Archive for July, 2008

Uses And Side Effects Of Slippery Elm Bark

A native to eastern North America, Elm trees may be found from Canada to Georgia, from Texas to Minnesota, but especially in the Appalachian Mountain region. The slippery elm is less affected by the Dutch elm disease that wiped out so may trees in the last few decades. It is also called Indian elm, red elm (because of the wood color), moose elm, and sweet elm.

The Slippery Elm, when mature, grows to a height of between thirty and sixty feet. The leaves are about six inches long and grow alternately on the branch. They have a rough texture and a coarsely serrated edge. The flowers grow in clusters of ten to twenty, appearing before the leaves in early spring. The fruit contains a single central seed and is half an inch long. Slippery Elm may be distinguished from American Elm by the very short-stalked flowers and by the hairiness of the buds and twigs.

Because of the $23 billion dollar bulk herbs industry in the United States, slippery elms have been the object of poachers. The bark is slippery and easy to peel from mid June to early July so thieves destroy the trees by removing the bark to sell for its medicinal value.

Some believe slippery elm bark can induce labor, forcing an abortion. When longer pieces of the bark are moistened and inserted into a pregnant woman’s uterus, drugs from the bark are said to cause the woman’s baby to abort. This illegal and immoral practice resulted in so called “Elm Stick Laws” limiting the size of the bark sold in many states. Because of its potential abortafaciant capability, pregnant or lactating women should not take slippery elm internally. This is the only known hazard in taking the herb.

The early colonists used elm to thicken jelly, to make pudding, to preserve grease, and as a survival mush during long trips. It was used medicinally to treat skin injuries, stomachaches, toothaches, intestinal worms, gout, arthritis, and coughs.

The inner bark was also used to waterproof baskets, canoes, and dwellings. As mentioned above, in times of famine, early American settlers used it as a survival food. George Washington’s troops survived partly on slippery elm gruel during their winter at Valley Forge.

The inner bark is a durable, strong fiber, which can be spun into thread, or made into twine or rope. This quality makes it useful for bowstrings, jewelry, ropes, snowshoe bindings, clothing, woven mats, and in some musical instruments. The wood was used for the hubs of wagon wheels because of the wood’s interlocking grain. This made it a natural shock absorber. When the wood is cured, it is excellent for making matchless fires with the bow drill method. This is because the wood grinds into a very fine, flammable powder under friction.

As an internal medication, slippery elm bark is used to relieve ulcers and other gastrointestinal conditions and respiratory irritations. The bark has healing properties ideal for treating sore throats or suppressing coughing. External uses include treatment of hemorrhoids, skin conditions, and vaginitis. It has been proven effecting in giving smoother, softer skin.

Internally, adults should take three 500 mg capsules daily. To make tea, use one part slippery elm powder to eight parts water. You can also add the powder to oatmeal or juice. For a poultice, add coarse powdered bark to boiling water until the desired consistency is reached. Then apply to the needed area. The above herbal dosages are generally calculated for a 150 lb adult. Children’s dosage should be calculated proportionally by weight.

Learn more slippery elm bark uses today by visiting BulkHerbBenefits.com

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Anti Aging Skin Care That Works

If you are looking for an anti aging skin care, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a great one that works. There are many to choose from these days because everyone is trying to look younger. There are also many that give great results as well. You can find one that works for you by trying it to see how you like it first off. This is the best way to make sure you get one that will work well for you. They usually take a few days to work, so you’ll need to keep that in mind when you start.

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More Info On Skin Care Help

Best Skin Care Treatments
Your face is the first thing people see when they meet you so it is important that you look after your skin to keep it looking beautiful. Apart from applying to your face a cream for stretch marks, exercising is another useful aid to keeping healthy skin, because exercise oxygenates your cells facilitating waste removal through your pores.

Many cosmetic procedures are carried out on a regular basis now but the most popular is the facelift.

Rhytidectomy, the correct term for a face lift, offers the removal of wrinkles and the signs of aging from the face. Evidence shows that face lifts actually can have health benefits and increase life expectancy. By taking up the excess skin which usually comes with age, in a face lift, the wrinkles and other lines disappear and the face looks younger.

A treatment called Micropigmentation helps to make you look more awake and appealing by increasing the definition of your eyes and lips. The amount of work that can be carried out to improve the face is almost endless and includes, hair restoration, cheek and chin re-shaping, lip surgery and laser hair removal to name but a few.

Of all the areas on the face it is probably the chin that gets noticed the most because of how other features are in line with such as the jaw and nose for example. Our desire to improve our looks now extends to areas of the face which weren’t even considered not that long ago like the eyes and eyebrows for example. We now know from studies that peoples self confidence increases dramatically when they have a good image of themselves.

Not only can you have parts of your face re-shaped and moved and parts removed, it is now possible to add facial implants or have collagen injections to alter the whole facial structure and appearance. Collagen injection treatments are not permanent but can help with the shape of lips, fill out facial creases and sunken areas. However, with this treatment there is normally bruising and swelling and tenderness around the area treated. A new treatment to be used is Hyaluronic acid which is a naturally occurs in the body and acts as lubricating agent and when injected into the face, reduces the signs of aging.

acne skin care

How young you eventually look is affected by many factors including which treatment or how many you decide to use.

Your attitude towards the world may change with your improved self confidence after cosmetic surgery but don’t ever forget who you are inside.
Exposed Acne

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Advice On Natural Home Remedies

Eczema seems to be a condition that is becoming more prevalent so some introductory information is given in this article in addition to methods used to treat the complaint. Usually, something triggers the allergic reaction, some external allergen that causes the skin changes most people recognize as eczema. Eczema suffers usually have a red itchy rash which can get far worse if left untreated. Unfortunately, for sufferers who have a more severe form of eczema, the skin can become blistered and bleeds often becoming so bad that the skin cracks.

Natural Home Remedies

Over the years many eczema remedies have been tried and claimed to be a cure for eczema but even today whilst there are many treatments, it is still a matter of trial error to find one that works for each individual. There are those that support the view that a natural cure for eczema is to strengthen the immune system of the sufferer but this is something that should be discussed with a doctor or dermatologist. This idea stems from the belief that often the all the body requires is good nutrition and not medical intervention.

supplements in the diet would be a cure for eczema. The ideal food to rectify this deficiency is green vegetables and because eczema is considered an immuno-disorder, a healthy diet with ore green vegetables might be a way to help cure eczema.

The best option is to try, if possible, an effective, topical and natural cure for eczema that will not alter normal body functions or exacerbate the condition. Often antihistamines are used as an eczema relief but it is possible for them to interfere with the bodies histamine production causing an adverse effect and making the condition worse so it is worth checking the possible consequences before they are used. Some creams that claim to be a cure for eczema are simply moisturizers that are meant as prevention to the spread and inflammation of eczema.
Natural Health Advice
Hydrocortisone creams which are steroids can clear up eczema quite clearly but should be used sparingly and with caution as the best way to stop eczema is to find out what triggered it in the first place. Some sufferers swear by herbal remedies and that they are a cure for eczema because they only contain natural ingredients. One such natural remedy is sorbelene moisturizing lotion which meats the requirements of the eczema sufferer using natural ingredients like avocado oil, oatmeal paste and herbs.

Skin Care Treatments

Many people claim success using ground oatmeal which is added to a bath as a pure, natural cure for eczema for sufferers with mild to severe forms of eczema. Regular bathers with eczema know to not stay in the bath for too long and to apply cream whilst they are still damp to seal in the moisture and stop the skin from drying out to quickly. The oatmeal soothes itchy skin so you can stop scratching and give your skin a chance to heal, although some studies suggest you shouldn’t bath at all or at the most, infrequently, instead use a lukewarm shower and drying yourself carefully with a soft dry towel.

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Seaweed Kelp A Nutritious Addition To The Diet

Kelp is highly nutritious since it has at its disposal all the nutrients which run-off from the land. It bio-accumulates all the essential plant-nutrients, rejecting the contaminants, unless the latter totally predominate, as in the highly developed and populated areas of the world.
Kelp uniquely tops the list for the following nutrients: calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, iodine, and is also very high in sulfur. It contains chlorophyll. Kelp contains naturally chelated minerals. It contains the only natural source of vegetable vitamin D. It also contains 25 vitamins including folic acid, vitamins A, B12 and D, often lacking in vegetarian diets.Kelp contains sodium alginate which actively helps remove radioactive elements and heavy metals from the body. It contains sterols which are reported to exhibit anti-hypercholesterolemic activity as has B- Sitosterol in humans.
Iodine is a very essential nutrient for good health. The natural iodine found in sea kelp is essential not only or a healthy thyroid ,and therefore a high metabolism, but because of the rich source of other vitamins, minerals and trace elements is a great body balancer and promotes adrenals and pituitary health as well.It also detoxifies and eliminates heavy metals and is good for obesity and lymph system congestion.
Liquid kelp is used effectively for weight loss by aiding in eliminating excess stores of fat and fluids. It’s easily absorbed organic minerals and trace minerals provide energy and stamina, while organic vitamins boost the immune system and act as viral protectors.
Seaweed’s natural digestive enzymes help the body’s metabolic and digestive systems with assimilation. Organic Liquid kelp is soothing to a sensitive or troubled digestive system, aiding greatly in treating recurrent constipation and gastric bloating.

Kelp or seaweed in general are potentially adequate sources of vitamin B-12 for vegans. Vegitarians consuming seaweeds had serum vitamin B-12 concentrations twice as high as those not using seaweeds. On the basis of the results we conclude that some seaweeds consumed in large amounts can supply adequate amounts of bioavailable vitamin B-12. Kelp also protects the body against the absorption of radiation.
Seawater itself has antibiotic and healing properties. Algae in the sea have properties related to the seawater’s medicinal powers, which may explain why marine products have fungicidal, anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-biotic, hemolytic, analgesic, cardio-inhibitory and other properties. It is also interesting to note that seawater contains dissolved bromine, a compound used in many sedatives. Seaweed also contains antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.

Ocean Wonder Kelp is extracted from one of the best species of kelp, Laminaria Digitata, which produces the highest levels of organic iodine and other nutrients, including over 70 vitamins, minerals, amino acids and trace elements. Farmed from the shoreline of Nova Scotia, this kelp is cold water grown, so it has the best nitrogen levels. Lamineria Digitata is an arterial cleansing agent, giving tone to the walls of blood vessels and reducing deposits in the arteries while restoring their elasticity. It also strengthens the circulatory system and helps to lower cholesterol. The kelp plant extracts and assimilates vital minerals from ocean water and miraculously converts them from unavailable inorganic substances to available organic minerals that our bodies can then use for overall health.
There is little doubt that this wonder from the sea is one of the most natural, healthy and pleasant ways to add vital nutrients to your daily diet.
Ocean Wonder Liquid Nutrition is a 100% natural extract . and provides complete thyroid and body balance from OVER 50 MINERALS AND TRACE ELEMENTS AND 22 NATURAL ORGANIC AMINO ACIDS PLUS NATURAL ORGANIC VITAMINS AND DIGESTIVE ENZYMES. No artificial or synthesized ingredients are added to Ocean-Wonder. Topically, Ocean Wonder has added benefits, promoting healthier skin, hair and nails. Misting kelp onto the skin helps regenerate and firm skin.

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