Metformin for Polycystic Ovaries

I’ve been consulting my gynecologist for 2 years and she prescribed me this medicine called metformin. It’s hypoglycemic agent that is originally sold as an antidiabetic drug. It is also used in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, and has been investigated for other diseases where insulin resistance may be an important factor. Metformin works by suppressing glucose production by the liver.

This gynecologist of mine told me that I should take this medicine for the rest of my life. The hell with that! I don’t want to take this meds! It always makes my stomach upset and to live with that hassle is too much for me. I don’t even poop on public toilet!

For my own sake, I only took this for 3 months. Then my monthly period crashed again, so after 2 years I  consulted another gynecologist (not this doctor who told me to take this meds forever!) and she told me that I can try to take this for 6 months and see if this alone can make my period on regular cycle. I just started last week and I have to take this meds 2x a day. We’ll see if this can regulate my period then.

This medicine is known to treat polycystic ovaries because PCOS is frequently associated with insulin resistance. If you want to read more information about this, please read: Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Insulin Lowering Medications    

I believe PCOS can be cured by healthy lifestyle alone. I am trying to change my lifestyle for my future’s sake!

Health Benefits of Castor Oil

Health Benefits of Castor Oil

The castor plant is a large, leafy, tropical-looking plant with red or green “beans.” The castor bean is not a true bean; it is a thick round seed with small bumps on the surface. The seeds and possibly leaves (depending on the plant’s growth) of the castor bean plant are poisonous, containing ricin proteins. In fact, raw castor beans can cause illness and even kill a child. The seeds of the plant contain approximately 60% vegetable oil, which is rich with ricinolein, a glyceride of ricinoleic acid. This is the part that is extracted for manufacturing.

My friends have been talking about this castor oil and all of them said it is very helpful with constipation.

Studies have shown that Castor Oil is a very strong laxative, which makes it very effective against constipation. If you are constipated and want to try this castor oil, simply take a teaspoon in the morning. You can mix the oil with your favorite juice to lessen the bitter taste without affecting the laxative effects. As a rule for laxatives, castor oil should not be taken for a very long time. As advised, do not take it continuously for more than 3 days. If symptoms persist for longer than 3 days, consult your physician immediately.

Here are other health benefits of castor oil

Arthritis Natural Remedy

The anti-inflammatory properties of Castor Oil make it an excellent massage oil for relieving arthritic joints, nerve inflammations, and sore muscles. Make a small pad by folding a small piece of unbleached cotton flannelette into 3 or 4 layers. Dip the cotton pad into Castor Oil and place it on to the affected joint or muscle. Cover the pad with a plastic wrap. Place a hot water bottle or heating pad over the plastic wrapped cotton pad. The plastic wrap will prevent the water bottle or heating pad from getting oily. Leave the cotton pad on for 45 minutes to an hour, once per day.

Hair Loss Treatment

My mom is having problems with hair loss so I researched for some natural remedy to prevent hair loss. I read an article about castor oil and I told my mom to try this. This is just her first day to try so we can’t see the effect right away. But if this is effective to treat hair loss, I will post it on this blog so you guys know how effective castor oil is.

Instructions

1. Prepare your scalp for treatment. Wash your hair with regular shampoo and rinse thoroughly. Towel dry and let it air dry for 5-10 minutes.
2. Prepare Castor oil solution. Mix equal parts Castor oil and grape seed oil to create an oil treatment.
3. Apply Castor oil solution to the scalp. Slowly massage the Castor oil into the scalp to cover it entirely. Make sure all areas including the base of the scalp near the neck and patches around the ears are covered with the oil solution.
4. Wrap your hair in a towel. Create a "hair turban" with the towel and clip it in place with the jaw clip. Make sure the entire scalp is covered with the towel.
5. Let the treatment set for at least 15-20 minutes.
6. Rinse the hair with warm water.
7. Repeat the process at least 1-2 times per week. This will help stimulate hair growth and help slow down hair loss over time.

Be sure to avoid getting the oil solution into eyes or on clothing.

Castor Oil for Acne

The Ricinoleic Acid in castor oil works to inhibit many viruses and bacteria, and as castor oil is able to penetrate skin tissue deeply, this makes it an effective treatment for acne.

To treat acne, dab a hot damp washcloth all over your face in the evening before you go to bed. The heat will gently open the pores on your face. After this, massage a little castor oil gently into the skin. Leave on overnight. Repeat this daily for 1 to 2 weeks to see results. You can also repeat this twice in the day, once at night and once in the morning.

Castor Oil for Smooth Skin

Castor oil’s ability to penetrate more deeply than any other essential plant oil make it an excellent way to keep skin looking youthful and fresh. Castor oil works better than any store-bought anti-ageing creams.

The best way to use castor oil is to rub in a small amount over your face and around your eyes before bed. This may be hard to do at first because castor oil is extremely thick and sticky. Therefore, rub the oil in as thoroughly as possible and then pat your face gently with a tissue to get rid of the excess. This will keep wrinkles at bay. Be sure to use only cold pressed castor oil that is hexane free. Any other kind may clog your pores. Castor oil is found in several anti-ageing creams, wrinkle creams and under-eye creams.

Successful studies have approved the use of Castor Oil for skin infections and other skin problems such as sunburn, abrasions, acne, dry skin, boils, warts, stretch marks, athletes foot and chronic itching and inflamed skin.

Side Effects of Castor Oil

Castor oil is normally safe if used in moderation. However, pregnant and lactating women and people with intestinal blockage, acute inflammatory intestinal disease, appendicitis, or abdominal pain should not take Castor Oil without their doctor's approval.

Note that precautions must be taken when taking the oil internally, so you should always follow the directions on the package and consult your doctor or naturopathic professional before consuming it. A typical recommended dosage for the oil is no more than one-half to one full teaspoon per day. Over-dosage of Castor Oil may result in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or cramping.

With the many health benefits of castor oil, it is no wonder why it is one of the most beneficial oils that are available for us to use. Castor oil is truly a valuable, organic remedy that can help improve your body’s physical fitness, vigor and overall wellness.

Detox on a Lenten Season

This Lenten season, I am planning to detoxify my body for 10 days. I will post my day-to-day diet on my healthy lifestyle tips blog.

Please read my blog entry about detoxification and read more about how detox can clean your colon.

Philippine Herbal Medicines Approved by the Department of Health

1. Akapulko (Cassia alata

2. Ampalaya (Momordica charantia).

3. Bawang (Allium sativum)

4. Bayabas (Psidium guajava

5. Lagundi (Vitex negundo)

6. Niyog-niyogan (Quisqualis indica L.)

7. Sambong (Blumea balsamifera)

8. Tsaang Gubat (Ehretia microphylla Lam

9. Ulasimang Bato | Pansit-Pansitan (Peperomia pellucida

10. Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii)

Sassy Water - A Natural Way of Relieving Bloating

Have you been always bloated and feel like you're always having an uncomfortable feeling inside your tummy? Are you looking for a natural way to relieve stomach problems? Well, if you are looking for natural health solutions, you may want to try drinking sassy water.

Sassy water is actually a part of flat belly diet and mostly called a weight loss drink. I've tried drinking this for a week and it's really effective. It can relieve bloating and stomach gas. In my case, I burped a lot after about 30 minutes of drinking it and I felt like my stomach is very light in the morning. For more information regarding the sassy water, you can visit health-in-nature.com which provides healthy lifestyle tips, natural health remedies and recipes consisting of organic health foods.

Food Cravings – Mind Matter or Health Issue?

Almost all of us have our own food cravings but according to studies, women tend to crave more than men. This is because women’s food cravings have something to do with their hormones. There are some factors we need to understand why we crave for high-sugar and fatty foods. These things are important to know and figure out because if you crave for foods that are high in fats and sugar, you may have some complications regarding your health. Eating a lot of high sugar foods can cause diabetes and can be an issue if you are having weight problems. So eating the right food and eating in moderation is the way to living a healthy life.

What causes food cravings?

Most doctors and dietitians agreed that food cravings stem from a complex combination of emotional, hormonal and biochemical factors. One of the greatest factors for cravings is blood sugar imbalance. Emotional and hormonal imbalance also contributes to food cravings.

Blood Sugar Imbalance

A major trigger for food cravings is low blood sugar. This is typically caused by lack of food as a result of going too long between meals/snacks, or following very low calorie diets.

According to some studies, people with cravings often have an underlying blood sugar imbalance in which their blood sugar levels are altered because they eat too much of the wrong type of carbohydrates. These fluctuations in sugar level can cause cravings, water retention, mood swings and excessive thirst.

Hormonal Imbalance

An enormous percentage of women crave sugar, carbohydrates, or alcohol. In most cases, these food cravings are not true eating disorders, but instead are signs of hormonal imbalance caused by a lack of healthy nutrition.

The fact that the strongest food cravings occur in the week prior to menstruation, or during pregnancy, suggests that hormonal swings have an influence on this type of urge to eat. Also, it's interesting that men - who typically are less affected by hormone imbalance than women - tend to develop fewer cravings.

Emotional Imbalance

Stress, depression, and boredom are the most common triggers for food cravings. In severe cases, cravings can lead to binge eating, an eating disorder which consists of episodes on uncontrollable overeating and can be followed by compensatory behavior in which the person purge what he/she ate.

If your emotional issues remain unaddressed, your food craving will remain constant. If your emotional issues change, so will your food cravings. The only parallel between both the constant and the changing food cravings is this: There is some underlying emotional issue crying out for your attention.

“The bottom line is this: As unpleasant as it is to face a negative emotion, the alternative is even more unpleasant. Everyone gets angry, upset, or jealous at some time — there's no question about it. Sometimes life circumstances or our personal choices make it tough to stay centered in peace of mind. In fact, the only question about these emotions is whether we choose to deal with them now or later.” - Doreen Virtue, Ph.D.

Food cravings mean that the body has its signals mixed up. When we are exhausted or blue, we have low blood sugar and/or low serotonin, and the body signals the brain that it needs a pick-me-up. This signal causes a sugar craving or carbohydrate craving.

How to suppress food cravings?

1. Don’t skip meals. If you skip meals your blood sugar level will fall too low, which causes food cravings and binge eating.

2. Too much sugar and too much salt can make the cravings worse.

3. Reduce the intake of drinks that acts as stimulants like coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks. These drinks can cause fluctuations in blood sugar. Drinking a lot of water can help.

4. Avoid artificial sweeteners.

5. Reduce your intake of processed foods that are high in additives.

6. Exercise can help to curb your food cravings. Due to the influence of mood on our eating habits, especially cravings, it is vital to take regular physical exercise on most days. Exercise significantly improves mood by releasing chemicals into the bloodstream, and will definitely help you to control your urge to eat.

Beauty Agent Cucumber

I love cucumbers. Don’t you think it’s quite a salad’s sumptuous ingredient! The taste maybe bland yet there is something in it that you feel like grabbing a slice and munch on it,--- the same thing how every woman would always want these pieces in their eyes. Oh yes speaking of, cucumber is known among others as a natural beauty agent. Cliché or what, it is a fact.

Artworks like wall paintings mostly use cucumbers as subjects. And these creations are marketed to spas and some beauty salons. This is how renowned cucumbers are to the health and beauty industry. In fact, in all beauty creams and lotions and even in soaps, toners, and astringents, cucumber is well represented .Some may fit well in the budget while the rest are just impractical to afford. If this is the case, then your nearby public market is the best beauty shop for you. All you need to make your skin radiates in beauty is all there. Remember our grade school go, glow, and grow? Then better count cucumber as your glow food filled with ascorbic and caffeic acids which are known to prevent water retention. So, for swollen skin especially the baggy skin underneath the eyes that make the eyes look puffy, cucumber is your best remedy. Why spend too much on eye creams to reduce swelling when a common vegetable can easily resolve the issue, anyway! More than what it is known for as an eyebag remover, it is also best recommended to treat dermatitis and sunburns.

Cucumber is 90 per cent water which makes this food diuretic. When taken internally, it is a good agent too for detoxification. It fights uric acid, as well, which makes arthritis patients loyal to cucumber even more. And because it is cool water, its juice when applied to skin directly gives a rejuvenating effect. So how about your favourite facial wash tried and tested to open the pores to easily remove deep seated dirt and afterwards a cool treat of sliced cucumber massaged directly on to face follows? Don’t you think it is more than a nice treat for the day!



Source:

Jocelyn Aps is the Business Development Manager at Artyii, Asia's leading community for emerging paint artists. Launched in November 2010, Artyii offers a powerful global platform to discover emerging Asian art. Over 500 artists from Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia have trusted Artyii, thus far. Membership is by-invite only. Apart from sharing art, artists can communicate with gallery owners.

Health Benefits of Pineapple

I’ve been craving for pineapple and it made me write this article. Obviously, there are lots of pineapple benefits. Aside from the fact that this fruit has lots of fibers and vitamins, there are other health benefits that you might not know.

Pineapple contains proteolytic enzyme bromelain which helps in the digestion of protein. Pineapple can also help in preventing blood clot formation because of its bromelain content. Bromelain has been found to be a useful anti-inflammatory which is effective in supporting in the treatment of conditions like acute sinusitis, sore throat, gout and arthritis.

Anti-oxidant properties of pineapple

Pineapple is also known to be abundant in anti-oxidants. As we know, a buildup of free radicals can lead to diabetic heart disease and atherosclerosis; an increase in asthma attacks and increase the risk of developing certain cancers like colon cancer. So you better take some pineapple if you want to prevent having those diseases.

Pineapple against cancer

Australian research found that there are some beneficial molecules hidden in the stems of pineapples. These molecules have been found to have some defense mechanism against certain types of cancers like ovarian cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and skin cancer.

Here are some other health benefits of pineapple:

1. It is regulates the gland and found to be helpful in cases of goiter(enlargement of the thyroid gland).

2. Helps in treating dyspepsia (chronic digestive disturbance).

3. Helps in treating bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchial tubes.)

4. Lowers blood pressure

5. Helps in treating arthritis (diseases of the joints)

6. Fresh pineapple juice is also used in removing intestinal worms.

7. Prevents constipation