When Grief Doesn't Come

A friend's wife died a year ago of cancer.  It's a Jewish tradition that at the one year death anniversary the headstone is set on the grave.  This ritual is called an "unveiling." The headstone serves to identify the grave so that family and friends can find it when they visit.  It is a way of finding and connecting to the beloved deceased.

My friend has had a very hard time finding his wife during this past year.  He does not have dreams of her. He can't hear her voice.  Her touch faded soon after she died.

He envies his children and friends who have regular visitations in the form of stumbling upon sweet memories at unexpected moments.  Seeing a black cocker spaniel running across a field morphs into seeing her and her black cocker diving into the ocean and swimming circles around each other.  Biting into a strawberry resurrects the flavor of the amazing salads she made that always had bits of sweet fruit hidden under the tart green leaves. A stranger's gesture becomes her fluid hand brushing her hair back from her forehead.

I think he fears that grief will be an endless abyss.  He may be right.  But I don't think it will be an endless, bottomless abyss.  And since he can't yet approach the edge, he can't yet see her on the other side.

Do you know anyone who has suffered a deep loss and is having trouble grieving?  Have you experienced trying to move through a grief process around your own illness experience, or your partner's?  What has that been like?

Propolis The natural antibiotic

Propolis is yet another nutrient, and is hailed as a natural antibiotic. Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees from plants and trees, it is mostly resins, balsams and waxes, and partly of pollen and essential oils, which are mixed by the bees salivary glands and used in the construction of the hive. It has been used thoughout history for a wide range of conditions.
Propolis contains a great variety of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and bioflavonoids. The Greeks used to use it to treat wounds. During the past twenty years, scientific studies have rediscovered Propolis and found it to be a great booster of the immune system, enhancing the immune response and resisitance against disease.
A recent study at Oxford University has revealed that Propolis can help to cure inflammatiions, while a Chinese research has found Propolis effective in treating hypertension and arteriosclerosis, and Soviet scientist's have shown that Propolis can prevent ulcers.
It is now used for a wide range of conditions such as colds, sore throats, coughs, allergies, vaginal infections, acne, and herpes. I have been asked if it would cure a chest infection, but I am sorry I have no idea.

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Energy therapies

The body's subtle or hidden "energy field" or "life force" is addressed through energy therapies. The energy is said to be channelled in pathways, meridians in Chinese medicine, and in yoga there are energy centres, called chakras, which are used to focus different sorts of energy.
Energy therapies are often based on Eastern ideas of health and disease and work on the basis that illness is the result of an imbalance or interruption of the body's natural energy or life force at a very fine or subtle level. Oriental ideas of energy are increasingly being used in the treatment of pain. These therapies include acupuncture, acupressure and faith healing,

Why Kale is being labled a superfood

Kale is now being labled as a new superfood. It has lots of vitamins and minerals essential for a healthy body.

(NaturalNews) While there's no official definition of the term superfood, the generally implied idea is a fruit or vegetable that is particularly nutritious and beneficial to your overall health and wellness, with high phytonutrient content. By that definition, kale should have a spot in the top ten. If you want to be healthy, there's no avoiding the leafy green vegetables, and kale is one of the most nourishing. It is a good source of calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, iron, folic acid, amino acids, antioxidant flavonoids, and lutein. It is easy to prepare, versatile, and delicious.

Conversely, environmentalists cite meat production as one of the top ten contributors to climate change. There are 7 billion people on the planet and 55 billion large animals that are raised for food each year making lots of waste and stretching resources. Which is why the famous author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan, suggested "Meatless Mondays" in the first place. He says, "By departing even modestly from the Western diet, we could reduce our chances of getting coronary heart disease by 80%, type 2 diabetes by 90%, and colon cancer by 70%."

So eating meat sparingly, as a side-dish, is good for your body, your pocketbook, and the environment.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035986_kale_beef_plants.html#ixzz1w96CPS8P

The health benefits of Gladioli

This is an image of a Gladioli I took today. They look a lovely colour don't they?. Now I am not suggesting that you should take hold of a Gladioli plant and start to eat it for health benefits!. No far from it., but Gladioli does have some health benefits if prepared as a flower remedy.

I. Definition
Gladiolus also known as sword lily, is a flower plant belongs to the genus Gladiolus containing about 260 species and native to South Africa. It has been used in traditional medicine in treating diarrhoea and stomach upsets.

II. How gladiolus effects women with endometriosis
1. Digestive system
It is said that gladiolus has been used in traditional South Africa medicine to improve function of digestive system in absorbing the variety of nutrients which are necessary for women with endometriosis because for what ever reasons, most of them are found to have some kinds of nutrients deficiency during menstrual cycle.

2. Secretion system
Gladiolus also helps to improve the contraction of the large intestine and movement of stool that decrease the risk of constipation resulting in lessening the menstrual cramps for some women if endometrial implants and adhesion attached to the secretion organs.

3. Nervous system
It also helps the liver in fat and protein metabolism resulting in lessening the tension of nervous system including symptoms of fatigue, emotional and physical stress, anxiety and depression.

4. Menstrual cramps
It is said the plant also helps in regulating the function of certain hormone in the prostaglandins family as resulting of liver function in balancing the levels of fatty acids. As we know unbalancing of fatty acids causes over production of some members in the prostaglandins hormone resulting in over active uterine muscles and menstrual cramps.

5. Sexual desire
Gladiolus is said contains substance that helps to stimulate the production of testosterone which is essential for some women who have had symptoms of libido during menstrual cycle caused by low levels of testosterone in the body.

 

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My search for a cure for Bronchiectasis

I just thought I would update you on this post on how my search is going for a natural cure for Bronchiectasis. Doctors will say that bronchiectasis is irreversible and will get worse in time. However I found a forum http://www.bronchiectasis.info and there is an article about using strong Manuka honey to kill any infection>

I was reading on here about
manuka honey and how it made a big difference to someone on here
(sorry I can't find the posts now but think it may have been sparrow) I
did some research on this wonderful stuff and my package of medicinal
strength manuka has arrived today. I have put it in my saline this
morning and am going to continue with it as it makes sense that this
stuff with its wonderful anti bacterial properties will shift it. It is also
effective against other bugs too

So Manuka honey ( very strong ) as well as antibiotics may shift any infections associated with Bronchiectasis, but it will not cure it. So Manuka honey would be very useful in clearing any infection, the search still goes on for the cure of bronchiectasis.

Seaweed and a cure for acne

Seaweed may be a natural answer to being able to kill the bugs that cause acne. An ingredient unique to a type of brown seaweed found off the coast of Brittany in France, can cut spots by about two thirds. The ingredient called phycosaccharide ACP, showed in a clinical trial that the amount of blackheads fell by 62% after eight weeks.Of 60 young men aged between 14 to 21 years  with mild acne, half used the seaweed based  oxy skin wash, while the other half used a dummy skin wash. By eight weeks Oxy users had nearly twice the reduction of blackheads.

Healthy Tip >



Wash your hair with sea salt and it cures dandruff!

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Take part in this TV treatment with food

Are you looking for an alternative way to treat your illness or disease,? Then take part in this>

Would you like your condition treated with food?

Channel 4 are looking for people who would be interested in becoming a patient at The Food Hospital.
The Food Hospital is a ground-breaking Channel 4 series exploring the potential health benefits of food in treating a wide range of illnesses and ailments.
Do you have an illness or condition which significantly affects your life?
Would you be interested in new forms of treatment?
Or, have you recently begun to suffer from symptoms that you are keen to address?
Are you willing to follow a scientifically devised diet which might help to improve your conditions and/or symptoms?
Our team of medical experts, including a GP, a specialist medical Consultant and a leading Dietitian will work closely with the patients to devise individual diets targeted at their particular condition and will monitor their progress.
To take part, please complete the questionnaire and email it to Betty at foodhospital@betty.co.uk.
Please note that your email will be received by a member of Betty's production team and they will contact you directly. Betty will process your personal data in accordance with their privacy policy.

Ok so I have Bronchiectasis, what should I do next?. The doctors have told me there is no cure, as the lungs are now damaged. However I can not leave it at that, I have to look for help, perhaps some natural cure that will help me.

. Bronchiectasis is a rare condition where the airways leading to the lungs become damaged. The result of bronchiectasis is enlargement of the bronchial tubes, loss of elasticity, scarring, and destruction of cilia instrumental in protecting the lungs from dust, bacteria, and excess mucus. With these protective mechanisms disabled, severe chronic infections result. Bronchiectasis leads to serious health conditions, such as respiratory failure and congestive heart failure. Although the medical profession can offer no answers other than prescribing the strongest antibiotics available, there are natural remedies that can play a role in reversing this condition.

 

So does diet and nutrition help?. I found this useful article>

Add

Add to your diet lots of fruits and vegetables to ensure that you're getting plenty of nutrients, advises the University of Maryland Medical Center. Many fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants like vitamin C, which also offer anti-inflammatory actions that can reduce your wheezing, says the University of Michigan Health System. A diet enriched with vitamin C-containing fruits may be especially helpful in reducing wheezing among children with asthma.

Avoid

Avoiding caffeine, salt and sugar can help reduce wheezing and other symptoms of asthma, notes the University of Michigan Health System. A vegan diet that excludes dairy, meats and all other animal-derived foods could also help. In some people, food additives like tartrazine, sodium benzoate and sulfites can aggravate asthma symptoms like wheezing as well. If you suspect that your wheezing is due to some kind of allergic reaction, eliminating the food allergens from your diet can alleviate your symptoms. Your doctor or another qualified healthcare professional can help you to determine what foods you're allergic to by following an "allergy elimination diet."

Key Nutrients

Although treating a specific nutrient deficiency by taking supplements will necessarily reduce your wheezing, certain deficiencies may be associated with underlying conditions that cause wheezing, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. You can try taking supplements of choline, vitamin C, quercetin, selenium, magnesium or omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil to help reduce wheezing. Beta-carotene, vitamins B6 and B12, lycopene, pycnogenol, Lyprinol, betaine, bromelain, thymus extract and molybdenum supplements could also help ease wheezing associated with asthma, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Certain herbal supplements could help reduce wheezing as well. These include coleus, boswellia, tylophora, butterbur, picrorhiza, holy basil, ivy leaf, Amrita bindu, hyssop, marshmallow, mullein, licorice, lobelia, onion, ginkgo and elecampane. Don't take any herbal or nutritional supplements without first talking with your doctor about the potential drug interactions and health dangers, however.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/303528-wheezing-nutrition/#ixzz1uqP0IEWt

So I can try the above, but none actually offer a cure. I am looking for some natural way to cleanse my lungs. I have not found it yet.

Vitamin B15 or Pangamic acid

Pangamic acid or vitamin B15 is an antioxidant and prevents the formation of destructive superoxide radicals, a major cause of ageing. It is also an antipollutant, eliminating environmental toxins from the body.
Being a lipotropic substance, it lowers cholesterol levels and prevents fat accumulation in the liver. A deficiency of pangamic acid can cause reduced oxygenation of the blood, leading to fatigue and lowered fitness. Its best natural sources are brewers yeast, brown rice, whole grains, pumpkin, and sesame seeds. There are no recommended daily allowances, but a daily intake of 25-100 mg is normal. It is sometimes available as a supplement called calcium pangamate.

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What Vitamin B15 (Pangamic Acid) does and what it has been historically used for:

• Acts to detoxify poisons and free radicals
• Extends the life span of cells in the body
• Helps angina and asthma
• Helps synthesize protein
• Helps to reduce a craving for alcohol
• Lowers cholesterol levels
• Protects against cirrhosis of the liver
• Stimulates the “anti-stress” hormones
• Stimulates the carriage of oxygen to the blood from the lungs, and from the blood to the muscles and vital organs of the body 

A grapefruit a day.

You know the story about an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well it may be that also a grapefruit a day a keeps the doctor away. My wife had high cholesterol and was given statins by her GP. The instructions inside said do not take grapefruit at the same time as taking the statins, which asks the question why not add grapefruit to your diet instead of taking statins, would that be a more natural way of lowering high blood cholesterol?.Here is an article I have found.

ScienceDaily (Feb. 13, 2006) — A grapefruit a day — particularly the red variety — can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a new study by Israeli researchers. In a controlled study group of patients with heart disease, the scientists found that feeding some patients the equivalent of one grapefruit daily significantly reduced levels of cholesterol in comparison to patients that did not eat grapefruit. Chronic high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease.

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Spirulina

Spirulina is a blue green algae which thrives in warm lakes like Lake Chad in Africa. It has been used in the treatment of Anaemia, weakness, malnutrition, hepatitis, inner inflammations. diabetes,hypoglycaemia and poor skin tone. Spirulina is a versatile food supplement which strengthens the immune system, and increases resistance to disease and inflammations.
It also contains a blue pigment, phycocyanin, which is a protein known to inhibit cancer. Since it is grown and harvested in unpolluted areas totally free of environmental pollutants, spirulina is one of the safest foods available. It is sold in health food shops in both powder and tablet form

Spirulina is also high in vitamin B12, and is known to boost energy and cellular health..

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