Constipation is a condition which refers to sporadic bowel movements that are generally hard in consistency and often excruciating to eliminate.

According to dietitians, a number of factors can contribute this condition, such as prolonged bed rest, lack of exercise, low intake of fluids and fiber, irregular eating habits, and stress. Other common factors that aggravate, or lead to this condition include taking certain medications like antacids and antihypertensive agents, narcotics and iron supplements.

Changing Your Diet Helps Alleviate This Disorder

For individuals who are diagnosed with constipation or bowel obstruction, you could be suffering from this condition as a result of your lifestyle, so there are different treatment options for you.

One of these is changing your diet, as individuals who have chronic constipation will almost certainly need a change in diets, where it could mean augmenting the amount of fiber intake and eating larger amounts of raw fruits and vegetables, brown wild rice, flaxseeds, bran and whole grain cereals. Implementing an exercise regimen also will help in regulating your bowels, and these types of exercises can be as simple as taking a brisk 15 to 20-minute walk in the morning of evening.

Herbal Alternatives For Alleviating Constipation

At present, many herbal products and food supplements are designed to aid in constipation. However, if you decide to try out a specific herbal remedy, ensure that you talk with your physician first, as some herbal ingredients interfere with the prescription medicines you may be taking. Among the most notable herbs for treating this condition are aloe vera, ginger, senna and yerba mate. Here are other effective herbs for treating bowel obstruction.

- Honey. Honey is considered a natural laxative, and the early Egyptians were prescribed to take honey mixed with warm water-taken every morning for 3 or 4 days, as a cure for constipation.

- Flaxseed Oil. This herbal ingredient aids in softening stools. Freshly-ground flaxseeds are also potent and commonly used.

- Rhubarb Root. This root is useful in relatively small doses as a laxative, and is noted to be safe for use by infants.

- Slippery Elm. This herb is helpful as a laxative and for relieving the stomach as well as the intestines.

In order to effectively alleviate this condition, try to go the bathroom at the same time every day, after meals and as soon as you feel the urge. Remember to never ever hold in a bowel movement. It would also be good to eat foods that are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber also helps to lowering blood cholesterol levels as well as blood sugar levels, and the is commonly found in barley, apples, dried beans, carrots, oats (such as oat bran and oatmeal), oranges, and rye. Insoluble fiber, or roughage, helps to keep your bowel movements regular, and this is common in whole-grain breads and cereals, dried beans, fruits and vegetables with skins, pasta, seeds, and wheat bran. The National Cancer Institute recommends that adults get a daily fiber intake of 20-35 grams.

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Many of the longest lasting diet crazes in recent years have been carb diets. Atkins was probably the most popular, but South Beach and others have gained in popularity. While these are not as popular as they once were, they are still used by many dieters. The basic idea of carb diets is that if you reduce your carb intake, your body will have to resort to using proteins and burning stored fat for energy. This type of diet is said to stop the cycle of storing carbs and sugars as body fat, which is a huge problem for some people.

Carb diets can be dangerous if not done correctly. It is never advisable to start any of the carb diets, or any diet for that matter, without talking to your doctor. There may be risks you may not be aware of, and certain medical conditions may make it impossible for you to follow one of the carb diets without some sort of unhealthy side effect.

When I first heard of Atkins, they advertised all the foods you could eat on their plan. Eggs, steak, and cheese were all foods that you could eat. Many people dove into this diet with great delight, without bothering to read up on the particulars of the diet. As with all carb diets, you have to watch your fat intake. Eating tons of greasy steaks, and foods fried in fat, will clog your arteries. These carb diets don't actually say you can do this, but many don't realize this. In most cases, you need to choose lean meats, watch the grease, and take in carbs in the form of veggies.

You don't have to follow one of the mainstream carb diets in order to benefit from the idea behind them. You can cut carbs from your own diet, and make healthier choices without falling headlong into a fad diet. Take some time to learn the difference between what are considered good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs include fruits and veggies, and whole wheat breads and cereals. Bad carbs are mostly refined sugars and white breads. Carb diets urge you to take the natural approach, eat more protein and stay away from refined and processed foods. This is good advice for anyone, but you should talk to your doctor about the particulars, and make sure you are healthy enough to follow the diet you have in mind.

Carb diets may never go away, and with good reason. Many have lost weight on them, and continue to keep that weight off. Just remember to get all the information you can, and talk to your doctor before you begin. You may even want to join a community or online weight loss program to keep you motivated and on the right track. The best of the carb diets won't help you if you can't stick with it.

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Making herbal remedies isn't difficult or complicated, its just made to seem that way. If you can boil water, you can make your own tinctures, infusions or decoctions. In this article we will discuss decoctions, what are they, how are they prepared, and examples of common decoctions.

Simply put, a decoction is your basic infusion juiced up to induce stubborn roots, barks and resins to release their medicinal properties. While most plants will yield their properties to cold or boiling hot water in a matter of minutes, some require a much longer period of time, say 30 minutes or more.

While occasionally a whole plant with stem, twig, flower, leaf and bud is used for special preventive effects, usually only one part of a plant is used at one time. Examples of herbs that work best in a decoction would include:

Elm Bark, used for herpes, scurf, itch and other skin problems

Comfrey Root, the decoction makes for a good gargle and mouthwash for throat inflammations, hoarseness and bleeding gums*

Flaxseed, this decoction can be used for cough, chest and lung problems. Remember to use only ripe seeds as the immature seedpods can cause poisoning.

English Oak Bark, a decoction of the bark can be used internally or externally for hemorrhoids and other rectal problems, menstrual problems and blood in the urine.

Preparing A Decoction:

Fresh herbs should be sliced; dry herbs should be powered or well bruised. A decoction should always be strained when it is hot so that the matter, which separates upon cooling, can be mixed again with the fluid by shaking when the remedy is used.

When preparing your decoction use glass, ceramic or earthenware pots. Do not use plain cast iron with astringent plants. Use 1 ounce (30 g) of dried root or bark to just over a pint of water. Allow this to boil for at least ten minutes or longer. The mixture then steeps with a cover on the pot for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Strain out the plant parts before drinking.

Warning: The FDA has determined that Comfrey can lead to Pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning which causes a liver disorder in humans called hepatic veno-occlusive disease. The small and medium veins in the liver become obstructed, eventually leading to liver disfunction, cirrhosis and death. While only 2 deaths attributed to Comfrey have been documented, due caution is indicated.

The information provided by UsingHerbs.Com is intended to heighten awareness of potential health care alternatives and should not be considered medical advice. Always check with your qualified health-care professional for medical attention, advice, diagnosis, and treatment.

MK Welty hosts an informational site for herb enthusiasts at http://UsingHerbs.com Join us for regular discussions of herbs, their history, properties and uses.

Zandra Jones, RN BBA is an alternative health advisor and owner of Alternative Herbal Treatment

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While natural ingredients include an entire range of produces derived from plant leaves, roots, bark, fruits, and even extracted oils, herbal skin care products derive their beneficial effects from herbs. Herbs are low-growing aromatic plants that can be used either fresh or dried; these include annuals (which must be seeded each year) as well as perennial herbs (which survive the winter to grow again in the spring). Usually, it's herbs' leaves that are used to enhance skin care products' benefits.

The Herb Research Foundation classifies herbal & organic skin care products into one of four groups, depending on the herbs that the products include, and the scale of sale. The four groups are Ayurvedic, Chinese, General, and Commercial.

Ayurvedic herbs are the herbs used in India, including ginger, turmeric, and frankincense as well as pants that are less well known in English such as ashwagandha. These four, in combination, have been shown in texts to decrease rheumatoid factor and interleukins, which are the biological markers of rheumatoid arthritis activity.

It's a little-known fact that Chinese herbs are seldom used alone, but are more often used in formulas of four. In Chinese herbal medicine, the formula is assembled just like the individuals in a royal court. There's a King Herb that has the strongest effect, a Minister Herb that addresses the min pathology as well as a secondary pathology, and assistant herbs. Assistant Herbs can be helpful and strengthen the King's effect, corrective and eliminate the King or Minister herb's toxic effect, or opposing in order to decrease the King's effect.

General herbs are those with entries in reference publications such as the Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs that describe their medicinal properties. The names of many of these will be familiar to you; you may have seen seeds to grow them in the grocery store, or you may actually have some of them growing inside or near by your house. And commercial herbs are those wholesalers sell in bulk.

For more on homemade organic soap making as well as candle making and other do-it-yourself crafts visit the soap making resources center at Pure and Natural Soaps where you'll find articles, recipes, instructions, ideas and tips.
To discuss these and other craft projects visit the Soap Making Message Board - a community forum for soap and candle making as well as other crafts and do-it-yourself projects. Discuss techniques, share ideas, learn new methods, post your favorite recipes and meet new friends.

Zandra Jones, RN BBA is an alternative health advisor and owner of Alternative Herbal Treatment

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Getting aromatherapy essential oils is a great way to improve your mood and the moods of those around you. Oh, I know what you are thinking. You probably are one of the great many people who think that aromatherapy essential oil is just simply a bunch of hokum. Well, you could not be more wrong. You see, the brain is effected by all of the senses, but none of them have a more profound effect than the sense of smell. aromatherapy essential oil takes advantage of the fact that, unlike the other 4 senses, the sense of smell is wired directly in to the brain.

This means that it is quite easy to change emotions, and even to evoke ling past memories just simply through the use of smell. Aromatherapy essential oils is made especially to do just this, with each scent carefully tested to make sure that it creates the desired response in the person inhaling it. You can use aromatherapy essential oil alone, or you can use it in combination with different colors of light, or with soothing music to add to the effect. Either of these can add even more to the effect of the aromatherapy extract.

Of course, having the right atmosphere is pretty key to enjoying the full benefits of using aromatherapy essential oil. Of course, you can put aromatherapy essential oil on, and wear it around town as a fragrance. This can have a nice scent, and maybe even have a little effect on your mood and the moods of those who you come in contact with. But you can not really call it an opportunity to get the full therapeutic effect of aromatherapy essential oil.

To do that, you need to be able to sit back, relax, and absorb the whole scent. This is the only way to let it work its magic on your psyche. The aromatherapy essential oil is powerful, but it has a very subtle effect, and it is easy to lose this effect if you do not use the extract in the correct manner. Besides that, if you use the aromatherapy essential oil for your everyday scent, it will begin to lose some of its power for you. You will begin to associate it with your day to day life, and as a result, it will lose the power to relax you and put your mind at ease completely.

Zandra Jones, RN BBA writes on alternative health and owner of Alternative Herbal Treatment

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In a day and age of increased awareness of "living healthy," attention has naturally turned to the use of whole foods as part of a healthy lifestyle. More and more people are reducing the use of processed foods and instead focusing on natural foods – in their whole form. As part of this process, it seems inevitable that those in search of a healthier lifestyle turn their attention to using herbs for health.

It's no secret that herbs have been used for centuries to enhance food, increase and sustain health, and remedy a host of ailments. Since prehistoric times herbs for health have been part of the human experience. And as more and more herbs were discovered to have healing principles, herbs for health were soon organized into a classification system that allowed people to take full advantage of their properties in food and medicine.

Some herbs for health that are used today include ginger root for help combating nausea, blackberry root in treating diarrhea, sore throat, and cough, ginseng to increase metabolism, and even dandelion to treat eczema. Many a culture – including the Native Americans and Chinese – have made a study of the way in which herbs can be used to increase overall vitality and treat minor ailments as well as disease.

Additionally, the use of herbs for health extends to their use in all types of cuisine. Natural herbs enhance flavor and do so without the use of added fats, preservatives, and salt. For those looking to focus their diet on natural foods, the use of natural herbs in their diet will go a long way to enhancing their lifestyle.

Using herbal treatment can be as convenient and as simple as you make it. An array of natural herbs can be found as close as your local grocery store; as well as in farmers markets and health foods stores. But for those who want herbs at their fingertips for a variety of uses, it may be beneficial to plant your own herb garden.

Either way, a little bit of research will yield an enormous amount of information about the uses of herbs for health. With some planning and simple integration of herbs into your everyday routine, you may be surprised with how your overall health and vitality begins to improve.

For easy to understand, in depth information about herbs visit our ezGuide 2 Herbs.

Zandra Jones, RN BBA is a alternative health advisor and owner of Alternative Herbal treatment

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Oh the infamous Atkins diet, where did you go? There was a time in our not so distant past that this country was absolutely fixated with the Atkins diet. Since that time, carbohydrates have been the enemy. Breads and pastas everywhere cannot find good homes. Muffins and cookies have been left out in the cold. I won't even mention the cruel fate faced by the cupcakes. Why was this anti-carbohydrate diet so popular? More importantly, why was it so powerful? How did it change our nation and its eating philosophy forever?

Perhaps the Atkins diet appealed to so many dieters because it seemed simple. Many dieters prefer to have strict rules and regulations to guide them through weight loss. Meat is good. Carbs are bad. These mantras were heard all around our country. Restaurants saw dramatic changes in what their customers were ordering. Even bars felt the fad as diet coke and bicardi became a slogan and billboards promoting the diet-friendly cocktail sprung up over cities.

We have lived off of grains and carbohydrates for centuries. Why it did take us so long to realize that they are bad for us? I think that many people gravitated toward the Atkins diet because of its meaty foundation. Americans are meat lovers and we prove it every holiday. We have even invented holidays so that we could spend more time by the grill. Meat, meat, meat as an idea was simple and easy to remember.

The focus of meat in the Atkins diet was much easier to implement and more easily accepted than an anti-meat diet would have been. I cannot imagine a large cross-section of America easily letting go of their barbeque anytime soon. The Atkins diet did come under some scrutiny from those that thought it did not do enough to promote the eating of fruits and vegetables. Others believed that a strict no carbohydrate diet was too much for systems that were used to carbs and had been ingesting them all of their lives.

Whether you follow the Atkins diet or another kind of diet, the bottom line is that weight loss equals eating less and exercising more. Regardless of what you eat, you must eat less in order to shed pounds. Weight loss is all about numbers. You want to take in fewer calories and expend more. I do not believe that dieters, unless they have a specific food allergy or complication, have to give up any type of food in order to lose weight. Moderation is the key and determination is a must.

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