The Natural Kitchen Pharmacy

Culinary herbs enhance our daily meals, but they also have medicinal properties that have been all but forgotten. The herbs and spices that you already have in your kitchen cabinet can help you feel better.

... Kelly M. Shattuck, a Certified Herbalist based in North Carolina, says before health food stores made specific herbs such as valerian root readily available for medicinal healing, individuals relied on their culinary herbs to play a very important pharmaceutical role.

"The great thing about culinary herbs," said Shattuck, "is that a lot people already have them in their kitchen for seasoning, which makes the whole process less intimidating." She also says using kitchen herbs is typically less expensive, and doesn't require a lot of herbal knowledge or monetary investment. "Anyone can successfully use herbs as they were meant to be used, to heal and regenerate the body," said Shattuck. "It's just a matter of reading material, taking what you already have on your spice rack, and putting what you read into practice." Read more

Save Yourself from 10 Common Surgical Procedures

You can save yourself from ten common surgical procedures through dietary supplements, says Bill Sardi.

The most recent data available shows there were 46 million inpatient and 53.3 million outpatient surgical procedures performed in the U.S. in 2006, representing about a third of the total population that lines up for operations annually, not counting dental procedures.

Often there is little effort made to avert surgery. The rush to the operating room is what is most financially rewarding for physicians. Patients facing surgery for chronic or even urgent conditions may be able to forestall or avoid surgery altogether with the judicious use of dietary supplements. Ten such conditions that warrant surgery, which may be alleviated with dietary supplements, are presented below. Read more

Natural Remedies for Yeast Infection

It's estimated that three out of four women will have a yeast infection in their lifetime. About.com lists some of the many natural remedies and home remedies for yeast infections.

What is a Yeast Infection?

A vaginal yeast infection is usually caused by a fungus called Candida albicans which is normally found in small amounts in the vagina.

It's estimated that three out of four women will have a yeast infection in their lifetime. Factors that contribute to vaginal yeast infection include pregnancy, diabetes, and the use oral contraceptives, steroids, and antibiotics. Yeast infection is also more common after menopause due to declining estrogen levels, which thin the vaginal walls.

Natural Remedies and Home Remedies for Yeast Infection

Here are some natural remedies and home remedies that are used for yeast infection. Read more

Use Natural Remedies for Symptoms of Menopause

Menopause may be a natural stage of life for women, but that doesn't mean it's always pleasant. Fortunately, women can use homeopathic and natural treatments for symptoms of menopause.

Menopause occurs at an age when a woman ceases menstruation and her reproductive capacity ceases. This generally takes place between 45 and 55 years of age but may happen prematurely or artificially after removal of the ovaries. Many women want to know how to cope with the debilitating symptoms that affect their daily lives. Some of these symptoms include hot flushes, increased hair growth on the face, osteoporosis, fatigue, headaches and irritability. Insomnia, depression, difficulty in concentrating or remembering and weight gain are also common symptoms. For pre-menopausal or menopausal symptoms, there is good advice and help available and there is no need to suffer through this time alone. Aromatherapy, homeopathy, herbs and exercise can help to ease symptoms. It is always advisable to research carefully any treatment or supplement available before taking it and/or to consult with a qualified homeopathic practitioner first. Read more

Best Hangover Cures: Ginger Tea

Though the best hangover cure is not to drink too much, an easy and healthful remedy to relieve your post-party hangover is to drink a cup of hot ginger tea. This is a recipe for ginger and green tea with lemon and honey. You can also add a dash of spicy cayenne pepper to really sweat out that hangover.

How to Get Maximum Benefit from Breast Enlargement Herbs

Using herbs and foods for breast enlargement is really nothing new. The breast enhancing effects of herbs such as fenugreek and saw palmetto have been used in folk medicine for centuries. However, if you don't use herbs the right way, your body won't be able to absorb the active ingredients. That means you'll only see a fraction of the results you could be getting.

Here's how to get maximum benefit from breast enlargement herbs:

Blueberries Improve Your Memory

Don't forget to eat your blueberries. Blueberries are not only a low-calorie snack, but studies have found that they also help improve memory.

Although several studies involving laboratory animals have provided tantalizing clues that eating blueberries improves memory, could the delicious fruit actually help people retain their mental sharpness as they age? The good new appears to be "yes". In fact, blueberries might even boost brain power. For the very first time, a study has found evidence that blueberry juice improves memory in humans. Read more

Murtha's Death Caused by Surgical Mistake

How common are medical mistakes? Many errors go unreported and tracking their exact prevalence is difficult. Nevertheless, the Institute of Medicine estimates 44,000 to 98,000 deaths annually from medical errors. The case of Representative John Murtha shows that, no matter how rich and powerful you are or how "good" your doctors, it can happen to you.Surgery and pharmaceuticals should be your last resort, not your first.

... Mr. Murtha was first hospitalized with gallbladder problems in December. He had surgery Jan. 28 at the National Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md. He went home, but was hospitalized two days later when complications developed. According to a source close to Mr. Murtha -- confirming a report in Politico -- doctors inadvertently cut Mr. Murtha's intestine during the laparoscopic surgery, causing an infection. Read more

The 10 Strangest Ancient/Outdated Sex Beliefs

Not every natural "remedy" is effective or safe, and some of the most bizarre remedies have to do with sex. Ian Tindell lists the ten strangest, ancient/outdated sex beliefs. Here's one that you should never try at home.

Putting Mercury in Your Urethra Cures Gonorrhea
The 1500s

According to some, the English ship of war, the Mary Rose, had an interesting means of combating the STD gonorrhea: injecting liquid mercury into the urethra.

As effective as this method sounds, it is not believed that the use of mercury, which is poisonous, ever cured a case of gonorrhea. Unless you count death as a cure. In that case yeah, it totally works. Read more

Sunbathing and Other Natural Aphrodisiacs

Go lie in the sun and have a slice of pumpkin pie. Your sex drive will thank you.

All of us know one too many glasses of [your alcohol of choice] will excite even the most sexually adverse—but did you know a few hours in the sun does the same trick, minus the hangover?

A recent Australian study says sunlight is a natural aphrodisiac, raising testosterone levels in men and boosting libido by as much as 69 percent. Apparently hormones vital to sex drive get an added boost from Vitamin D. Thus, a few extra hours absorbing the rays (with some SPF slathered on, no doubt) could give a lackluster sex drive a surge. Read more

Simple, Drugless Pain Relief: Deep Breathing

Simple, drugless pain relief may be just a breath away. A recent study found that people were able to reduce pain by halving their breathing rates.

Breathing slowly could be as good as some medicines at banishing pain.

Taking half as many breaths as normal not only reduces short-term pain from burns or cuts, but could help thousands who suffer chronic aches in their joints and muscles.

In a new study people were able to put up with higher levels of pain and for longer if they practised controlled breathing sessions in which they halved their breathing rates. Read more

Vitamin D Cuts Cancer Risk by 40%

Cut cancer risk by 40%? It's vitamin D to the rescue again.

Having a higher level of vitamin D in your blood means you are less like to develop bowel cancer than those with low levels, according to scientists.

A study published in the British Medical Journal has concluded that those with the highest levels of the vitamin were at 40 per cent lower risk of developing the disease compared with those with the lowest levels. Read more