May 2014 - CandleLighters.ca

Alternative Therapies for Alcoholism

Alcohol addiction is not the end of the world. The support group of alcoholics must see light in the fact that aside from traditional therapies available in alcohol addiction treatment centers such as those in Orange County, there are also various alternative therapies. From diet changes to behavioral therapies, to acupuncture, there is always that substitute treatment that you can turn to in case your battle (or that of someone you know) with alcohol use disorder becomes too much to handle.

Diet Changes

One alternative treatment approach to alcoholism is the change on one’s diet. The elimination of refined foods and excessive sugar has been seen to effectively control the craving for alcohol. The fight is further given a boost by supplementing several vitamins that can aid in the detoxification process. If you want to champion the bout with alcohol, you have to avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread and sweets. Instead, load up on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. While you are at it, supplement your dietary changes with B vitamins, chromium, and vitamin C.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy is important to support long-term recovery from alcoholism. Encouraging self-change by way of goal setting, analyzing, and learning new coping skills were found to be effective. They will not only make you quit drinking on your own but also develop a commitment to staying clean forever.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture presents an impressive 50% success rate in battling alcoholism. Through the tiny needles that are inserted in certain acupuncture points, the qi imbalances, which are believed to cause alcohol addiction, will be corrected. Acupuncture works in eliminating withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for recovering alcoholics to take a turn around to the right path and stick to it. This ancient Chinese science helps people to relax, ease the tensions, and improve confidence – exactly the same things that make them turn to alcohol in the first place.

Relapses can occur whether you are getting traditional or alternative alcohol therapies. When you are seeking help, whether it is for you or for someone you know who has been alcoholic for a long time, it is important that you scout for a kind of treatment that suits right to the specific drinking situation you are dealing with.

Chiropractic Treatment for Severe Back Pain

Recently, a tragedy befell a friend of mine. In the middle of the night a burglar entered in his house and went searching for stuff to steal. Unfortunately my friend woke up and saw the thief, and before he knew it, the felon hit him at the back with a golf club. He went down.

He thought his problem was done when he hired a locksmith in Bromley to change locks and install security alarms. However, even days after this incident, he felt a severe pain at the lower area of his back where the thief hit him.

The pain got so severe that he couldn’t stand straight or sit still for more than two minutes. It was then that he called for help from a chiropractor.

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a type of health care that manipulates the spinal cord to treat musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders. This practice goes all the way back to ancient China and Greece, with ancient records dated as early as 2700 B.C. and 1500 B.C. mentioning the efficacy of spinal manipulation to ease back pain.

This practice does not involve any chemical drugs. Chiropractic physicians do the treatment hands-on – they assess the back situation, identify the problem, and treat it through, as said earlier, spinal manipulation. Then they advise the patient on healthy dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle practices to promote holistic well-being.

Is It Effective?

A growing body of research shows proofs that chiropractic treatment relieves back pain faster than other methods. In 2008, Lawrence et al synthesized researches and found that the evidence is enough to support that spinal manipulation is effective to relieve lower back pain regardless of duration of the back pain. In 2010, Dagenais and colleagues found that most studies show spinal manipulation to be more effective compared to other conventional interventions.

This is indeed the case for my friend. After only the first session, he felt a decrease in the back pain. After five sessions, the pain is completely gone. No drugs, no invasive surgeries. It was all natural, all healthy, and obtained fast results. His back pain didn’t return. 

4 Little Known Benefits of Organic Products

Alternative medicine and natural healing methods are on the rise, especially with the increasing focus on naturalism and the Green movement. Some people are so concerned with naturalism and the environment that they even try to incorporate organic products into every aspect of their lives, from their food to beauty products. For instance, organic hair products like these can provide you with the best natural shampoo that can not only be eco-friendly but can provide you with better results than products that are loaded down with non-organic chemicals. There are numerous benefits to using organic products and natural health methods.

No Side Effects

Natural healing methods tend to have less side effects, if any, than other types of healing methods. Many medicines have chemicals in them that can cause you to have a number of side effects. However, more natural, organic products don’t tend to provide you with adverse side effects since they won’t be putting all kinds of foreign substances in your body. Rather, natural medicines take substances that are naturally found in nature to help you get over an issue that you are having. For instance, when treating allergies with natural medicines, a gentle substance that is found in nature is used to help you get over your food or other allergy rather than a chemical one that could lead to side effects.

Non Habit-Forming

Natural medicines also don’t tend to be as habit-forming as other types of medicine. Many prescription medications are highly addictive. Even medications that you buy over the counter can become habit-forming. However, natural medicines that are made from natural, organic ingredients don’t tend to be habit forming. Therefore, you don’t pose as high of a risk at becoming addicted to them and abusing them, which is certainly harmful to your body. With many prescriptions medications, the addiction is not only physical but psychological as well. Because natural medicines don’t affect the mind in the same manner as some unnatural substances, people won’t likely become psychologically dependent on them.

More Affordable

Natural medicines also tend to be more affordable than prescription ones. Because they are composed of natural ingredients that are found in nature, they don’t cost as much. Their ingredients are more abundant and easier to get access to than unnatural substances that have to be manufactured in a laboratory. They don’t require the same time and labor to manufacture as some types of expensive chemicals. Therefore, when you can treat yourself with natural substances, it not only benefits your body, but it benefits your wallet as well.

Long-Term Health

The use of natural medicines also leads to you being healthier in the long-run. When you keep exposing your body to unnatural chemicals, those chemicals can end up having negative side effects on your body in the long run. For instance, some types of medicines can end up eating away at the lining of your stomach if you continue to take them for extended periods of time. Other medications can slowly contribute to the development of negative mental and health conditions. Natural medicines don’t do this because they aren’t using foreign chemicals that the body isn’t used to. In fact, natural medicines can contribute to your energy level and lead to a healthier you in the long run since they are substances found in nature that your body needs anyways.

Natural medicines offer you numerous benefits to both your body and your finances. In today’s modern world, the turn to alternative medicine seems to be greater since people are beginning to see the long-term and short-term advantages to using natural substances over artificial ones.

Post-Surgery Natural Healing Remedies

A surgical procedure, no matter how non-invasive it may be, is always traumatic to the physical body. The procedure you undergo might be as minor as an appendectomy or as major as an organ transplant. It could also be for the treatment of a disease or for cosmetic enhancement. Whatever the type or purpose of the procedure you undergo, you may experience swelling, vomiting, nausea, minor bleeding, pain and possibly memory loss if you have undergone general anesthesia. Obviously, your doctor will recommend specific medications to help lessen the pain and manage other unpleasant post-surgery symptoms. However, there are also natural remedies that you can apply to complement the more conventional means of recovering from a surgical procedure.

After a surgery is the right time to watch your diet. Your meals should be lighter than what you are normally used to. Avoid foods that contain much fat and are processed since your post-surgical body will find these difficult to digest. Instead, opt for food that will not tax your digestive system such as broths and light soups, vegetable and fruit juices or purees or gelatin. This diet is also recommendable for those who undergo cosmetic procedure such as abdominplasty, surgery that involves removing excess skin in the abdomen. The operation is commonly known as a tummy tuck. Although these types of procedures do not necessarily require a patient to be confined in medical facility, a light diet is still suggested to aid in recovery. You can learn more about abdominplasty by visiting the site of tummy tuck Spokane at http://www.owsleyplasticsurgery.com/tummy-tuck-post-falls-idaho/. Another informative site on tummy tuck surgery Scottsdale can be found at http://www.bevhillsdoc.com/beforeafter/tummytuck/index.html.

Another after-effect of surgery is loss of appetite. If you experience this specific symptom, try drinking lemon tea. Like most teas, it is healing and not heavy on the stomach. Most of all, it can stimulate the appetite and can have a calming effect on the nerves, as it is a sedative. For nausea, a good remedy is a cup of ginger tea. Ginger has been used for many centuries as a natural remedy for a queasy stomach.

After a surgery, your body will be drawing on all the nutrients in your body to heal tissues that have been damaged. Thus, your immune system will be vulnerable at this time. Antibiotics are usually prescribed by physicians after a surgery to prevent infection. You can complement the effect of these drugs by taking immune-system boosting supplements such as Vitamins C and A. These antioxidants can help in fighting off infection, reduce bleeding and facilitate cell recovery.  Other supplements you can take include green tea and reishi mushroom, which also aids in preventing infection. Reishi, in particular, is rich in complex carbohydrates called polysaccharides, substances that are especially beneficial to the immune system.

Pain is almost always something you have to deal with post-surgery. The pain relievers that are available at the drugstores are effective but have side effects. For a more natural approach in managing pain, you can take bromelain, an enzyme that comes from the pineapple plant. Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory agent and helps to heal wounds faster.

No matter how healthy you are before a surgical procedure, your body will need all the help that it needs to recover. Using natural healing remedies will not only make your wounds heal faster, they can help you regain your strength and health without the dreaded side effects of conventional drugs.

Why Having The Right Shoes as a Massage Therapist is Important

The main reason that massage therapists should wear the right shoes is because they are usually standing on their feet all day. Many choose shoes that have enough room for intermittent stretching and allow the skin on their feet to breathe. Like many physicians and healthcare workers, retail salespeople and chefs who stand for hours on a work shift, massage therapists often choose soft clogs to wear.

Many healthcare professionals can be seen wearing the popular brand Crocs. They come in a variety of colors that help with matching to uniforms or work clothing. Another effective brand is Earth. The negative heel technology in these shoes is designed to raise the toes slightly by about three degrees. It reinforces good posture because it forces the wearer to stand up straight. These brands are popular because they have:

• Padded heels to absorb shock
• Arch support to stabilize the food
• Extra cushioning for comfort
• Leather sock lining to help the feet breath and to deter fungus and odors

Why running and fitness shoes may not be right for you

One of the first shoe choices that come to mind when massage therapists think about standing all day is sneakers or running shoes. These always boast the type of support that protects feet while you are running. They may not be the best choice for long standing periods, however. Many people also think about fitness shoes or weightlifting shoes (like these reviewed at this crossfit shoes site), but this is not typically a good choice. Weightlifting shoes are designed to balance the heavy impact of lifting weights. Running shoes are designed to absorb shock during impact when your feet hit the ground, but they are not designed to protect the feet from the impact of gravity when standing in place for a long time. Fitness shoes designed for exercises like crossfit are more supportive during heavy weight training, not for standing in for long periods of time. It might be a good idea if you are a guy looking to hit the gym and need to find the best crossfit shoes for men, but not so much if you are looking at a long day as a massage therapist.

Get the right fit

Another common mistake massage therapists make is buying shoes that hug the feet too tightly. Feet that have an all-day job to do always need to breathe. Shoes that are too tight cut off circulation and eventually become uncomfortable. If they rub your feet in the same area for too long, they can also cause painful blistering. If you are not sure of your correct size, it is always best to get a professional salesperson to size your feet. When you do, you can accommodate for the breathing room you will need for your toes to spread out and your feet to move.

What you can do to help your feet

Sometimes, no matter how well your shoes are designed, if you have to do prolonged standing, you will experienced some foot fatigue or cramping. There are quiet steps massage therapists can take to relieve some of this stress without their clients ever knowing. Between clients, it is a good idea to stretch the feet and the legs to alleviate some pressure. Calf raises also help. At the end of a hard day, it is also a good idea for massage therapists to get their own feet massaged or elevate them as soon as their shifts are over. Massage therapists often deserve the special care they give their clients daily.

Holistic Living

Today the American pharmaceutical companies will give you a pill for just about anything. There are so many medications being distributed through out the U.S. and sometimes the medication is just as harmful to the body as what it is trying to treat. Many of these medications have a laundry list of side effects that really start to add up and can lead you to question if taking the medication is even worth taking. If it weren't a matter of health, some of these medications' commercials would be comical. It seems like everyday there is a new drug on the market and with a new and slightly ridiculous commercial urging people to question whether or not they need it. The format is always the same. The commercial opens with a slew of questions that are so vague it seems that you can answer yes to absolutely every single one in some way or another. Next, they provide the "solution." The new drug that can help take care of all the problems that up until watching this commercial you didn't know you had! It is marketing at it's best and it is shameful. Health should not be exploited in such a way. 

Media Perception of Perfection 

Not only do we constantly get bombarded with advertisements offering us quick fix "solution" pills for our health but we are even more so bombarded with weight loss pills. These pills couldn't be worse for your body and your emotional well-being. Getting in shape should be a lifetime commitment to healthy living. Being "skinny" should be a bi-product of being healthy. Forfeiting health for what the media says is the "perfect body" is not a good choice in the long run and will inevitably only lead to unhappiness. Also, when losing weight, you want to keep the weight off. Unless you plan on staying on these "magic diet pills" forever, you will have to come to the realization that after you stop taking the pills, the weight will come back on and you'll be right back to square one. There are plenty of supplements that can be taken that aid in speeding up your metabolism and increasing fat burning hormones. In fact, there are supplements for just about everything, so taking a medicinal pill prescribed from your doctor is hardly ever necessary if you want to make the commitment to holistic well-being. 

Supplements for Your Body 

Supplements and vitamins are part of healthy living and each individual should take an array of supplements on a daily basis. No, they won't work overnight. But you will be setting your body up for long term success. There are supplements for hair, skin, metabolism, listlessness, focus, etc. There are even supplements that can change your body. For women considering cosmetic surgery, I urge you to at least try a holistic approach beforehand. It can save you time, money and hardship. Supplements like fenugreek and red clover are natural breast enhancers and can be purchased online or at your local health food store. Opting to live a life filled with more holistic approaches is positive for your health and your mind. Of course, supplements and vitamins don't work overnight and in certain cases cosmetic surgery can lead to feelings of self-worth and fulfillment. In these cases you must follow your instincts and do what is right for you and your mind. Click here for more information on breast augmentation in Calgary. Click here for more information on breast augmentation in South Jersey. 

Natural Remedies for Puffiness, Dark Circles & Fine Lines Around the Eye

There is no feature of your face that defines your appearance better than your eyes. Everything from stress, fatigue to aging and ill health get reflected in the appearance of the eyes and the skin surrounding them. It is therefore little surprise that a significant part of the cosmetics industry is dedicated to devising and marketing products such as eye creams and lotions which work on the skin around your eyes to make it more taut and healthy.

Common problems related to the skin around the eyes are fine lines and dark circles. Good eye creams in the market contain ingredients like Bisabolol & Niacinamide that can be found naturally in food or that can be extracted from plants (for example, refer to this site that reviews best eye creams for puffiness, wrinkles & dark circles). However, many consumers are unaware of the difference between natural ingredients & synthetic ones that could lead to more undesirable effects, that is why you should stick to natural remedies that we are going to cover next.

Natural Food and Herbal Extract Alternatives to Eye Creams

What many people do not realize is that the ingredients found in most eye creams are available naturally in foods and herbal extracts. Let’s take a look at the most important of these active ingredients and compounds.

1. Chamomile

Chamomile is a medicinal herb belonging to the daisy family which has been used for a variety of conditions well since antiquity. Chamomile extracts are especially effective in treating puffiness under the eyes owing to the action of a compound known as alpha-bisabolol. A well known anti-inflammation agent, alpha-bisabolol works to reduce the swelling which comes as a result of stress and inefficiencies in metabolism that comes as a result of aging.

2. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an important nutrient when it comes to under eye skin care. As one of the most effective natural anti-oxidants, Vitamin is apt for getting rid of laughter lines, otherwise known as crow’s feet that appear at the corner of the eyes. Vitamin E has the particular advantage of being common in many foods and herbs making it easy to take either in the form of food or applying it topically to enjoy its benefits. Many vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, wheat germ oil and safflower oil all contain Vitamin E in varying quantities. It can also be found in avocados, green leafy vegetables, sweet potato and pumpkins.

3. Niacinamide

Niacinamide is a term used to refer to one of the two common forms of Vitamin B13 (the other one being Niacin). Niacinamide is considered one of the most effective natural remedies for controlling the appearance of under eye wrinkles and blotchiness. Niacinamide is abundant in food products such as milk, eggs, green vegetables, yeast as well as grains like wheat and corn.

Practical Ways to Use Natural Remedies to treat Wrinkles and Puffiness Around the Eyes

Contrary to popular belief, commercially packaged eye creams are neither the only nor even the most effective solutions for getting rid of under eye wrinkles and puffiness. Solutions you can put together at home which combine the active ingredients described above are even more effective.

There are two approaches which you can use to ensure the effectiveness of such home remedies and solutions:

1. Facial masks using natural ingredients
2. Facial massage and muscular stimulation

Facial masks using natural ingredients

Facial masks are some of the most effective ways to transfer nourishment to the skin on your face, especially the delicate area around the eyes. The best natural facial masks are made from common foods and herbal products such as:

• Avocado paste
• Cinnamon
• Honey
• Banana paste
• Vinegar
• Milk

Facial massage and muscular stimulation

It may sound a radical step to the uninitiated but your face requires just as much exercise as the rest of the body to remain healthy and supple. Applying gentle pressure with your fingers to massage the skin on your face including the area around the eyes will greatly aid in blood circulation. Combine such massages with rapid movements such as blinking your eyes rapidly for at least two minutes. Other exercises which can have a similar effect include twitching your nose from side to side repeatedly.

Conclusion

In this article we introduce natural skincare methods for the eye area. The same philosophy would apply if you are looking to treat other skin problems. Browse beauty magazines and blogs (such as The Beauty Herald which covers best ways to get rid of acne among other common skin treatment methods) and take note of the ingredients being used in a particular cream or serum for instance. Do a quick search online to see if these ingredients are synthetic or natural. If they are indeed natural, then there is a good chance that they can be easily extracted from everyday food or plants. If they are synthetic, then you should do a thorough research to determine if there are undesirable side effects (or simply stick to natural methods like we always recommend!)