Ginger Herbal Medicine

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is widely used in the Philippines as a spice and also an herbal medicine.

Ginger has been revered in Indian and Chinese civilizations for over 5000 years for its powerful health imparting properties. In fact, Indian ginger is said to have the most potent medicinal properties.

Ginger plants can grow to about 1 meter tall. Ginger rhizomes are the most important part and most widely used for foods and medicine. Although they grow underground, they are swollen stems, not roots like what we are thought to believe. Ginger plants also have flowers which are purple with a cream blemish based. These flowers sprout directly from the rhizomes.

Fruits - red in color. Each has three chambers containing several small black seeds. Ginger plants that are cultivated in commercial plantations don't usually bear fruit.

When cooking, ginger gives an aromatic and exquisite taste to foods. Most Filipinos drink “salabat” or ginger tea, which has been known to stimulate digestion. It also has a good effect on the circulatory system as it makes the platelets less sticky. It can also be used as mouth freshener, or when you are in a voice lesson, or a singer, ginger can help you improve your golden voice.

Other health benefits of ginger:

• · Effective for reducing the severity of nausea even in cases of pregnancy.
• · Ginger tea can help relieve menstrual cramps.
• · It has anti-inflammatory properties that can lessen the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
• · Can be used to treat flu and colds

· Ginger is contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones as the herb promotes the release of bile from the gallbladder.

Oregano – Not Just Adding Spice, Also a Known Medicinal Plant

Most people thought that oregano is just a spice that adds tastes to their pasta, pizza and other foods to satisfy their delicate tastes. But for me, it’s the other way around. Here in the Philippines, oregano is well known for its herbal powers. It can cure colds, headaches and other illness. It’s just this year when I discovered that oregano can be a spice to some foods. In Europe, its most widely used as spice because Europeans love pasta and pizza.

Oregano as a spice

A number of species of Oregano are native to the Mediterranean, all of which are traded as spices. Fresh Mediterranean or European oregano is sometimes available in gourmet produce sections of supermarkets and in Italian or Greek markets. Choose bright-green, fresh-looking bunches with no sign of wilting or yellowing.

Here in the Philippines, you can buy dried oreganos on the supermarkets at their spices section.

Oregano as a medicinal herb

Oreganos come from a plant family of lamiaceae, a mint family with a scientific name of origanum vulgare. They have a very aromatic warm and slightly bitter quality. They have also been known as a herbal medicine for its strong anti-oxidant properties. They are also known for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiviral properties. They are also rich with vitamin A and vitamin C.

Oreganos can help prevent arthritis, heal wounds, insect bites, and insect stings. It can relieve upset stomach and can cure urinary tract problems. You can boil 1 cup of fresh oregano leaves in 3 cups of water for about 10 minutes. You can drink this concoction to cure colds. You can also drink the concoction daily for your arthritis.

Sambong – Herbal Medicine for Kidney Stones

Sambong is a remarkable medicinal plant that is commonly found in the Philippines, from Luzon to Mindanao. It usually grows in open grasslands.

Sambong are half-woody plant with soft hairs on its leaves. It has a strong aromatic smell and grows up to 3 centimeters in diameter.

Sambong is known for its remarkable treatment for kidney stones or nephrolithiases, urolithiases, a diuretic and other diseases. It can also be used for heart diseases and hypertension. Leaves of sambong can be infused and used as a substitute for tea and also used for colds. It is also high in essential oils and contains considerable amounts of camphor oil.

Sambong is commonly used in the Philippines and it is actually one of the top 10 medicinal herbs that have been approved by the Department of Health. Sambong products are now available tablet form in the Philippines.

When I have a kidney stone before, my doctors prescribed me this sambong forte. And I can say that it’s effective. My grandma told me to boil the leaves and drink it because it’s far more effective than the tablet form. But I can’t take it and every time I try to drink the infusion, I vomit because of the taste and I don’t like the smell, so I opt to drinking the tablet form.

Of course, drinking this medicinal herb alone can’t help you cure your illness. You need proper diet and self discipline to be successful in treating your ill health.

Lagundi - Herbal Medicine from the Philippines

Lagundi is a medicinal plant, actually a shrub that grows in the Philippines. Its scientific name is Vitex Negundo and comes from the family of Verbenaceae.

This medicinal plant normally grows wild in many places or along watercourses and other humid spaces and mixed open forest like Mt. Banahaw in the Philippines.
You can usually see it as a small tree about 8 meters tall with a pale reddish brown bark. Lagundi's distinctive features are the pointed leaves with five leaflets set like a hand.

The parts of this plant that is widely used are the leaves and the flowering tops. The roots along with the leaves of lagundi are used for pain, expectorant and also a diuretic. Also, the root is used in a great variety of diseases: dyspepsia, colic, rheumatism, worms, boils, and leprosy. In Indo-China a decoction of the root is prescribed for intermittent fevers (30 grams of roots in 1 liter of water). The saps from the crushed leaves are used for colds and sore throat. Leaf decoction of lagundi are used for wounds, ulcers, treat gastric colic, flatulence and it can also help those lactating mothers to produce more milk for their babies. The seeds are boiled and eaten to prevent the spread of toxins from the poisonous bites of animals. The flowers are used for diarrhea, cholera and liver disorders.

In the Philippines, it is now promoted and endorsed by the Philippine Department of Health as an effective herbal medicine with proven therapeutic value. It has been clinically tested and studied to be effective for colds, flu, asthma and chronic bronchitis. It is now available on capsule and syrup form because before, you have to boil it and take it orally. But I guess the natural decoction of this herbal medicine is better than its new form.

Procrastination – The Worst Traitor of All!

When I’m alone and all by myself, I’m thinking of things that I should do and those things that I MUST do… thinking that certain things should be done. But when I’m about to do it, there’s something inside me that wasn’t able to make things up. So I always end up to thinking and thinking and thinking ‘til it’s over and I didn’t do the task I should do.

This thing is what we all know as the procrastination. It’s a traitor! A virus in oneself, no one can cure it except you. I’m so tired with this thing that kept things undone. And when it’s the end of the line, you can’t do anything more because you let the time passed by without doing anything.

I’m doing this article because I’d like to do the necessary. I want to share my experience to other people who are also experiencing this procrastination thing.

I’m the most chronic procrastinator I know. I’m always thinking of things but I don’t act to finish it. I’m stagnant to thinking and I don’t want that thing. My mind is empty, I hate it! So I want to change the worst me. I have this list of things written into my notebook. I list all the things that I must do and checked those that are done. And after I evaluate it, I’m happy that I finished something. I’m proud of myself and I feel complete.

There are things that you can do stop procrastinating things and so as to stop cramming when it’s deadline. You can have a list of things that you should do and you can promise to yourself that you can do it. It’s not always the deadline, there’s always a second chance. Although time already passed, you can still do things you want the next time.

Green Blood! Not Only on Cartoons but for Real!!!

While reading for health news and health information updates, I came across to Dr. Mercola’s health blog. I was looking for some great articles and I’m caught by this title: Man with Green Blood Shocks Surgeons. I was thinking if this is for real or such a joke but when I read the article, I also got shocked!

Man with Green Blood Shocks Surgeons

The Perfect Food For ALL

Achieving optimal health requires eating a balanced diet rich in vegetables and some fruits. But, if you're like an estimated 91% of Americans, you don't even come close to the recommended daily amounts of 5-9 servings.

Perfect Food® Super Green Formula Powder:

• Contains spirulina to support healthy immune function.*
• Is packed with live probiotic cells to promote digestive health.*
• Possesses more greens per serving than other leading green food formulas
• Contains algae and cereal grasses that provide a natural source of alkalizing minerals.
• Contains natural vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene and natural vitamin C, too.

The Popular Fitness Vibration Plates – To Be or Not To Be?

Have you heard about the popular fitness vibration plates? This fitness machine have become popular in the U.S. It’s more popular to celebrities who are toning their body and even NASA tested this machine. The machine works by using vibrating your body to tone your muscles and make it easier for you to become fit and sexy. Advertisers of this machine also say that the equipment helps you improve your flexibility and strength and can also prevent osteoporosis.

The machine costs about $3,000 to $10,500 and weighs about 264 to 500 pounds and usually has handles to hang onto.

“You don’t really feel like you’re working that hard, but then you get that sweat going and once the vibration stops, you can really feel it in your legs or upper body,” - Michaela Zakheim, 45, a vibration plate user.

Fitness trainers love to use them but some users said that they don’t like the fact that they can’t watch tv or even read while working on the machine.

However, researchers warn the public about the possible bad effects of this machine to your body. Clinton Rubin, a biochemical engineering professor, believes that the power plate’s vibration levels could cause low back pains, blurred vision, cartilage damage and even brain damage.

The Best Diet of All

You probably heard this and that diet plans. Eat this type of food, avoid that kind of food, don’t take this and that… I myself have been looking for the best diet; I keep on reading and reading until I found myself lost. I’ve been struggling to be slim, and to be healthy. But one day I just realized that the best diet is SELF DISCPLINE. You can’t do all the diet plans written on the Internet or other media types if you don’t have self discipline. You can’t do the exercise thing if you are so lazy and keeping yourself just to be the way you are. You have to change your inner self first. Your attitude towards dieting is a big factor. In addition, if you would summarize all the listings about diet, you’ll just come up to a conclusion: to have a successful diet you have to be in moderation, eat the right food and do exercise to burn calories.

COFFEE! I know you have your good side

Coffee can be good for your health despite of its known bad effects to our health. Health researches have been conducting studies/ research about coffee and they’ve found out that it can be also good to our health. According to researches, coffee can help avoid the type 2 diabetes and may even help fend off certain cancers. As of now, researchers have been conducting clinical research to point out and to have a clear answer on the diabetes-preventing effects of coffee.

The New Trend - Free Cervical Cancer Vaccine in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is offering a free cervical cancer vaccine to girls ages 9 -18. The normal cost of this vaccine is about $360 for 3 shots over 6 months, according to AP. It is said that it is a response to the high demand for free vaccine that’s why medical practices have created a list of patients with ranks according to priority.

Read more about Cervical Cancer.

Virginia Tech Massacre – Gunman Cho Seung-Hui may be under the Influence of Psychiatric Drugs

According to the investigators at Virginia Tech, Cho may be under the influence of depression drugs which may cause suicidal behavior, psychosis and homicidal ideation. Some people couldn’t help thinking about the Columbine High School rampage happened almost 8 years ago and wondered if antidepressants were involved.

It is not possible that antidepressants are involved on these issues. It is very common story and most attacks are committed by those people under antidepressant medications. I wonder what the FDA would do next.

Antidepressants - Take it or Leave it

Nowadays, most people when depressed take over the counter antidepressants. Media is one f the factor why these medicines become so popular. They advertise about the benefits of antidepressants here and there. But did you know that antidepressants are not necessary and that they have no significant benefits to your health?

Surveys have been made in America about early 90’s where the participants are those people that are having mood problems. 25% of the patients were incorrectly diagnosed with depression. This is because those people are only reacting to those normal stressful events like death of a family member, losing a job, and relationship breakups. These events are normal and just part of our lives; we get really depressed by these events so there’s no use of taking antidepressants. It is also advised that only those people who are diagnosed to have clinical depression should take the antidepressants.

Here are some general side effects of taking antidepressants:
Anxiety
Weight gain
Abdominal pain
Nausea
Sleep disruption

The Birth Of Healthy Soda

Soft drink, also known as soda is a drink that does not contain alcohol. The term soft drink originally referred to carbonated drinks. Nowadays, soft drinks or sodas are very popular all over the world.

Actually, big soda companies like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola came up to introduce their new carbonated drinks that are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Companies prefer not to call them soft drinks but rather as “sparkling beverages”. The reason for this is because the traditional soda or soft drink has been linked to obesity.

Sparkling juices, green tea drinks and bottled water have become more popular in United States. It was in 2005 when the amount of soda sold drastically dropped and even the diet soda businesses were affected.

Marketing those artificially sweetened soft drinks as healthy beverages is actually “a joke” said by Tom Pirko, president of a food and beverage consulting firm. ‘‘Putting something synthetic and not natural into their bodies when they consume diet colas,'' Mr. Pirko said. ''And in the midst of a health and welfare boom, that ain't good.''

The Bright Side of Dark Chocolates

Chocolates are known to be high in calories and high in fats. That’s why eating too much chocolate can raise blood cholesterol level and makes you gain weight. And the fact that chocolates contain insufficient fiber, you won’t feel full.

Dark chocolates are known to have less fat than milk chocolates and are also known to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants polish off free radicals – unstable compound that can damage healthy cells.

If you have high blood pressure, a daily bar-sized serving of flavonol-rich dark chocolate might lower your blood pressure and improve insulin resistance, researchers report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

According to some researches, adding milk to chocolate can decrease or eliminate its antioxidant properties.

"Our findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate ... and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate." - Mauro Serafini, PhD, of Italy's National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome.