A Drop of Olive Oil

One of the most well-known vegetable oils, which is obtained from the fruit of the Olive tree that is traditionally found in the Mediterranean Basin, has been used since ancient years in cooking, cosmetics, soaps, or even as a fuel of traditional oil lamps.

Described as the "Mediterranean Miracle" has been regarded one of the most healthful dietary oils due to its high content of monounsaturated fat-mainly Oleic acid-and polyphenols. According to numerous studies has tremendous positive health outcomes when daily included as part of a diet plan. In fact, the life expectancy rates of the countries around the Mediterranean Sea have been found to be greater in comparison to other countries that do not use olive oil as part of their daily diet plan.

Moreover, olive oil's ingredients, act as excellent prevention mechanisms for several life-threatening diseases, as the lower death rates from heart disease and certain cancers illustrate. Interestingly, this is particularly true of the native Greeks from the island of Crete. As a Cretan I can attest that the reputation of native Cretans drinking pure olive oil as a health improving practice is true; although in fact a very small amount is consumed. But apart from Cretans, as the Mediterranean diet has gained immense popularity, people deciding to incorporate olive oil into their daily diet plans have already begun to experience its beneficial results.

Since the fat that is included in the olive oil is in the form of monounsaturated fat, one of the major advantages of this fact is that olive oil can lower blood cholesterol, without reducing the health giving properties of HDL, or what is known as the good-type of cholesterol.

According to a recent study conducted in the Netherlands, researchers concluded that a high-fat olive oil diet was far superior to an ordinary low-fat diet in controlling levels of cholesterol, as their study findings portrayed; the cholesterol levels of the group studied while consuming olive oil was reduced by twenty points, whereas the control group that followed a low-fat diet plan saw an average reduction of seventeen points in cholesterol levels.

In addition, widespread studies have shown that consumption of oil can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Tests have illustrated that, as little as three fluid ounces of olive oil a day can significantly lower blood pressure. In fact, olive oil can even lower the blood pressure of those people eating a high fat diet -high fat being defined as forty percent of calories coming from fat.

Finally, additional testing has concluded that oil can markedly lower blood glucose levels. This is especially crucial for those fighting diabetes, since they are advised to switch from a high carbohydrate and low fat diet to a high fat-around fifty percent of calories coming from fat-with most of that fat consumed coming from oil. This type of diet has very positive results for diabetics, as they can lower their blood sugar levels to such a degree that they require less insulin intake.

Finally, one should know that olive oil has antioxidant characteristics that help inhibit the process that produces LDL (the bad-type of cholesterol); this actually explains why olive oil considered a good heart attacks prevention ingredient. Furthermore, olive oil's antioxidant capabilities can also inhibit the development of certain types of cancers among many other heath problems.

Many support that it can even slow down the ageing process. For these and many more reasons your doctor will be able to describe, the benefits of incorporating olive oil into your daily diet cannot be over-stated.


Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/A-Drop-of-Olive-Oil/28093
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How to Cure Gout Attacks Without Prescription Drugs

Gout is a very painful inflammatory condition of the joints, caused by crystallized uric acid collecting around the affected joint. The most common joint affected is the big toe; however, gout can affect the ankle, instep, heel, knee, spine, elbow, wrist, and finger. In severe cases, gout can deform the affected joint.

People prone to gout tend to have high uric acid levels in their blood. The high uric acid levels may be caused by the kidneys' failure to adequately remove uric acid from the blood.

Uric Acid Level

You say, "Okay, my kidneys aren't working properly. So what can I do to cure my gout?" The answer is you can do a lot.

First of all, certain foods and beverages heighten the body's uric acid level, and certain foods and beverages don't. So if you avoid the foods and beverages that heighten your uric acid level, and partake in the foods and beverages that don't, you will never get a gout attack - thus curing your gout condition!

What are the foods and beverages that heighten the body's uric acid level, causing a gout attack? Meats and seafood promote gout attacks. Do you like beef, pork, lamb, liver, bacon, fish, lobster, mussels, scallops, or shrimp? Sorry, you have to pass on these. To a lesser degree, chicken, turkey, and duck promote gout attacks. Do you like beer? Well you don't anymore, because beer promotes gout attacks.

High-Protein Foods

Avoiding meats and seafood puts you in a dilemma. You avoid these foods to avoid gout attacks, but your body cannot function properly without protein - meats and seafood are common sources of protein! What do you do?

Luckily, there are high-protein foods that don't cause gout attacks. They are listed below categorically.

Eggs and Dairy Products: High in protein are milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, and eggs.

Grains and Cereals: High in protein are buckwheat, amaranth grain (usually sold in health food shops), and quinoa.

Nuts and Seeds: High in protein are peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds.

Beans including Soy: High in protein are tofu, soy milk, beans, soy beans, and split peas.

Red Wine

So all you have to do is substitute these high-protein foods for the meats and seafood that you usually eat. "But what about beer? Is there a substitute for that? I need to have a beer to unwind after work," you say. Once again, you are in luck.

Since red wine doesn't elevate the body's uric acid level, it doesn't cause gout attacks. In fact, red wine may even lower uric acid levels! And certainly red wine is just as effective as beer in helping you to unwind.

High-Dose Vitamin C

Not only may red wine reduce uric acid levels, vitamin C may also do likewise. High-dose vitamin C reduces uric acid levels in most gout sufferers. However, for some gout sufferers, high-dose vitamin C worsens their condition.

A dose of 500 mg per day significantly reduces uric acid levels in most gout sufferers. But before you begin a vitamin C regimen, you should get your physician's approval; because high-dose vitamin C might possibly eliminate uric acid from your body too quickly, causing kidney stones.

Is Protein Substitution Practical?

Some of you may be saying right about now, "Okay, this all makes sense, but it's impractical. This protein substitution lacks variety; there's no way I can follow it." Lack of variety? Let's see. I'll attempt to brainstorm a variety of gout-safe high-protein foods.

The following foods contain cheese, and can be served without meats and seafood: pizza, cheese ravioli, baked ziti, mozzarella sticks, eggplant Parmesan, cheese omelette, lasagna, muffin egg and cheese sandwich, macaroni and cheese, baked potato with cheddar cheese sauce, stuffed shells Italiano, cheese manicotti in marinara sauce, salad with blue cheese dressing, cheesecake, broccoli cheese soup, asparagus with Parmesan cheese, smoked mozzarella fonduta, fettuccine alfredo, penne with goat cheese, and ricotta gnocchi.

The following foods contain buckwheat, and can be served without meats and seafood: buckwheat pancakes, buckwheat breads, buckwheat muffins, buckwheat crackers, buckwheat bagels, buckwheat cookies, buckwheat tortillas, some breakfast cereals, buckwheat grits, kasha, buckwheat porridge, buckwheat salad with mushrooms and parsley oil, kasha varnishkes, buckwheat noodles, Japanese soba noodles, California buckwheat chapati, kasha knishes, and some blini.

The following foods contain peanuts, and can be served without meats and seafood: peanut candy, salted nuts, peanut butter, peanut butter sandwiches, vegetable salads mixed with peanut sauce, peanut-based dipping sauce, peanut butter crackers, mandelonas (peanuts soaked in almond flavoring), some health food bars, some breakfast cereals, peanut butter cookies, celery sticks filled with peanut butter, honey peanut steamed tea bread, cherry peanut granola, peanut squares, peanut butter crisps, trail mixes, some spaghetti sauces, boiled peanuts, peanut butter spread on toast, gorp (good old raisins and peanuts), Cajun flavored peanuts, peanut soup, peanut rolls, peanut muffins, peanut cake, peanut pudding, baked peanuts with rice, and peanut stuffing.

The following foods contain tofu, and can be served without meats and seafood: tofu with vegetable medley, tofu muffins, tofu and cheese omelet, sauteed tofu steak, tofu caramel custard, tofu anmitsu (traditional fruit salad), broiled tofu steak, tomato and olive tofu spread, braised cubed tofu steak with eggplant and zucchini, tofu steak with teriyaki butter sauce, tofu steak sandwich, tofu steak with salsa sauce, tofu steak nuggets, tofu steak fajita, tofu steak with Asian mushroom sauce, tofu and egg burger, tofu and vegetable burger, tofu burger, tofu quesadilla, oriental tofu salad, split pea soup with tofu, creamy oriental tofu dressing, tofu broccoli lasagna, grilled tofu and cheese, tofu spaghetti sauce, Spanish rice with tofu, tofu and vegetable stir-fry, zesty Italian pasta and tofu, spicy tofu chili, spicy tofu burritos, Tex-Mex tofu lasagna, pita stuffed tofu salad, tofu custard filled cake, pineapple tofu pie, and tofu custard with sesame flavor.

Attempting brevity, I only brainstormed gout-safe high-protein foods containing cheese, buckwheat, peanuts, and tofu. If I were to include gout-safe high-protein foods containing milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, amaranth grain, quinoa, almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, soy milk, beans, soy beans, and split peas, I would end up writing a novel. Though I only focused on foods containing cheese, buckwheat, peanuts, and tofu, you can see that there is plenty of variety.

Warnings, Interactions, and Side Effect

Gout attacks can be cured by following the dietary changes suggested here. However, please keep in mind that it is easier to prevent gout attacks than intervene in the middle of gout attacks. So it is best to use the suggested dietary changes proactively rather than reactively.

Some foods suggested here can dangerously interact with some prescription drugs or medical conditions. For example, eating cheese while taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) can kill you. Also, drinking red wine while having liver cirrhosis can worsen your condition. So to be on the safe side, you should get the approval of your physician and pharmacist before following the suggested dietary changes.

Gout-prone people can have a side effect from aspirin. Though normal people can take aspirin without having a side effect, gout-prone people can have the side effect of a gout attack. So if you are gout-prone and have a headache, it is best that you take Motrin (ibuprofen) instead of Bayer (aspirin).

Summary

Though prescription drugs such as allopurinol prevent gout attacks, some people prefer a more natural prevention. This article outlines a gout prevention plan, consisting of protein substitution, alcoholic beverage substitution, and taking high-dose vitamin C supplements. This article proposes that dietary changes alone can prevent gout attacks.


Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/How-to-Cure-Gout-Attacks-Without-Prescription-Drugs/28132
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Natural Supplements: The Benefits of Liquid Cellular Zeolite

Although Zeolite is a relatively new discovery in the world of alternative medicine, this mineral is already making waves in the homeopathic community. Derived from volcanic rock, Zeolite has a number of great benefits that are continually being explored by alternative medicine practitioners.

Cleansing the Body

The best known and most widely recognized benefit of using Zeolite is the fact that it can remove toxins and heavy metals from the body. This is made possible by the fact that Zeolite is able to attract positive minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and iron. Heavy metals, such as mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and nickel, then displace the minerals and are easily removed from the body.

Restoring Alkaline pH

Another benefit to using Zeolite is its ability to restore alkaline pH. By having a less acidic body system, you are less likely to suffer from disease. In fact, many diseases, including cancer, cannot grow in a body that is alkaline. Therefore, Zeolite can effectively treat and prevent disease by helping to transform the system to a more alkaline and healthier state.

One disease that appears to particularly well treated by Zeolite is Hepatitis. Although Zeolite has not been proven effective in treatment of Hepatitis, many medical professionals have seen its positive effects on those suffering from the illness. Dr. Alex Lee from California, for example, has conducted studies on people with Hepatitis C and the use of Zeolite.

"We're looking at a study of patients for example with Hepatitis C using activated Zeolite," Dr. Lee says. "and, just as an anecdotal testimonial, the very first person that we enrolled dropped their Hepatitis C viral load from 10 million to 7 million after six weeks of taking activated Zeolite."

Relaxing the Digestive System

For those with irritable bowel syndrome or other issues that cause diarrhea, Zeolite can also bring about relief. The reasons for its effectiveness in treating diarrhea is not fully understood, though Zeolite's ability to increase antioxidant activity and to reduce free radicals likely plays a large role in this benefit.

Even if you are not experiencing problems with your digestive system, the cleansing properties of Zeolite will go a long way toward helping you achieve a higher level of wellness. In turn, you will experience more energy, clearer thinking, and an overall improved feeling of well-being.

The best part about using Zeolite is that it is 100% natural and safe to use. In fact, it was recently placed on the FDA's GRAS list, which means it is Generally Recognized As Safe and will not cause you any harm or result in troubling side effects. So, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain when you take advantage of the natural powers of Zeolite!

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Source: http://www.fullofarticles.com/Article/Natural-Supplements--The-Benefits-of-Liquid-Cellular-Zeolite/117469
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Learn How To Cure Your Recurrent Yeast Infections

Thousands of women who are ill-fated enough to suffer from one yeast infection will go on to be plagued with recurrent yeast infections. The oversight which is then made is to continually treat the yeast infection with an anti fungal topical treatment that is only making the yeast infection worse. Find out why this happens in the information below.

When you're suffering from continual yeast infections the fastest thing to do is go out and get yourself an additional anti fungal topical treatment. If you're like thousands of other women you'll be using the anti fungal treatment just for the quick fix of the constant discomfort that comes with suffering from a vaginal yeast infection.

The issues that accompany this approach to the treatment are caused by the fact that you're only curing one single symptom of your yeast infection. There are a lot of symptoms to yeast infections, but an uncomfortable vagina is the most popular, and is the number one symptom that needs to be cured as soon as possible. But as thousands of women realize this is only for their comfort, and is not curing their yeast infection from the root cause.

If you're suffering from recurrent Candida infections then the reason will not be anywhere near your vagina, it will either be the Candida in your intestines, or related to a health problem. Once you discover the reason for your yeast infection you can then rid your body of the yeast that is causing your infections.

It's essential that you get examined by your health practitioner if you're suffering from recurrent Candida infections to eliminate any health conditions. Recurrent yeast infections can be a warning that you could have a health condition, with the most serious being HIV/AIDS. Chronic yeast infections can also be a sign that you could be suffering from Diabetes.

If you aren't suffering from any health conditions the most common reason why you're suffering from chronic yeast infections is an intestinal yeast infection. When you attempt to cure your vaginal Candida infection the anti fungal treatment you use will only temporarily cure your yeast infection. What happens when you finish your treatment is the Candida that is living in your intestines will then re-infect your vagina.

The mutated fungus finds it's way back to your vagina because it is a warm moist place that the Candida loves. This re-infection is made easy by the anti Candida cream killing all your friendly bacteria so there's no safe guard when the Candida re-infects your vagina. While you're attempting to treat yourself with the cream the Candida will become resistant to the medication.

An anti Candida protocol should be put into action to cure your intestinal yeast infection, and to effectively cure your recurrent yeast infections. Any anti yeast treatment will only make your intestinal candidiasis worse. Your natural intestinal flora is already out of sync, and taking more anti yeast drugs just completely shifts this balance to the advantage of the Candida.

Getting the right information on how the yeast mutates in and on your body will be in your favor. You can then go about stopping the yeast from mutating, and then rid your body of this infection causing fungus for ever.


Source: http://www.classicarticles.com/Article/Learn-How-To-Cure-Your-Recurrent-Yeast-Infections/28289
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Alternative Medicines And Treatment For Stye

A stye (also spelled sty ) or hordeolum is an inflammation of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes. Staphylococcal bacteria are the usual culprits. Styes are usually harmless and will go away after several days on their own as your body fights the infection. Touching mucus from the nose and then rubbing the eye is one way of moving staphylococcal bacteria to the eyelid. They are generally caused by a Staphylococcus bacteria infection . A sty also may arise from an infected hair follicle at the base of an eyelash. A sty can develop as a complication of blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid). The term external hordeolum has been used to refer to a sty that develops at the base of an eyelash involving a hair follicle of the eyelid, whereas the term internal hordeolum refers to a sty arising due to blocked meibomian glands in the eyelid. Most clear up within a few days, even if no treatment is received. Rarely the entire eyelid may become infected. This requires medical treatment, including antibiotics. Some people seem to get many styes while others get few or none at all.

Styes usually develop over a few days and may drain and heal on their own. A stye can become a chalazion -- this is when an inflamed oil gland becomes fully blocked. If a chalazion gets large enough, it can cause trouble with your vision. Frequently, the lump appears with a visible whitish or yellowish spot that looks much like a large pimple. The lump frequently goes away when the blockage of the gland opening is relieved. There are some cases where surgical draining of the stye or the application of antibiotic drops may be required. To prevent a stye in the eye always washing hands before touching the eyes and keeping good eye hygiene, especially for contact users.

Causes of stye

Styes are generally caused by a Staphylococcus aureus bacteria infection and are particularly common in infants, though people of any age may experience them. They can be triggered by stress or poor nutrition.

A stye can be secondary, caused by blepharitis. A blocked oil gland near the eye, a chalazion, is often mistaken for a stye.

Stye Symptoms and Signs

A stye initially brings pain, redness, tenderness and swelling in the area, then a small pimple appears. Sometimes just the immediate area is swollen; other times the entire eyelid swells. You may notice frequent watering in the affected eye, a feeling like something is in the eye or increased light sensitivity.

How is a stye or chalazion diagnosed?

Doctors diagnose a stye or chalazion by closely examining the eyelid. It may be hard to tell the difference between a stye and a chalazion. If there is a hard lump inside the eyelid, the doctor will probably diagnose it as a chalazion.

Alternative Treatment of Stye

Application of prescribed antibiotic drops may also be used to help fight the infection

Surgical drainage of the stye may also be necessary if the stye is not responding to treatment

Antibiotic ointments for the eye (this does not make the stye go away faster, but it can help to stop the spread of the infection to other parts of the eye).

Antibiotic creams may help recurrent or persistent styes

Boil a handful of acacia leaves in two cups of water to make a decoction and apply it as compress on the eyelids

A grated potato used as a poultice, reduce swelling in inflamed eyes.

Any one or a combination of antibiotic or steroid drops or injections; warm compresses for 5 to 10 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day; gentle massage to express the glandular secretions; or surgical drainage

Boil 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds with a cupful of water like an herbal tea preparation to wash the eyes 3-4 times a day.


Source: http://www.articleviral.com/Article/Alternative-Medicines-And-Treatment-For-Stye/81626
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