Boost Your Immune System Naturally With Aromatherapy

The ancient cultures in the East have used essential oils and aromatherapy for thousands of years to help to boost the immune system among other things; the West is just now catching on. Aromatherapy has proven itself to be a safe and effective way of protecting and enhancing your immune system.

One of the biggest causes of problems in our immune system is stress, which is an issue for almost everyone. Some stress can be a positive thing, but an abundance of stress can wreak havoc on your body by causing excessive levels of the hormone, cortisol. The reason for the existence of this hormone goes back to primitive times and is there to help us react in dangerous circumstances. The problem us that the same substance is also utilized to return your system back to the pre-danger state so if you are in a semi-constant state of stress you maintain high cortisol levels.

Why does this affect your immune system? The presence of an abundance of cortisol in your blood for long periods lowers your immune response. The way to use aromatherapy to enhance your immune system begins with using essential oils like chamomile, lavender, and tea tree oil that help you to relax. These can be heated to form a vapor, used in massage oils, or as we are seeing often now, put into aromatherapy candles.

A massage performed with essential oils is helpful with your circulation, relaxes you and nourishes your skin. In addition the vapors will help to take away anxiety as you inhale them. Your skin is your body's first line of defense against infection and keeping it from entering your blood. Use Tea Tree Oil as a powerful antiseptic to help keep your skin healthy and to treat problems like warts, burns, and acne.

Another powerful essential oil that has been used to treat bacteria since biblical times is frankincense. This scent was burned frequently in temples and other public places where many people gathered because it was known then to be a powerful bacteria and virus fighter. It is widely used for its ability to boost the immune system.

Take a lesson from the ancients and implement aromatherapy into your health regimen. It will help keep you from getting sick and if you are sick it will assist you to recover more quickly. It doesn't to much matter whether you choose to burn the essential oils as a vapor, use as massage oil, or use aromatherapy candles, just know that they will strengthen your immune system and try to decrease stress as much as possible.

Top 3 Nutritional Supplements You Should Take Every Day

Are you a nutritional supplements buff? Do you take supplements every day by the dozens? Whether you are or not, you probably want to take the products that work, right?

But that brings up the age old question of whether you even need nutritional supplements at all, or not. There are really two ways to look at that question. The theoretical, or the practical.

From the theoretical standpoint, we could discuss issues such as changed diets, barren farm lands, and more. But it would all still be theoretical.

That question is much more easily answered from the practical side: do nutritional health supplements offer health benefits? The answer is a qualified yes. To be more specific, some health supplements offer benefits - you just have to figure out which ones those are!

In this article, I'll give you a list of 5 supplements that I believe are among the most effective products available on the market today. Use these products on a regular basis, and you'll get the most health benefits for your money.

1: Glyconutrients
These special sugars are a recently discovered class of nutrients; they are used by your body to create glycoproteins. Glycoproteins are in turn used by your cells to communicate with each other. Without glyconutrients, your cells cannot communicate, which essentially means your body cannot function at all. Now of course, if your body cannot function, you die. But you're probably not at that point.

Scientific research has show that 1) most people are deficient in glyconutrients, 2) glyconutrient supplements can be absorbed and 3) glyconutrient supplements can offer health benefits.

2: Phytonutrients
These nutrients are actually these chemicals in fruits and vegatables that give them their color and flavor. They are not vitamins or minerals, but are a separate type of nutrient. A commonly known phytonutrient is lycopene, which is found in red fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and tomatoes.
Scientists are not completely sure how phytonutrients function in the body. What they are quite certain of, though, is that they offer major health benefits.

3: Phytogenins
These nutrients are extremely helpful in balancing your endocrine system. Your endocrine system is the system in your body that creates and controls all of your hormones, which control your energy, metabolism, sex drive, reproductive function, sleep cycle, and more. A quality phytogenin product can help improve your health in every area your hormones control.

If you want maximum bang for your buck, you need to be using these three products on a daily basis!

Using Natural Health Medicine To Improve Your Immune System

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to take care of your body. With everyday stresses making it hard to adequately care for your body, it is important that you take the time to ensure that you are maintaining your health.

With the help of natural health medicine you can do that. Natural health medicine is made from natural ingredients. It is therefore much safer than its chemical counterparts.

You have to remember that your body works very hard for you; and you have to make sure that it keeps working hard for you for decades to come. And if you have a healthy immune system, then you are less prone to getting any diseases that might slow you down and make you work less to achieve your goal.

When deciding to protect your most prized asset, you need to have a goal. What is it that you want to gain from natural health medicine? If you can answer this question now with something that will stick with you every day, then you will be able to achieve and most importantly keep these goals.

It is you who you are taking care of and there is no greater reward than being able to get up every morning bursting with energy, ready to handle the day ahead. That is what natural health is about.

You should be able to be proud of your achievements; and the fact that you are taking care of your immune system with natural health medicine. So be wise and prepared. There is no better time to start than right now to prepare your body for the battle ahead.

Natural health medicine it the best and most naturally-healthy option you can take to ensure that your immune system is disease-free and healthy.

The Uses And Processing Of Flax

Flax is a fairly tall and slender plant that features vivid green leaves and vibrant pale blue flowers. Flax, both in its pure plant form as well are from its seeds and fibers, has an astonishing array of uses. Flax is used in such diverse applications as foodstuffs, clothing, medications and nutritional supplements, and flax once even has some automotive uses before the advent of automotive synthetics. While flax can be grown in a wide variety of locations, it is most commonly produced commercially in northern Europe, most notably in Ireland and several of the former members of the Soviet Union.

The seeds of the flax plant are used in a number of ways. For instance, the oil of the flax seed is useful as a drying agent in various kinds of paints and varnishes. Additionally, since flax seed oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids (an important nutrient found most commonly in fish that is lacking in many American diets) the extract of the flax seed can be used as a source of Omega-3 either in its pure form or, more commonly, as a component of a nutritional supplement. Flax seed can also be eaten, and many cultures have utilized it as a food source, as well as for livestock feed. Flax extract can also be used as a binding agent and can therefore replace eggs in baking recipes.

Flax finds most of its more visible uses through the production of flax fiber. For example, a major component of the fabric linen is flax fiber. It is believed that humans have been using flax fiber to make clothing for thousands of years, so it is clear that flax fiber has some serious staying power. Flax fiber is extracted from the derma of the flax stem, and it is used in products such as clothing, rope, bank notes, and even cigarette papers.

Flax is primarily cultivated in northern Europe. Flax is harvested while still green as the quality of flax fiber quickly declines once the flax seeds reach maturity. Unlike many other agricultural products, flax is not cut--rather, flax is pulled up from the ground with the roots intact in order to achieve the maximum fiber length. After harvest, flax undergoes threshing. Threshing involves the use of machines to separate out the important parts of the flax plant--the wood, the fiber, and the seed.

Flax is one of the most diverse cultivated plants in the world. The uses of flax and flax by-product range from food and nutritional supplements to the use of its fibrous components in ropes, twine, and clothing. While flax is rarely consumed directly (though parts of the flax plant are edible), the seeds as well as flax seed extract are a common component in many foods.

Help Your Immune System Fight Diseases With Natural Health Medicine

The benefits of taking care of yourself are some of the rewards you get from knowing that you are doing the best for your body. This includes the most important part of your body--the part which is in fact a mechanism that protects your body: your immune system.

Your immune system protects you against viruses, bacteria, and toxins. And to ensure that your body keeps doing all these things and more, you need to take good care of it. This includes taking precautions against diseases; and helping your body when you do get infected with diseases.

That is why only the best will do. Before you begin to incorporate a natural health lifestyle into your everyday life, you should first start to learn what options are available for you.

Natural health medicine is one of part of the pool of many medicines available in the natural health market. Because of its natural, anti-bacterial effects, many people are using in favor of traditional medicine to cure their illnesses.

Natural health medicine is good in that it has a harmonious effect. It does not act as a drug, but more as a supplement for all your bodies needs. You know that you are giving your body the best of that nature has to offer; rather than bombarding it with chemicals that will harm it as much as help it.

Natural health medicine does not cause drowsiness and it works with the body to help you get better. The most-praised element of natural health medicine is that it is made from natural ingredients. And these ingredients enhance your body's effectiveness to work for you.

When you know what is at stake, you understand that natural health medicine can give you that ultra boost you need to get your body in the best defenses shape possible.

In addition to everything else, you will not suffer side-effects when you take natural health medicine; instead, the medicine will help your body to heal without harming it simultaneously.

Which Is Better For Me? Cardio V.S. Weight Lifting

There has been much speculation over what is the best way to get started when wanting to begin exercising. The first thing that you must do is figure out what your goals are. Do you want to gain muscle mass, increase lean muscle mass(tone up), lose weight etc. This is the first question that must be answered we beginning any sort of new work-out plan. Your individual work-out should be catered to what you long-term goal is. Now lets start the debate, which is better, cardio or strength training.

Cardiovascular exercise focuses mainly on developing and strengthening the cardiovascular system through aerobic training. This means strengthening each component of the cardiovascular system( heart, lungs, circulation, blood vessels etc.). When you train your body, by exposing it to a stimulus that is unaccustomed to, the first thing the body wants to do is to adapt. Adapting to the level of stimulus applied makes the desired task easier. A health adaptation that the body undergoes while adjusting to a new cardiovascular stimulus will increase the efficiency of all its components. This means that the heart becomes a more finely tuned machine able to pump more blood with less effort. It doesn't have to work as hard. This extends the life of you heart. This type of adaptation occurs with all the individual components of the cardiovascular system. A few other benefits are:
Reverse Effects of Aging
Improved Immune Function
Increased Muscle Mass
Decreased Body Fat
Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Improvement in Respiratory Function

So I guess with all these great benefits, cardio is the smartest thing you should do to achieve all you health and fitness goals right?

Weight training aims to strengthen the muscles by resistance training (lifting weights). The body will generally respond to any stimulus you apply. By lifting weights, you force the muscle to develop more, and handle more resistance and pressure. This training helps the body to function with more stability during day-to-day life. Strength training provides a stronger frame for lifting, squatting down and bending over with more ease, the ability to quickly changing directions and recovering without falling. Body sculpting, shaping, increasing the metabolism, reversing the effects of aging, and increasing bone density are just a few of the benefits of Strength training. So with all these weight training is the best overall choice to help you reach your health and fitness goal right?

THE ANSWER IS THAT NEITHER IS BETTER FOR YOU. Neither cardio nor resistance is the best way for and individual to go when approaching a targeted fitness goal. A successful exercise plan will incorporate elements of cardio, as well as weight training in a comprehensive workout. These two elements when placed together properly will help to ensure a happier and healthier quality of life. In the end, isn't that what we always want? We want to live a better life with the health and personal benefits of having a healthy body? By encompassing both of the ideas of weight lifting and cardiovascular training together, you can achieve just that.

Flaxseed Oil And Acne

Whilst there have not been many flaxseed oil and acne studies carried out, flaxseed supplements remains a popular acne treatment, with both natural therapists and acne sufferers.

Flaxseed is traditionally used as a natural laxative, providing bulk to the stool as well as lubrication. But flax oil has many other benefits, which derive from its richness in the omega 3 essential fatty acid. Essential fatty acids are so named because we must get them from our diet - our bodies do not make them. They are important for normal growth and development, brain function, and help prevent chronic illnesses like arthritis and heart disease.

Essential fatty acids come in several forms, the most commonly known being the omega 3 fatty acids and the omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 6 fatty acids are more common in our Western diets, being found in oils like safflower, sunflower, corn, sesame, and other oils. It is possible to have a deficiency of omega 6 fatty acids if relying only on omega 3 fats, like flax and fish oils, as the main type of fat in the diet. Or if taking the omega 3 fatty acids in greater quantities for a period of one and a half, to two years, to restore an omega 3 deficiency. But the more likely scenario is that an excess of omega 6 fatty acids is being consumed in relation to the omega 3's.

Symptoms of omega 3 fatty acid deficiency include dry skin, sticky platelets, and tissue inflammation. Given that inflammation is of particular concern for acne sufferers, it becomes easier to see why increasing the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in the diet remains a popular natural acne treatment.

Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in certain types of fish like salmon and mackerel, and flaxseed oil. And as well as reducing inflammation, omega 3's speed up healing - again, important for acne sufferers - and reduce platelet stickiness. Platelet stickiness becomes important beyond heart health when you consider that the blood cells carry the supply of oxygen to cells, including cells in our skin, and the cells that are involved in healing.

There are 3 types of omega 3 fatty acids that are significant. These are alpha linolenic acid (ALA or LNA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). ALA (or LNA, as it is often abbreviated to) is converted into EPA and DHA by the body. EPA and DHA are the forms in which the omega 3's are most easily used by the body. Supplementation with ALA has been found to reduce inflammation and improve dry skin.

Flaxseed oil is a very good source of ALA, containing an average of 55% and higher. But to carry out the conversions into EPA and DHA, the body needs to have good levels of zinc, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin B3 and vitamin B6.

The recommended intake of ALA is about 2,220 mg per day. Higher doses are recommended to treat deficiencies, or some conditions. There is no real standard recommendation for acne sufferers simply because not enough studies have been done in relation to acne. But doses of 3000 to 6000 mg per day are used to prevent and treat some chronic conditions.

What Is Cardiovascular Endurance?

What Is Cardiovascular Health?
We all remember our days in gym class of running laps and climbing ropes. We treasured playing dodge ball and running under a giant parachute. Aside from delighting our childlike desire to play, these activities were designed to accomplish an important purpose. Gym class and sports practices were developed to get our hearts pumping and to improve our cardiovascular endurance.

What is cardiovascular endurance?
Cardiovascular training involves exercises that recruit both our cardiovascular and respiratory systems. When you think of activities that cause your heart to beat faster or you to breathe rapidly, these are activities that improve your cardiovascular endurance. Cardiovascular training is often referred to simply as "cardio" or "aerobic" training and includes exercises such as cycling, running, walking, and swimming.

Why is cardiovascular endurance important?
Cardiovascular training engages both your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, or more simply, your heart and your lungs. Stressing these systems and organs through exercising teaches them to become stronger and more efficient. For example, the stroke volume (amount of blood that is ejected in one heart beat) of a trained athlete will be much higher than the stroke volume for an untrained individual. As a result, a trained athlete's heart at rest will be required to beat fewer times per minute than an untrained individual's. Improving the efficiency of these systems allows the body to maintain health with less strain and difficulty.

How do we measure cardiovascular endurance?
While many activities are outstanding methods to improve cardiovascular health, measuring the intensity of these activities is an important way to assess both effectiveness and improvement. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that individuals train between 64 - 94% of their maximal heart rate to improve health and endurance. The following equation is used to determine individual maximal heart rate:
Maximal HR = 220 - age
Using the maximal heart rate an individual can determine his or heart ideal training rage by multiplying maximal heart rate and target percentage.
Target HR (lower) = [maximal HR] x 0.64
Target HR (upper) = [maximal HR] x 0.94
For example, a 35 year old individual with an estimated heart rate or 185 (220 - 35 = 185) would want to exercise with the range of 118 - 174 beats per minute.

How do we measure our heart rate?
There are several methods for measuring your heart rate. We are all accustomed to the stethoscopes that health professionals utilize to clearly hear our heart beat, but it is unlikely that you will be carrying a stethoscope with you the next time you go out for a walk. Finding your pulse on your neck or on your wrist is an effective way to count your heart beats. After you find your pulse you can watch a clock for 15 seconds as you count the number of times that your heart beats. When you determine the number of beats in 15 seconds you can multiply this number by 4 to establish your heart rate, or beats per minute. You can also purchase a heart rate monitor to wear while exercising to ensure that you are training within the target range.
Improving your cardiovascular health and endurance is a key aspect in developing your overall wellness. A healthy heart will undoubtedly lengthen your life and the types of activity that you are able to enjoy as you grow older. As you fondly recall your days of recess and gym class, remember the activities that you once enjoyed with great enthusiasm, and try those activities again. You will get your heart pumping and improve your health!

The Health Properties Of Flaxseed

Flax seeds are larger than sesame seeds with a hard shell that is smooth and shiny. It has colors that range from amber to reddish brown. Ground seeds feature a soft crunch and are easily absorbed. Flaxseed oil is nut-flavored oil that has a high nutritional profile. The flax plant has provided food as well as fiber for clothing as far back as recorded history. Flaxseed oil also contains an omega-3 fatty acid that is being investigated for its ability to reduce risk of many conditions including hypertension, stroke, some cancers and immune and inflammatory disorders and certain skin ailments. Flaxseed oil is highly unsaturated and good for the heart. They also have lignin, which are a type of fiber. Lignins are also a type of chemical similar to the human hormone estrogen. Bacteria in the digestive tract convert lignins into estrogen like substances that are thought to have anti-tumor properties and may reduce the activity of free radicals.

Recent studies have shown that men with prostate cancer who eat about three tablespoons of ground flaxseeds a day were able to slow the progress of their cancer between the time of diagnosis and time of surgery. Similar studies show that women with breast cancer who ate a flaxseed muffin daily had slower tumor growth rates. We need to wait for further studies before we can say flax can prevent or cure cancer. There is a fine line between just enough and too much which can cause cancer cells to multiply faster. Studies have found that postmenopausal women who eat about an ounce of ground flaxseed every day will affect the way estrogen is handled. It helps offer protection against breast cancer but doesn't interfere with estrogen's role in normal bone maintenance. Research has shown in preliminary results that flaxseeds can reduce total cholesterol by an average of six percent for women who are not on hormone replacement therapy.

For women trying to get pregnant, the lignin's found in flaxseed can promote natural ovulation and extend the progesterone dominant second half of the cycle. Consistent ovulation improves their chances of conception.

For women who are experiencing pre-menopausal symptoms such as headaches, sleep difficulties, breast cysts, fluid retention, anxiety, lowered sex drive and heavy bleeding can use flaxseed to help restore normal hormonal balance.

Flax is said to be heart healthy. Flax is an essential fatty acid important for cell membranes, regulation of blood pressure and other functions. This omega-3 acid may reduce blood clotting reducing the chance of a fatal heart attack and lowering total blood cholesterol. It also is known to lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Flax is also found in soybean oil, walnuts and canola oil.

Flaxseed is rich in fiber and heart-healthy it is also reduce the exposure of colon cells to cancer-causing chemicals. It can relieve the constipation or diarrhea of irritable bowel syndrome and helps to stabilize blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Magnesium also is found in flaxseeds and help to reduce the severity of asthma by keeping airways open and relaxed. It prevents the blood vessel spasms that lead to migraine attacks and generally promotes relaxation and helps to restore normal sleep patterns.

Flax Facts - Are The Benefits Of Flax Seed Inflated?

The flax seed is an amazing seed indeed - it is a bit larger than a sesame and it has a shell. The flax plant has provided food as well as fiber for clothing as far back as recorded history.

But have the health benefits of flax been over inflated?
Well, if you ever doubted that flax has some major health benefits then listen to this... the National Cancer Institute has identified flax seeds as a food product that deserves further study and attention because of its potential cancer fighting properties and many health benefits.

Infact according to the U. S. Department of agriculture, flax seeds contain close to 30 cancer prevention elements. Also several credible sources have published clinical results concluding that flax seed can have a positive impact on your overall health.

One the reasons that flaxseeds are so healthy is because flaxseed oil contains an omega-3 fatty acid that is being investigated for its ability to reduce risk of many conditions including hypertension, stroke, some cancers and immune and inflammatory disorders and certain skin ailments. Flaxseed oil is highly unsaturated and good for the heart. They are high in fiber and are even thought to be able to treat cancer. Here are some other health benefits:

1. Flax Seeds Slow Cancer
As was mentioned above, cancer is one of the things that the simple flax seed can help treat. Eating just a few teaspoons a day is all you need to slow the progression of cancer until you can get some real treatment.

2. Promotes Ovulation And Normal Hormonal Balance
For women trying to get pregnant, the lignins found in flaxseed can promote natural ovulation and extend the progesterone dominant second half of the cycle. Consistent ovulation improves their chances of conception. For women who are experiencing pre-menopausal symptoms such as headaches, sleep difficulties, breast cysts, fluid retention, anxiety, lowered sex drive and heavy bleeding can use flaxseed to help restore normal hormonal balance.

3. Heart Healthy
Flax is an essential fatty acid important for cell membranes, regulation of blood pressure and other functions. This omega-3 acid may reduce blood clotting reducing the chance of a fatal heart attack and lowering total blood cholesterol. It also is known to lower LDL or bad cholesterol. Flax is also found in soybean oil, walnuts and canola oil.

4. Rich In Fiber
You couldn't ask for a more healthy choice - flax is great for your heart and helps to stabilize blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Magnesium also is found in flaxseeds and help to reduce the severity of asthma by keeping airways open and relaxed. It can even cure headaches!