Writen by Steven Gillman

There is a lot of hype about alternative medicines, and some of them are certainly without much value. Of course there is a lot of hype about regular medicines, many of which do as much harm as good. The fact that natural remedies and treatments rarely hurt people as much as prescription drugs is one reason to at least try them. Here are a few that I can vouch for from experience.

Tea Tree Oil

I had a lump on the side of my nose, growing slowly, bleeding at times. I had it for years, and the one time I asked a doctor about it, he wasn't sure if it was actually cancerous. I read somewhere that tee tree oil might work. I bought a bottle at a health-food store for $6. I applied a drop to the lump each day, and in less than six weeks, the lump was gone completely.

Coincidence? After having the growth for years? I don't think so. In fact I had another growth years later on my neck, and for several years, I couldn't remember what I had used the first time. When I found a clue in some old notes, I used tea tree oil on that growth, which was even larger than the first one. It was gone in about six weeks.

St. John's Wort

When hiking in Canada, I cut my foot. The gash was deep. I found St. John's Wort (Hypericum perfolatum), which has been proven to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. I mashed up a few leaves and bandaged them to the cut, replacing them occasionally. I have honestly never seen a cut heal faster.

St. John's Wort is one of the better known alternative medicines now. It is used as an anti-depressant, with numerous studies showing it's effectiveness. It is also used by some as a temporary mood-elevator. This effect isn't proven yet, but whenever I've had tea made from the plant, it tasted awful and left me happy for two hours. Anecdotal and subjective evidence (I'm not even entirely convinced), but interesting.

Valerian Root

When my wife has cramps and pain, nothing works better than a cup of tea made from valerian root. You can get the tea in many stores now. I wouldn't try driving after having valerian root. This is a powerful relaxant.

In fact, valerian root is too strong for some people. A gentler herb that will relax you is chamomile. You can find this as tea too. It makes a great drink with honey, just before you are ready to go to bed.

There are so many alternatives out there. I have stopped a headache just by chewing on willow twigs. I have stopped diarrhea with oak bark (careful - this can hard on the liver in large doses). I have watched a friend's poison ivy rash disappear overnight with the application of jewelweed juice.

I am sure that I have tried just as many alternatives that didn't work, too, but you know what? Put all the ineffective ones together and the cost probably doesn't add up to the cost of one visit to a doctor. As for the effective ones, well, no doctor yet has introduced me to one of them. You have to do your own research on alternative medicines.

Steve Gillman has been hunting down obscure knowledge and useful secrets for years. Learn more and get a free gift at: http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com

Writen by Virgil Aponte

Which is better? Aerobic training (long distance running, stints on the Stairmaster) or anaerobic training (weight training & short intense conditioning work)

I've been asked this question hundreds if not thousands of times. First I'll give what I think is best and then I will talk about whether what I think is best even matters.

I my own professional opinion and from my experiences I believe a combination of strength training exercises (with free weights, machines, or bodyweight) and high intensity anaerobic exercise (e.g. Sprinting, running up hills, or stairs etc... have yielded the best results for me and the people I've worked with. I'll take it a step further by just looking at what the elite athletes do. The first thing that comes to my mind when it comes to ideal body composition (low body fat levels) and weight loss are long distance runners and sprinters. Marathoners run and workout for what seems like forever. One hour runs 4 to 6 times a week are the norm for many of them. Combine that with strength training (which many won't do because they're too tired and over trained from running) and you're working out almost everyday. Sprinters on the other hand use short intense workouts to build their speed. Many sprint 2 to 4 times a week for about 30-45 minutes and strength train 2-4x a week for about 30-45 minutes. Many times it looks as if they're not even training hard because they rest a while between their sprint sets.

With out getting too far into the details of the workouts of sprinters and marathoners I'll say this: The sprinters get far more in return for what amounts to less time spent working out. Just take a look at an elite marathoner (they look stringy and many times weak and sickly). Now look over at an elite sprinter and they look like an Adonis (It all boils down to what their training offers them. Long distance running will improve your aerobic endurance but at the cost of you overtraining, possibly having more colds, less muscle, you not looking and feeling your best and also leaving less time to do other things you might like. Sprinting and strength training will not give you the endurance to run 2 hours but you will look better, have more muscle, less fat, have more time to do other things. So I guess it's safe to say that I think strength training and anaerobic work wins in my book. Absolutely! Now does what I believe really matter when it comes to finding what works best for you?

Here's a true story:

I had a client a few years ago that loved to run. When I made my pitch to try and get her to do sprints and strength training she rebelled. She really had no interest in strength training and she truly loved to run as it made her feel like a million bucks. How could I fight that? World famous holistic healer Paul Chek once told me in a seminar that the best exercise is the one you will do and like to do consistently. Ultimately you need to do what works for you and what you like doing. If you do a workout program that you dread many times you'll just stop doing it and sometimes you may even get hurt. So, for those who love to run: I've got nothing but love for you. Have fun, be consistent and keep it up.

For over 12 years Virgil has helped numerous people from all walks of life reach their strength & health related goals. His career highlights include working as a strength & conditioning/baseball coach for the New York Mets Instructional Baseball Academy, serving as an assistant with the WNBA New York Liberty's strength & conditioning staff and creating the Ultimate Stair Exercises DVD set http://www.stairexercises.com which has sold in 6 countries. Currently Virgil continues to teach, train clients and is releasing a new DVD series entitled GetFit Anywhere http://www.GetFitAnywhere.net

Subscribe to his free health & fitness journal at: http://www.GivStrength.com

Writen by Stein Ove Stien

Acne is a common skin condition that is not restricted to any age group or sex. Acne may appear for any length of time. But one should not forget that Acne is not a disease and can surely be cured!

Conventional acne medications may be topical-applied directly to the skin, or they may be systemic-taken internally. Unlike medication treatments, the effects of acne surgery are usually more immediate.

An acne condition can be improved and eventually controlled, monitored or improved by a professional skin care program, or medical care combined with the home care program. Acne medications and antibiotics must be taken for several months for any improvement to appear in an acne condition if the case is severe. Many non-prescription acne products can control milder cases of acne without medical care.

Only recently, a laser treatment that causes temporary heat damage to oil glands, which may reduce the oil supply, was developed for acne cure. Not only this, several herbal remedies are also recommended for acne cure. Herbs such as chamomile, lavender, juniper, bergamot, dandelion root, and burdock root can be used to reduce toxicity and improve the overall condition of the skin.

While trying to cure acne, one should not forget that skin treated with alcohol, Benzol Peroxide, ether, acetone and other harsh ingredients may prematurely age the skin and leave the former acne sufferer with wrinkles and a grayish, sickly and tired skin tone.

Whether the acne sufferer chooses to use medications or not, skin care must be used. Some of the popular products in the market that can prevent and cure acne include:-Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Retinoid, Antibiotics, Oral Contraceptives, Anti-Androgens and Isotretinoin (Accutane).

A good basic skin regimen just consists of Cleansing twice daily with a 5% benzoyl peroxide wash. An alternative for those who are allergic to benzoyl peroxide is 2% salicylic acid. Use of a light skin moisturizer and an oil-free makeup is need of the hour!

One should give dry skin extra care, being sure to wash and rinse their face thoroughly and using products especially made for dry skin. One should follow some of the important routine things like regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, use of safe cosmetics, having a healthy diet and following a healthy skin regimen. Avoid getting over-stressed; even "good" stress can trigger internal chemical responses that result in acne and not to forget drinking lots and lots of water and add more fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts to your regular diet.

Stein Ove Stien is the manager of 1acne-treatment.com with Acne Blogs Guides and Acne Treatment Articles

Writen by Arturo Ronzon

Tummy tuck is a procedure that is used to reshape and firm up the abdominal area. Known as abdominoplasty surgery, tummy tuck involves removing unwanted fat and skin from the lower abdominal area in order to tighten up the abdominal walls. A tummy tuck is usually performed on people who have abdominal fat that do not seem to respond to diet and exercise.

A full tummy tuck procedure is done by performing an incision across the lower abdomen – from one hip to the other. The incision is shaped like a ‘V’ with a flat bottom that cuts across the top of the pubic area. Then, another incision is made surrounding the navel to free the skin. The skin is then peeled away from the abdominal area to reveal the fat and muscles below. Once the unwanted fat is removed and the muscles tightened, excess skin is trimmed off the remaining skin is stitched into place. A new hole is cut to form the navel.

It is best to have a thorough medical checkup if you do plan to go for a tummy tuck procedure. Seeing as how tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure, it is best to know your current state of health to minimize complications during and after surgery. The doctor in charge can also advise if a tummy tuck is really the best way to go to firm up your lower abdomen.

If your abdominal fat problem is not too bad, then a mini tummy tuck might be the way to go. For the mini tummy tuck, only a small, straight incision is performed above the pubic area. Excess fat is then removed and the wound would be stitched closed. Some doctors would also perform liposuction together with a mini tummy tuck for better results. There are even doctors that would perform a mini tummy tuck plus liposuction immediately after performing a caesarian baby delivery.

As with any surgery, there will be some recovery time that would need to be observed. A mini tummy tuck will not take too long to recover compared to a full tummy tuck. After a full tummy tuck, you lower abdominal area would most likely be swollen. The doctor would place a tube running out of your abdomen temporarily to drain off excess fluids accumulated during surgery. Getting up out of bed would be challenging for a few days, as would be going to the toilet. Avoid lying prone in bed all the time as this could retard your healing. When you feel that you can, try and move about to gets the blood circulation going.

Expect the surgery scars to last from 9 months to a year after a full tummy tuck. Also be aware that these scars might never really disappear although surgeons will often ensure that the scars are easily hidden under a bathing suit. If you want to, you could go for a plastic surgery procedure to remove the scars from your tummy tuck.

Writen by Alissa Carter

Over the last few years my own diet has changed dramatically. As someone who is blessed with a naturally slim frame I have never had to diet to lose weight, but I maintain my current healthy weight with a great diet/eating plan. In fact, if you do plan on losing more than about a stone in weight then I would visit your doctor for more tips on how to do this without risk.

To tell you that how I maintain weight is perfect would be totally wrong of me, but I can advise you to follow my steps because I know what works and what doesn't. But before I really begin I must also say that I have been brought up by great parents who taught me to eat everything, and so I do! If there is something that you don't like, there are loads of other diabetic recipes and ideas that you will eat and appreciate.

I am a student and I like to buy fresh and organic produce from where I live. I believe that this is important because it can be the most good for your body and contain more nutrients and vitamins than most supermarket produce. I like to source food from my fortnightly farmers market in town, which sells amazing meat and dairy produce and fresh in season fruit and vegetables. This is another important thing to remember, that eating fruit and veg in their season means that they will taste better as well as doing you good. I have a lot of influence from Western European cuisine (mainly France and Italy) as you will tell, but I do not profess to be a chef and everything is easy to make and very convenient.

I have read countless diet books and diabetic recipe/diet books, and I came to a conclusion that I think really works. I fused all the good things from the diets (but not from every diet) and sort of put together my own one. We will call this the Juvenile Diabetes Healthy Diet.

The "rules" that I would lay down are as follows:

1. Cut back on snacks and then change the type of snacks you eat.

 Certainly my biggest downfall although it wasn't really apparent to me. When I first started at University, I had little or no routine which meant that filling my day was difficult and popping into the kitchen for a snack, no matter how healthy it felt, was a regular occurence. This is one of the hardest things to do for some people, but establishing a great routine is essential to great diabetes care. The types of snacks to be eating are unsalted nuts, dried unsweetened fruit, fresh fruit, fresh veg (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber), dark chocolate (richer and nicer and you only want 2 squares usually).

2. Cut back on white flour, embrace wholemeal carbs.

 This is the most essential part of your diet, and the thing that can show the biggest increase in loss of weight. Some diets in fact jsut focus on this point, and are ery successful. Wholemeal (especially stoneground wholemeal) is so good for you and has so much more flavour in it that switching is much easier than you think. Most people are really surprised at the ranges you can get in you supermarket, again remember that the bread that is best for you is the one that is freshest with least perservatives or added ingredients. Also, brown or basmati rice is great with a lovely nutty texture. Wholemeal pasta is great and for your potatoes I would totally recommend the smaller new potatoes.

3. Stop drinking cocktails, start drinking wine.

 Cocktails are full of sugar, colourants and preservatives. As a student I have had loads of practice at going out and not drinking cocktails, so my drink of choice is Malibu and Diet Coke if I feel I have to drink something and I make it last all night. I can then top up with Diet Coke (which has almost no sugar in it) and it looks as though I am drinking Malibu, who is to know. If you are out at a restaurant, red wine is much better than anything else you can order, (except water of course!) and it has been proven that the anti-oxidants in red wine are great for keeping a healthy heart. The recommended amount is one glass a day with your evening meal.

4. Start cooking more fruit and vegetables.

 Fresh fruit and vegetables are a great way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. And there are so many different ways in which to cook vegetables, but I find that raw is the best follwed closely by steamed. Both of these ways preserve all their natural goodness aswell. I will follow this post with another diabetes recipes post.

5. Drink more water.

 I know you have heard people say this many times before, but the benefits of drinking more water are endless. A few tips on how to get more water into your day are firstly to put bottles of water at all the places you go in the house or work. So keep one in your desk, on your desk, a glass in the kitchen, the bedroom, the sitting room, etc. Try and drink all these glasses up and you will be well on your way to 8 glasses a day. The trick is to add a glass every few days or so, if you try to drink all that water in one go you won't be so inclined to drink 8 glasses again, trust me! Have a go, it's amazing how great you will feel.

For further tips on living with diabetes, visit http://juvenile-diabetes.blogspot.com

This article was submitted by Alissa Carter, she is also owner of the dressearch.com

Writen by Morris Patrick

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disease that affects an estimated 4.5 million Americans. Alzheimer's disease is characterized initially by memory loss but in its later stages also by loss of mental functioning including language, reasoning and understanding and reading and writing. It is the most common cause of dementia.

The devastation of Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer's disease) affects millions of families in the United States and costs can be measured in mental, physical, emotional, and financial terms. The primary caregiver is the one who suffers most. This is the person who tends to a loved one requiring progressively more attention and eventually total care.
 There are many things that can be done to safely tend to the patient while preserving the emotional and physical health of the caregiver.
 The patient can be combative and otherwise uncooperative when bathing and dressing time comes. Planning this out can help a lot. Make sure you use rubber mats to avoid slipping. Make sure all bathing necessities are within reach. Bathrooms should have grab bars and shower seats. This can be a tremendous help. Be very careful about water temperature.
 There is much information available defining the progression of the stages of Alzheimer's disease and this information can take many forms. For the sake of simplicity, we describe the progression in terms of three main stages.

Early Stage:

In the Early Stage Alzheimer's disease, the evidence of memory and concentration problems is clearly discernable. People in this stage often find it difficult to remember current events or to perform complex tasks such as paying bills or managing finances.

Mid Stage:

A person in Mid Stage Alzheimer's disease will experience confusion about where they are, the date, or season. He or she will be able to remember things about themselves-like their names and the names of their children, but will have trouble remembering details such as their current address or telephone number. People in this stage require some assistance with day-to-day activities.

As Mid Stage Alzheimer's disease progresses, memory problems worsen and are accompanied by personality changes. A person would require extensive help with activities of daily living including toileting and dressing appropriately. Individuals may tend to wander and experience delusions and disrupted sleep patterns.

Late Stage:

In Late Stage Alzheimer's disease, individuals will need assistance will all or most of their daily needs-eating, toileting, dressing and walking. Individuals in this stage lose the ability to use meaningful language and eventually even to speak. Along with the loss of speech, individuals in this stage lose the ability to control their movement or to respond to their environment.

Writen by Adrian Bryant

1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.

As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning has been shown to burn up to 3x as more fat as opposed to working out at any other time during the day. Here’s Why:

During the day your body’s main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals. As you sleep at night for 6+ hours your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates as energy to use and it will look to burn body fat instead for energy.

For you to take advantage of this morning fat burning opportunity you have to exercise first thing in the morning. Don’t eat breakfast because if you do you’ll just give your body some carbohydrates as a source of energy instead of the body fat that you want to burn for energy.

Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout. Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only means that you’ll burn more calories and lose more weight. If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you’ll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always at its slowest.

Other reasons why its good to exercise first thing in the morning is that you get the workout out of the way, and working out in the morning will also reduce your level of stress throughout the day.

Advanced Tip: Want to burn even more fat? Add another workout to your daily routine 4-6 hours after your morning workout. Keep your already high metabolism higher by adding a 2nd workout during the day. If you're seriously thinking about adding a 2nd workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in the morning. Mostly fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate intensities. Make your 2nd workout of the day a workout with weights. Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. The muscle that you build from weight training will also help you burn fat. 1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days. Not only will you be burning more calories, you’ll look better – whatever your weight is.

2. Eat Breakfast

Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all day long is to eat breakfast. After you workout in the morning as discussed earlier, just have breakfast and you’ll give your body the perfect 1-2 combination to jump start your metabolism.

Eating breakfast in the morning is what gets your metabolism started. Don’t skip breakfast and wait until mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower causing you not burn any extra fat.

Think about this way-Your metabolism is a fireplace that’ll burn fat all day long for you if you operate it correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically throwing a log onto that fireplace to get it started burning fat.

Eating breakfast will help stop those cravings you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the day and lower stress levels.

Advanced Tip: Instead of eating only 2 more meals during the day like lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day. Remember the fireplace? By eating these mini-meals you'll be throwing just the right amount of "wood" on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning calories throughout the day. Don't shut down your metabolism by eating big lunches or dinners, keep that metabolism of yours burning fat all day long.

Morning Checklist

1. Workout for at least 30min after waking up in the morning

2. Eat a healthy breakfast

3. Burn fat & lose more weight during the day

Use these 2 tips to reveal that six-pack, fit into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, or to impress that special someone. Whatever your fitness goal is these 2 tips above will surely help you reach them.

Adrian Bryant is a Personal Trainer and creator of NowLoss: The World's Best Weight Loss Program. Be sure to check out his web site at http://www.nowloss.com. Adrian Bryant has helped many people reach their fitness goals in his 10+ years of personal training. Adrian holds a B.S. degree in Exercise science from Longwood University.

Writen by Samuel Hathaway

A hands-on approach to back pain can be a positive experience. Massage therapy can help reverse the vicious cycle of pain-spasm-pain associated with chronic back pain.

Massage and chiropractic therapy can provide many benefits to individuals suffering from mild or chronic back pain. These benefits include:

• Circulation and blood pressure improvement.
• Muscle tone improvement and the prevention of muscular atrophy due to illness or inactivity.
• System detoxification through lymphatic drainage.
• Joint flexibility improvement.
• Stress reduction and a greater sense of well-being.

There are many different massage styles which can be applied to helping back pain. Each style depends on the individual's needs and preferences.

They include:

Swedish Massage: This method uses long, flowing strokes and kneading movements to relieve tension from the muscles. The practitioner helps improve circulation and back pain by working to loosen and relax the superficial layers of muscle.

Sports Massage: This method uses slow, hard strokes and deep, sustained finger pressure to work deeply into the contracted muscles, fascia and tendons. This technique keeps the body flexible, increases performance and assists in rehabilitation from injury and speeds up the healing process by reducing swelling.

Shiatsu: Shiatsu is Japanese for “finger pressure.” Fingers, thumbs, palms, elbows and knees are all used to apply pressure to points along acupuncture meridians, which are believed to be the body's energy pathways. This method is used to help alleviate back pain and encourage blood and lymphatic flow.

Craniosacral Therapy: This therapy involves the craniosacral system, which extends from the skull to the bottom of the spine. The practitioner uses touch to restore cerebrospinal fluid movement. This method can be used to treat such conditions as headaches, ear and eye problems as well as back pain and even whiplash.

Not all techniques work in all situations. Be sure to know the philosophy and style of your massage therapist before you begin. If your massage or massage technique doesn't help alleviate your pain, try another practitioner.

Visit us for more news and updates about back pain and alternative medicine.