Authors

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Eating For Success: Fast Lunch Ideas for Busy People

Remember the days when you actually had time to take a lunch break? When you used to leave the office for an hour, have something to eat, meet up with friends, walk in the park, play sport or wonder around the shops…? These days people eat lunch at their desks more often than not, if they eat at all. For many people, the demands of the day just don’t let up long enough to afford them a break. Lunchtime rolls around, your stomach is rumbling and you know you should eat, but you’ve just got one more thing to finish. An hour goes by, your stomach is still gurgling, but you’ve just got one more deadline, phone call, impromptu meeting, email to reply to….and before you know it, you’re reaching for a coffee or chocolate bar to get you through, and that’ll have to do for lunch.

The reality is that your brain needs food to fuel it. It is not possible for anyone to be on top of their game when they’re skipping meals, eating them way after the hunger pangs have kicked in, or cramming in non-nutritious foods on the run to keep the hunger at bay.

The food you eat forms the very building blocks of your body - food is fuel and the purpose of eating is to provide our bodies with the tools they need for energy, functioning, building and maintenance. So what’s the solution? Well, unfortunately, it’s not likely that your daily routine is going to change in a hurry, so let’s look at some fast and nutritious lunch solutions that with a very small amount of preparation time, or even a quick trip to your local sandwich bar, can help to keep you firing on all cylinders all day long.

1. Wraps - Go for wholemeal rather than white, and make it yourself or duck out to the local sandwich bar. Try some mashed avocado (to give you your good essential fatty acids for the day), and add chicken or tuna and plenty of peppery rocket for flavour. If you make it at home, bring some of your favourite dressing and add it just before you eat - I love a homemade sweet chili sauce on this wrap.

2. Salmon or Tuna and Salad - This is fast and easy. There are some seriously tasty tins of tuna and salmon these days, grab your favourite flavour and toss it into a prepared salad. If you’re too busy to make the salad, keep a stash of tinned tuna or salmon in your desk draw and buy a small salad from the supermarket or local take-away, it’ll only take a minute to throw it all together.

3. Leftovers -The easiest way to ensure that you always have a tasty and nutritious lunch is to make a habit of cooking extra the night before. Whatever I make for dinner, I always make extra for leftovers. Brown rice is brilliant to make an extra portion of to have on-hand, whether I add it to salad and serve cold or heat it up with other leftovers, it’s a five-minute miracle.

This is one of my favourite fast dinners that heats up brilliantly for a lunch of leftovers:

Mushroom and Avocado Masterpiece - You’ll need…

Some flat mushrooms, big enough to make a stack from.
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small red chilies, finely chopped
2 tbsp thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small avocado, mashed with a few drops of lemon juice (essential fatty acids)
2 tbsp low fat cottage cheese (protein)

Preheat a grill on medium heat. Mix the olive oil, garlic, chilies and thyme together in a small jug. Brush over both sides of each mushroom. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and let them sit and marinate while you get the rest together.

Combine the avocado and low fat cottage cheese in a small bowl with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Place mushrooms flat-side down onto a barbecue plate or chargrill and cook for
3 - 4 minutes on each side or until just tender.

For dinner, place the mushrooms onto serving plates, top with avocado mixture and serve immediately. Remember to save some for lunch the next day!

4. Afternoon Snacks - I always keep a jar of raw, unsalted nuts such as almonds on my desk, these are an ideal afternoon energy snack, you can throw in some dried fruits to create a mix that’ll also satisfy some of your sweet cravings if you like. Rye or wholemeal crackers and mini tins of tuna or salmon also make fast, easy and nutritious snacks.

Any of these quick lunches can be prepared at home or easily bought from your local sandwich bar, and they’re a great solution to eating on the run and not feeling your body the energy it needs to keep you going.

Jennifer Jefferies is one of Australia’s best-known authors and speakers and she has a prescription for modern living. Her powerful message is of work, life and balance - and how to have it all through the 7 Steps to Sanity. Jennifer shows us how to achieve more success and happiness by learning how to manage ourselves, our time and our lives. With uncommon common sense Jennifer will show you or your team how to incorporate simple lifestyle changes into every day life that will help you to feel better and achieve more than you ever thought possible. Find out more at http://www.jenniferjefferies.com

How You Can Support Your Immune System

Media coverage of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has incited fear among the American public, emptied Chinatowns all over North America and stopped much of the travel between the U.S., Toronto, Canada, China, Taiwan and southeast Asia. While SARS is an urgent concern for the World Health Organization, a larger worry on the horizon for the world health agency is the fluthe long awaited influenza pandemic.

The flu pandemic has historically occurred at 25-30 year intervals and its destruction has been cataclysmic. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, for example, killed more than 40 million people worldwide (670,000 Americans alone). The most recent flu pandemic struck 35 years ago and killed more than 4 million people. SARS, by comparison, has caused less than one thousand deaths and is much less infectious. Dr. Klaus Stohr, the head of the influenza program at the World Health Organization who is also leading the agency’s fight against SARS said in a Wall Street Journal interview, “We are not prepared for the devastation of a flu pandemic… SARS will be something to smile about,” he said.

Regarding the likelihood of a major flu pandemic striking in the near future, Albert Osterhaus, a Dutch scientist involved in pandemic preparedness in Europe said in the same Wall Street article, “It’s not a matter of if, but when, this will happen. I am far more scared of a flu pandemic than I am of SARS.” The flu, SARS and other communicable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis are the twenty-first century’s major heath challenges.

Overcrowding and global travel have increased the risk of diseases spreading unchecked. However, the real threat lies in a virus’s ability to undergo small changes or mutations that evade people’s natural immunities or commercial vaccinations. Similarly, the widespread use of antibiotics in poultry and meat producing industries has enabled bacteria to become stronger and more resistant. According to some critics, even our current medical practices of over-prescribing antibiotics may contribute to the rise of “super-bugs”!

When these “new” microbes strike, they move quickly and wipe out victims, leaving a wide path of destruction. The West Nile and Ebola viruses, for example, both have at least a 90% mortality rate.

Don’t panic. You can prevent or minimize your chance of contracting infectious diseases both at home or while traveling. Some of my recommendations are common sense:

Sometimes you cannot help but travel on airplanes, meet with someone who may appear to be sick, eat out at a restaurant or be in a crowded place. Therefore you must make sure that your immune system is functioning at a peak level. This involves avoiding activities that would weaken or deplete your immune system and engage in immune strengthening and supporting actions. Below I have outlined a checklist of things to avoid:

Many people who were exposed to SARS, Ebola, the West Nile virus or the flu virus never came down with the infection. The reason is simple: Their immune systems are much stronger and better equipped to fend off the viruses than those who came down with the illnesses. I have outlined below actions to strengthen your immune system:

Extensive studies of ways to strengthen the human defenses have been carried out for centuries in China, producing a wealth of knowledge on Chinese herbal medicine and its effect on the immune system. While there is currently no cure for SARS, the Chinese Government Health Authority recently released its recommendations for preventing SARS. These recommendations consist of Chinese herbal medicine formulations as prophylactic agents against SARS. They are herbs that have been found to contain anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and have immune boosting qualities. Some are effective in increasing the white blood cell production in your body (they are your defense troops), while others increase lymphocyte activities such as killing foreign invaders, etc. Fundamental principles of Chinese medicine are, of course, “Treating disease before its occurrence”, and “Strengthen the defenses to prevent sickness.”

The recommendations are listed below:

Lu Gen (reed root), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Lian Qiao (forsythia fruit), Chan Yi (cicada shell), Jiang Chan (silkworm), Bo He (peppermint), Gan Cao (licorice)

Cang Zhu (Chinese atractylodes rhizome), Bai Zhu (white atractylodes rhizome), Huang Qi (astragalus root), Fang Feng (siler root), Huo Xiang (patchouli), Sha Sheng (silver beech root), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Guan Zhong (dryopteris root)

Guan Zhong (dryopteris root), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Lian Qiao (forsythia fruit), Da Qing Ye (Isatis leaf), Zi Su (perilla leaf), Ge gen (Kudzu root), Huo Xiang (patchouli), Cang Zhu (Chinese atractylodes rhizome), Pei Lan (ornamental orchid), Tai Zi Sheng (pseudostellaria root)

Persons whose jobs (health workers) or relations may bring them into contact with someone with potential SARS are advised to take the following formula:

Da Huang (Chinese rhubarb root), Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower), Chai Hu (bupleuri root), Huang Qing (skullcap root), Ban Lan Gen (Isatis root), Guan Zhong (dryopteris root), Cang Shu, Yi Yi Ren (Job’s tears), Huo Xiang (patchouli), Fang Feng (siler root), Gan Cao (licorice)

We cannot rely on the government or a world health body to protect us from communicable diseases, nor should we. In a world grown ever more connected and fast-paced, the risks of disease transmission are greater with each passing day. However, individuals have the ability to protect themselves and loved ones by being proactive in ensuring optimal health and immune function. As frightening as the prospects of SARS and the flu pandemic are, we are far from being helpless. With the steps that I outlined above you can take minimize weakening your immune system and increase your immune functions. You do not have to be a sitting duck waiting for the inevitable to happen.

About The Author

Dr. Maoshing Ni, a Licensed Acupuncturist and a Diplomat of Chinese Herbology, is currently in general practice at the Tao of Wellness Clinic in Santa Monica, California. The Tao of Wellness Clinic is one of the oldest in Los Angeles, established in 1976. (310) 917-2200. Dr. Maoshing Ni is also the publisher of Points Newsletter, found at http://www.acupuncture.com.

info@taoofwellness.com

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

Essential Fatty Acids are oils, omega-3 and omega-6, that you can find, in certain amounts, in all oils that you can purchase in most the health food and regular grocery stores. These fatty acids are called essential because you cannot create them in your body and your cells use them every day.

If you do not eat enough of these oils… guess what… you’re going to get sick. What kind of sick? The list is quite extensive and it depends on your deficiency.

* Acne

* DD/ADHD

* Alzheimer’s disease

* Arthritis

* Asthma

* Cancer

* Diabetes

* Eczema

* Eye diseases

* Growth retardation

* Hair loss

* Heart disease

* High blood pressure

* Immune dysfunction

* Kidney deterioration

* Kidney deterioration

* Memory loss

* Psoriasis

* Schizophrenia

It’s a good idea not to be short on these fatty acids, because this list is still not complete.

80% of the American people will come down with serious illness because of nutritional deficiencies

It is not enough to eat essential fatty acid randomly. They need to be eaten in balance. You will need to balance the Omega-3 with the Omega-6. Most people are eating around 15 tablespoons of Omega-6 to 1 tablespoon of Omega-3. If you are one of these persons then expect to be harboring or creating one of the diseases listed above

What are Essential Fatty Acids?

There are four important types of Essential Fatty Acids:

* Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) or Omega-3 Oil

* Linoleic Acid (LA) or Omega-6 Oil

* Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)

* Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)

The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are found in everyday oils that you use for cooking, baking, and eating.

* Flax seed oil - contains four times more omega-3 than omega-6

* Perilla seed oil - contains three-four more omega-3 than omega-6

* Hemp oil - contain the ideal ratio of 4:1, four times more omega-6 to omega-3.

* Pumpkin oil - contains 3 times more omega-6 than omega-3

* Walnut oil contain ten times more omega-6 than omega-3

* Safflower - has no omega-3 and 75% of its oil is omega-6

* Sunflower - has no omega-3 and 65% of its oil is omega-6

* Wheat germ oil - slight amount of omega-3 but mostly omega-6

* Olive oil - no omega-3 and 8% of its oil is omega-6

* Corn oil - contains mostly omega- 6

You can see that most oils have very little omega-3. This is why you hear a lot about flax seeds and flax seed oil because they are high in omega-3.

In recent years, a new source of omega-3 was found in the seeds of the Perilla frutescens plant. Perilla oil was found not to cause digestive upset when used in large quantities. This oil is similar to flax seed oil in content except that 19% of it oil is saturated compared to 7% for flax seed oil.

It’s cheaper to buy perilla it in liquid form, since one tablespoon contains 7700 mg of omega-3 and one capsule contains 550 mg.

It is best to alternate between oils, using one bottle at a time of flax, perilla, and hemp oil. In this way you will get the benefits that the different oils have to give.

When buying your oils, try to buy them in dark bottles. This prevents oxidation from occurring and assures that you get active and fresh oils that contain strong levels of omega oils.

Other sources of omega-3 oil are,

* Flax seeds

* Chia seeds

* Pumpkin seeds

* Walnuts

* Dark greens

* Soy products

Limit your use of soy products. These products use up your body’s minerals and have been associated various body diseases. They cause fibrin to settles in your tissues and organs. Fibrin tends to clog up your organs and causes arteries to close off when you’re short on systemic enzymes.

Fish are also high in omega-3 oil. Include these in your diet by eating them at least once a week. The fish to eat are,

* Salmon

* Sardines

* Halibut

* Trout

* Albacore tuna

* Mackerel

Add the essential fatty acids to your eating habits everyday and gain the benefit of a better life.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He writes a newsletter call “Natural Remedies Thatwork.” For more information the on the essential fatty acids, visit his web site at
http://www.fatty-acid-remedies.for–you.info