Whole-Body Conditions
Top Techniques for Head-to-Toe Complaints
Like many women who experience baffling medical conditions, 49-year-old massage and polarity therapist Kathy Johnson didn't know what to make of the bone-crushing tiredness that started to creep over her. It affected her whole body, making her feel perpetually achy and tired. And when it lingered for more than two weeks, she went to see her doctor.
According to her doctor, Johnson displayed many symptoms of the condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Most tellingly, she had headaches, asore throat, short-term memory loss, muscle and joint pain and extreme tiredness.
"All the doctor told me to do was go home and rest," she recalls. "For the first year, I could barely move or do anything. I couldn't stand for longer than five minutes."
Johnson recalls how she felt, after a year of nearly total inactivity, when she found a new doctor who said he could help her. "I just sat in the doctor's office and cried tears of relief. I thought that I'd never work, never play and never read again. It was like being in a living coma," she says.
The doctor's next step was to put her on Cortef, a prescription anti-inflammatory supplement to ease her symptoms. To complement the medication, he also began giving her weekly vitamin B12 shots and started what Johnson describes as a "huge megavitamin and mineral regime" that included magnesium, iron, manganese and copper. On her doctor's recommendation, she drank at least eight glasses of water a day.
"Getting sick was like piling bricks on a wheelbarrow. You pile them on and on until one tumbles you over into illness," she says. "Getting back to health was like pulling one brick off at a time and figuring out what I needed. I had to look at my whole system to get better. I re-evaluated my mental, emotional and spiritual life and reorganized my life priorities."
Today, Johnson continues her regime, except for the B12 shots. She rates herself a "number seven on a scale of one to ten, with ten being great." The week that she found herself whitewater rafting and hiking in Colorado, Johnson knew that she'd won a major victory in her battle with CFS.
UNRAVELING THE SECRETS OF WELLNESS
Johnson was actually lucky to be diagnosed in the first place, says Arthur Brownstein, M.D., medical director of the Princeville Medical Clinic in Princeville, Hawaii. Conditions like chronic fatigue, body aches, chronic pain, insomnia and fatigue are often puzzling because they affect the whole body and it's difficult to pinpoint specific problems.
"Unfortunately, conventional doctors today aren't too familiar with how the body works as a whole," observes Dr. Brownstein. "Healing systems in other cultures have more of an awareness of the interconnectedness of everything in the body." Because of specialization, that's far less likely to be true in Western medicine, he notes. "Here, someone like a cardiologist may know everything there is to know about the heart but very little about what's going on in the rest of the body."
Here's a typical sequence, as Dr. Brownstein describes it: "A doctor will say, 'Well, it's not a kidney problem, so we'll send you to a neurologist.' The neurologist says, 'I can't find anything wrong with your brain, so I'll send you to a psychiatrist.' And you end up on industrial-strength tranquilizers. It suppresses your symptoms but crushes your spirit."
Chronic fatigue is a hard-to-diagnose medical puzzle. Other whole-body problems, such as insomnia, general aches and pains and nicotine addiction, are easy to diagnose but difficult to treat.
But where patent prescriptions and conventional therapy might not address such problems effectively, natural therapies can step in to help relieve whole-body problems. (Or, in many cases, work in concert with mainstream medicine to optimize recovery.) Acupuncture, for instance, triggers the release of brain chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin, which can help relieve chronic pain and even counteract nicotine addiction that comes from smoking. Meditation and visualization both help calm your nervous system to reduce pain as well as stress and tension. And yoga, which relaxes, stretches and tones your body, helps ease body aches while easing fatigue.
"In alternative therapies, practitioners realize that the last expression of disease is the body. It started somewhere else, maybe with stress or anxiety or sadness, and is finally expressing itself physically," says Dr. Brownstein. "You need to look at the whole person--lifestyle, diet, family relationships and everything that affects her life--before you can begin to cure what's ailing her."
ACHES: EASY STEPS TO RELIEF
Sometimes it feels like someone stole the spring out of your step and replaced it with a rusty hinge. Soon the aching has clipped your knees and snagged your shoulders, and at its worst, the feeling of affliction just won't go away.
What causes these body aches? Aging is certainly a factor, but there are other explanations as well. The biggest cause for the avalanche of aches as we age is inactivity rather than the passage of time, says Dr. Brownstein. "We've discovered that 98 percent of the pain of arthritis comes from the muscles around the joints being rigid, stiff and tight from lack of movement and stretching."
And even if you don't have arthritis, you're just asking for aches if you stay inactive. The health of the knees, hips, shoulders and back is determined by the condition of the muscles around them, says Dr. Brownstein. "If you stretch the muscles around the joint, you increase the joint's range of motion, which improves the flow of the synovial fluid in the joints that lubricates and nourishes them, reducing aches and promoting healing."
If you both work your body and baby it afterward, you can make body aches a part of your past. Here's what works.
Stretch with yoga. Doing yoga stretches can help ease or even prevent most body aches, says Richard C. Miller, Ph.D., yoga instructor and psychologist in San Rafael, California, co-founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and founder of the Marin School of Yoga. You should do yoga stretches for the back, legs, shoulders and hips--the major areas of the body, he recommends. Here are the stretches that he suggests.
* Stand with your arms over your head, feet shoulder-width apart. Then bend to the left, exhaling as you move. Hold this pose for three seconds and inhale as you return to an upright position. Repeat the stretch, bending to the right. Repeat three or four times, alternately bending left, then right.
* Place your hands on your lower back and lift your chest, gently bending backward, inhaling as you go. Hold for a few seconds, then come upright again, exhaling on your way back up. Repeat three times.
* With hands still on your lower back and your legs shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly and lean forward, as far as is comfortable. Exhale as you bend forward. Remain in the pose for three seconds, then straighten up, inhaling as you come up. Repeat three times.
Move your body. Get out and walk briskly for 30 minutes or more at least three times a week, suggests Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D., former head of field investigations for the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She recommends walking instead of driving whenever possible and climbing the stairs at work instead of taking the elevator. Regular walking and climbing help prevent aches.
"About 90 percent of all your aches are a result of not moving your body," agrees Dr. Brownstein. "People store tension in their shoulders and upper backs, which over time results in aches. Movement and stretching help to release that tension."
Spice up your baths. Want a quick relief from aches? Sprinkle powdered ginger into a tub of warm water and climb in for a good, long soak, suggests Mary Muryn, aromatherapist and certified teacher of polarity and reflexology in Westport, Connecticut. She recommends an ounce of powderedginger (available in supermarkets) sprinkled into your bath, for a 20-minute soak.
"For some reason, when ginger is combined with water, it gives the feeling of heat, which warms up your body and your bones and eases aches," Muryn notes.
Epsom-ize your bath. Here's a way to bathe away aches and pains accompanied by minor swelling: Pour six cups of Epsom salts into a tub filled with warm water, dissolve it well, then soak for 20 minutes and rinse with cool water, suggests Charles Thomas, Ph.D., administrator of the Desert Hot Springs Therapy Center in Desert Hot Springs, California.
For general aches, this treatment should be done no more than three times a week, always allowing one day of rest in between. (According to Dr. Thomas, Epsom salts lowers blood pressure, so after a series of three or four treatments, you may feel fatigued. If this occurs, do not repeat the treatment, he advises.) Epsom salts, chemically known as magnesium sulfate, helps to draw out carbon--one of the waste products of your body--through your pores. When the waste is removed from your muscles, your aches feel better, says Dr. Thomas.
Massage it. Getting your muscles massaged is a relaxing way of overcoming aches, notes Vincent Iuppo, doctor of naturopathy and director of the Morris Institute of Natural Therapeutics in Denville, New Jersey. Massage helps release lactic acids--substances produced during the processing of fat and glucose (a simple sugar in the body). When lactic acids build up in muscles due to overuse, they cause soreness, says Dr. Iuppo. "Massage releases the lactic acids and lets them be carried throughout your system." Eventually, the lactic acids are carried out in your urine. Somassage helps your body rid itself of lactic acids faster.
ALCOHOL OVERUSE: NO MORE HANGOVERS--EVER
If you reach for a glass of wine every time you're stressed, are you an alcoholic? If you have to drink before every social gathering to "get your courage up," does that mean you're an alcoholic? Not necessarily, but it could mean that you have a drinking problem, says Jean Kirkpatrick, Ph.D., director and founder of Women for Sobriety, an organization of support groups for women alcoholics, headquartered in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
A problem drinker, according to Dr. Kirkpatrick, is anyone who has come to rely on alcohol to deal with her problems, such as stress or social shyness, but who can still quit. The need to drink hasn't yet become overwhelming and compulsive, the way that it has for an alcoholic, she says. "Good advice for problem drinkers is to check for patterns, like needing to drink every night to unwind when you get home from work. Those are the patterns that can turn into alcoholism if not brought into check."
It's nearly impossible to track figures on how many women are problem drinkers because they're usually in denial about it in the first place, says Dr. Kirkpatrick. But more women than men seem to have a problem with negative self-image, says Dr. Kirkpatrick. And she links that to problem drinking, noting that a lot of women start drinking to feel less shy, to lose their inhibitions and to gain confidence.
One thing is certain: Even moderate drinkers--women who consume two glasses of alcohol a day--are at increased risk of developing such health problems as esophageal and liver cancer, high blood pressure and cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle).
If you would like to get some help before your drinking spins out of control, you have many support groups and cutting-edge therapies to choose from. If you've become compulsive about drinking or your need for alcohol is overwhelming, you should seek professional treatment. Here are some experts' recommendations, which work well as an adjunct to therapy for problem drinkers.
Build that self-esteem. Cognitive therapy sessions with a counselor can help change the negative way that you think about yourself so you won't be as compelled to drink, says Judith Beck, Ph.D., director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research and clinical assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
"At the bottom of alcoholism is a terrible self-concept or sense of helplessness that makes people want to drink to change who they are or their reactions to life circumstances," Dr. Beck observes. (To find out how cognitive therapy can help you develop a more positive self-image, see page 79.)
Mix in some acupuncture. You can curb cravings for alcohol with acupuncture, according to Lixing Lao, M.D., Ph.D., licensed acupuncturist and assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
"Acupuncture causes the brain to release chemicals such as dopamine, which acts as a transmitter for the body's nervous system, and endorphins (the body's natural painkillers), which may help squash the desire for alcohol," he says. These soothing chemicals also ease symptoms, such as anxiety, irritability and insomnia, that heavy drinkers often experience when they stop consuming alcohol. Acupuncture helps you through these withdrawal symptoms by helping you to relax.
Handy Hints for Healing Hangovers Welcome to Hangover Hell. It's a place where the sound of a newspaper rustling can make your head throb, a plain saltine cracker is too rich for your nauseated stomach and your bed is the only place that offers comfort. Hopefully, you rarely visit this land of headaches, upset stomachs and general shakiness. But on occasion, one too many glasses of champagne can leave you with severe regrets--and symptoms--the morning after. Hangovers sound harmless, but they're actually caused by toxins, says Paul Mittman, doctor of naturopathy in private practice in Enfield, Connecticut. When your liver breaks down the alcohol that you've ingested, toxins are released into your blood that contribute to the headaches and stomachaches, he notes. Just how much alcohol is too much? "Some people drink just two drinks and get a hangover," says Alan Rapoport, M.D., director of the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Connecticut, and assistant clinical professor of neurology at Yale University School of Medicine. "For others, tolerance is much higher. It has to do with how much you're used to drinking." And people who weigh less tend to get worse hangovers, says Dr. Rapoport. In a smaller person, the alcohol is more concentrated and not as diluted by bodily fluids, he explains. That could explain why a woman who weighs, say, 125 pounds, may feel worse after a night on the town than her buddy, a 200-pound guy. The best way to avoid a hangover is not to overindulge in the first place--or to have fewer drinks spaced over a long period of time. But if you're heading out for a night on the town where champagne is flowing freely, or any alcohol for that matter, Dr. Rapoport recom-mends keeping overall alcohol content low by diluting your drinks with water. Make sure that you drink at least 12 ounces of water an hour while you're drinking alcohol, he says. "Also, before you go to bed on a night that you've been drinking, you should drink as much water as possible." It's also wise to eat cheese or drink milk before you start drinking. These foods give your stomach a protective coating against alcohol, says Dr. Rapoport. And you'll be better off if you consume fructose, a natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables, before you start drinking, he adds. Fructose may break down the alcohol in your bloodstream faster so it won't be as strong. He recommends eating apples, grapes and tomatoes or drinking apple, grape and tomato juice. But what if you do get a hangover, despite all your precautions? Here's what experts advise. Take time for tea. Spearmint or peppermint tea soothes a case Press the point. Pressing on an acupressure point on your wrist can momentarily control the nausea of a hangover, says Dr. Dean. "Find the midway point on the inside of your wrist and press on it with your thumb for 20 to 30 seconds. That acupressure point on the wrist is the meridian that corresponds with your stomach." |
Activate your alpha waves. Biofeedback can curb your alcohol craving by altering your brain waves, says Dale Walters, Ph.D., former director of education in the Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback Center at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. When you're in the first stages of relaxation, alpha waves are dominant, but once you're extremely still and drowsy, theta waves become dominant, he notes. Beta brain waves, however, dominate your brain when you're actively thinking and doing things, just as delta waves dominate when you're sleeping.
For some reason, alcoholics' brains tend to give off the activity-oriented beta waves more often than the relaxing alpha or theta waves, Dr. Walters notes. "If alcoholics want to really let go and relax, they often don't have the relaxing brain waves to do it. So what do they do for relief and comfort? They drink."
Research suggests that low doses of alcohol intake are related to increases in alpha rhythms and that moderate to high amounts increase delta and theta rhythms.
Biofeedback helps teach alcoholics to increase alpha and theta waves through relaxation instead of drinking, says Dr. Walters. With electrodes attached to your scalp, you hear a high-pitched tone when alpha waves are present. As you practice relaxation--by repeating phrases like, "My mind is quiet," or focusing on slow breathing--you learn to increase the presence of that brain wave more often as indicated by the tone, he explains.
It usually takes an average of thirty 30-minute brain-wave training sessions (five a week for six weeks) to produce a nearly normal brain-wave function as indicated by increased alpha waves, says Dr. Walters.
A study compared ten alcoholics who had brain-wave biofeedback for two weeks with ten who did individual and group therapy for one month, notes Dr. Walters. After 13 months, 80 percent of the biofeedback group was still sober. In the other group, 80 percent had gone back to drinking.
Seek a support group. Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Women for Sobriety have chapters in nearly every city in the United States, Dr. Kirkpatrick points out. "Support groups are like a surrogate family. You spend time with people who have the same problem, with whom you can discuss the most intimate details of your life, without being judged."
Picture yourself alcohol-free. Visualizing yourself rejecting a drink can teach you how to avoid alcohol, says Dr. Walters. "We teach people to picture a scene where they're ready to buy alcohol at the store, then turn around, take a deep breath and walk away. We also have them visualize being confident and at ease in a social setting, since many people drink to overcome social shyness." This imagery can be done for a minute whenever the craving for a drink pops into your head, he says.
Write an alcohol-free anthem. Songwriting can help you to understand yourself and your drinking problem, says Barbara J. Crowe, a registered music therapist and director and professor of music therapy at Arizona State University in Tempe. "You can write songs about feelings of anxiety and fear, which may have led you to start drinking."
Play a sobriety sonata. Music itself can be a drink substitute, says Crowe. "We show people that there are ways of getting a high other than drinking." From a music therapist you can easily learn to play such instruments as hand drums or conga drums. Sometimes people with drinking problems meet in a music therapy group session to play the drums. That helps give them the sense of community that going out to bars may have provided, she notes.
For Women Only An Alternative to AA Though Jean Kirkpatrick, Ph.D., had been to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, she felt that they always lacked something. As a woman surrounded by men, she never felt comfortable talking about problems involving deeply personal issues. So in 1976, she founded Women for Sobriety, based in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. It's an all-woman support group, so women can seek help with their drinking problems and feel secure in the knowledge that they're surrounded by other women. "It became clear to me that women need something different for recovery than men do. I'd say 50 to 60 percent of women alcoholics have problems with sexual abuse and incest--not something you'd talk about in a mixed group," she says. Today, you can find some 300 Women for Sobriety programs around the world, including Australia and Ireland, with membership totaling about 5,000 women. Groups meet once a week for 60 to 90 minutes, says Dr. Kirkpatrick. Women for Sobriety has a 13-statement program that's the philosophical opposite of Alcoholics Anonymous' 12-step program, explains Dr. Kirkpatrick. "In AA you stand up and tell your story about how you first started to drink. That just brings back guilt. Our statement is that the past is gone forever--you need to start now to rebuild your life." Another difference is that Women for Sobriety doesn't require lifetime attendance, the way that AA does. "Our program's basis is teaching women to be empowered and to realize their strengths," says Dr. Kirkpatrick. |
CHRONIC PAIN: TAME THE ENDLESS HURT
Pain is bad enough, but what if you suffer from frequent or constant pain that makes it difficult to do your job or to do things with your family or to sleep at night? That's called chronic pain, says Stanley Krippner, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the Saybrook Institute in San Francisco.
Some of the most common causes of chronic pain are migraines, back pain, injuries from auto accidents, falls or sports injuries, joint pain, temporomandibular disorder (a severe pain in the jaw joint), endometriosis (a painful condition in which bits of the uterus grow outside the uterus), interstitial cystitis (a chronic, severe inflammation of the bladder) and irritable bowel syndrome.
Chronic pain is depressing and frustrating, says Ann Berger, M.D., assistant professor of oncology and anesthesiology at the Cooper Hospital Pain Management Clinic in Camden, New Jersey. The psychological toll can be great. Loneliness, social isolation and possible loss of job and financial support can all make chronic pain that much more intolerable, she notes.
Natural therapies help calm the body's nervous system, which feels pain more intensely when its overly aroused, says Dr. Krippner. When you're in pain, your body releases hormones from the endocrine system, such as adrenaline from the adrenal gland and other pain-intensifying hormones from the pituitary, thyroid and parathyroid glands, notes Dr. Krippner. These hormones stay in the system for a long time, essentially "reminding" your body of ongoing pain. For reasons that doctors don't quite understand, these hormones hang around if you're tense or agitated but leave your system if you're in a relaxed state. That means that the sensation of pain will fade away more quickly if you're relaxed, he explains.
And that's where biofeedback can help, training your body to relax. It's an especially effective therapy for tension or migraine headaches, temporomandibular disorder and irritable bowel syndrome, according to practitioners.
The other effective therapies are visualization and meditation. Visualization can help reduce the pain of endometriosis. Meditation can help women deal with the pain of irritable bowel syndrome or vascular disorders such as Raynaud's Syndrome or migraine headaches.
A panel from the National Institutes of Health explained the calming effect that relaxation techniques have on the body. Therapies like meditation and biofeedback calm the sympathetic nervous system, which regulates heart rate and pulse. The result is lowered oxygen consumption and blood pressure and a slower breathing rate and heart rate, the panel's report concluded.
The panel also found that natural therapies can create more of the relaxing alpha and theta brain waves that help calm the nervous system. So if you're in the throes of chronic pain, you do have options apart from or in addition to painkilling medications. Here are some of your choices.
Meditate your pain away. Daily meditation can be the key to transforming your perception of and attitudes toward physical pain, says David Nichol, M.D., a psychiatrist in private practice in Topeka, Kansas. "As little as a minute, or preferably five to ten minutes, of meditation throughout the day can bring substantial improvements." (For more information on how to meditate, see page 233.)
Escape with music. Listening to music can also distract you from pain, says Crowe. "If you let your mind focus on the music, it can take your thoughts away from the pain, even if only briefly." You want to choose music with interesting lyrics or melodies so you can focus your attention on them. Listening to any music that relaxes you or puts you in a good mood should help ease your pain.
Breathe out. Since stress overly arouses your nervous system by increasing heart rate and speeding up breathing and pulse, learning to relax with deep-breathing exercises can tame your pain, says Thomas Rudy, Ph.D., director of the Pain Evaluation and Treatment Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Practice deep breathing for a couple of minutes at least three times a day and in advance of when you know you're apt to hurt the most, he says. For example, if you know that migraine headaches usually come on right after work, find a quiet place about five minutes before the end of your workday, sit down and do your deep breathing. (For more information on deep breathing, see page 67.)
Imagine away pain. Before your body gets too tensed up with pain, you can relax considerably by using imagery, says Dr. Rudy. When your pain begins, spend a few minutes in a quiet place with your eyes closed and mentally picture a relaxing scene, like a walk in the woods or a picnic in a meadow, or create your own relaxing image of a favorite place.
Exercise your right to comfort. Getting plenty of activity is important in releasing endorphins--your body's natural painkillers, says Dr. Krippner. The endorphins raise your pain threshold, which is the level at which you first become aware of the feeling of pain. Endorphins also calm you. "They produce a sense of well-being that temporarily overrides the pain for a while after you've exercised," adds Dr. Krippner. For this reason he recommends scheduling 20 to 30 minutes of exercise six days a week. If pain increases, stop and call your doctor, he says.
A study in Norway involving 16 women with chronic pain of the muscles, bones and joints shows that exercise does lessen pain. When the women did indoor physical aerobic exercise to music twice a week, they reported feeling less pain after 12 weeks of exercise than they did when they started.
Ask for acupuncture. Acupuncture increases the body's production of pain-suppressing brain chemicals like serotonin and endorphins, says Dr. Lao. "It's very hard to explain in Western terms, but in acupuncture, you stimulate various points on the body with needles, and the body responds by sending signals to the brain, which releases the chemicals."
FATIGUE AND CHRONIC FATIGUE: BEAT THE BLAHS
Poll any group of women about their health and chances are, eight out of ten will say that they're tired. Ask them why and they'll tell you that they have too much to do and too little time to do it. Or maybe they're not getting enough sleep at night. Or maybe the cause is anemia, which is a lack of red blood cells in the blood. Other possible causes are depression or problems of the thyroid, a gland that regulates how your body uses its fuel.
But a frequent cause of fatigue is the stress that you get when you have job problems or family conflicts, says Reed Moskowitz, M.D., founder and medical director of Stress Disorders Services at New York University Medical Center in New York City.
You can attribute your reactions to stress to the fight-or-flight response, a built-in reflex in which your body produces excess adrenaline and other hormones. The sudden release of these hormones is in response to a situation that makes you tense or fearful. Your heart beats faster and these hormones momentarily energize your body, explains Dr. Moskowitz.
"This biological response was only designed to be a short-term reaction to stress. These days, we're chronically running on adrenaline, with deadlines, long workdays and traffic jams," notes Dr. Moskowitz. "We get fatigued because our bodies are not designed to run long-term on the fight-or-flight response. The expenditure of energy over time can burn you out."
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BIOSKINCARE™ contains a biological complex compound of glyco or sugar chain molecules bound to proteins, peptides, enzymes, co-enzymes and oligoelements that we collect from a little creature of the Phylum mollusca, class gastropoda, species Helix Aspersa Müller, also known as the humble brown garden snail. Using proprietary technology, no harm is inflicted upon the snails during the labor-extensive gathering process.
It is this same substance that helps to protect the snail's body from oxygen radicals when it comes out of his shell after hibernating; from the effects of solar UVA radiation; and from opportunistic micro-organisms always ready to intrude when skin is injured.
Also, what is far more interesting to us humans, it is the exact same fluid used by these little creatures, that happen to have a skin made of the same structural elements of human skin: —collagen, elastin, water holding molecules, etc.— to protect & repair their skin, organs and shell whenever they are damaged.
BIOLOGICAL 100% NATURAL SKIN CARE
Nature's gift for healthy skin™
BIOSKINCARE™ beautifies and regenerates the skin. It is successful in treating skin that has traces of acne scars, stretch marks, skin burns, wrinkles and age spots. It actively gets rid of acne, keloids, keratosis pilaris, psoriasis scales, actinic keratosis crusty scales & skin blemishes. BIOSKINCARE™ removes pustules, papules, folliculitis and warts. It also reduces acne rosacea redness and heals razor bumps and shaving burns. It prevents acne breakouts, scarring and ingrown hairs while triggering the replacement of damaged skin cells and promoting the regeneration of healthy collagen and elastin deep within your skin.
THE MOST COMPLETE & BALANCED SOLUTION CREATED BY A LIVING CREATURE
The fluid is a complex compound of powerful biologically active proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, soluble protein enzymes, copper peptides, antimicrobial peptides and oligoelements (Cu, Zn, Ca, Fe) that even though highly appreciated by medical scientists cannot possibly be synthesized in even the most sophisticated biochemistry laboratory.
The substance is the most original, complete and balanced solution for skin care created by a living creature to protect, repair, renew and moisturize its own skin (its own collagen, elasting, water holding molecules and other skin structures).
On human skin it acts as a biological activator of both the elimination of dead and damaged skin cells and the orderly renewal of all the structural elements of healthy skin. It is also antioxidant. And controls acne.
SKIN CARE REINVENTED
From a dermatologist perspective BIOSKINCARE™ performs three functions in concert: 1) helps your immune system to recognize non functional and damaged tissues 2) degrades those disfunctional, damaged, dead or dying cells into their basic amino-acid and other components and releases them for regeneration of healthy cells and 3) orchestrates the rebuilding of the skin matrix by triggering the proliferation of all the structural elements of healthy skin.
From a cosmetic perspective the biological ingredient in BIOSKINCARE™ is the most balanced and complete solution for skin care. Protects, repairs, renews and moisturizes the skin.
From the perspective of the new science of glycobiology the fluid ingredient is made of complex molecular conjugates: glycoproteins, acidic glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans. Those are molecules that are particularly important for communication among cells. They play a crucial role in transmitting important biochemical signals into and among cells. In this way, these sugars guide the cellular communication that is essential for normal cell and tissue development and physiological function.
Glycobiology is a relatively new branch is science (1988) that attempts to understand how sugars in the body -called glycans- contribute to human health and contain information as necessary to define the complexity of life as that of DNA and proteins.
From you, the consumer’s perspective:
BENEFITS OF THE BIOLOGICAL INGREDIENT BASED ON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
1) Removes dead and denatured skin cells by enzyme digestion (dissolution by hydrolysis) which reduces blemishes: gently dissolves plugs of clogged pores, imperfections, scars, stretch marks, and keratosis on the surface of skin instead of polishing them out as exfoliation or glycolic acid chemical peels do.
2) Promotes cell proliferation and new synthesis of collagen, elastin, and the water holding molecules within the skin (hyaluronic acid and other glycosaminoglycans)
Collagen provides strength, elastin the elasticity, and glycosaminoglycans the moistness and plumpness of the skin. With aging, the thickness of the dermal layer is reduced and this is believed to be partially responsible for the formation of wrinkles in aging skin.
3) Helps remodel and speed turnover of the basal membrane of the skin
4) Antioxidant - provides protection from UV radiation and free radicals: photo-protective action.
Specific studies show the following antioxidant activities in the biological ingredient:
a) enzymatics as superoxide dismutase (SOD), b) conjugation enzymes as glutathione-S-transferase and c) low molecular weight antioxidants.
Antioxidant activities benefit the cells in the skin by:
• Inhibiting Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation and free radical sequestration effects.
• By protecting the cells against UVA radiation, with double the antioxidant activity of Quercetin Flavonoids and Troloc C, a water-soluble vitamin E analog, used as control antioxidants in this type of studies.
5) Breaks down denatured proteins into its amino-acid components, which otherwise cause inflamm-aging, and releases those for rebuilding of the skin structures.
6) Hydrates the skin from within because it promotes the proliferation of glycosaminoglycans, the molecules that hold in water in the skin. This strengthens and firms the skin, thus preventing tearing of skin that may show as stretch marks and avoiding sagging.
BIO SKIN CARE™ products combine nature's wisdom with a liposome biotechnology that stabilizes and protects the glycoconjugates from degrading while securing their bioavailability and proper release deep within the skin.
Preservative: To safely preserve BIOSKINCARE ™ from bacteria, yeasts and moulds, we incorporate SUPRAPEIN ™ , an all-natural preservative.
SUPRAPEIN ™ is the brand name of a synergistic combination of botanical extracts that yields a natural preservative with a broad-spectrum of antimicrobial activity. SUPRAPEIN is made with the following botanical extracts: Origanum Vulgare (Oregano) Leaf Extract (and) Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract (and) Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Bark Extract (and) Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract (and) Lavandula Augustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract (and) Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract (and) Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract (and) Hydrastis Canadensis (Golden Seal) Root Extract (and) Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract.
BIOSKINREJUVENATION™, BIO STRETCH MARK CREAM ™, BIOSKINEXFOL ™ and BIOSKINCLEAR™ are preserved with a skin-friendly pH-stable system that combines a widely used, globally-accepted preservative (including Japan ), phenoxyethanol derived from grains, with a proven preservative-enhancer derived from plants, ethylhexylglycerin, that have none of the controversial side effects of cheap parabens used in most cosmetic products.
BIOSKINCARE CREAM - ORGANIC FORMULA WITH 100% NATURAL INGREDIENTS
BIOSKINCARE™ has been carefully formulated to transform an antioxidant liquid with cell-communicating ingredients and biological activators of skin renewal into a natural skin care product. A cream that also moisturizes, replenishes and stabilizes the lipid content within the intercellular skin matrix.
This is achieved by adding natural emollients, emulsifiers, surfactants and nourishing extracts derived from Olive Oil, hydrating Hyaluronic acid, and humectant Glycerin.
The Olive Oil derivatives in the formulation make the liquid biological ingredient into a cream, especially Squalene -which is also an antioxidant-, and replenish the lipid barrier of the skin.
Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, and Squalene in the cream contribute to your skin’s hydration and have long term effects on the capacity of skin to hold in water.
HEALTHIER & BEAUTIFUL SKIN NATURALLY - APPLICATION
Apply on clean skin twice daily. More is not necessarily better, but to ensure optimum results application on older blemishes or more affected areas should be repeated more frequently. Results are cumulative and become permanent.
Use the cream as a belly balm to prevent stretch marks from the third month of pregnancy and continue for three months after child birth. See further below our offer for the BIO STRETCH MARK CREAM, which is the same as BIOSKINCARE in a larger container and with a twist that is better suited for pregnancy and to simultaneously get rid of cellulite.
Use BIOSKINCARE™ on raised hypertrophic scars or on stretch marks in conjunction with strong massage and exfoliation to eliminate dead skin cells or try our new BIOSKINEXFOL cream to break down old and rough stretch marks presented in the section on new products further below.
Apply BIOSKINCARE™ on keloids after cleansing with a salicylic pad. Use on dry face after washing the face with lukewarm water for the relief of rosacea or skin rashes. Use it after shaving to prevent and heal ingrown hairs and razor bumps.
BIOSKINCARE ™ is recommended for use before and after skin resurfacing procedures such as chemical peels, dermabrasion, micro-dermabrasion or laser surgery.
The cream is also a unique nutrient-rich moisturizer for wrinkles on the face, the delicate eye area, neck, and body. It promotes balanced skin renewal. Treatment should be continued until desired results are achieved. Or, try our new BIO SKIN REJUVENATION cream to even your skin tone and get rid of age spots.
When using BIOSKINCARE ™ to get rid of acne apply twice a day on the whole face, not only on the pimples, whiteheads or blackheads. It is also safe and recommended for use in conjunction with acne drugs to avoid their side effects. If your skin is too oily and you wish to use an oil free product try our BIOSKINCLEAR oil free gel, with soothing seaweed extract for acne & rosacea.
All our products are safe for children and moms-to-be. Even the preservative in BIOSKINCARE is made 100% with natural botanical extracts. The cream relieves baby's diaper rash & eczema and softens and moisturizes rough areas on knees and cracked feet.
Moisturize, Protect, Repair and Renew Your Skin with BIOSKINCARE CREAM
A deeply moisturizing natural skin care cream that triggers the regeneration of damaged cells while preventing and removing scars, keratosis, psoriasis scales and all types of skin blemishes and replenishes the lipid barrier of the skin.
Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
Feel-Good Therapies for Pain and Splotches
Every year, Yvonne Williams dreaded summer. As warm weather approached, the 35-year-old wedding consultant from New York City worried about hiding her unsightlyvaricose veins.
"I would never wear shorts or skirts. Absolutely never," says Williams (who asked us not to use her real name). "I always wore pants, no matter how hot it was." Even dark-colored tights didn't help: The bulging veins in her calves were still noticeable, even through navy or jet-black tights.
For ten years, Williams lived with varicose veins--knotty, protruding, blue or purple veins that run along the lower legs, usually on the calves and behind the knees. Veins become varicose, or swollen, when valves along the vein's walls fail to do their job adequately. Normally these valves prevent blood from flowing back down when it's making a return trip to the heart. But when those valves start to weaken and gravity pulls blood toward the feet, the blood-vessel walls bulge like water-filled balloons. Blood pools in the lower legs, resulting in dull pain, heaviness and slight swelling of the ankles.
When Williams started to experience swelling, pain and night cramps in her legs, she decided to do something about her veins. First, she went the medical route. Her doctor performed sclerotherapy, in which an irritating fluid is injected into the troublesome veins. In response, the veins close, then shrivel and disappear. Her troubles were over--but only temporarily. For a more permanent and satisfactory solution, she still had miles to go.
A LEGACY YOU CAN AVOID
Varicose veins are hereditary--Williams's mother had them, and she, too, had undergone sclerotherapy. Williams's doctor told her that other veins in her legs could very likely become varicose since she was born with a predisposition to weak valves.
To prevent her healthy veins from giving her trouble, Williams's doctor prescribed calf raises and other exercises. Standing on a stack of books with her heels extended over the edge, Williams alternately raised herself on her toes and lowered her heels, repeating the exercise 50 to 100 times, once a day. She also made it a habit to raise up on her toes from time to time throughout the day, when she was standing. And she started walking 1½ miles a day, rain or shine.
Together, doing calf raises and walking improved Williams's blood circulation, pushing blood back toward her heart and preventing it from pooling in her legs. "The swelling in my legs never returned, and I don't get cramps at night," says Williams. "I finally started to wear shorts and skirts."
WHY GOOD VEINS GO BAD
The veins in your legs are some of the longest in the human body, where blood has to travel quite a distance on its way back to the heart. In most people, this is no problem. The veins in your legs are equipped with a series of 10 to 20 tiny valves that act like locks in a canal, allowing blood returning to the heart to collect at various points and then move on. In some people, however, these valves become faulty, so blood that was making its way up to your heart trickles back down. Over time, sections of your veins swell as the excess blood starts to collect.
Most people who get varicose veins are women. Evidently, the female hormone estrogen is partly to blame.
With the increased production of female hormones during pregnancy, the amount of blood coursing through your veins increases by a full 20 percent, overworking the valves. So having a baby--or several--is probably one of the biggest causes of varicose veins, says Luis Navarro, M.D., founder and director of the Vein Treatment Center and senior clinical instructor of surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, both in New York City.
The weight of a growing fetus increases the resistence on blood that is traveling back to the heart; thus, blood is more likely to accumulate in the legs.
Or, you may reach the big 5-0 with nary a varicose vein in sight, only to experience problems later. No one is sure why, but as you get older, your blood vessels seem to lose elasticity. And if you work as a waitress, hairstylist, retail salesperson or in other occupations that keep you on your feet for hours, gravity will force blood to pool in your legs. This, together with a genetic predisposition to weak valves, can contribute tovaricose veins, says Dr. Navarro.
TAKING ON THE PROTRUDING INTRUDERS
The key to relieving varicose veins is to take action early. "Once you have varicose veins, medical treatment is the only way to get rid of them," says Dr. Navarro. "But you can relieve symptoms and prevent them from getting worse."
Stock up on stockings. Elastic support hose not only hide varicose veins, they help some people's legs feel better by compressing the veins, says Dr. Navarro. The constant pressure of the stockings keeps blood from collecting in distended areas of thevaricose veins and helps prevent aching and swelling.
The most effective support stockings are sold at medical supply stores and are available by prescription only. The amount of pressure the garment applies to your legs is rated numerically in millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg). The higher the number, the greater the pressure. Your doctor will prescribe what's right for you.
Put your calf muscles to work. Support hose feel great, but they only work while you're wearing them. For round-the-clock relief and prevention of varicose veins, exercise is easy and effective, says Dr. Navarro. Walking, running and cycling all help push stagnant blood from the bottom of the legs back to the heart.
"When you exercise your calf muscles, they act as a pump, taking over for weak valves," Dr. Navarro explains. "So the stronger your calf muscles, and the more you move them, the better."
Many women find that exercising on a regular basis helps to ease the pain and discomfort associated with varicose veins and can help prevent the condition from worsening.
Exercise while you sit. If you find yourself unable to get up and walk around at your office or in an airplane, for example, you can do simple exercises to help keep the blood in your legs pumping, says Dr. Navarro. Try this exercise once an hour: Flex your feet, lifting your toes while keeping your heels down, as though you're pumping a piano pedal. Repeat for a minute or two.
Invert your legs with yoga. Yoga poses that position your legs above your head can temporarily reverse the pooling of blood associated with varicose veins, says Carrie Angus, M.D., medical director for the Center for Health and Healing at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
"Lie on the floor on your back, with your legs and feet raised up against a wall, for about five minutes," suggests Dr. Angus. "With this pose, gravity helps to push the blood back to the heart." To make this pose more comfortable, Dr. Angus suggests putting a pillow under your hips. Repeat once or twice a day. (If you have a history of back trouble, you may want to check with your doctor before trying this pose.)
Have some horse chestnut. The herb aescin, the extract from the dried seeds of the horse-chestnut plant, strengthens blood vessel walls, helping to prevent veins from softening and bulging, says Joseph Pizzorno, Jr., doctor of naturopathy and founding president of Bastyr University of Naturopathic Medicine in Seattle. "Horse-chestnut seed extract also reduces inflammation associated withvaricose veins and stimulates regeneration of damaged veins," he notes. In a study of 240 people with varicose veins (194 of them women), taking 50 milligrams of aescin twice a day for 12 weeks reduced swelling in the lower legs by 25 percent.
Concentrate on fiber. Eating a high-fiber diet can take some of the pressure off varicose veins, notes Dr. Navarro. If you're constipated, you tend to push too much and too frequently when you have a bowel movement, which puts extra pressure on the valves of your legs. Chronic constipation can be one of the accelerating factors leading tovaricose veins. "To relieve constipation, try a high-roughage diet with whole grains, like oats, barley, beans, peas, lentils, baked potato with the skin, brown rice and whole wheat, and plenty of vegetables and fruits," he says. Make sure that you increase your intake of water when you addfiber to your diet. Without water, adding fiber can make your constipation worse.
Seize your C. "To keep your veins healthy, you need to be sure that you're getting enough vitamin C, which is essential to strong blood vessels," says Dr. Angus. "I recommend 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of vi-tamin C everyday to strengthen blood vessel walls and prevent bulging when they become distended with blood." Be careful though: Excess vi-tamin C may cause diarrhea in some people. If you get diarrhea, she says, cut back to between 500 to 1,000 milligrams per day.
Try an aromatic compress. Applying a cold compress soaked with witch hazel and essential oils to your legs helps soothe varicose veins, says Valerie Cooksley, R.N., holistic nurse and aroma practitioner in the Seattle area and author of Aromatherapy: A Lifetime Guide to Healing with Essential Oils.
To prepare the solution, put one-half cup to one cup of distilled witch-hazel lotion in a bowl and refrigerate it for at least one hour. Then add six drops of cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) essential oil, one drop of lemon (Citrus limonum) essential oil and one drop of bergamot (Citrus bergamia) essential oil. These oils and the cold witch hazel have an astringent effect--they shrink small blood vessels near the surface of the skin, temporarily reducing minor swelling, explains Cooksley.
To make the compress, soak a cloth in the bowl, then apply it to the affected area on your legs for 15 minutes. Elevate your feet on a few pillows as you apply the compress: That position helps the blood leave the legs and return to the heart. "The compress is very effective. You feel immediate relief as the swelling in the area goes down," she says.
Give homeopathy a try. Pulsatilla, a homeopathic remedy taken from the windflower plant, boosts circulation of stagnant blood, says Andrea Sullivan, Ph.D, a naturopathic and homeopathic physician in Washington, D.C. Recommended dosages vary from woman to woman. To determine how much you should take of this remedy, consult a homeopath or a naturopath, suggests Dr. Sullivan.Pulsatilla may not work for everyone with varicose veins, she says.
NATURAL STRATEGIES AGAINST SPIDER VEINS
At least 40 percent of women develop spider veins--networks of tiny red, blue or purple blood vessels that appear on the upper thighs, behind the knees and on the feet.
Spider veins appear when tiny blood vessels dilate near the surface of the skin, says David Green, M.D., a dermatologist at the Varicose Vein Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Most women would prefer to avoid them, if possible, since they are very unsightly.
As with varicose veins, one cause of spider veins could be the effect that the female hormone estrogen has on blood vessels. During pregnancy, nearly two-thirds of women will develop spider veins. About six weeks after delivery, pregnancy-caused spider veins usually disappear in most women.
Heredity also plays a role, says Dr. Green. "Ask a woman who has spider veins if her mom had them, and chances are that she says 'yes.'"
Spider veins may be a unsightly, but they rarely cause the pain and swelling of varicose veins, says Dr. Green.
Foods and Herbs to Try
Doctors treat the majority of spider veins the same way they do varicose veins--with sclerotherapy. But spider veins are like gray hairs--you can pluck them out as they appear, but that won't stop new ones from cropping up, says Dr. Green.
Alternative practitioners suggest a few strategies to help reduce the appearance of spider veins.
Put blueberries on your cereal. Eating foods like blueberries and raspberries provides bioflavonoids--natural compounds that help strengthen your blood vessels, says Dr. Pizzorno. "Bioflavonoids work with vitamin C and other nutrients in the body to help make capillaries less fragile." The darker the color of the fruit, like blackberries and cherries, the morebioflavonoids they have.
Eat all your grapefruit. The white membranes of citrus fruit such as oranges and grapefruit are also a rich source of bioflavonoids, says Dr. Pizzorno.
Go for ginkgo. Taking the herb ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), which comes from the leaf of the ginkgo tree, also helps to strengthen the tissues that make up your vein walls, says Dr. Pizzorno. "Ginkgo is also high in bioflavonoids." Dr. Pizzorno recommends taking 40 milligrams of ginkgo three times a day for spider veins. These supplements are readily available in health food stores.
Urinary Tract Problems
What Works for Bladder Trouble
When it comes to urinating, each gender has its own advantages. Isn't it great that we don't have to relieve ourselves just a bent-elbow away from the guy at the next urinal?
Well, sure. But men have the option of being able to walk behind any tree and efficiently take care of their business in a fully upright, standing position.
Obvious differences.
But the biggest drawback for women is perhaps not so obvious. In fact, it's medical. Women are more susceptible than men to three kinds of urinary problems. First, we have more stress and urge incontinence, which means unintentional leakage of urine. We're also more prone to interstitial cystitis, a painful disease of the bladder that causes you to urinate many times throughout the day and night. And we're at greater risk of urinary tract infections, a bacterial invasion that triggers a burning sensation when you urinate.
WHY THE PROBLEM?
For two out of these three conditions, doctors have an idea why women seem more vulnerable in matters of urinary health. In the case of urinary incontinence, childbirth plays a role. Having babies weakens a woman's pelvic-floor muscles. Those are the sling-shaped muscles holding the bladder and urethra in place. And when those muscles start to go, controlling urine flow is simply more difficult.
On the other hand, doctors aren't sure why women are more prone to interstitial cystitis than men. We just are, it seems.
As for urinary tract infections, the difference has to do with the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder. The urethra is shorter in women than in men, and that means it's easier for bacteria from outside sources like the rectum to work its way up to the bladder and cause an infection.
In every case, you can do something to improve, treat or prevent urinary conditions, says Denise Webster, R.N., Ph.D., professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. "There's something powerful and healing and positive about taking control of a disease and being active in your own treatment," she adds.
INCONTINENCE: NO MORE ACCIDENTS
Even in your teens and twenties, you accidentally let loose a little dribble once in a blue moon. That's normal.
But as you head into your thirties and forties--and especially if you've had children--those dribbles could become regular little "accidents" that you cannot ignore. The most common kind of urinary incontinence, stress incontinence, is usually triggered by sneezing, coughing or lifting. When you have pelvic-floor muscles already weakened by childbirth, the extra strain eases up the muscles that surround and close the urethra, allowing some urine to leak out.
With urge incontinence, the second most prevalent type of urinary incontinence, your bladder muscles contract uncontrollably and you feel an urgent need to urinate. Urge incontinence may be caused by a urinary tract infection. For some women, leaking becomes worse after menopause. Before menopause, the female hormone estrogen keeps muscles surrounding the bladder limber. When estrogen production wanes, bladder muscles dry out.
Many women suffer from a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence, says Guy Fried, M.D., physiatrist at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and an instructor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, both in Philadelphia. Sometimes the incontinence is so uncontrollable that some doctors may suggest surgery to restore pelvic-muscle function.
Usually, though, surgery isn't necessary. About 85 percent of women with urinary incontinence can either be cured, or much improved, with nonsurgical options. To stay dry, try these strategies.
Give your bladder muscles the squeeze. Learn to isolate and strengthen the pelvic-floor muscles by exercising them, advises Dr. Fried. "While urinating, you should stop your urine stream and squeeze so that you feel where those muscles are."
Once you're familiar with the muscles at the neck of the bladder that control urine flow, you can exercise them. These exercises are called Kegels, named after the doctor who invented them. Squeeze these muscles and hold them tight several times a day--while driving or sitting at your desk or watching TV, for example. Hold each squeeze for about ten seconds, then relax for ten and repeat. After you've learned Kegels, you shouldn't do them with a full bladder. Otherwise, you can increase your chance of getting an infection, says Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D., former head of field investigations for the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
The goal is to do six to ten at a time, about half a dozen times a day, says Dr. Fried. "The beauty is that no one has a clue that you're doing Kegels. You could be sitting in a meeting doing Kegels and no one could tell."
Learn biofeedback. If you're having trouble isolating your pelvic-floor muscles, making it difficult to do Kegels effectively, biofeedback can help show you where your pelvic-floor muscles are and make it easier to get them in shape, says Dr. Fried.
During the first session, a probe is inserted inside your vagina or rectum to measure the amount of muscular tension you exert when bearing down on the pelvic-floor muscles. A video screen shows you a printout that registers the tension level of your muscles as you're exerting pressure.
Your goal when using biofeedback for urinary incontinence is to identify the muscles involved. After a few sessions of training, you should be able to control the muscles on your own, says Dr. Fried.
While biofeedback for urinary incontinence is certainly more invasive than biofeedback for headaches, it's a far cry from surgery. And it works: In one study of 43 women who used biofeedback for incontinence associated with a disability, the procedure proved very effective. Before using biofeedback, the women averaged three or four incidents of urinary leakage a day. After six sessions of biofeedback, where the women learned to isolate their pelvic-floor muscles, the women averaged one incident or less per day.
Give acupuncture a try. Sometimes, not completely emptying the bladder every time you urinate can cause problems. When that happens, you may leak urine at a later time, notes Patrick Lariccia, M.D., director of the Acupuncture and Pain Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. "You might have a bladder that's not contracting forcefully enough, so you retain some urine every time," he explains.
In his clinical practice, Dr. Lariccia has found acupuncture to be helpful at times for this type of problem. Acupuncture sessions can help you to empty your bladder every time you go to the bathroom, he says. However, you should first have your problems diagnosed by a medical doctor, he advises. (For information on locating an acupuncturist, see page 33.)
INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS: GET BACK IN CONTROL
Imagine, if you can bear to, having to run from your office to the bathroom every half-hour. Even worse, imagine having to go some 30 times a day and then being awakened with the urge 20 times during the night. Those nightmare scenarios are reality for many of the 450,000 women who have interstitial cystitis (IC), a mysterious bladder inflammation that affects women ten times more often than men.
"During an acute attack, a woman could end up almost living in the bathroom," explains Dr. Webster.
Besides an urgent need to urinate frequently, IC is accompanied by frequent abdominal pain above the pubic area. Doctors aren't sure what causes the problem. Some explanations point to a possible defect in the bladder's lining, a virus or even an autoimmune disease that affects many women of childbearing age. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus, for instance, are conditions in which the immune system doesn't function the way it should, and they may be associated with interstitial cystitis.
You can try out a whole gamut of powerful anti-inflammatory and pain medications if your doctor prescribes them for IC. But other natural, easy-to-do remedies are available. Here are the nondrug tactics that work best.
Avoid acid in foods. Cutting back on acids in your diet is one of the most helpful ways of reducing the frequency of interstitial cystitis attacks, says Dr. Webster. Foods such as tomatoes, strawberries, citrus fruit and curry or other spices contain acids that irritate the bladder, she notes.
Reach for the baking soda. To further help reduce acidity in urine, Dr. Webster recommends drinking sodium bicarbonate: Mix one-half teaspoon of baking soda with eight ounces of water and stir to dissolve the soda. Drink it three or four times a day, at no less than four-hour intervals. Do not use for more than a few days, though. Long-term daily use of baking soda is not recommended, she says.
Nix the caffeine. Dr. Webster also tells women with interstitial cystitis to avoid coffee, since it's a diuretic that makes you urinate more.
Visualize cool zones around the pain. One way to control the misery of interstitial cystitis is to use imagery to take your mind off the pain, says Dr. Webster. "You don't forget about the pain, but instead you redefine it as another sensation. For example, try concentrating on the pain being cool, a sensation often associated with comfort, rather than hot, a sensation often associated with discomfort.
"Also, try to focus on areas of comfort in your body, like your arms or shoulders, instead of concentrating on where the pain is," Dr. Webster suggests. In a survey of how 300 women with IC deal with attacks, very few of them reported using imagery. But those who did found it to be very effective, she adds.
Do meditative breathing. Deep breathing can help relax you so that interstitial cystitis won't seem to cause as much discomfort, says Steven Brena, M.D., former chairman of the Board of Pain Control and Rehabilitation of Georgia in Atlanta. Tense muscles can make IC pain feel that much more intense, he notes. When you shift your attention away from pain and toward your breathing, you'll be more relaxed.
First sit comfortably, with your back straight. Then focus on your muscles and relax them in sequence. "When I do this, I start with my feet and lower extremities--first tensing them, then relaxing them, working all the way up to the shoulders," he says. At the same time, he concentrates on his breathing. "I feel how my muscles relax when I breathe very slowly. I say, 'One in,' as I breathe in and, 'One out,' as I breathe out." Dr. Brena suggests doing a form of "meditating breathing" like this for at least twice a day for 15 minutes.
Walk away from pain. If you have IC, enjoying a daily walk could be a vital way of keeping up your spirits and maintaining overall good health, says Dr. Webster. "But most women with interstitial cystitis have to avoid any exercise that jiggles the bladder, such as running or aerobics. Walking is gentle, yet strenuous enough to keep your energy level up. Theoretically, it may also increase the flow of endorphins, which are natural painkillers in your body," she notes.
Acupuncture Eased Her Cystitis Pain Desperate for relief from interstitial cystitis, Kirsten Kurtz, 57, a nurse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, turned to the Eastern practice of acupuncture--with good results. "The pain started when I was pregnant with my daughter 20 years ago," Kurtz says. "I had a gnawing discomfort, I thought, in my intestinal area. It just hurt all over. "I'd go the bathroom every hour, and I was losing sleep," she says. "I was pretty irritable about the whole thing. The doctors offered me tranquilizers, which I turned down." Kurtz was referred to a physician who said that she had an autoimmune problem of some kind, which means the immune system overreacts and turns on itself. "I was referred to a urologist who finally told me, 11 years after the first symptoms, that I had interstitial cystitis." A year after her diagnosis and now desperate for help, Kurtz started acupuncture. "I noticed a marked relief in the discomfort within the first couple of treatments. I no longer needed to take ibuprofen every four to five hours. And I can go up to three hours without having to get up and urinate at night," she adds. Acupuncture enabled Kurtz to do things she'd always wanted to do, like going to her son's cross-country running and cross-country skiing meets. Before she started acupuncture, Kurtz says that she couldn't even watch a whole meet. "I'd have to time it so that I would get there and be gone within an hour. And I was lucky if I could wait that long," she says. But with the new therapy, things are different. "Last winter, I was able to stay for a couple of hours." Kurtz also took a three-week trip to Russia. "Fortunately, bathrooms were readily available. But before acupuncture, I would never have had the courage to go." Kurtz now goes for acupuncture treatments every four to six weeks. She also credits a low-acid diet (no citrus fruit, for example), drinking a lot of water, exercise and prayer for reducing her pain. "The quality of my life has been improved sensationally," she says.
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URINARY TRACT INFECTION: FIGHT FUTURE ATTACKS
When you gotta go, you gotta go. But sometimes, you just think you gotta go because when you go, you don't gotta go nearly as badly as you thought you had to.
With a urinary tract infection (UTI), your bladder may seem confused. But if you have a frequent, urgent need to urinate and you get a burning or pain in your urethra when you go the bathroom, you probably have a UTI. A doctor's visit is definitely in order, especially if you see blood in your urine, since you might have a more serious bladder or kidney disorder. Your doctor will most likely give you a short course of antibiotics to kill the bacteria that enters the bladder and causes the problem in the first place. But whether or not you're on antibiotics, you'll want to try these healing helpers to reduce immediate discomfort and prevent future infections.
Go with a flow. Drinking plenty of fluids will help your bladder get rid of accumulated bacteria in the urine, notes Richard J. Macchia, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Urology at the State University of New York Health Science Center in New York City. "When you have a urinary tract infection, you need to flush the bacteria out. If the urine stays in the bladder, the bugs keep doubling their population rapidly. Constantly flushing keeps their numbers down." You should drink enough to keep your urine colorless. Colorless urine is a good sign that you're drinking enough fluids, he notes.
Get juiced. Drinking cranberry juice cocktail can both prevent and treat urinary tract infections, notes Dr. Macchia. "In several published studies, just drinking three eight-ounce glasses of cranberry juice cocktail a day significantly reduced the incidence of urinary tract infections in elderly women." So while you're drinking lots of fluids, be sure to include some glasses ofcranberry juice cocktail.
Cranberry juice cocktail is effective because it has an unidentified ingredient that prevents the bacteria in the urine from sticking to the lining of the bladder, Dr. Macchia notes. It proved its antibacterial properties when a group of 153 women drank either three glasses a day ofcranberry juice cocktail or had a drink that looked and tasted like it but wasn't actually cranberry juice cocktail. Only 15 percent of the urine samples of the women who drank cranberry juice cocktail contained bacteria that could potentially cause a UTI, while 28 percent of the other urine samples had the bacteria.
Cranberry Juice Cured Her Plagued by frequent urinary tract infections, Rhonda Hershey, a 34-year-old bankruptcy representative in Manhattan Beach, California, heard thatcranberry juice might help. She gave it a try--with good results. "I've been getting urinary tract infections since I was about six years old," says Hershey. "For some reason, I seem to be susceptible. Maybe it's because I don't drink enough water." When a urinary tract infection strikes, Hershey is miserable. "I'd be doubled over in pain, with a burning pressure that's horrible. You can't do anything." Hershey's mother told her about the benefits of drinking cranberry juice, citing evidence that it curbs infections by making the bacteria less adherent to the bladder. "We have a cafeteria at work, so I can easily get cranberry juice, even on the job," she says. "And I love the taste. So whenever I start feeling the symptoms of a urinary tract infection coming on, I drink two large glasses ofcranberry juice cocktail. It really helps. I almost never get full-blown infections anymore."
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Sip blueberry juice. Another good fruit for fighting urinary tract bacteria is the blueberry, says Dr. Fugh-Berman. "Cranberries and blueberries are related, so, like cranberries, blueberries have the qualities that make bacteria less adhesive." She suggests eating about a pint of blueberries a day or putting them in a blender with enough water to make a tastyblueberry juice. You can also try alternating the blueberry and cranberry juice cocktails if you want variety, she notes.
Try nature's blend. The herbs buchu and uva ursi, combined with juniper berries, have the power to remove bacteria from the urine and make you urinate, says Andrea Sullivan, Ph.D., a naturopathic and homeopathic physician in Washington, D.C. "Mix equal amounts of each tincture--buchu, uva ursi and juniper berry--together. Put 30 drops in warm water and drink it three or four times a day," she says. "They work as renal antiseptics, which help clean out the kidneys and bladder." Stop using the tincture if you don't see an improvement within seven days sinceuva ursi shouldn't be used for more than a week, cautions Dr. Fugh-Berman.
Have an essential soak. Sitting in a bath half-filled with warm or tepid water and a few drops of essential oils can ease the external burning of a UTI, says Valerie Cooksley, R.N., holistic nurse and aroma practitioner in the Seattle area and author of Aromatherapy: A Lifetime Guide to Healing with Essential Oils.
To concoct this soothing bath, you need three drops of essential oil of sandalwood (Santalum album), two drops of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oil, one drop of essential oil of chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), two tablespoons of honey and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, according to Cooksley. In a small dish, combine the essential oils and honey. Add the cider vinegar to the bath and then the honey mixture, which helps hold the oils together so they don't just float to the top of the water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes, she suggests.
"Sandalwood is antibacterial, tea tree is a wide-spectrum antiseptic and chamomile is anti-inflammatory. When you sit in the bath, the whole combination of oils is very cooling and healing," she says.
Note: If you find you're allergic to any of the essential oils, omit it from the blend. To test for an allergy to an essential oil, place one drop of any essential oil on a cotton swab and wipe it on your inner forearm. If the area appears red or feels itchy within 30 minutes, don't use the oil.
Keep in mind that while an essential-oil soak will temporarily soothe your symptoms and complement medical treatment, it's not a substitute for antibiotics.
Get vital vitamins with a good multivitamin. Vitamins A and C and beta-carotene (the plant form of vitamin A), along with the mineral zinc, can strengthen your immune system. And the stronger your immune system, the better it will fight a urinary tract infection, notes Dr. Sullivan. She recommends 10,000 international units ofvitamin A, 25,000 to 50,000 international units of beta-carotene and 30 to 50 milligrams of zinc a day. (Check with your doctor before taking amounts of zinc over 15 milligrams a day.)
Caution: Women who are pregnant should never take daily supplements of 10,000 international units or more of vitamin A and other women of childbearing age should check with their doctors before taking that much.
If you have a UTI (as opposed to an irritated bladder), Dr. Sullivan recommends taking 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, which can help make the urine more acidic and less hospitable to bacteria. You can take that amount of vitamin C up to four times a day--but no more than that. More than 1,200 milligrams of vitamin C a day can cause diarrhea in some people.
Check your contraception. Some birth control methods may contribute to recurring urinary tract infections, says Dr. Fugh-Berman. Diaphragms may kink the urethra, causing urine to back up into the bladder, preventing the bladder from emptying completely. Also, spermicides may change the vaginal flora, causing an overgrowth of the bacteria E. coli, the most common cause of urinary tract infections, she explains.
Skin Problems
On-the-Spot Remedies for Minor Vexations
Wise women know that true beauty isn't reflected in a mirror. But it's hard for even the wisest of us to remember that fact when we're hit with an outbreak of adult acne or some other, equally unattractive eruption.
"In a culture that puts so much emphasis on youth and beauty, it's easy to panic when you get any kind of blemish or flaw, especially when it shows up on your face," says Deb Soule, an herbalist in Rockport, Maine, and author of The Roots of Healing: A Woman's Book of Herbs.
Skin problems ruin more than your appearance, though. A bad sunburn, outbreak of hives or fresh batch of mosquito bites can make you miserable. Unless treated correctly, burns or cuts can heal slowly or get infected. Ongoing or frequent episodes of eczema,psoriasis or shingles beg for effective treatment.
You don't have to suffer through skin problems. Here's what you can do.
ACNE: CURES FROM NATURE
You thought that you and your acne broke up after high school but, sadly, it's back, worse than ever. The scourge of your teen years has reared its ugly whiteheads and blackheads for all the world to see, smack dab on your 30-, 40- or even 50-something face.
What causes midlife acne? The quick answer is that acne is the result of too much sebum, an oily substance secreted by your skin. Sebum can collect dirt and bacteria, plugging hair follicles in skin pores. If plugs lodge near the pore's surface, blackheads or whiteheads form. If a blockage ruptures, it becomes an inflamed pimple, infected bump or pustule or sometimes a larger, fluid-filled bump or cyst, which can leave serious scars.
Various triggers can shift sebum production into high gear. Common triggers are hormonal fluctuations, stress, diet, irritating ingredients in cosmetics or a combination of these factors. Many women, for example, tend to sprout blemishes just before their menstrual periods or as they approach menopause.
If acne should revisit you, here's what alternative medicine has to offer.
Herbal Relief for Spots and Pimples
Herbalists offer these tactics for erasing acne.
Reach for a weed. An infusion of yarrow is a tried-and-true remedy for acne, says Susun S. Weed, an herbalist and teacher from Woodstock, New York, and author of the Wise Woman herbal series. "To make an infusion of yarrow, put one ounce of dried yarrow flowers into a quart jar. Fill the jar with boiling water and cover. Steep overnight. Strain out the plant material and store the infusion in a plastic bottle. Dampen a washcloth in the liquid and gently pat it on your face every morning, evening and as needed in between."
Discard and prepare a fresh batch every three to seven days, or sooner if it becomes cloudy, advises Lisa Meserole, doctor of naturopathy, research consultant and faculty member in the botanical medicine department at Bastyr University of Naturopathic Medicine in Seattle.
Yarrow is a powerful herbal antiseptic that can kill bacteria that contribute to acne, says Weed. You can buy yarrow (Achillea millefolium) in herbal or health food stores.
Brew up burdock. "Burdock is a safe, effective way to clear up the skin," says Weed. For adult acne, make a very strong tea out of dried burdock root. Brew overnight and drink a cup or two a day.
Acne rosacea, a chronic form of acne that occurs on the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead, also responds well to burdock, says Weed. "For acne rosacea, take 10 to 20 drops of burdock seed or root tincture three times daily, which will usually bring slow but steady improvement," says Weed. Burdock tinctures are available at health food stores. Look for Arctium Lappa.
Treat your face to an herbal steam bath. "Herbal steaming is really good for women with acne because it helps remove the pus, blackheads and dirt that become embedded in your pores," says Soule. She recommends a steam bath using a combination of elder flowers,yarrow and chamomile in particular. Put a handful each of the dried herbs into a large pot, cover with a quart or two of cool water and bring to a very slow, gentle simmer. Continue simmering, and cover the pot and your head with a towel so that the steam touches your face. Keep your eyes closed, and don't get so close that you burn your skin or the towel. Steam for up to 15 minutes.
BURNS, BRUISES, CUTS AND SCRAPES:
NATURAL FIRST-AID
As a kid, you probably suffered your share of burns, bruises, bumps and cuts. As an adult, you probably still get your share of minor wounds. You flip a fritter a little too fast and splash your skin with hot oil. Or you're taken by surprise on a cloudy day that suddenly morphed into sunlight, stranding you without your sunblock--and with a sunburn. Or you walk into the coffee table and scrape your skin.
You can usually handle most minor burns, bruises and cuts on your own, if you know what to do. Next time you nick or burn your skin, turn to these natural remedies to soothe the pain and speed healing.
Smear on some aloe. Healers have used the aloe vera plant, with its long, spiky, cactuslike leaves, since ancient times.
To soothe a minor burn (including sunburn), scrape or other skin irritation, just snap off an aloe leaf from a mature plant, cut it down its length and apply the transparent gel from inside the leaf to your skin, advises Michael Murray, doctor of naturopathy in Bellevue, Washington, in his book The Healing Power of Herbs. Dr. Murray is also an instructor at Bastyr University of Naturopathic Medicine.
Aloe contains vitamins C and E and zinc--nutrients that speed wound healing. In fact, research shows that fresh aloe gel reduces inflammation and appears to promote wound repair when applied to cuts and burns. In a controlled clinical study of 27 people, for example, burns treated with aloe vera gel healed in just 12 days, which was significantly faster than the 18 days it took to heal burns merely covered with petroleum jellycoated gauze.
Turn to aloe for frostbite. Aloe has also been used as a first-aid for frostbite, possibly because it acts against thromboxanes, substances that constrict blood vessels. When aloe is applied, the blood vessels relax, helping to heal frostbitten skin. In one study, 56 men and women treated with standard first-aid--including rewarming, pain medication and antibiotics--plus aloe healed faster than others treated with standard first-aid alone.
Grow your own. Fresh aloe gel works better than aloe-containing products, according to Dr. Meserole. Most plant stores and greenhouses sell aloe plants, and they're easy to grow at home. "Every household should have an aloe plant for an easy, inexpensive, ready and pure first-aid remedy."
Soothing relief. For minor cuts and scrapes, mix 15 drops of lavender essential oil with one ounce of aloe vera juice (both are available at health food stores). Place the mixture in a spray bottle and store in the refrigerator for a soothing, cooling mist that you can spray on the hurt, says Mindy Green, instructor at the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies in Boulder, Colorado, and co-author of Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art.
Plant on some plantain. This common weed found in lawns and along driveways soothes pain, binds together torn tissue and strengthens the skin's surface, says Weed. Plantain can be used fresh. Crush a thin leaf or two and apply to minor cuts and scrapes. Rub the leaves briskly between your palms or chop them with a knife. Hold the crushed or chopped leaves in place with an adhesive strip. Leave this on for 12 to 24 hours. It's okay if it gets wet. You can also use aplantain salve, found in health food stores, to ease itching and promote healing, she adds.
Take homeopathic arnica. Arnica montana, available in health food stores and drugstores, is an amazing remedy for bumps and bruises that are apt to leave you black and blue, says Richard J. Weintraub, M.D., consulting psychiatrist at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine, both in Boston. For best results, take the dosage recommended on the package immediately after an injury.
Caution: Never ingest nonhomeopathic arnica, such as arnica tincture or arnica essential oil, as it is highly poisonous.
DANDRUFF:
AN HERBAL END TO A FLAKY SCALP
Nothing nixes the sex appeal of that little black dress faster than little white flakes on your shoulders.
The familiar flaking and uncomfortable itching are signs of dandruff, or seborrheic dermatitis, an inflammation of the scalp. Dandruff can also show up on your eyebrows, the sides of your nose, your chest and behind your ears.
To de-flake yourself, try these remedies.
Rinse away with herbs. To make a dandy antidandruff herbal rinse, combine a handful each of dried nettle tops (Urtica dioica), dried rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and dried calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis), says Soule.
Place the herbs in a two-quart glass jar and cover with a quart of organic apple cider vinegar. Let the herbal rinse sit for one month, then strain it. If you like, scent the rinse with a few drops of your favorite essential oil, such as lavender oil. (You can use the rinse after two weeks, but it's more potent after one month. So the best strategy is to always have a batch or two in the works.)
Use a cup or so to rinse your hair after every shampoo, and leave it in, says Soule. If you find that it's too strong, you can use one to two tablespoons in one cup of water, she says.
Soule also recommends using a tea brewed from the herbs if you can't wait two to four weeks. Pour a cup of boiling water over one to two tablespoons of dried chopped herbs, cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain. Rinse your hair with this room-temperature tea. You can rinse it out twice if you wish.
ECZEMA: SOOTHE THE ITCH, HEAL THE RASH
"Eczema isn't just any nasty skin rash--it typically refers to a pink, scaly rash that itches intensely," says Jeffrey Thompson, D.O., a dermatologist in private practice in Murrysville, Pennsylvania.
Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is hereditary. But stress, allergies or extremes in temperature can trigger the rash. Many people who have eczema also have hay fever or asthma.
When eczema is severe, your skin can thicken and crack, especially around folds near your neck, knees and elbows. That's painful.
So far, no one has discovered a permanent cure for eczema, but you can take steps to soothe the rash and minimize discomfort.
Avoid food culprits. "The first thing that you should do if you have eczema is to rule out food allergies," notes Dr. Murray. Milk is the number one culprit, but it's not the only trigger. (To find out if you have food allergies that could be aggravating your skin, see page 338.)
Follow the three-minute moisture rule. "If you have eczema, moisturizing your skin thoroughly and regularly is vital," says Dr. Thompson. "Choose a thick moisturizing lotion and put it on within three minutes of taking your shower or bath, while your skin is still damp. The goal is to seal in the moisture." He recommends plain old solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco. If you find shortening to be too greasy and messy, Dr. Thompson suggests skin lotions like Aquaphor and Eucerin.
Baby your skin. Above all, don't irritate skin that's already irritated, advises Dr. Murray. Avoid itchy fabrics like wool. Launder your clothes, towels and bedding with mild, fragrance-free detergents, and rinse them well. Also, avoid getting sweaty. Hot, moist skin aggravates dermatitis. If you do work up a sweat, shower off as soon as possible.
The Vitamin-and-Mineral Rescue
Taking a combination of vitamins and minerals can significantly ease the rash of eczema, say experts. Here's what they suggest.
Zinc. Take 50 milligrams a day. Research shows that zinc speeds wound healing, making it particularly valuable in treating eczema, says Dr. Murray. (Doses of zinc above 15 milligrams per day should be taken only under medical supervision.)
Quercetin. Quercetin is a flavonoid, a plant compound related to fruit and vegetable pigment, found in lemons, asparagus and other plants. Studies show that flavonoids block the flood of histamines, substances that the skin releases when exposed to allergy triggers.
Take two capsules of quercetin daily, recommends Willard Dean, M.D., medical director of the Center for Self Healing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and author of "The Immune System," one in a series of booklets titled The Holistic Health Series. The capsules combine quercetin with vitamin C, notes Dr. Dean.
Evening primrose oil. Take two to four capsules of 500 milligrams each, three times a day. Evening primrose oil contains essential fatty acids, substances that help reduce inflammation. If you find that it is too expensive, Dr. Murray suggests that you switch toflaxseed oil as your eczema improves. Flaxseed oil delivers essential fatty acids less efficiently, but it's not as expensive as evening primrose oil. (Some people experience nausea, diarrhea or headaches when taking evening primrose oil. If you experience side effects, discontinue its use.)
HIVES:
COOL THE ITCHING AND SWELLING
Allergies are notorious for making your skin or eyes itch, your nose run and your throat scratchy--symptoms caused by the release of histamines during an allergic reaction to something that you've breathed in or touched. But some allergies can also triggerhives.
Hot or cold weather and certain foods can also cause hives, even if you don't have allergies. And hives can be caused or aggravated by stress. If you break out in hives, act fast. Here's what to do.
Apply a cold compress. Dip a washcloth in cold water and apply it to the welts to shrink blood vessels and block the further release of histamines into your skin, says Leonard Grayson, M.D., a retired clinical associate allergist and dermatologist at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.
Two caveats: Don't use a cold compress if you break out in hives or experience other allergic reactions when exposed to the cold. And if you get hives in your mouth or throat, get emergency medical help immediately.
Try vitamin C and quercetin. If the hives linger or return, Dr. Murray recommends supplementing your diet with 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C three times a day. Or, if you suspect that the hives are triggered by food, take 250 milligrams of quercetin (often combined with vi-tamin C in capsules) 20 minutes before each meal. Its antihistamine action may help reduce thehives.
Identify the source. If you get hives frequently, you need to take preventive action, advises Dr. Murray. He suggests that you try an elimination diet to test for food allergies or see a naturopath experienced in treating food allergies. (For guidelines on following an elimination diet, see page 339. For details on locating a naturopath, see page 251.)
INSECT BITES:
BATTLE NATURE WITH NATURE
Bring on the sounds of summer . . . the buzzing, the swatting, the slapping, the moaning. When mosquitoes and other invaders dive in, outdoor fun takes flight.
Spraying yourself with a powerful chemical insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) will keep bugs away. But DEET is a nervous system toxin--it can make you sick. The safety of powerful chemical repellents is in question, especially for use on children.
If you'd rather not resort to chemical warfare against biting bugs, try these safe, all-natural homemade repellents.
Make a mosquito mister. "Fill a pocket-size four-ounce mister with warm water and add two to four drops of essential oil of cedar or citronella. Shake well and mist yourself as needed," says Weed. "This recipe keeps everyone bite-free, even during my summer outdoor herb workshops. It works great against mosquitoes and no-see-ums, and here's the best part: You can't smell it, but the bugs can."
Concoct a bug oil. "I make a bug repellent using half a cup of olive oil, to which I add five or six drops each of essential oils of citronella, eucalyptus,rosemary and lavender and two drops of pennyroyal," says Soule. "Avoid using the pennyroyal if you are pregnant or if you are giving the mixture to children under age eight. Dab the mixture on as needed, with your fingers. Be sure to avoid contact with your eyes and wash your hands after applying the mixture."
A good smell for bad bugs. If you don't care for the smell of citronella, Green offers a bug banisher made from other equally effective essential oils. Combine five drops eucalyptus, two dropsrosemary, four drops lavender, two drops juniper, eight drops cedar, one drop peppermint, one drop clove, one drop cinnamon and two ounces vegetable oil. Mix together in a glass bottle and apply liberally.
You could also use two simpler versions of the formula. Combine ten drops each of lavender and rosemary, or combine ten drops each of lavender, rosemary and cedar. (Look for pure essential oils in aromatherapy shops and some health food stores.)
POISON IVY:
FIGHTING THE PLANT WARRIORS
"Three leaves, leave it be." You heed Grandma's poison-plant warning whenever you venture outdoors. So how come you're covered with poison ivy?
Most likely, your dog or cat or kids or husband brought it home. And you got the itchy rash because you're allergic to the plant's oil.
"The substance in poison ivy that makes you break out transfers easily from other people's clothing or your pet's fur to your skin," says William Epstein, M.D., professor of dermatology at the University of California at San Francisco.
"If you put poison ivy oil on a patch of cloth, you can transfer enough oil to cause a reaction 2,000 rubbings later," says Dr. Epstein. "Your pet can just brush against poison ivy, come inside and hop in your lap or be petted. If you're sensitive, that's all it takes to give you the rash." (Four out of five people are allergic to poison ivy or other related plants such as poison oak or sumac.)
Quarantining yourself and your family indoors is a sure way to prevent a brush with poison ivy, oak or sumac. Short of that, here's what you can do.
Reach for the alcohol. No, not the chardonnay. "Rubbing alcohol is the safest and best solvent that you can use to get poison plant oil off your skin," says Dr. Epstein.
Even if you just think that you've come in contact with poison ivy, oak or sumac, slosh yourself down, head to toe, with rubbing alcohol. Liberally splash it on your hands, face, arms, legs and any other exposed skin, but keep it out of your eyes. As you are doing this out in your yard, rinse the alcohol off with a garden hose. Do this before going in the house. The alcohol extracts the oil, and the water washes it away.
Act quickly: You have four to six hours before the oil penetrates your skin, says Dr. Epstein. If you're camping or hiking and can't use the alcohol until long after exposure, at least rinse yourself off with water as soon as you can, he adds.
Lather down. An alternative to rubbing alcohol is Fels Naptha soap, says Green. Just jump in the shower and lather. You can find naptha soap at your local hardware or grocery store.
Quarantine your clothes. Make sure that clothes contaminated by poison plants don't touch anything except the inside of your washing machine. Wash them separately so that they can't contaminate clothes not exposed to poison plants.
Make a plantain poultice. All varieties of plantain, a common lawn and roadside weed, contain a mucilaginous substance that contains healing properties. If this weed grows in your yard, you're in luck. Soule suggests bruising some freshplantain leaves, placing them between thin sheets of cotton gauze and placing the poultice directly on your poison ivy.
Wear jewelweed. You might call jewelweed, also known as pale touch-me-not, nature's cortisone. Applied directly to poison ivy, jewelweed can reduce the inflammation as well as cortisone creams customarily used for the rash, says Dr. Dean. In one study, 108 of 115 men and women with poison ivy responded most dramatically to jewelweed cream applied directly to their rashes. Their symptoms disappeared within two to three days.
Jewelweed (Impatiens biflora) grows wild along roadsides. It is a tall annual with succulent stems and yellow or red-brown orchidlike hanging blossoms that appear in summer. Apply the sap from the stem directly onto the affected area. Or, for convenience, you can buy jewelweed cream in health food stores.
PSORIASIS:
GET BACK IN CONTROL
Psoriasis is a cinch to diagnose: Skin cells grow abnormally, triggering itchy, uncomfortable and unsightly red patches and silvery scales anywhere on your body but usually on your scalp, the backs of the ears, your elbows or behind your knees. It's not contagious, but comes and goes.
When it comes to treating psoriasis naturally, doctors face a challenge. "I call psoriasis the great humbler because it's the greatest treatment challenge that dermatology has to offer," says Alan M. Dattner, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in Putnam, Connecticut. Doctors can't cure psoriasis, says Dr. Dattner, who uses alternative treatments in his practice. But some treatments can control it pretty well. Here are some of the most promising tactics.
Catch some rays. Getting out in the sun for about an hour a day helps four out of five people with psoriasis, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. According to Dr. Murray, exposure to ultraviolet light slows down the abnormal growth of cells that causes the problem.
Because sunshine therapy can be such valuable therapy for psoriasis, Dr. Murray says that this is one time when you can modify the usual rules about sun exposure. You can sunbathe any time of the day, but limit your exposure to what won't produce a sunburn on you (which may be less than five minutes if you're very fair). Be sure to cover or use sunblock on areas that are free ofpsoriasis.
And don't make the mistake of thinking that tanning salons offer light-therapy benefits, says Dr. Thompson. "They don't, and they're dangerous."
Just say ohm. Dealing with stress can help you combat psoriasis, not because stress causes psoriasis, but because stress can make it worse in some people, says Dr. Dattner. "Learning how to meditate can help put psoriasis in perspective and help deal with the severe life stresses that can make it flare up in some people."
Look to the East. The National Psoriasis Foundation reports that acupuncture and Chinese herbs have helped some people with psoriasis. Both are part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a system of diagnosis and treatment using a number of healing methods customarily applied in China. (The foundation recommends that you work with a qualified medical professional trained in these techniques. To locate a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine in your area, see page 284.)
PUFFY EYES:
GET RID OF THE BAGS
For many people, baggy pouches under the eyes result from a run-in with pollen or other allergens. For them, dealing with the allergies can solve the problem. (For information on how to handle allergies, see page 333.) And in some people, puffy eyes are genetic, like brownhair or freckles. More often, though, puffy eyes are an unwelcome legacy from a late-night soiree.
"Undereye puffiness can often be traced to a night on the town," says Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D., former head of field investigations for the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. "Bags under the eyes usually are a matter of too little sleep or too much alcohol, or both. Though fluid retention causes the puffiness, we don't know exactly what causes the fluid retention. Doctors consider puffy eyes more of a cosmetic annoyance than a health problem." (If eye puffiness extends around the whole eyes, you should see a doctor.)
Even so, before you reach for a cosmetic cover-up, try these tried-and-true, good-for-you herbal remedies.
Make yourself a cup of dandelion-leaf tea. "Help de-bag your eyes with this tonic tea," says Soule. Drink a cup of dandelion-leaf tea, or take half a teaspoon of dandelion-leaf tincture three times a day, recommends Soule. Dandelion is a mild diuretic, which helps your body get rid of excess fluid. You can buy herbal tinctures at health food stores.
Brew an herbal infusion. Combine 1½ tablespoons each of dried calendula flowers, eyebright (Euphrasia, all varieties), borage flowers (Borago officinalis) and raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus). Place the herbal mixture in a glass quart jar, fill with boiling water and cover. Let the mixture steep at room temperature for two to eight hours. Once the infusion has cooled, soak a washcloth with the liquid, lie down and rest with the cloth over your closed eyes, says Soule. Store any leftover infusion in the refrigerator for two to three days, then bring to room temperature before soaking the washcloth and using again.
Slice a cucumber. For years, women have used cucumbers to relieve puffy eyes. This modern folk remedy works because cucumbers contain a natural substance that reduces swelling and eliminates puffiness, says Shawne Bryant, M.D., who incorporates healing herbs and massage therapy into her gynecology practice in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Slice one-fourth-inch rounds off the cucumber. Gently press the rounds over your puffy eyes and lie down for a bit.
SHINGLES:
NATURAL RELIEF FOR A SERIOUS PAIN
The same virus (herpes zoster) that may have given you childhood chickenpox can strike again in adulthood to give you this painful, blistery rash.
"The classic shingles outbreak looks like a straight-sided patch of little red-edged blisters," says Dr. Dean. "The virus travels along spinal nerves and comes out on either the left or the right side of your body, resulting in a rash."
Shingles pain can sometimes last weeks or months after the rash has healed, especially for the elderly or chronically ill. Fortunately, natural medicine offers soothing solutions for shingles. Here are some of the best.
Go soak in vinegar. Soak a soft dish towel in slightly chilled apple cider vinegar and drape it over the affected area for 10 to 15 minutes, suggests Dr. Dean. It's soothing.
Try a tincture. I take 30 to 50 drops of St.-John's-wort tincture in one to two ounces of water, three to six times a day, says Weed. I also use the oil on dry, itchy rashes hourly if needed. It even helps relieve lingering pain from shingles and burns, she notes. I especially like to use the oil on exposed skin to prevent sunburns. Whether using the oil or the tincture, use caution when going out in the sun. Both can cause photosensitivity.
Save yourself with gel. Aloe vera gel can often provide soothing relief for shingles, suggests Dr. Dean. "The plant gets pretty high marks for reducing inflammation and promoting healing." You can use the fresh gel or purchase some at health food stores.
Get Rid Of Acne Quickly And Permanently
Are you tired of trying just about everything to get rid of your acne only to suffer from recurring pimple outbreaks ever so often?
Most "so-called" remedies out there promise fast results but never are permanent! Why? This is where you need to realize and understand what acne is and what it will take to actually help you get rid of acne, not temporarily but for For Good!You don't Ever want to see those horrible zits on your face again am I right?
Most acne sufferers go through years of suffering with acne not knowing that it can be gotten rid of in just a few short weeks and remain that way forever! This is why acne should be addressed in its early stages and corrective measures taken before they even start leaving scars on your skin. That's the worst part of acne. It comes and goes but Never lets you forget because they leave scars behind even when they are gone!
For some strange reason however, it is the acne sufferers that choose to go with all these over-the-counter products and continue to try one after another, after another, to try and rid their acne problems, spending what amounts to thousands through the course of their acne. People refuse to acknowledge that NO over-the-counter topical product is going to eliminate the root cause of acne which lies within our bodies and not on the surface of our skin! Thus topical products will eventually let acne back in and with a vengeance!
There is in fact not one, but several Natural ways to permanently eliminate acne and pimples for life?
As unbelievable as the title of this article may seem at first, you need to take a moment and think about what is being said here. Your acne is a result of some sort of imbalance in your body.
Now, lets say you have a fall and broke a bone in your leg. However, the skin on your leg where you fell also split and you were bleeding. Now if you went home, washed the cut, put some anti-septic cream and stuck a band aid on the cut, would it do anything for your bone? Yes the cut will heal over time but will you be able to walk if you didn't get your broken or fractured bone fixed? Would putting a band aid for 3 months slowly correct your broken bone? Definitely not! So how do you fix the problem? You need to get the bone fixed from the inside first followed by a leg cast to hold your bone together, followed by lots of rest. Right? In other words, start fixing the internal, then maintain from the external and lastly follow through!
So the same goes for your acne problems. You need to fix the imbalances within your body and this can be done using natural procedures which have been proven scientifically to work. Forget ALL you know or have been told about acne before because some of these facts are what even dermatologists will never tell you simply because it removes the need for their services if they did!
However, all you need is a little education on how acne comes about and how our skin, especially on the face, responses to chemicals, the food we eat and the environment. This is where the key to unlocking the secret to an acne free life forever lies.
Here are some facts about getting rid of acne: Acne starts from a source much deeper than "skin deep". If you truly want to have clear acne free skin permanently, you will need to address 3 main facets: 1)Nutrition/Diet, 2)Skin Care and 3)Physiological well-being.
Of course you might then ask how long all this will take? The question to ask is how long have you already been suffering with acne and have yet not found a permanent cure? The next question to ask yourself is what you want to achieve with your acne cure regime? Are you happy with quick fixes that may come with side-effects, and then KNOW and EXPECT your next outbreak? Or are you looking for a proven, Natural way to heal and restore your skin to its beautiful clear state for good?
If you chose the latter, then the answer to the question can be found below where you will find 2 Natural ways to cure your acne for good. Choose the one that best describes your acne situation. The 3rd link is for you to get more information and more options. Fact still remains that these are the ONLY proven ways GUARANTEED to cure acne Naturally and Permanently! The next step is your to make.
To Your Acne Free Success!
Diet as a Natural Treatment for Acne
The skin is the largest organ of the body and it helps other organs with eliminating waste. One of the best acne treatments is a diet which will help the body eliminate waste so that it won't interfere with your skin and cause acne. If you are unhealthy on the inside it will be reflected in your skin.
It is the livers job to remove hormones from the body. If your liver can't remove hormones fast enough you will end up with too much oil in your skin because hormones are like an instruction manual telling your skin to produce more oil. The function of the liver is also to get rid of toxins. If there is an over-load of toxins in your body, the liver can have problems removing hormones.
So what toxins concern acne sufferes the most? Mycotoxins. These nasty little chemicals are the 'excreted' waste of bacteria such as yeast, and usually found in the intestines. Mycotoxins put a strain on your liver and you already know what happens when your liver doesn't get rid of hormones!
Using diet alone as a natural acne treatment was not as bad as I had thought it would be. There are many foods that help the liver and help remove waste from the body.
What foods are good for cleaning the body? Two of the best foods are apples and psyllium husks. They both contain fibers that act like a broom and absorb and push out all the junk that's stuck in your intestines, sometimes stuff that has even been there for many years! The 'junk' is also the perfect breeding ground for the bacteria that produce mycotoxins.
And what foods are good for helping the liver? Beetroot. Beetroot is known for it's exceptional liver cleansing properties. Another good food, or herb actually, is milk thistle. Scientific studies have suggested that certain chemicals in milk thistle protect the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins and alcohol.
To cure your acne, you need to correct the problems inside your body that are causing your acne. No over-the-counter creams can do this. They can only kill bacteria on your face and help reduce the redness.
Would you like to learn about a 3 day diet plan that has cured thousands of people around the world of acne?
It's considered one of the best internal cleansing methods and also one of the easiest.
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