If you are looking to heal yourself, explore these lesser known, but effective non-toxic medicinal approaches.

Poplar tree leaf bud extract could fight skin aging

Antioxidants are popular anti-aging ingredients in skin creams, and now scientists are reporting a new source of these healthful substances — leaf buds of poplar trees. Their study appears in the ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Xavier Vitrac and colleagues note that there’s a long history of using poplar buds to treat various health problems, such as colds, sinusitis, sunburn and arthritis. A substance found in beehives that is made from poplar buds (called propolis) also appears to have similar disease-fighting benefits. Propolis’ effects seem to be due to poplar bud compounds, but very little is known about these substances. To see whether poplar buds are a good source of antioxidants for skin creams, the researchers decided to test an extract from the buds.

The group found that poplar bud extract had moderate antioxidant activity, and it demonstrated anti-aging effects on cells in the laboratory. “The collective antioxidant properties and transcriptional effect of this extract suggest potential anti-aging properties which could be utilized in cosmetic and nutraceutical formulations,” the scientists say.

You are not obligated to have a vaccine if you do not want to. There are other ways, other than vaccines, which actually build the immune system, which these vaccines do not do.

Recent research demonstrates the anitviral effect of the herb asoefetida against influenza. What is really interesting is that the interest is not in helping people only how to synthesize these natural agents into a drug. Why not promote health instead of poorly tested, hastily made vaccines?

Read more on Asafoetida.

Influenza A (H(1)N(1)) Antiviral and Cytotoxic Agents from Ferula assa-foetida.
Lee CL, Chiang LC, Cheng LH, Liaw CC, Abd El-Razek MH, Chang FR, Wu YC.

Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Two new sesquiterpene coumarins, designated 5′-acetoxy-8′-hydroxyumbelliprenin (1) and 10′R-acetoxy-11′-hydroxyumbelliprenin (2), and a new diterpene, 15-hydroxy-6-en-dehydroabietic acid (3), along with 27 known compounds, were isolated from a CHCl(3)-soluble extract of Ferula assa-foetida through bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures of the new metabolites 1-3 were identified by spectroscopic data interpretation and by the Mosher ester method. Compounds 4 and 6-13 showed greater potency against influenza A virus (H(1)N(1)) (IC(50) 0.26-0.86 microg/mL) than amantadine (IC(50) 0.92 microg/mL), and 11 exhibited the best potency (IC(50) 0.51, 2.6, and 3.4 microg/mL) of these compounds against the HepG2, Hep3B, and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, respectively.

Is there a role for complementary therapy in the management of leukemia?
Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2009 Sep;9(9):1241-9
Patients with leukemia often seek additional treatments not prescribed by their oncologist in an effort to improve their cancer treatment outcome or to manage symptoms.

Complementary therapies are used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments to decrease symptoms and side effects associated with cancer or cancer treatment, and to improve patients’ overall quality of life. Complementary therapies are distinct from so-called ‘alternative’ therapies, which are unproven, ineffective and may postpone or interfere with mainstream cancer treatment. Complementary therapies are pleasant, inexpensive, nonpharmacologic and effective. For patients with leukemia, the complementary therapies that are always appropriate include mind-body interventions, such as self-hypnosis, meditation, guided imagery and breath awareness. Massage and reflexology (foot massage) decrease symptoms with effects lasting at least 2 days following treatment. Acupuncture is very beneficial for symptom management without adverse consequences. Physical fitness with regular exercise and healthy dietary habits can significantly decrease side effects of cancer treatments and may prolong survival. Botanical extracts and vitamin supplements may interfere with active cancer treatments, and should be discussed with the oncologist or pharmacist before use.

Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1429 First Avenue, NY 10021, USA.

First you have to locate a trained, qualified homeopath. Homeopathic care is not licensed in the US and most states do not oversee the practice. Search national organizations such as the North American Society of Homeopaths or the Council for Homeopathic Certification. Both are sources of qualified homeopaths. A certification is not a license or a recommendation. What it demonstrates is a certain amount of education, training and the ability to meet certain requirements. However, there are excellent homeopaths who may choose not to be included in a directory. Ask family and friends if they know of someone. Check for local workshops given by a practitioner.

At the minimum you want a homeopath who has undertaken training at a school run by homeopaths. It is even better if the school had a training clinic whereby there was mentoring. In the final selection, just like any health practitioner make sure there is appropriate rapport between you. Ask questions. Check to see if they have training in other therapies. What kind of success have they experienced?

Healing is a process and it happens on many levels. You have to allow yourself time for it to develop and manifest. It can be rapid or it may take more time, especially if someone is beset with deep seated or multiple ailments. Homeopathy has been helping people for centuries.

Question:

Lately, my husband has started sweating profusely when he is asleep.  His sweat has a strong cheesy smell. He is showers regularly so that is not the problem.  Is this serious?

———

A Homeopathic Look

I’m not speaking to the, is this serious question, as I am not an medical doctor.  Let’s take a peek at this situation from a homeopathic perspective.

I decided to repertorize these few symptoms and see what comes up.  Look below.  Of course, other factors have to be taken into consideration to make a remedy decision.
Cheesy perspiration, could also be close to “fetid” and “offensive”, but I like this rubric since it quite distinct and in the person’s own language.

Perspiration
ODOR, cheesy, (8)

Perspiration
PROFUSE (224)
night (97)

Based on this limited information what homeopathic remedy might you suggest for this individual?

For a doctor’s perspective on the question read here.

Help for High Blood Pressure

Enter the Polypill.  Researchers want to create a pill a 3 in one that can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure in one.  article here
Truth is it has been created or should I say they have been. When we eat whole foods, contained therein is a synergistic blend of vitamins, proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, solar and lunar energy and maybe even (hopefully) love from the gardener. We cannot get this from a pill.

Run This Way

Instead of running from nature, run to nature. Nurture yourself with learning how to live in balance. It’s free. It’s the healthiest choice for yourself and the planet. Give it a try. Polypill? Try basking in the sun, or hugging a dear friend, cook yourself a meal with a big dose of love in it…you’ll be glad you did, for benefits no Polypill could ever provide.

At Continuum Wellness we offer homeopathic care and wellness coaching to promote wholeness, health and well-being.

Some of the comments that I received is that it was a quality event, that the vibe was very soothing, nourishing and uplifting. Attendees said how so many others could benefit from the information provided at the program. And then a lot of folks wanted to know when will we have the next one.

Ahem, cough, cough… let me just say that while I thoroughly enjoyed pulling this together it is a major to do, so, you can mark your calendars now, we will have it again next February 2010.

Last but not least (forgive the cliche) were the wonderful vendors, who came out to share their products.
And thanks to all who came out to participate in the 1st Annual Living Well Holistic Health Fair.
*each one, teach one*

stay tuned, some pic’s will be posted

Special guest: Continum Wellness proprietor and Homeopath Catherine (Senbita) Carter.

call in at 1-866-851-5279 with your questions and comments on health, wellness, rejuvenation etc…

I look forward to hearing from you!

Peace and love

New Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Centers Target Stress-Related Illnesses, Obesity, Cancer, and Other Conditions

The National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has added four new Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CERCs) to its research centers program. The new centers will add to knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches and their potential in treating and preventing diseases and conditions that are common among Americans.

In NCCAM’s CERC program, highly accomplished researchers across a variety of disciplines apply cutting-edge technology to projects in CAM. The new centers and their projects are as follows.

Wisconsin Center for the Neuroscience and Psychophysiology of Meditation
Principal Investigator: Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D.
Institution: University of Wisconsin, Madison
Dr. Davidson’s team will examine the impact of two forms of meditation — loving-kindness/compassion meditation and mindfulness meditation — on the brain and body, focusing on the regulation of emotion and on emotional reactivity. Potential applications in health include biological and behavioral processes linked with emotions and/or stress, such as recurrent depression.

Metabolic and Immunologic Effects of Meditation
Principal Investigator: Frederick M. Hecht, M.D.
Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Hecht and his colleagues will study a program combining mindfulness meditation, mindful eating (the practice of awareness and attentiveness in the present moment while eating), and a diet and exercise program, for use in obesity and metabolic syndrome. They will test whether this program helps alter participants’ hormonal responses to stress and helps enhance and maintain weight loss. Metabolic syndrome involves a cluster of abnormalities–including increased cholesterol, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance–that increases one’s risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

CAM as Countermeasures Against Infectious and Inflammatory Disease
Principal Investigator: Mark A. Jutila, Ph.D.
Institution: Montana State University, Bozeman
This center will study biologically based CAM therapies and their effects on immune system function in infectious and inflammatory diseases. One project focuses on effects of botanical extracts — from apple polyphenols, which are concentrated in apple skins, and from yamoa, which comes from the bark of an African gum tree — on white blood cells, using models of infection and inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. A second project examines two compounds in licorice root — glycyrrhizin and 18-glyrrhetinic acid — for their potential antiviral effects in models of influenza and stomach virus. A third project will focus on bacterial products to see how they treat autoimmune diseases, like arthritis, which may also help build understanding of probiotics’ action.

Center for Herbal Research on Colorectal Cancer
Principal Investigator: Chun-Su Yuan, M.D., Ph.D.
Institution: University of Chicago
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Dr. Yuan and his colleagues will examine the anti-tumor effects of different preparations of the herbs American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and notoginseng (Panax notoginseng). They will seek to learn more, through laboratory and animal studies, about how these herbs act upon cellular and molecular pathways of the mechanisms of cancer inhibition.

“The new CERCs, all based on strong preliminary work, apply natural-product and mind-body CAM approaches across a range of health conditions that affect the American public,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., NCCAM director. “Their multidisciplinary, collaborative structure increases opportunities for improving health and discovering insights into important aspects of human biology.”

The grants provide five years of support and bring the total number of CERCs to 11. To learn more about NCCAM’s research centers, go to nccam.nih.gov/training/centers/.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s mission is to explore complementary and alternative medical practices in the context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and disseminate authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit the NIH

The use of flowers for healing was known in times past, but had fallen out of favor until the pioneering work of Dr. Edward Bach. His work to reduce the suffering of his fellow man lead him to the flowers and the development of the Bach Flower remedies. The Bach remedies recognize 38 conditions that are aligned to states of dis-ease within the psyche. In addition is a special formula known as ‘rescue remedy’.

Rescue Remedy is a combination blend consisting of: Rock Rosefor terror, Star of Bethlehem for shock, Cherry Plum for loss of control, Clematis for unconsciousness and Impatiens for stress. This blend is useful for easing stress as well as helping to restore calm in emergencies.

The flower essences are non-toxic and easy to take. A drop or two taken under the tongue or in a small amount of water and sipped. Very easy. For more information check here.