How do you get rid of that pain? For us, the common methods of pain relief include analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications, which reduce symptomatic pain and swelling. But these treatments have a downside: They offer relief only during the time the medication is active in the body. They do nothing to correct the structural issues in the body causing the trigger points, spasms and pain.

You can also alternate the application of ice and heat to treat muscle pain. These are safe methods for symptomatic relief, but are difficult to apply for a prolonged period. And you need to keep using these techniques if you don’t treat the root cause of the pain.

Acupuncture, chiropractic, massage and physical therapy can also be used to treat muscle pain caused by structural issues. These are all reliable and play a role in re-establishing normalcy in the body. But there is another method, less well known yet powerful, that I’d like to share. It is called gua sha or “scraping” therapy.

A Form Of Bodywork

Gua sha can be thought of as a form of bodywork. It is similar to massage, but is carried out with a blunt instrument. Also, it is only applied to one area at a time and in only one direction.

Let’s say you experience tightness or a chronic trigger point in your shoulders. When you receive gua sha, you sit, shoulders exposed to the practitioner. The practitioner’s fingers press along the line of your shoulder. If the fingers show white marks on your skin after being removed, this is considered to be a sign of blockage. The blood and fluids are not moving freely in the shoulder, and this is the cause of the pain. When the sha or white compression marks take a long time to disappear, the problem has been there for a long period of time or the trouble spot lies deep within the muscle.

After initially testing the spot, the therapists lubricates the area and uses the blunt end of an instrument (like an old coin, rounded metal bottle cap, a piece of jade or hard plastic) to scrape over the troubled area. The movement is always deep, slow and steady and in the same direction away from the spine. (In other cases, like mid-back pain, the movement is parallel to the spine, but not toward or on it). The instrument is held at about a 30-degree angle, and the motion is repeated again and again until discoloration of the skin occurs.

During this process, patients often become worried. But there’s no need for alarm. What is happening is that the repetitive motion of the instrument brings the toxic, stagnant blood and fluids to the surface of the skin where the lymphatic system can clear it. At the same time, as the old, stagnant blood is removed from the muscle, fresh blood carrying fresh oxygen and nutrients is brought into the area to aid in healing. While the skin surface looks as if it is bruised, if the technique is performed properly, there should be no pain when the area is touched. This is a case where something looks worse than it feels. Interestingly, if there is no problem in that area, no dark discoloration comes to the surface and the skin retains its normal color.

Logical Treatment

While the 1,000-year-old method of gua sha may sound peculiar, it is actually based on the same logic used today in physical therapy and sports medicine. It is a form of deep-tissue massage or myofascial release. It augments soft-tissue mobilization. The process of applying the device gently yet firmly over the spasm area acts to mildly re-injure the area to promote proper healing.

In many cases, trigger points and muscle spasms are caused by injuries that may be decades old. These injuries often shorten muscles, tendons or ligaments after healing takes place improperly. Too much connective tissue can be formed which restricts movement and blood flow. Gua sha scraping breaks through this and allows for proper re-healing of the area, thereby correcting once and for all the origin of the pain and tightness.

While scraping can be performed on most muscles of the body, it should be avoided directly over bony areas, and never on a location where there is a new injury, painful bruising, sunburn or rash, or a break in the skin. Moles and pimples must be covered by the practitioner’s fingers so they are not scraped and made painful.

The Very Idea

The very idea of scraping away pain, or causing a new micro-injury to heal an old chronic injury, and of allowing a practitioner to bring dark purple bruising to the surface of your skin may seem a little unreasonable and odd; but I’d like you to put aside your judgment of this ancient healing method and read more about it online. There are many sites and pages and images available via a simple Internet search. If you can, call an acupuncturist or other bodywork therapist and ask if they are proficient in the method. If so, give it a try. A few days of skin discoloration beats decades of pain meds and physical therapy.

Source for Story:

http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/scraping-pain-away/

The scientists also studied noni’s effect against nitric oxide and hydroxyl radicals. Nitric oxide is a toxic compound found in your body that actually helps to control blood flow to your tissues, while hydroxyl radicals are considered to be the most damaging free radicals. In all these areas, as well as in pain reduction, the noni extract exerted beneficial effects. The researchers concluded that noni extract should be explored further for its potential use in treating painful, inflammatory conditions.

If noni extract seems a little too exotic for you or you have trouble finding it, you can also try adding this readily available fruit to your diet: avocado. Avocados contain special nutrients that help fight the inflammation that leads to arthritis.

Source for Story:

doctorshealthpress@lombardipublishing.com

(a website run by the not-for-profit George Mateljan Foundation, devoted to fostering a healthier world), recent lab studies found that betanin pigments can impede tumor cell growth in tissues throughout the body, including the . . .

Stomach

Nerves

Lungs

Breasts

Prostate

Testicles

These findings provide a compelling case for further research into the value of betanins and other betalains in preventing and curing cancer.

Because beets contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules, it is statistically likely that they can reduce the risk of many kinds of cancers. With the high antioxidant content, beets are a great leukemia natural treatment. The World’s Healthiest Foods says, “Eventually, we expect to see large-scale human studies that show the [cancer] risk-reducing effect of dietary beet intake.”

So Powerful That 100% of Cancer Patients in one Study Responded Positively!

A solid scientific basis for that work already exists. In the 1950s, a Hungarian cancer therapist named Alexander Ferenczi began putting his patients on a regime of raw or juiced beetroots in addition to their normal diet. He worked exclusively with patients who had already undergone chemotherapy and radiation, and who were primarily in the final (cachexic) stage of cancer.

All of Ferenczi’s patients responded positively to the addition of beets to their diets. There was a clear, clinical improvement in each and every one of their cancers. The beet treatment proved to be so powerful, in fact, that in some cases patients actually overdosed on beets!

In some cases, the mass injection of nutrients — especially vitamin C — contained in the beets overloaded the patients’ livers.

So, the takeaway lessons from Ferenczi’s work are that:

Beets are a more effective cancer treatment when begun early. In fact, the regular consumption of beets might be most effective as a preventative treatment.

To avoid overwhelming your body’s waste disposal system, start with small quantities of beetroot and gradually increase. If you start to feel unwell, reduce your consumption.

Beets Fight Leukemia, Tumors, and Advanced Inoperable Cancers

The results of a later study of “red beet therapy” — the consumption of approximately 2 lbs of raw, mashed beets daily — corroborate Ferenczi’s findings and suggest that beets can help your body fight against leukemia and tumors.

While eating mass quantities of mashed beets may not be the most appealing option, it may be possible to get similar results in a more digestible format. In one clinical trial, 22 patients with advanced inoperable cancers were given 10 oz. of beet juice daily for 3 to 4 months.

All but one of those patients showed marked improvements in health. Surely that’s enough to make anyone regard beets in a whole new light.

It seems clear that beets are indeed a mighty health resource. They are high in folate — a compound necessary for bone health — and not only have they been shown to be a potent anti-cancer treatment, but they also detoxify the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, blood and lymph. Beets are also helpful for relieving constipation.

How to Get the Best Benefit from Beets

Beet juice is such a strong substance that it should not be consumed on its own. Rather, mix it into another milder juice such as carrot, cucumber or apple. Dana Herbert, a natural health blogger, offers this advice to those interested in making beet juice from scratch:

“When juicing beets, alternate between pieces of beets and pieces of carrots, otherwise the beet pulp tends to build up on the sides of the spinning extraction basket and causes the juicer to vibrate.”

Dana also recommends chilling the juice for 2-3 hours prior to consumption.

The health-promoting pigments in beets can stain your skin, so it might be best to wear gloves while preparing them. If your hands do get stained, try lemon juice as a quick and nicely scented way to clean them!

Heat diminishes the concentration of phytochemicals in beets, so if you choose to cook them, World’s Healthiest Foods recommends steaming them lightly for 15 minutes, which will maximize their nutrition and flavor.

Source for Story:

http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/beets-as-a-leukemia-natural-treatment

The key to ghee longevity: store it somewhere cool, keep it covered, and make sure it doesn’t get contaminated by other liquids – don’t double dip!

Flavorful – Thanks to its strong flavor, not much ghee needs to be added to a dish to make it sing.

Health benefits

Easily digestible - The process of cooking off milk solids from butter burns off its lactose and cholesterol (says Holistic Chef Shani Cranston of hOMe health benefits, Grown Living Foods). This makes it much easier to digest than butter or vegetable oils.

Anti-inflammatory - According to the Sushruta Samhita, a text of the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda, ghee is the ultimate anti-inflammatory food.

Whole body healing - Ayurvedic practitioners use the golden elixir for everything from rejuvenating skin to aiding digestion to balancing hormones.

Flexibility – Dr. Vasant Lad, founder and director of the Ayurvedic Institute, explains ghee’s popularity among yogis by stating that it lubricates connective tissues and makes the body more flexible.

Enhances your essence - As reported by Paul Pitchford in Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition, ghee boosts ojas, the underlying essence of body issues; this leads to an increased immune system and greater longevity.

Increases agni - In Ayurveda, proper digestion revolves around agni, the body’s digestive fire. Consuming ghee boosts one’s agni, leading to better digestion and faster metabolism.

Butter’s yummy richness adds to many a dish, yet its unhealthiness prevents people from using it. Though it still has a high fat content, ghee’s many health benefits make it a fine alternative to butter or oil that you can make yourself. See below for detailed directions from Holistic Chef Shani Cranston:

Ghee-Makes 2 cups

1. Melt 1 pound of unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 or 4 cloves if you wish. This will aid in the clarification and lend a delicate flavor.

2. As soon as the butter begins to boil and foam, reduce the heat to a simmer. Keep the melted butter at a steady simmer until it is golden in color and no foam remains on top.

3. When the crackling sound stops, the ghee is ready.

4. Cool the mixture and strain it into a sterile quart jar. Discard the curds from the bottom, as they are almost pure cholesterol.

Source for Story:

http://www.naturalnews.com/034182_ghee_clarified_butter.html#ixzz1ekGUUoyk

which can be nearly an inch thick—that contains all the nutritive value.

It has been used to treat skin infections, wounds, diarrhea and many other maladies for generations. Now, science suggests its healing powers may extend to cancer and mental health, as well.

Xanthones: The Most Powerful Antioxidants in the World

The rind contains more than 40 chemical compounds called xanthones, these are where the vital mangosteen benefits come from. These natural compounds are the most powerful antioxidants found in nature. They offer a wealth of benefits such as repairing cell damage from free radicals…warding off degenerative disease…and preventing mental deterioration.

All xanthones have similar molecular structures, but each has a unique chemical composition. Some of the most important xanthones are:

• Alpha-mangostin, a potent antioxidant
• Beta-mangostin
• Gamma-mangostin, a powerful anti-inflammatory
• Garcinone B
• Garcinone E, a vital anti-tumor agent

According to Sloan-Kettering’s Integrative Medicine online information portal, the xanthones found in the mangosteen have potency against bacteria, fungus, and microbes, and are also antiseptic and anti-inflammatory.

A Promising Anti-Cancer Treatment

At this point, almost all studies on the mangosteen benefits have been done in test tubes. However, the early research looks promising.

A 2006 study in Bangkok, Thailand found several kinds of xanthones in mangosteen to be cytotoxic. Cytotoxic substances (like chemo and radiation) target and kill cancer cells.

Then in 2008, faculty from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois screened 12 xanthones. Four of them were formidable aromatase-inhibitors—compounds that lower estrogen levels. That means they can successfully treat estrogen-dependent tumors. The study’s abstract notes that xanthones could play an important role in breast cancer treatment.

Dr. Ray Sahelian, M.D., a nutrition expert and best-selling author, says there “are questions that still need to be answered through rigorous research [such as extensive human clinical trials]. However, some of the in vitro studies regarding mangosteen’s anti-cancer potential are intriguing and certainly worthwhile to further explore.”

Mangosteen Benefits and Mental Health

Some of the mangosteen benefits may become a revolutionary natural option for treating mental health problems. Indeed, researchers believe that the mangosteen benefits could eventually be used to treat depression…generalized anxiety disorder…and social phobias.

One especially exciting study was published recently in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. The researchers were following up on reports that the xanthones in mangosteen are the same as the active ingredients in St. John’s Wort, the popular and proven effective herbal antidepressant.

Xanthones have been shown to…

• Help the mind think more clearly and adapt better
• Provide a sense of stability and well-being
• Stop damage to neurons that otherwise prevents them from maturing and replicating properly
• Support healthy functioning of cell walls and neurotransmitters

Dosage and Availability

Mangosteen fruits cannot legally be imported in the United States because of concerns about parasites. They are, however, available as a fruit puree or juice concentrate.

Dr. Ray Sahelian explains that there are 2 common mangosteen extracts, namely, alcohol extract and water-based extracts. There are also various extract potencies with regard to xanthones content, including 5%, 6%, 10%, and 25%.

The best xanthone concentration and type of mangosteen for you may depend on the reason you’re adding mangosteen to your daily regime, or the therapeutic effects you desire.

Source for Story:

http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/mangosteen-benefits-xanthones-mental-health

The separated beets can last for days in the fridge.

There are several ways to consume the red beets. The outer skins should be peeled regardless of how you prepare them. Then they can be grated raw and sprinkled on salads. Or chop them up into quarters, steam them and prepare as you would any vegetable. Consider a mild sauce topping or mush up some soft goat cheese for your topping.

Or, wait until the cooked beets cool and make a cold side dish with the beet chunks and some crushed walnuts: top off with goat or bleu cheese and olive oil and vinegar, yum!. There are several possible variations, all surprisingly tasty.

Of course, raw beets offer the most complete nutrients. And juicing beets with a slow masticating juicer is highly recommended. Juicing a few beets with lots of carrots and an apple or two is the tastiest way to go. And this adds more nutrients intact with important enzymes.

Eight Health Benefits

(1) Beet juice is alkaline and helps stave off acidosis, a harbinger of all diseases.

(2) Beet juice helps stimulate liver cells and cleanse and protect bile ducts. It also helps relieve the kidneys of stress to help cure gout. It also helps relieve constipation.

(3) Beets help cleanse the blood and create more red blood cells. They are useful for treating and curing anemia. Heavy daily beet consumption has even been used to treat leukemia and other cancers. With normal consumption, one can benefit from beets’ anti-carcinogenic properties.

(4) Red beets and their leaves are a high source of folate, which is the natural base of folic acid. Folate helps build tissue and red blood cells. Folic acid from folate is more beneficial for pregnant women than folic acid synthetically derived. It is healthier long term to depend on folate rather than to use folic acid supplements. Unfortunately, the two terms are misused interchangeably.

(5) Beets contain lots of lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which help prevent or even cure macular degeneration and other age related eye issues.

(6) Beets are a high source of phytonutrients called betalains. Beet betalains provide strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support.

(7) Beets help lower blood pressure, maintain blood vessel elasticity, and even help eliminate varicose veins.

(8) Beets are high in fiber, potassium, magnesium, niacin, calcium, iron, and biotin.

Caveats

Beets can be so detoxifying that if you are in a toxic condition you may experience Herxheimer events (healing crisis) such as headaches and fatigue.

Red coloring in the stool or urine is not uncommon after consuming beets. It’s no big deal, though some say it might indicate a bit of anemia.

Sources for this Story:

http://herbscancure.com/blog/health…

http://www.aimforherbs.com/remaking…

http://len7288.hubpages.com/hub/Hea…

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?…

: http://www.naturalnews.com/

composed primarily of omega-3 fats.

Researchers found that vitamin K plays an important role in “maintaining the white matter region of the brain by supporting the myelin sheathing that protects axons, connecting glial cells together with axons, and facilitating the speed at which your brain functions.” Animals with the lowest supplemental vitamin K levels displayed the highest degree of cognitive decline as they grew older, compared with the highest vitamin K group.

Scientists publishing in the journal Atherosclerosis determined the effect of vitamin K on 564 post-menopausal women. The study was designed to contrast dietary intake of both the phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and menaquinone (vitamin K2) with coronary artery calcification (atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries). Researchers found that the K2 form of vitamin K was associated with a significant decrease in coronary artery calcification, while vitamin K1 did not appear to impact disease progression.

Dark green leafy vegetables provide a healthy dose of vitamin K1 but are not a significant source of vitamin K2, the form shown to yield protection against arterial hardening and dementia. Fermented foods, egg yolks and certain cheeses provide high levels of K2, although many people may choose to avoid these foods. Health-minded individuals will need to supplement with a quality supplement providing the full range of vitamin K isomers (1000 – 2000 mcg per day) to avert atherosclerosis and cognitive function decline.

Sources for Story:

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/ear…

http://www.wellnessresources.com/st…

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2009…

http://www.atherosclerosis-journal….

http://www.naturalnews.com/033269_vitamin_K_blood_clotting.html#ixzz1UkiLWr6b

an important anti-aging anti-oxidant – which improves circulation to the brain by dilating the cerebral middle arteries. Glutathione is actually used to treat all sorts of brain diseases, from autism to Alzheimer’s. Having good blood flow to the brain is important, and low blood flow to the brain can acerbate, and even cause, other problems of the brain.

Sage also has anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibacterial properties. Plus, it’s high in iron and has been found to effectively relieve mild to moderate anxiety states. In addition, in a 2010 analysis of over 3100 foods, sage had one of the highest anti-oxidant contents.

Sage has a wonderful savory flavor and it’s a wonderful addition to lentil and other homemade soups, including many raw blended soups. If you make your own salad dressings using olive oil, lemon and sea salt as a base, adding fresh sage and tomato is wonderful too. Sage leaves can also be added to fresh juices and they are particularly delicious in tomato juices. Just run your tomatoes through your juicer with the leaves. Sage tea is also common and is made by seeping some leaves in boiling water and adding a natural or herbal sweetener, like stevia.

Of course, with brain and other problems, it’s important to remember that common toxins are almost always at the root of the problem, and so while herbs are definitely helpful, detoxification is too. And with any disease, why wait until you’re suffering to take action? It’s easy to start adding all sorts of fresh herbs to your diet regularly, and as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Sources for Story:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?…

http://www.medicinal-herbs-and-spic…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-ma…

http://www.naturalnews.com/032632_sage_brain_health.

45 English-speaking adults at high risk of medication overdosing as part of their study. The group was asked if they were aware of the ingredients in various painkiller drugs they were using. About 59 percent of the participants revealed that they never even read drug labels, and it became clear to experts that many participants had at some point taken multiple medications containing the same active ingredient, which raised their risk of health complications.

Acetaminophen, of course, is the leading cause of liver failure among young people and young adults. In fact, studies have routinely shown that acetaminophen is harmful to everyone’s kidneys, including adults (http://www.naturalnews.com/001523_T…). This is particularly concerning when considering that many people are regularly ingesting unknown amounts of this ingredient from multiple drugs without any awareness of it.

“I think the marketing and labeling of these products is very confusing,” said Dr. Lee M. Sanders, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine who was not involved in the study, to Yahoo! News. “I often get called by medical colleagues (MDs and PhDs) with questions about this.”

OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin and ibuprofen are linked to causing at least 76,000 hospitalizations and 7,600 deaths in the US alone (http://www.annals.org/content/127/6…). Recent studies have also linked NSAIDs to erectile dysfunction, heart attacks, gastrointestinal disorders, and birth defects (http://www.naturalnews.com/NSAIDs.html).

Sources for this story include:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience…

http://www.naturalnews.com/032375_painkiller_

of this oil has a numbing effect on the nerves, it does not let them sense pain and carry its sensation to brain, thereby giving relief from pains, such as those of toothache, headache, cold, sinusitis and others. It does not have adverse side effects on the body like the general analgesic pills do.

* Anti Inflammatory: The Essential Oil of Mullein is anti inflammatory in nature. It can effectively cure any type of nasal or respiratory tracts inflammation, resulting from common cold or inflammation in the digestive system caused by overeating of spicy food or alcoholic drinks or inflammation of the circulatory system caused by any toxic substance getting into the blood stream or inflammations caused by any other reason such as fever, infection etc. This oil can cure any type of inflammation.

* Anti Septic: The anti septic property of this essential oil gives protection to wounds from infections which may cause septic and tetanus. This, it does by eliminating microbial growth in the affected place and also by activating the white blood cells and platelets in the region, so that microbes, even if they succeed to get through the wounds, are finished by these two agents.

* Disinfectant: This oil is very efficient in curing both internal and external infections. Internally, it cures infections in the genitals and the urinary tracts, colon, excretory system and the kidneys. Externally, it fights infections on skin, in the ear, nose and other parts of the body.

* Diuretic: The Mullein Essential Oil increases urination both by frequency and by quantity. This helps drain out the toxins like uric acid as well as extra salts, water, bile etc. deposited in the body. Urination also helps reduce weight due to removal of water and fat through urine. It also helps reduce blood pressure, enhances appetite, promotes digestion and prevents formation of gases in the intestines. Urination also clears the deposits in the kidneys, thus keeping them clean.

* Expectorant: This oil has remarkable expectorant properties. It loosens cough or phlegm deposited in the lungs and respiratory tracts and gives relief from cough, heaviness in the chest, breathing troubles, asthma, bronchitis, congestion and other respiratory disorders. It does not only clear depositions of phlegm or catarrh but also soothes the mucus membrane.

* Febrifuge: This Essential Oil of Mullein is also capable of reducing fever by fighting the infections causing fever. The diuretic properties of this oil also contribute to this effect, since removal of toxins and wastes from the body speeds up recovery from infections.

* Relaxant: The Mullein Essential Oil has relaxing effects on the muscles, nerves, brain and all other systems, thus giving relief from muscular cramps, nervous afflictions and disturbances, nervous disorders, stress, anxiety, anger, depressions etc. This also helps reduce blood pressure and reduces chances of heart attack.

* Tranquilizing: The patients of chronic insomnia or stress related acute insomnia can surely benefit from this property of Mullein Essential Oil. It can give them their most desired thing, a sound sleep.

* Other Benefits: Apart from the uses discussed above, this oils is used to treat all ailments of the respiratory system such as congestion, coughs, whooping cough, bronchitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, tracheitis and asthma and infectious diseases like influenza, tuberculosis, urinary tract infections. It is also used to treat chilblains and hemorrhoids.

Few Words of Caution: No potent threat noted. It is non toxic and non irritant.

Blending: Mullein Essential Oils blends well with essential oils of basil, eucalyptus, garlic and thyme.