Controlling Acid Reflux Using Natural Home Remedies

Controlling Acid Reflux Using Natural Home Remedies
By: http://www.skybluecross.com/en/

With acid reflux causing so many significant problems for so many Americans it is very important to ensure you can find relief as quickly as possible. What many people do not realize is that it is possible to find relief from the pain that acid reflux causes quite quickly as long as you know where to look. Of course, there are plenty of medications that you can purchase, however these tend to be extremely expensive, in addition to the fact that they are also accompanied by a large number of side effects. This combined with a rather large price rag for all of the treatment means it can be extremely difficult to even afford the relief.

Home remedies are fabulous for acid reflux because there are several options to try out. This can range from the extremely simple, to those techniques that are a bit more advanced. In order to find the best solution for your needs it is important to ensure you try out several different methods. This will allow you to really find which method is best for you. If you are interested in preventing acid reflux before it even starts you should seriously consider the foods that you are eating.

By adjusting your diet and omitting foods that are extremely spicy, you can typically lower the occurrence of acid reflux. However, it is also extremely important to ensure that you are not missing out on the foods that you really enjoy. If you happen to discover that there are several foods you thoroughly enjoy which tend to aggravate then you can always try taking two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses each day. Blackstrap molasses is available at most health stores and it is extremely effective in helping to reduce the occurrence of acid reflux.

Other ways to help reduce the amount of reflux you suffer from is to reduce the size of your meals. If you are only eating two or three large meals each day, you will have significantly more difficulties lowering your symptoms. An easy way to lower your symptoms is to break your meals down into six or even seven substantially smaller meals. By doing this, you are putting less pressure on your stomach, and helping to soothe the occurrence of acid reflux.

It is also helpful to adjust your bed a bit. If you are able to raise the angle of your bed by only 6 inches or so you can significantly reduce the amount of acid that is attempting to move up your body. This can be extremely helpful if you are finding yourself continuously suffering symptoms while you are trying to sleep. Not everyone finds this to be helpful, but for people who suffer acid reflux symptoms while they are trying to sleep it can be a significant help.

Other suggestions to follow include looking to see if you can add more apples into your diet. If you consume an apple after each meal, it is said to substantially lower the amount of acid that you have in your stomach. By eating more apples as well you are able to also add better foods to your diet, but it is important to ensure that you are eating the apple raw, rather than cooking it before eating.

As you can see, there are several different options available for you to help improve your overall health. Getting the most out of your life is not impossible, lowering the amount of acid reflux you suffer from really is possible, but it will take a good bit of effort on your behalf. Acid reflux is much better handled when you are making changes to your lifestyle and using natural home remedies to treat it. The time and expense that is associated with medical treatments is never any fun. This can all be avoided simply by looking towards some extremely effective home remedies and trying to ensure that you are thoroughly satisfied with how you feel.

Health Benefit of Strange health food--Artichokes

Health Benefit of Strange health food--Artichokes
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Artichokes have been around for a long time, but did you know how nutritionally benificial they are?
Artichokes have been around for a long time. Originally found around the Mediterranean Sea, they were used by the ancient Romans to treat poor digestion.
Somewhere along the line, the Romans realized artichokes also made great appetizers, and they have been a traditional Italian food ever since.

The Latin name for this greenish-purple vegetable is Cynara scolymus. Sometimes called French or Globe artichoke, it's the flower of the plant that is sold in grocery stores. But don't confuse it with the Jerusalem artichoke, which is really a tuber that grows in North America.

One medium artichoke supplies 20 percent of the vitamin C you need for the day. With only 60 calories, it's also a good source of potassium and magnesium, both important for a healthy heart. And like most fruits and vegetables, it's packed with disease-fighting antioxidants that nutritionists rave about.

3 ways artichokes keep you healthy

Steps up digestion.

As it turns out, the ancient Romans were onto something when it comes to artichokes and digestion. An ingredient in artichoke leaves helps your liver form bile - something necessary for good digestion. If your liver doesn't produce enough bile, your food doesn't get broken down properly, and you end up with stomach pains and indigestion.

If you feel sick to your stomach, overly full, and have abdominal pain after eating a normal-sized meal, you may suffer from dyspepsia - a fancy name for poor digestion.

Several scientific studies showed dramatic improvements in people with dyspepsia after being treated with artichoke extracts. You can also get help for your indigestion the way the ancient Romans did - by eating a delicious artichoke with your dinner.

Chokes out heart disease.

Bile from your liver does more than help you digest food. It also helps break down cholesterol from the fat you eat. But a liver that doesn't produce enough bile lets too much cholesterol get by - kind of like the I Love Lucy episode where the chocolate assembly line starts moving too fast for her to keep up. People with liver problems can have high cholesterol even if they eat a low-fat diet.

That's where artichokes come in. Because they can help you make more bile, you might be able to lower your cholesterol by eating them. A study in Germany showed that taking artichoke extract for six weeks caused LDL cholesterol, the bad kind, to fall by more than 22 percent. As a bonus, artichokes might also be able to block some new cholesterol from forming in your liver.

Lowers blood sugar.

Your liver is busier than you might think. In addition to breaking down fatty foods, it also stores extra glucose (sugar) in the form of glycogen and turns it back into glucose whenever it gets a phone call from your blood saying that supplies are too low. This is a great system in a perfectly working body. But some people have faulty phone lines, and their livers work day and night cranking out glucose their blood doesn't need. This overproduction of glucose can lead to diabetes and other health problems.

In animal studies, researchers found that substances in artichokes kept livers from making too much glucose. More studies need to be done, but scientists think artichokes might someday be useful to people with noninsulin-dependent diabetes. In the future, people might use plants, like artichokes, to keep their blood sugar production in check.

Pantry pointers

Choose artichokes with even, green color. Don't buy any that look wilted, dried out, or moldy. Heavy, small heads are best.

Small artichokes are good for appetizers, and larger ones can be used for stuffing with a variety of fillings and served as an entree.

Be sure to trim about an inch off the top with a sharp knife. And then trim about one-quarter inch from the tips of the leaves since this part is inedible and rough on your hands.

Artichokes can be steamed in a steamer basket or boiled in water. They should be tender and ready to eat in about 30 minutes. If you're in a hurry, you can microwave them more quickly. First, rinse them with water to add some moisture. Then wrap each one in microwaveable plastic wrap. For four artichokes, microwave on high for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meaty part at the base of the artichoke is tender.

You can serve these veggies hot or cold. Some people serve a dipping sauce with artichokes. It would be a shame to ruin a lowfat food with a rich sauce, so try a low-calorie, yogurt-based dip.

If you've never eaten an artichoke, you might be a little confused about what part is edible. The outer leaves are hard and a little bitter, but at the bottom of the leaf, where they pull away from the stem, there is a soft, velvety hunk of "meat" that you can eat by gently pulling the leaf through your teeth. After you've nibbled all the leaves this way, you're left with the best part of the artichoke - the heart. This is a soft, nutty-flavored center that can be eaten whole. Just scrape off the soft fuzz with a spoon before you dig in.

Reasons for Home Remedies

Reasons for Home Remedies
By: http://www.skybluecross.com

Have you heard of the green movement?  You likely have heard of this, but do you really know what it means?  There are thousands of people all around the world who are struggling to ensure they start living a healthier lifestyle.  For many this includes looking towards home remedies that are safe, rather than ingesting large amounts of toxins into their body.  If you find that you want to start avoiding toxins and instead treating ailments with home remedies you are certainly not alone.  A bit of help to get started is always a welcome sign, and in this nature it can help you to discover some of the many reasons for home remedies.

One of the biggest reasons to use home remedies tends to revolve around money.  In order to survive many people turn to home remedies as the perfect solution.  Many people discover rather quickly that always running to the doctor is just not an option when you are left paying all of the medical bills that are involved.  In order to really obtain the best results it is extremely important to know and understand that you are going to need to save some money and home remedies often make the perfect solution.

Going to the doctor can also be extremely embarrassing in some circumstances.  Do you really want to explain to the doctor how you managed to glue yourself… to yourself?  Most people are not interested in sharing overly embarrassing stories with anyone else, not even the person who is trying to help them.  In this respect it is extremely important to look at all of the options that are available to you and see what you can do about trying to lighten up the stress on your shoulders by turning to a home remedy rather than trying to hide your head the next time you are forced to recount that uber embarrassing story.

Home remedies also work wonders for people who are not really interested in ingesting toxins as well.  While many people believe strongly in modern medicine, there are even others who do not think that taking medication for every small problem in the world is the right answer.  For these people home remedies represent a large amount of freedom that just cannot be ignored.  Working to ensure that you get the very best results will often require a bit of dedication to research but many small problems such as colds, earaches and other small ailments can be treated safely at home with no complications.

It is also important to realize if you live out in the country that it can be difficult to locate a doctor precisely when you need them.  This can make it extremely difficult and complex at times.  If you are using home remedies, it can actually be much easier to treat those issues that ail you when going to a doctor simply just is not reasonable to do.  Many people heavily discount the problem that can occur with driving a long distance to a doctor.  Going when you live near the city is typically quite easy; however going when you live very far away is not always quite so simple to do at all.

With all of the benefits that home remedies tend to offer it can be overlooked just how simple they are.  Home remedies abound for just about anything imaginable.  From treating bug bites to riding your home of insects there is no reason at all why you should suffer with treatments that are expensive and not always effective.  Often finding the right home remedy is all that stands between you and getting the actual benefit that you really want, at a price that is reasonable to you.  Your comfort as well as the effectiveness of your remedy should be considered very carefully to ensure that you select the right remedy for you.  After all, many different ailments offer several different remedies that can be quite beneficial to your needs.

Healthy Foods That Your Kids Will Love

Healthy Foods That Your Kids Will Love
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How to Prepare Your Kid's Favorite Healthy Foods
Is getting your kids to eat healthy foods is a battle in your home? If so, you’ll love these tips that will make your kids happy and give you the satisfaction of knowing you are feeding them foods that are good for them.

Start the Day Right

You can give your kids a delicious, healthy breakfast by getting rid of the ready to eat cereals and pastries and replacing them with bran pancakes and low-sugar syrup and/or fruit. Whole-wheat tortillas filled with fruit, scrambled eggs, or cheese and turkey bacon are delicious and your kids will have fun eating them, paying no attention to the fact that it is actually good for them.

Naturally Sweet

Most kids will ask for sweets such as candy and snack cakes. Instead of giving in to the pressure, give your kids applesauce and homemade oatmeal cookies prepared with a sugar substitute or honey rather than white sugar. Fruit snacks and dried fruit roll ups made from 100 percent fruit are great ideas for kids.
Replace fruit drinks and sodas with flavored tonic water and fresh fruit juice. Drink boxes containing pure fruit juice are relatively inexpensive and kids love the individual boxes, complete with straws.

Make it Fun

The secret is in the presentation. Arrange an assortment of healthy foods in a fun way on your child's plate. You can include smiley faces made from raisins or nuts and choose foods that are colorful. Kids will eat most things if they are presented in a unique design that makes eating fun.

Healthy Dinner

Dinnertime can include homemade pizza topped with cheese and vegetables, or soft tacos made with shredded chicken and cheese. Chicken strips prepared in the oven are always a hit and you could include an assortment of fresh vegetables and whole-grain breads. Fish sticks are relatively healthy if you prepare them in the oven rather than fried. Cheese and legumes are healthy choices.

It's not difficult to get kids to eat healthy foods. It just takes a little extra thought and planning. Start by using our tips and you may be surprised to see what your child will eat.

Be Careful Five "Health Foods" That May Be Making You Sick!

Be Careful Five "Health Foods" That May Be Making You Sick!
By: http://www.skybluecross.com
Be Careful Five "Health Foods" That May Be Making You Sick!

There are many of us who are dieting and trying to live a healthy lifestyle. We exercise and go out of our way to eat the best foods we can. Most of us already know that trans-fats, white sugar and white flour are not the best health choices, especially if we want to keep our weight down.

Unfortunately some of the very foods that we think are healthy are ones that can cause a lot of trouble for our bodies, and even make us ill. Below is a list of some surprisingly unhealthy “health foods.”


Artificial Sweeteners
Many people who are dieting, whether it is low calorie or low carb diets, will opt for beverages with artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Admittedly sugar is certainly a troublemaker and should be avoided, but artificial sweeteners are actually worse for you and could even be dangerous to your health.

All the artificial sweeteners are bad, but one of the worst sweeteners for us is NutraSweet (Equal, aspartame). There are over 92 different health related side effects associated with aspartame consumption, including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures. There are more adverse reactions to NutraSweet reported to the FDA than all other foods and additives combined.

A much better alternative to chemically derived sweeteners is stevia, which comes from a plant. It has been used for centuries with no know side effects. It can be purchased in most health food stores in the United States.


Sports Drinks
Although marketers would have us believe that sports drinks are what the body needs when exercising heavily, the truth is that sports drinks are filled with sugar (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) and salt (potassium and sodium) as well as artificial flavorings and colorings. Add a little salt to Cool-Aid and you have about the same thing. You would be much better off drinking spring water or diluted freshly squeezed juices while exercising.


Most Energy and Sports Bars
Most sports and bars are also filled with things that are not the best for our bodies, and are little better than candy bars. Many of them contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, chemicals, preservatives, and synthetic nutrients. Check the ingredients before you buy an energy bar. Try to find one that is made with whole foods, such as oats and flax seeds, fruits, and natural sweeteners.


Soy Products
This is one of the most surprising ones of all, after all soy has been used for countless generations in Asia. But the way we now use soy is very different than the way the Asians have traditionally used it. The ancient Asians knew that the soybean was hard to digest, so they had extensive fermenting processes that broke down most of the indigestible components, making it much healthier to eat. Examples of this would be products like soy sauce, tempeh, and miso. These were used in small amounts as condiments and flavorings, not as a meat replacement.

But the way we use soy as a meat alternative (texturized vegetable protein or TVP) can be very unhealthy, since soy contains large amounts of toxins or anti-nutrients. Some of the problems the anti-nutrients in soybeans cause are conditions of the pancreas, cancer and thyroid problems. Soybeans also can block the body’s absorption of essential minerals.


Granola (and Other Unprepared Grains)
For the last 30-40 years granola has been synonymous with heath food. But eating unprepared grains, or grains that have not been soaked, fermented or sprouted, has only come about in the last 50-100 years. People who lived before our time understood that unprepared grains could cause dietary distress.

There are anti-nutrients in grains (like there are in soybeans), such as phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, that make them harder to digest. These antinutrients can cause serious problems like Crohn's disease, colitis, and even mental disorders. Our failure to prepare our grains properly is one of the reasons that celactic disease is so prevalent now.

So, stay away from the granola. Oatmeal is an excellent addition to our diets, but use whole rolled oats (not instant) and soak them overnight before boiling them for breakfast. Go to our recipe blog at http://coconut-recipes.blogspot.com for a good recipe for coconut oatmeal.

Good breads to eat are those that have properly prepared grains, including whole grain sourdough and sprouted grain breads. You can usually find these in specialty grocery stores and health food stores.


If you are trying to lose weight and/or eat healthier, remember that just because a company markets a “healthy” product well or a health food store sells it, it doesn’t mean that it is really healthy for you. Do some research before you grab that sports bar, or better yet, reach for an organic apple, cherries, or some other natural (not processed) food. Your body will thank you and reward you for it.

How to Choose Healthy Food ?

How to Choose Healthy Food ?

By: http://www.skybluecross.com

If it’s Thursday afternoon, you have thirty minutes to get from work, go by the house and pickup Heath, Jamie’s already at basketball practice, oh, and what about dinner? Does this scenario seem familiar? If you’re a working Mom, I can promise that it is a familiar scene.

So how do you make healthy food choices, when you only have fifteen minutes to prepare your meals? Well, the first thing you should realize is that quite often, healthy choices do not necessarily equate to two hour meals. You can make healthy food choices that are as quick to prepare or pickup as the unhealthy ones.

For example, sub sandwiches are a healthier alternative than pizza or burger and fries, but do not really take any longer to pickup. Salads can be prepared in just a few short minutes, and provide for the necessary vegetable daily requirement. Don’ care for the usual salad? Make a Waldorf or fruit salad, either way you’ve changed it up a bit, and still provided a health choice. As for the dressing, oil based or vinegar based dressings are much better for you than the cream based, and are really more tasteful.

Okay, suppose salads aren’t what your kids like. What about other prepared foods that are also healthy foods? Healthy Choice is a brand of frozen entrees or meals that take only a few minutes in the microwave to prepare, and are still healthy alternatives. Baked rather than fried is always a better choice, and many supermarkets today offer baked products fresh from their bakery, ready to go.

Still aren’t satisfied? You want a place to go and actually sit down and eat. There are still many healthy alternatives for a family when going to eat at a restaurant. Restaurants that offer buffet style meals are great choices. Thanks to many of the health conscious consumers out there, buffets have added baked, broiled, and fresh food choices to the display.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually always available on food bars, along with broiled or steamed vegetables. Meats are just about as varied, with many of the choices being offered in a fried and baked option. And if you’re up for dessert, watermelons and grapes are just as satisfying as the Boston cream pie.

You can always throw up objections when it comes to healthy eating, the real trick is in realizing it’s your body that will suffer. Or your children that will suffer from the unhealthy choices you make. Why not start with healthy options, set the right example, and you will have children that make health conscious intelligent decisions about their eating.

Okay, now back to our Thursday afternoon juggling act. You’ve dropped Heath at baseball practice, picked Jamie up from basketball, and you have exactly fifteen minutes to make a decision about dinner. As you sit at the red-light contemplating your options, there is a Subway, a Pizza Hut, and a grocery store with a deli in the same shopping center. How can this still be a difficult choice to make?

DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."

How to Free Stress with Home Remedies

By: http://www.skybluecross.com/

If you are suddenly finding yourself nervous, scared, really worried and have no clue why you are feeling this way you could discover that you are part of a growing trend of people suffering from anxiety. This is not something to be ashamed of, nor is it something that demands a large amount of medication to treat. Of course, there are some people who can only find relief from anxiety in prescription drugs, but many others find some more natural solutions in home remedies that are extremely effective. Working to find the best solution for you can be a rather trying experience, but there are plenty of great home remedies for anxiety that can prove to be extremely effective.

It is largely reported by people suffering from anxiety that they feel much more anxious after they have consumed large amounts of alcohol. This points to cutting back the intake of alcohol as one of the most effective treatments that you can do to reduce your anxiety level. If we must be brutally honest though, this will have a limited effect. After all, if you are only a slight social drinker there will be very little you can do to reduce your intake further. This means this particular method is much more suited for those who tend to drink at least a few drinks a week.

Other suggestions include getting as much sleep as possible to ensure you are well rested. A lack of sleep has been attributed to increasing the occurrence of anxiety attacks. In addition to the additional rest as needed taking some additional B vitamins such as can be found in most vitamin supplements has also shown great promise to help relieve symptoms. An additional benefit to the vitamins is the ability to allow you to pick up any additional nutrients that you might be missing out on due to your typical dietary habits.

Many people have had great amounts of success by limiting their intakes of sweetener’s as well. This includes natural sugar, as well as the artificial sweeteners. In order to really obtain the biggest benefit you should try to watch your reactions to certain sweeteners. There are some that can make the problems worse for you, while others may not bother you in particular. If there is a sweetener that you can safely use, it is important to stay with it, while avoiding the others that tend to aggravate your anxiety.

Due to the increase in nervousness, it is also recommended that you avoid any products that are extremely high in caffeine. Because caffeine is extremely likely to spike anxiety many people who are anxious tend to suffer much more than necessary. Reducing caffeine intake can often provide some rather rapid differences that might otherwise never come. If you are in a habit of drinking coffee each morning, you can simply switch to decaffeinated in order to reduce your caffeine intake while still enjoying your morning cup of coffee.

Another suggested home remedy that has provided great benefits is getting up and starting to walk around or exercise whenever you feel extremely anxious. By getting up and moving around you are taking your mind off of the anxiety that you are feeling and allowing yourself to slowly clam down at your own pace. This is extremely effective for most people since it will allow you to refocus your attention to the activity that you are doing, rather than on the actual anxiety that you are presently feeling.

By avoiding the use of medication to treat anxiety you are sure to feel much better about yourself. Additionally you will be able to avoid many of the harsh side effects that are otherwise experienced in the treatment. It may take a while to find the perfect solution for your needs depending on exactly what factors are encouraging the stress, but a solution really is possible with the right effort.