Eye Wellness Tips – Because I Can't Massage Your Eyes!

by Laura

Tension from long hours in front of a computer all day can tire you or even give you headaches, but it won't affect acuity.

That was the message in a recent roundup of tips and myth-busters on eye health.

First, let us list factors that DO affect eye health.

1- Smoking. By far the number one factor affecting the eyes. Smoking can be a direct contributing factor to diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts. Smoking has been estimated to be related to 20 percent of new cases of blindness in people over 50 years of age.

2- Medications. Your doctor may or may not discuss the risks drug interaction with eye health, so you may have to buttonhole your doc or a nurse to get that information. On the other hand, a positive benefit has been found in taking supplements of vitamins A, E and C, and omega-6 fatty acids.

3- Pregnancy can have short-term effects on eyes, such as blurry vision or dry eyes. Fluid retention can affect the shape and thickness of the cornea of the eye.

4- Aging. As we get older the eyes' acuity can change for the better or for worse. Far-sighted people may gain near-normal vision. But others can suffer changes directly related to age, called presbyopia.

5- UV exposure. Women especially should wear sunglasses when going outdoors, because they are twice as likely to develop macular degeneration as men. Yet we do need some ultraviolet light on a daily basis, which can be satisfied with as little as ten minutes a day of being outdoors.

6- Lack of sleep. It isn't just that it gets harder to peel your eyes open when you burn the candle at both ends. Your eyes really do need to rest just as much as your body does, so do yourself a favor and get your beauty sleep.

NOT a factor in eye disease was watching excessive television or using a computer for many hours a day. Sorry, mom, but you cannot use that threat on your kids anymore. And anyway, they are not likely to give up their smart phones, computers, iPads, or YouTube.  

Lowering Blood Pressure with a Surprising Exercise

by Laura

Reducing high blood pressure can involve a whole complex of dietary and lifestyle changes. In addition you might want to incorporate something as simple as squeezing a ball to bring down your readings.

Studies at the University of Michigan by Dr. Robert D. Brook found that just four weeks of isometric hand exercises produced a 10 percent drop in both diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings. This would include squeezing a ball or an athletic gripper.

Lesser improvements were noted with traditional exercise such as aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, even gardening), or with strength training.

This study reviewed over 1,000 other studies to glean the best of the best. The findings were published in “Hypertension” medical journal.

I can also add that another effective gambit was to add plenty of fresh celery to the diet. Yes, the studies are out there to support this veggie as part of a good diet plan to fight hypertension.  

A Massage could help with shingles pain, but you could get a shot for that!

by Laura

I am all for natural modes of pain relief, but sometimes there is a good reason for an inoculation. One case in point is shingles. Do you know that there is a vaccine for that?

You have to be at least age 60 and have had chicken pox as a child to benefit from the shot.

Shingles strikes about one million Americans a year and can bring crippling pain and headaches. Shingles can cause permanent nerve damage.

A neighbor gets shingles attacks and is out of commission for a few days at a time because of the headaches. Some people experience attacks that last three or four weeks at a time, and no one I know of can afford to be out of commission for that long!

Now I have to admit that the shot may only work completely for about half the people who receive it. However, the others have much less severe attacks and may escape permanent nerve damage. The only real obstacle is that the vaccine may cost you a rather hefty co-payment of about $60 or $75 or so. Still, it can save you a heck of a lot of pain and lost work time. Worth thinking about!

Did you get your Vitamin N today? Back to Nature offers surprising benefits

by Laura

It may really surprise you how much you can benefit from spending just an hour in a natural setting. They are even calling it Vitamin N – n for Nature. You can take a walk in the park or spend time in a home or office designed to take advantage of views of nature.

Hospitals designed with nature in mind find that patients have less stress, can heal faster, and need less pain meds.

A 2008 study by the University of Michigan showed that hour-long “doses” of nature helped people not only deal with stress, but they had a 20 percent better attention span, and also showed improved memory. And in 2012, a University of Kansas study showed people had as much as a 50 percent improvement in creativity after being immersed in a natural setting for a few days.

It is a bit hard to apply these findings because there is little description of the Vitamin N exposure that the participants were given.

But still, we can offer some popular ways of getting back in touch with nature. Such as:

1- Plant a garden, preferably something that will attract some wildlife, birds or butterflies that you can enjoy watching.

2- Encourage your children to interact with nature in a creative way. Small children often spend hours in a sand box. Take them on a nature walk to pick up interesting leaves in the fall that they can use in art projects at home.

3- Join a group at a nature center for spring and fall hikes to note the change in seasons and migrating birds.

4- Taking up photography forces you to look for subjects out there in fields and parks, or even in your back yard.

5- Put a comfortable chair on a patio, porch or sun room to watch the change in seasons.  

23 Herbal Cancer Treatments, via Brother Aloysius

By Laura
Because I whole-heartedly support natural and herbal treatments as allied and complementary medicine --- herewith are twenty-three herbal treatments for cancer, which come from an old book by Brother Aloysius. It is just one of hundreds of books which have been sneered at and hidden away by The Powers That Be in conventional medicine. Rather than scientifically investigate these traditional medicines, they chose to not only close off this knowledge from the public, but forbade medical students to study these books – OR EVEN KNOW OF THESE BOOKS. Conventional medicine decreed that only pharmaceutical medicines and occasional surgery were bona fide treatments for any illness or disease, a decision formalized in 1910 by what is known as the Flexner Report.
Anyway, here are Brother Aloysius’ recommendations. You are free to use any of them in support of whatever conventional treatment you elect. Many people elect to go to a Doctor of Oriental Medicine in addition to their Western-trained physicians, precisely because they use herbal-based medicines.
NOTE: Reprints: You are encouraged to reprint and distribute the cancer remedies. No, I do not own the rights and I do not guarantee the results, but there can be no “rights” to healing knowledge. Medical cures are a right that we all own.
CANCER-like ulcerations can sometimes be treated successfully by
means of the following remedies:

1- Boil together in 1 quart water:
1/8 cup oak bark
1/3 cup sage
2 tablespoons common wormwood
1/3 cup tormentil
1/2 cup horsetail
When the ingredients have boiled for fifteen minutes, strain through a cloth. Then add 1/2 pound honey and bring to a boil again briefly. Wipe the sores with this twice a day. The herbs can also be steeped in alcohol and the honey added later.

2- Place a fairly thick layer of CARROT scrapings on the sores and renew it as soon as it begins to dry.

3- According to Mathiolus, there is no remedy more splendid for curing cancer than the herb of the BLESSED THISTLE (Cnicus Cbenedictus). A woman with cancer of the breast, eaten nearly through to the bone, was cured [cured!] by a decoction of the blessed herb. The sores should be washed four times a day with the decoction and, after each wash, powder from the dried leaves should be sprinkled on them. This remedy is also excellent for old sores.

4- Drink tea made from GOOSEGRASS. In addition, place the freshly cut herb on the sores, or use compresses of the decoction of dried goosegrass.

5- Mix together fresh COMFREY crushed with rye bread and place this on the cancerous sores.

6- It is also recommended to apply crushed fresh CHERVIL mixed with honey.

7- It is most efficacious to drink three cups AGRIMONY TEA daily, and to use powdered agrimony root in all food.

8- Crushed fresh green leaves of AGRIMONY, mixed with lard, applied as a plaster, is very beneficial for cancer or fistulas.

9- Bruised CINQUEFOIL with the root, mixed with old lard (pork fat) applied as a plaster is a very effective remedy.

10- Crush fresh STINGING NETTLES, add a little salt, and apply on the cancer sores.

11- Make a strong decoction of leaves, stalks and seeds of the white dead-NETTLE (Lamium album), and apply throughout the day as compresses.

12- Put live (male) LOBSTERS in the oven to dry in an earthenware pot; pound them to a fine powder; take some of the powder and mix with an equal quantity of finely chopped GARLIC. Place this mixture in a very fine linen bag, sew up the bag, tightly bind it to the cancerous area by means of a bandage so that it cannot slip. Leave for 24 hours, then remove it and bury it forthwith in the ground as it spreads a pestilential air. Before removing the bag, it is advisable to tie a cloth with some kind of perfume, camphorated spirit or simply vinegar over the nose. The bag should not be removed with bare hands.
Immediately after removal of the bag, a quantity of elder flowers drawn in buttermilk, or boiled in it, should be bound over the cancerous area. The patient should drink a little buttermilk and rest in bed for 12 hours.
The elder flowers should then be removed.
If the cancer is not cured [cured!—Isn’t that amazing?] the last remedy should be repeated. As long as the bag of lobster powder, etc., remains on the cancerous area, the patient should be kept awake [NOTE: danger of noxious fumes]. A priest, who had cancer of the tongue, informed me that he was cured in 24 hours by means of this remedy. The scar could be clearly seen. It should be noted that this remedy is for closed cancer.

13- The sap of the common TOADFLAX (Antirrhinum linaria) with the sap of the greater burnet SAXIFRAGE cannot be praised highly enough for cancer sores.

14- Apply WINE-YEAST mixed with an equal quantity of ALUM to the cancerous place.

15- JUNIPER WOOD OIL is praised for both internal and external cancer.

16- [RECIPE] The following cancer ointment has been most highly recommended to me and used for more than 30 years by a brother in the monastery:
1 1/4 cup old pork fat
3 1/3 pounds yellow wax
5/8 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sage
1/2 cup white lily bulbs
2/3 cup black tar
1/2 cup sugar candy
1/4 ounce lead oxide
14 ounces red lead
4 ounces white vitriol
3 teaspoons spirits of white vitriol
Fry the well-chopped pork fat, sage and lily bulbs together; firmly squeeze it through a cloth, place in a glazed earthenware pot, add tar, wax, oil and sugar, leave to boil  slowly, stirring continually, until the water in the lily bulbs and sage has evaporated. Remove from the fire, allow to cool a little, then add, while stirring, the lead oxide, the red led, the white vitirol, and the vitriol spirits and keep on stirring until the ointment is stiff and cold. During the boiling process scum will form from the tar; this should be skimmed off.
The ointment should be smeared on chamois leather, applied and renewed once a day. The cancer sores should be kept really warm while this ointment is being used.
This cancer ointment may be applied to both open and closed cancers. In addition, the patient should drink three cups of tea made from walnut leaves picked halfway through June.

17- Take equal quantities of FIGS, GARLIC and LEAVEN; pound them together in a china mortar. With open cancer or cancer sores, apply a fresh poultice daily, preferably in the morning.

18- Pound some GARLIC and place between two thin linen cloths on open or closed cancer. With open cancer renew every hour, with closed cancer as soon as it begins to dry. (Pub. note: this will burn the skin and form scar tissue.)

19- For cancer of the womb [Possibly they mean ovaries?] , take WALNUT BLOSSOM TEA.

20- For internal cancer, or stomach cancer, tea made from the leaves of the MARIGOLD (calendula officinalis) is most efficacious.

21- For cancer of the tongue, a recommended remedy is to sprinkle CAMPHOR powder on the affected area a few times daily and to take mouth washes of HORSETAIL TEA and salt. It is also good to give the tongue a daily cold watering, if the cancer is near the tip of the tongue. [Caused by Tobacco?]

22- A lady from Brussels was cured in six months of a bleeding cancer, which had been treated unsuccessfully for a long time by using the following remedies. Throughout the day, use as many compresses of HORSETAIL decoction as possible, alternating now and then with compresses of alum water. In addition, each week use two short compresses of hayseed decoction and a few washes. The lady, who is now about 80, still enjoys good health.

23- To remove the putrid SMELL of cancer, try using finely pounded cloves that have been boiled in vinegar to keep the air pure. Or place ground coffee in the room. You could also mix 100 parts pure gypsum with 3 parts coal tar and place in the room.

An interesting natural therapy for hay fever, allergies, etc.

 by Laura

I have long been a big supporter of natural treatments and medicines that are derived directly from nature. They may be taken as teas, decoctions, or processed into little pills to take when the plants are not available in winter.

But here is a case where someone just instinctively made his own common-sense “potion”, plastered it to his skin, and in only a few days was symptom-free.

The gentleman shall be known only as C. S. of Mount Vernon, Washington, since he may not want the status of online celebrity-hood.

But he wrote a letter to leaders who run a summer camp, hoping it might help kids afflicted with hay fever while at camp.

His experience was this: “I gathered the pollen from the grasses that were blooming, mashed them up, and mixed them with Vaseline. I put a glob of that mixture in the crook of my arm, figuring it was a sensitive area, and wore it for two or three days. The hay fever symptoms disappeared.” He repeated this in August when ragweed season starts, and had the same success. This relieved his long-standing “summer misery” as he called it, of the previous thirty years before trying this remedy.

No one knows how he hit upon this approach, but it makes sense for a lot of reasons. First of all, I like that fact that he gathered pollens that were in HIS local area, and not some random, generic treatment that may or may not be specific to the local offenders where he lived.

Second, he placed his mixture directly on his skin. It is wise to avoid internal use of even herbal medicines and treatments unless one has been trained by a knowledgeable herbalist. The elbow, I suppose, was chosen because it is out of the way of cuffs, watchbands, and jewelry. It also has thinner skin than is found on the arm itself.

Third, it is just amazing that this treatment worked so quickly! Compare this to the months of injections proposed by the average allergy physician to desensitize a patient to, for example, grass pollen.

So I applaud Mr S for sharing his experience for a very common ailment that afflicts millions every year. I, too, used to take Claritin for assorted allergies but it seemed very silly and even counter-productive to take a treatment all year round when most of the offenders were each present only a few weeks of the year. Makes moolah for the drug companies, tho.  

A Reference for Massage Therapists in Using Aromatherapy Scents

 by LS

One of the good items included in the Salon Ovations book is a brief aromatherapy reference guide, which I include below with some personal observations on some of them.

I provide you with a short list of the most common or popular herbal scents and their uses. But first, it may be helpful to first group herbs by their usefulness in applying them to a particular situation:

THE CALMING HERBS-

Lavender is probably best known of this group's members. The whole list is: Camphor, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Melissa, Rose, Ylang Ylang.

Chamomile, Jasmine, and Rose all lend themselves to use as a tea. An herbal mix of any of these may be blended and stuffed into a closely-woven mini-pillow for use as a sleep aid.

THE STIMULATING HERBS-

Camphor, Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Oregano, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Spearmint, and Thyme. Rosemary really is for remembrance! And many people find that a hankie with a few drops of peppermint oil on it helps when they have to think hard; take a whiff before exams or writing reports.

THE ASTRINGENT HERBS-

Birch, Cedarwood, Cypress, Frankincense, Grapefruit, Juniper, Myrrh, Rosemary, Sage, and Sandalwood. For external use, essential oils from these plants can be helpful in healing skin breaks or preventing breakouts.

THE MOISTURIZING HERBS-

Chamomile, Neroli, Orange, Patchouli, and Rose.

Many women enjoy lotions based on such things as almond oil, olive oil, or other high-quality oils with a touch of one of these essential oils. Orange and Rose give a very pleasing scent to the hands and face, too.

THE ANTI-STRESS HERBS-

Basil, Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender, Melissa, Neroli, Sage, Sandalwood, and Ylang Ylang.

Lavender scent has even been shown to lower blood pressure in controlled studies. Chamomile is popular in teas taken before bedtime. Lavender is essential in any herbal sleep pillow.

THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY HERBS-

Chamomile, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, and Neroli.

I am still waiting for commercial topical ointments to be made using these herbal ingredients, but one can still make one's own blend by adding a few drops of essential oil to a good olive oil, almond oil or peanut oil base.

THE ANTI-BACTERIAL HERBS-

Bergamot, Cedarwood, Lemon, Lemongrass, Myrrh, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Thyme, and Ylang Ylang. Peppermint and Thyme are members of the mint family, which carry an ingredient called thymol, a natural antiseptic.

THE ANALGESIC (painkilling) HERBS-

Camphor, Chamomile, Clove, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Oregano, Peppermint, Rosemary, and Wintergreen. Some of these like the mints and wintergreen are very cooling, which soothes hot, inflamed areas or injuries. You may also find that adding a few drops of essential oil to your after-bath lotion can ease the soreness after a hard day of cycling or playing sports – try eucalyptus, or for very hard physical effort, camphor. Clove oil, of course, can be applied directly to toothache until you can get to your dentist.

THE LIST

BASIL- Anti-stress, antiseptic, or toning.

BENZOIN GUM- Antiseptic, sedative, or euphoric (raises one's mood).

BERGAMOT- Anti-acne, helpful for psoriasis or eczema, antiseptic, healing, deodorizing, fights infection, uplifting. Do not expose to sun.

BIRCH BARK- Astringent, similar action to wintergreen, reduces muscle soreness and joint stiffness.

CAMPHOR WOOD- Stimulating and soothing, tends to cool first and then heat. Stimulates heart. Is analgesic, antiseptic, rubefacient, sometimes a vasoconstrictor. Stimulates circulation. Overuse could be toxic, so if you have chronic muscle or joint pain you should see a physician to determine your exact condition.

CEDAR WOOD- Antiseptic, astringent, sedative. Helpful for treating skin eruptions, psoriasis, eczema, or seborrhea.

CHAMOMILE- Calms the nerves, sedative, soothes inflammation, reduces stress, antidepressant, antiseptic, analgesic, anti-allergenic. Good for minor burns. Commercially used as a colorant. May reduce body temperature (that is, it may be used for minor fevers). Keeps other plants healthy, so it is good to have it in your herb garden.

CINNAMON- Antiseptic, stimulant, warming in cold weather. Adding this to your food in winter helps you keep up your body temperature. Must be diluted.

CLARY SAGE- Antidepressant, relaxant, antiseptic, calming, euphoric, warming, sedative.

CLOVE- Analgesic, antiseptic, stimulating, strengthens memory, soothes muscles. Must be diluted.

CYPRESS (fruit)- Vasoconstrictor, antiseptic, astringent, sedative, helpful for varicose veins. Has similar effects to juniper and pine.

EUCALYPTUS- One of the best antiseptics, disinfectant, analgesic, astringent, rubefacient, and decongestant. Helpful for sore muscles. Has a pronounced cooling effect on the body; helpful for fevers.

FENNEL SEED- Antiseptic, toning, diuretic.

FRANKINCENSE GUM- Antiseptic, calming, astringent, sedative, warming, toning, rejuvenating. Slight anti-inflammatory effect.

GERANIUM- Anti-inflammatory, enhances relaxation, analgesic, antiseptic, sedative. Blends well with other oils. Reduces anxiety and is uplifting.

GRAPEFRUIT- Astringent, cleansing, stimulant, toning. Has anti-cellulite effect or reduces water retention.

JASMINE FLOWER- Soothing, relaxing, antiseptic, anti-depressant, slight anti-inflammatory effect. Is considered the queen of flowers due to the fact it is somewhat more expensive than others.

JUNIPER (fruit)- Astringent, antiseptic, invigorating, toning, anti-toxic, rubefacient, diuretic. Has both stimulating and relaxing effects. Stimulates circulation.

LAVENDER- Antiseptic, relaxant, analgesic, anti-toxic, diuretic, sudorific, reduces inflammation, very cleansing and purifying, anti-stress, soothes burns, anti-acne. Considered the most useful and versatile.

LEMON (fruit)- Antiseptic, bactericidal, detoxifies, purifies.

LEMONGRASS- Antiseptic, purifying, sedative and stimulating at the same time. Great for oily hair and skin. Must be diluted.

MELISSA- Antiseptic, anti-depressant, relaxing, stress-busting, anti-allergenic.

MYRRH GUM- Antiseptic, astringent, sedative, toning, purifies, reduces inflammation, cools the skin, anti-aging?

NEROLI (flower)- Anti-depressant, calming, softens the face, sedative, non-irritating, soothes redness and inflammation, induces calm. (Neroli comes from the bitter orange, Citrus vulgaris, which should not be confused with sweet orange oil.)

SWEET ORANGE- Calming, soothing, reduces nervousness. Revives the complexion.

OREGANO- Antiseptic, analgesic, muscle relaxant, stimulant, energizes.

PATCHOULI- Antiseptic, anti-depressant, sedative, nerve stimulant, rejuvenating. Good for dry skin. Similar to myrrh in effects.

PEPPERMINT- Antiseptic, analgesic, cooling, sedative, antibacterial, vasoconstrictor. Main ingredient is menthol.

PINE WOOD- Antiseptic, reduces fatigue, reduces muscle stiffness. Great for the bath as a soak.

ROSE- Antiseptic, astringent, sedative, relieves stress or tension, purifies and cleanses, re-hydrates, cooling, anti-depressant. Good on dry skin. Is the queen of flowers due to its cost and the fact it is the least toxic of all essences.

ROSEMARY- Antiseptic, toning, helps memory, loss, very stimulating, analgesic, invigorating, also reduces muscle soreness. Is a universal aid.

SAGE- Stimulant, astringent, antiseptic, toning, uplifting, restores energy of whole entity.

SANDALWOOD- Antiseptic, astringent, sedative, toning, anti-depressant, reduces nervous tension, soothing. Good for acne.

SPEARMINT- Stimulant, antiseptic, soothes redness, invigorating. Similar to camphor – cooling then warming.

TEA TREE- Anti-bacterial, fungicidal, virucidal, sudorific, energizes. Great for acne. Stimulant to the immune system.

THYME- Antiseptic, reduces fatigue, germicidal, non-irritating. Must be diluted.

WINTERGREEN- Antiseptic, analgesic, relieves sore muscles and joints. Must be diluted.

YLANG YLANG- Sedative, calms the nerves, anti-depressant, decongestant, relaxing. One of the most pleasant to use. Good on oily skin. Euphoric.