Blood sugar

Healing Herbs for Common Conditions

The medicines that we have today are a miraculous gift. Healing is a miraculous gift. The medicines we use came from humble beginnings. Their precursors were herbs and medicinal plants that had served civilizations for thousands of years. Many of these herbs are still in use today.

What do we do when we have a cut, scrape, or a headache? We reach for the medicine cabinet. That is all well and good but some medicinal treatments are not all they are cracked up to be. People have turned back to their roots (no pun intended!) and started using herbs to treat common bodily ailments.

One reason for this reawakening is the lack of side effects on our bodies. Many herbs act like medicines and should be taken carefully, but the ingredients are all natural. We don’t have to be worried about getting blood work done every three months for any evidence of harmful side effects on our system. Most herbs are relatively easy to find and don’t cost as much as brand name medicines.

Healing herbs work with the body and not against it. The effects of the cure may not be immediate but the herbs are effective. We see some of the not so great effects of medicines like antibiotics all over the news. Our body’s invaders are becoming resistant to certain antibiotics because we use them so frequently. This is not great news when you are trying to fight an infection.

Healing herbs can be eaten, placed in a poultice, steeped for tea, ground into powder, or made into a cream. Some herbs are used as they are to speed the body’s healing process. Here are just a few of the more popular ones you may or may not have heard of.

· Cinnamon – lowers blood sugar and cholesterol

· Ginger – prevents motion sickness and nausea

· Turmeric – helps with arthritis pain

· St. John’s Wort – creates a stable mood in mildly depressed people

· Garlic – lowers blood pressure and risks of some cancers

· Red yeast rice – lowers cholesterol

Except for the St. John’s Wort and red yeast rice, we have most of these items on our kitchen shelves. Adding a little to your food each day can assist with these conditions without even causing an upheaval in your routine. Other helpful substances include: apple cider vinegar and Aloe Vera.

All natural herbal formulas are a milder alternative to some mainstream medications. Before using any type of herbs for medicinal purposes consult your doctor. The last thing you want is a drug interaction with something you are currently taking. Treat all herbs as medicines and do your research before beginning an herbal supplement routine in order to get the most from them.

Blood sugar

What can I do to prevent heart disease?

You can reduce your chances of getting heart disease by taking these steps:

Take action to reduce heart disease risk: Be physically active Don’t smoke Eat healthy Maintain a normal weight Know your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides)

• Know your blood pressure.

  Years of high blood pressure
  can lead to heart disease. People with high blood pressure often have
  no symptoms, so have your blood pressure checked every 1 to 2 years and
  get treatment if you need it.

• Don’t smoke. If you smoke, try to quit. If you’re having trouble quitting, there are products and programs that can help:
  • Nicotine patches and gums
  • Support groups
  • Programs to help you stop smoking

  Ask your doctor or nurse for help. For more information on quitting, visit Quitting Smoking.

• Get tested for diabetes.
  People with diabetes have high blood glucose (often called blood
  sugar). People with high blood glucose often have no symptoms, so have
  your blood glucose checked regularly. Having diabetes raises your
  chances of getting heart disease. If you have diabetes, your doctor
  will decide if you need diabetes pills or insulin shots. Your doctor
  can also help you make a healthy eating and exercise plan.
• Get your cholesterol and triglyceride levels tested.
  High blood cholesterol (koh-LESS-tur-ol) can clog your arteries and
  keep your heart from getting the blood it needs. This can cause a heart
  attack. Triglycerides (treye-GLIH-suh-ryds) are a form of fat in your
  blood stream. High levels of triglycerides are linked to heart disease
  in some people. People with high blood cholesterol or high blood
  triglycerides often have no symptoms, so have both levels checked
  regularly. If your levels are high, talk to your doctor about what you can do to lower them.
  You may be able to lower your both levels by eating better and
  exercising more. Your doctor may prescribe medication to help lower
  your cholesterol.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight raises your risk for heart disease. Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI)
  to see if you are at a healthy weight. Healthy food choices and
  physical activity are important to staying at a healthy weight:
  • Start by adding more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet.
  • Each
    week, aim to get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate physical
    activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a
    combination of moderate and vigorous activity.
• If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more
  than one drink (one 12 ounce beer, one 5 ounce glass of wine, or one
  1.5 ounce shot of hard liquor) a day.
• Find healthy ways to cope with stress. Lower your stress level by talking to your friends, exercising, or writing in a journal.