Natural Herbal Remedies and Cures

Fact - The brain is made up of 60% fat of which 60% is made up of Omega 3 fatty acids…. So it is true, I do have a fat head.

Many of you who I train will have heard me espouse the benefits of fish oils, which is the best source of Omega 3 fatty acids available. I thought it was about time I gave you the information in a little more detail. Deemed as many to be a super-supplement or by others to be just another snake oil, you may be surprised to see how many health areas fish oil is now being linked to. I bet that many of you did not realize that fish oil is also a great aid for healthy weight loss as well as numerous other benefits. Some fitness experts tout it as the single most important supplement anybody can take both for general health and healthy weight loss.

Fish oil and fat

A fat to lose fat, you must be mad!!! So how does it work where fat loss is concerned?

a) by turning on Lipolytic Genes, fat burning is increased

b) and by turning off Lipogenic Genes, fat storage is decreased

It also increases the use of fat as fuel by other methods. Once stored in the adipocytes (Adipose tissue is the main bulk of body fat ie hips, tummy, thighs, the fat that is near the surface as opposed to around the organs) it stimulates the use of that fat as an energy sourceIncreased insulin promotes the storage of fat (bad!!!) Another way fish oil helps both the battle of the bulge and regulating insulin is that it blocks sugar absorption therefore mitigates the insulin response (Good!!!).

Fish oil helps to turn on the Carnitine enzymes which are responsible for the metabolism of fat (Carnitine is naturally synthesized in the body and one of the highest natural sources is found in beef). Many people supplement Carnitine to aid fat loss. If you are supplementing Carnitine, Poliquin recommends using a 10:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Carnitine (every 10g Omega 3 = 1g Carnitine) for it to be truly effective.

Omega 3 and exercise

Omega 3 reduces inflammation post-training thus speeding recovery. It is also good for pain management, as any reduction in inflammation will reduce pain levels from muscular soreness etc. Results include reduced injury rates and increased ability to train harder and more regularly.It definitely helps improve your focus during training as well. EPA regulates blood supply to the brain, which is essential in maintaining focus in weight training sessions. DHA is important in brain membranes, memory and cognitive function.

Be Happy!!!

The fish oil increases your serotonin levels - known as the happy hormone. These are elevated even higher during activities that stimulate the release of serotonin such as exercise and sex. It can also inhibit the release of the steroids released by the body during times of mental stress.

What else does this mean…? Omega 3s will decrease incidence of depression, anxiety, panic attack and reduce carbohydrate cravings. There have been several studies into the effects of fish oil on the chronically depressed. Interestingly there have also been successful studies in prisons and in schoolchildren showing that increased use of Omega 3s has a direct link to reductions in violent, aggressive behavior or anti social behavior.

Let’s talk about the ticker

At a cellular level it lowers C-reactive Proteins, which positively impacts atherosclerosis, angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure and diabetes. It also reduces cardio-vascular risk due to its effects on cholesterol:

• Lowering VLDL (bad cholesterol), triglycerides, homocysteine, fibrinogen

• Increasing HDL levels (Good cholesterol)

• Combining Omega 3 with plant sterols (found in nuts, legumes and other plant sources - always remember plant sources are best taken from natural sources as opposed to spreads) will improve lipid levels even more than either alone.

As we all know the other major component of heart disease is high blood pressure - fish oil even has a major effect here.

It can increase a vasodilatory (makes blood vessels dilate - get larger) compound,called nitric oxide, this reduces vascular inflammation.

It helps reduce blood viscosity (thins the blood) whilst also inhibiting a blood vessel constrictor (thromboxane).

Cell Membrane Health

For general health fish oil is great for cellular health. For a cell to remain healthy its membrane must remain flexible. Fish oil helps with this. It also increases the number of insulin receptors in the cell wall promoting the healthy and more efficient uptake of glucose - regulating blood sugar levels.

EPA and DHA

When reading labels you will come across the terms EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid). Both are Omega 3 fatty acids. The DHA is more closely associated with healthy brain membranes, brain function and development. This is why we are encouraged to use it as a supplement for children. EPA is known to help bodily conditions, blood supply to the brain and disease and for it’s effects on inflammation. When buying fish oil note that different types of fish provide different levels of each.

Omega-3 Supplementation - Why?

Now this is a tricky question. We have naturally less Omega 3 in our diets due to the fact cows are taken off grass and fed grain before butchering. Also our chicken meat and eggs have changed in structure due to cage rearing and also grain feeding. The obvious thing is eating more fish, but fish are at risk of contamination from heavy metals such as mercury, PCBs and Dioxins due to human pollution of the oceans. So people are turning to distilled fish oil or vegetarian flaxseed oil. The trouble with flaxseed is that its bioavailability is not as great as fish oil. Flaxseed does not produce natural DHA, where as fish oil has it ready to go . Basically fish oil it is loads better. Make sure that it is of a brand that has been distilled or screened for mercury or heavy metals, PCBs and Dioxins.

Quantities of supplementation

Oh another tricky question. There are all sorts of views on this. And not wanting to raise the wrath of the TGA (Theraputic Goods Administration) I will put down the views of both ends of the table.

One end says that the TGA are so cautionary in their approach to supplementation that the recommended Australian dosages inhibit the potential effects of Omega 3s on debilitative disease, fat loss etc.

A hundred years ago we were eating Omega 3s in much much greater quantities when disease and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer had not become such a problem. Studies have shown in the good old days before commercial farming, feedlots, grain fed beef, sea pollution and when eating offal and organ meats was still popular, we were consuming up to 300 -400g a week naturally. Nowadays people tend to consume 2-3 grams a day if we are lucky.The Inuits of Canada, the native Scots of the Western Isles of Scotland and the Icelandic people up until the 1930’s all ate diets of massive amounts of sea food and fish and had really low instances of all the above mentioned conditions..

Charles Poliquin the Canadian Strength and Conditioning coach and worldwide fitness guru recommends dosages of up to 30 to 45 grams a day for a couple of months (30-45 1000mg capsules) then dropping back to around 15 -20g per day

The other side of the coin is The US National Institutes of Health, who as well as listing the 30 or so benefits below, lists the possible safety concerns as follows: “Intake of 3 grams per day or greater of omega-3 fatty acids may increase the risk of bleeding, although there is little evidence of significant bleeding risk at lower doses… Very large intakes of fish oil/omega-3 fatty acids (”Eskimo” amounts) may increase the risk of hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke.” However there is no hard evidence to support this and Eskimos have no higher instance of stroke than any other race. Two studies at Harvard Medical School and one at Brigham and Womens Hospital in 1986 and 1995 dispute the National Institutes concerns.

A healthy strategy

So without giving you a dose that I recommend, I will give you a good strategy. When buying fish oil rotate your brands as different EPA to DHA levels have different effects. It’s much the same principal as the benefits of varying your vegetables in your diet; stick to one type and you are limiting the nutritional range available. Buy two or three different brands and rotate them every 2 weeks or so.

And there is more ……. Fish oil and more conditions than you can shake a stick at

Studies show that Omega 3 Fatty Acids may be beneficial to many diseases and conditions (As listed by the American National Institute of health an agency of the US Dept health and human services):

• Hyperlipidemia
• Hypertriglyceridemia
• Coronary heart disease
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Bipolar Disorder
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriasis
• Atopic dermatitis
• Ulcerative colitis
• Behcet’s syndrome
• Raynaud’s syndrome
• Obesity
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Painful menses
• Lung diseases
• Hayfever
• Crohn’s disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Albuminuria associated with diabetic neuropathy
• Restenosis after angioplasty
• Miscarraige
• Preeclampsia
• Preterm labour
• Intrauterine growth retardation
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Cystic fibrosis
• Gingivitis
• Renal impairment associated with cirrhosis
• Hyperglycemia associated with type 2 diabetes
• Claudication
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Dyslexia
• Depression
• Dyspraxia

References

• EPA (2007-01-31). Fish Consumption Advisories. Retrieved 4-04-2007
• Jess Halliday (13/04/2006). Dioxins prompt second UK fish oil withdrawal. Retrieved on Retrieved 4-04-2007

• Pollutants found in fish oil capsules (6 April, 2002). Retrieved 4-04-2007
• STEPHEN MIHM. “Does Eating Salmon Lower the Murder Rate?”, NYTimes, April 16, 2006. Retrieved 4-04-2007

• Charles Poliquin Biosignature workshop Sydney 2006
• Western A Price Nutrition and Physical Degeneration 1939
• Fish oil versus flaxseed oil by Dr m Reades 5 Sept (2005) Retrieved 4-04-2007
• Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. American Heart Association. Retrieved 4-04-2007
• NIH Medline Plus. MedlinePlus Herbs and Supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid. Retrieved 4-04-2007

• John McKenzie. ABC News: Fish Oil Helps Treat Depression. Retrieved 4-04-2007
• NIH Medline Plus. MedlinePlus Herbs and Supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid. Retrieved 4-04-2007

Lavender oil had been used for thousands of years and was popular in the Roman baths. There are may uses for lavender oil, which here is the editor’s favorites.

1) To relieve menstrual pain, massage your lower back and abdomen with diluted lavender oil. Lavender is a natural anti-inflammatory and it contains pain-relieving properties making this essential oil a natural for menstrual pains. It also balances your spirits.

2) Lavender oil is a very good way to promote relaxation and even soothe headaches.

3) If you are discovering the summer season to be rather a hectic time, you may want to consider slowing down and helping yourself find balance with the use of a high-grade lavender essential oil. You can expect restful and utterly relaxing sleep accompanied by vivid dreaming as a result of the intoxicating lavender oil.

4) Rub lavender oil on the feet for a calming effect on the whole body.

5) Rub lavender oil on dry or chapped skin for a hydrating boost.

6) If you’re interested in natural protection from mosquito bites, try lavender essential oil, diluted in a base of some other kind of oil, say for instance, jojoba oil or grape seed oil.

7) Hair and Skin-Just a little Lavender

After shampooing your hair, make your own rinse to help dull or oily hair. Take a jug of mineral water, a few drops of lavender oil and add fresh lemon juice. Let mixture set to blend. Rub into hair and scalp after shampoo is rinsed out thoroughly. Massage scalp into roots of hair and work your way to the end. Rinse out in 10 minutes.

Lavender helps to balance production of oils and prevents scarring.

9) Treat pimples by dipping a cotton ball or Q-tips dabbing them lightly am or pm with lavender oil until the problem is resolved.

10) Lavender also soothing for sunburn

As always consult your physician before using any herbal remedies.

Finding natural cures that work has become an obsession for many people, and understandably so.

As modern medicines get more expensive, doctor or clinic costs climb, and medical insurance companies become more selective about the costs they will pay; and under what conditions…it is only normal to turn to age old remedies forgotten or scorned by modern medicine.

Finding natural cures that work is not too difficult today, thanks to computers and the internet. I have to smile a little when I think about the fact that we are using the most modern of tools to rediscover the some of the most ancient.

Did you know that the most common of all pain relievers; aspirin; has been used for centuries? Of course, it was not called “aspirin” and the people who prescribed it and used it certainly did not know the molecular structure of the drug, but what they did know was that they could boil in water the bark of the willow tree and drink it as a tea, for almost instant pain relief. Of course, medical science scoffed at the idea that willow bark tea could actually relieve pain…until it was analyzed and found to contain salicylic acid, the basis of aspirin!

Finding natural cures that work should be of interest to anyone afflicted by any adverse physical or mental condition, as these natural cures are real, they are available and they work. Quite often they will work as well as the “modern” cures, and quite often when used in conjunction with modern treatments, they will provide greater relief that the modern cure alone.

When I was young, I suffered from Rheumatic fever, and my weekly blood tests indicated that the conventional treatments were not working well. I became interested in finding natural cures that work to treat my condition, and it was then that an elderly lady told me about the restorative powers of the herb ginseng. I started taking it daily, and to the astonishment of my doctor, within two weeks, my blood tests were coming back normal.

I have believed in finding natural cures that work ever since.

Many debilitating conditions can be effectively treated with age old natural cures…known to and used by people for centuries, but largely forgotten today.

Ailments such as diabetes and asthma respond well to these cures, as do other conditions such as insomnia and panic disorders. The same can be said for heartburn, chronic indigestion and acid reflux.

Naturally, we should not turn our backs on modern medicine; and we most certainly should not ignore the advice of our doctors, but we should look into finding natural cures that work for whatever conditions we suffer from, so as to be more completely cured, or to at least augment the benefits of modern medicine.

Our ancestors were wise and observant, and they knew of many different and natural ways to treat different conditions. Using our modern tools, we can relearn much of what they knew, and use that knowledge to improve the quality of our own lives.

If you would like to know more about finding natural cures that work, and how they can benefit you and improve your quality of life the “natural” way, please visit the link below.