Health Insurance Company

Are you in love with lavender? If so, you're not alone, as lavender has become the most popular aromatic herb. In fact, in 1999, the "queen of herbs" was named as the "year of lavender!" As one of the most loved aromatic herbs, lavender has been cultivated and used throughout the centuries. In ancient times, the Egyptians used lavender in incense and perfume and it was even used in the mummification process. The Arabs, Greeks and Romans used lavender as an offering to their gods. Because of its tendency to render a better quality essential oil, true lavender -- which is found in the French and Mediterranean Alps, growing in altitudes of 6,000 feet -- is considered to be the most effective of these aromatic herbs. Common Uses Of Lavender As an essential oil in today's society, lavender is used, both internally and topically, for a number of conditions: - Aromatic (a most popular fragrance) - carminative (to relieve flatulence) - antibacterial - antiseptic - nervine (to calm the nerves) - expectorant - stimulant - cosmetic - antispasmodic. It has also been used to prevent some childhood infections and to soothe temper tantrums in children. The most common uses of lavender are to: treat burns (from minor to scalding), eczema, grazes, cuts, inflammation, dermatitis, headaches, migraines, fainting, nausea, insomnia, bacterial infections, boils, acne, arthritis and rheumatism. As a germicidal agent, lavender oil is non-toxic. It contains linalool and linalool acetate which play important roles in the healing process. Calming Effect Of Lavender Both humans and animals, when inhaling lavender, experience a sedative effect that closely favors the calming effect of the geranium and peppermint plants. This is probably the reason why these aromatic herbs are favored for a variety of uses from treating depression and sleep disorders to treating premenstrual syndrome. Lavender beauty and bath products, to be used for external purposes only, are often available in gift baskets. A wonderful gift for any occasion, lavender is sure to be appreciated by all who receive it. In addition to its use in aromatherapy products and treatments, lavender may be used to specifically treat depression. The Gift Of Lavender Lavender is a popular gift item that can be purchased separately or in a gift basket. Most of the aromatherapy gifts are made with essential oil and dried lavender buds. Examples of these are bar soap, bath bomb fizzers, bath crystals, bath oil beads, closet or drawer sachets, hand and body lotions, sleep pillows and soothing herbal sea salts. Beauty products that contain lavender range from body sprays and hair care products to a variety of skin care products. All of the above products mentioned are used for the sole purpose of creating a sense of peace and to promote relaxation. Lavender Trivia Did you know that lavender is also used in home cleaning products? Throughout history, lavender has found its way into the homes of many historical figures. Queen Victoria insisted that her furniture and floors be cleaned with lavender to freshen up the rooms in her castle. Queen Elizabeth I of England enjoyed drinking lavender tea as a way to relieve her migraines and other maladies. During World War I, nurses treated injured soldiers by washing their wounds with an antiseptic wash that contained lavender. Cooking With Lavender Lavender is an amazingly versatile herb that is also used for cooking -- not only at home, but also in many upscale restaurants. A member of the mint family, lavender flowers are wonderful flavor enhancers that can also add to the appearance of the food. Lavender flowers and leaves can be used freshly cut; their buds and stems can be dried before use. It is best to use lavender with other herbs, such as fennel, oregano and savory, and it can also be used with its other mint cousins (rosemary, sage and thyme). Lavender has an extremely powerful aroma, so it must be used sparingly or the recipe will have a bitter taste, and you'll feel like you are eating perfume. The next time you're cooking up a storm, add a sprig of lavender to the pot and enjoy!

Visit <a href="http://www.aromatherapy-4u.com" target="_blank"> Aromatherapy</a> to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer, visit his website at <a href="http://www.ronxking.com" target="_blank"> Articles for authors</a> Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.

From Our Own Correspondent looks back at some of its most striking reports over the last five decades.

Gordos.com - SI LE PREOCUPA el aumento de peso durante las fiestas navideñas, tenemos buenas noticias para usted: la mayoría de la gente no sube demasiados kilos en esta época del año

Before we begin a discussion about the benefits of acupuncture, let?s talk about the origins of acupuncture.

It was first used in China over 2000 years ago, and is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world.

It is a family of procedures that stimulates the anatomy of the body and helps to balance the energy flow throughout the body.

It is this kind of acupuncture that is practiced in the United Sates today, through the use of tiny, metallic needles placed in affected areas and manipulated by hand or by electrical stimulation.

Acupuncture is the basic foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is based on the belief that there are two opposing and inseparable forces within our body.

They are known as the Yin and Yang of the entire person. The Yin is representative of the cold, slow, or passive principle, and yang represents the hot, excited or active principle.

A healthy state is achieved by maintaining a balance state of the yin and yang. This is done through vital pathways or meridians that allow for the flow of qi, or vital energy. The vital energy flow occurs along pathways known as meridians.

These meridians connect over 2,000 acupuncture points along the body. There are 12 main meridians, and 8 secondary meridians. Although traditional western medicine does not completely understand how acupuncture works, the proof that it does work has been shown in several studies conducted by western medical facilities.

Now, let?s move to the question of does it work?

According to the National Institute of Health, the answer would be yes. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in many areas of health care.

Areas such as postoperative nausea, chemotherapy side effects, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, headache, menstrual cramps, addiction, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, just to name a few.

The study revealed that acupuncture was able to provide pain relief, improve function and mobility of joints due to arthritis inflammation, and served to complement standard care.

Although there are many who would doubt the effectiveness of acupuncture, once they are a patient, they are believers. It has been proposed that acupuncture works and produces its effects through regulating the nervous system.

The theory proposes that since acupuncture produces its effect through regulation of the nervous system, it induces the release of endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites on the body. There is also the theory that acupuncture alters the brain chemistry by the changing the neurotransmitters in the brain.

Without doubt acupuncture was a benefit in the study, and as a patient myself, I can vouch for the wonderful effect it has had on my back. Although acupuncture is classified as an alternative medicine therapy, and there is still much to be understood about the way it works, it is a proven aid in maintaining optimal health.

But what about the well individual, can acupuncture provide a benefit to them? Absolutely. Because acupuncture works off the belief that we must maintain balance of our vital energy flow in order to remain healthy, acupuncture serves as the tool for realignment.

Our vital energy flow can be out of balance, and we still feel and appear quite healthy. It is in this capacity that acupuncture serves as a sort of preventive medicine.

Checking and balancing the flow of energy on the meridian points in your body is like your car receiving a tune-up before it is in need of a repair.

Rene Graeber graduated from the University of Munic in Educational and Sports Science and from the Paracelsus School of Medicine in Hamburg from Naturopathic Medicine. If you?re looking for helpful information about alternative medicine visit his website at <a href="http://www.naturheilkunde-preetz.de">http://www.naturheilkunde-preetz.de</a>

Tired of taking potentially harmful drugs for your migraine headaches? Wanting to discover a cheap and natural solution to your pain? There are many different migraine headache treatments available today that are both safe and effective.

Natural treatment methods for migraine headaches are usually harmless and also cheaper than traditional pain medications. Sure, it's possible you could experience a negative reaction or even increase your headache pain because of a natural treatment, but the odds are far less than with pain-relieving medications.

People are different from each other. A natural treatment that might relieve one person's migraine headaches may not relieve someone else's. But on the same measure, just because one migraine headache treatment does not work for one person does not mean it won't work for you. There are many effective alternatives to taking medication when it comes to relieving migraine headaches. One of these alternative methods may be just what you have been looking for.

Chiropractic adjustments, or chiropractic manipulations, are a very popular natural treatment method for headache relief. Patients with migraine headaches have been visiting chiropractors for over 100 years, and with very good results. Studies have shown that over 80% of headache patients find relief with chiropractic care. Plus, chiropractic treatment has been shown to be extremely safe. Spinal problems do cause headaches and by correcting these spinal problems many headache sufferers find welcome relief.

Biofeedback is another form of treatment that is safe and can be effective in eliminating pain. Biofeedback is a training program designed to help a person develop the ability to control their autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. Functions that are normally automatic can be controlled voluntarily. This technique makes it possible for a person to control their own heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and of course, the relaxation of their tense muscles.

Stress can cause tension, which can lead to muscle tightness (muscle tension) and cause headaches. By relaxing these tense muscles, especially in the neck, it is possible to relieve the tension causing the migraine headaches. With biofeedback, once the technique is learned there is no longer any need for the biofeedback equipment. The patient with migraine headaches can now produce the desired effect at any. They can control certain bodily functions, such as muscle relaxation, which can help reduce and relieve their migraine headaches.

Most people are unaware that too much salt can cause headaches. And by simply lessening the salt intake headaches can sometimes be prevented.

Food allergies or sensitivities can also cause migraine headaches. Certain foods such as cheese, alcohol, monosodium glutamate (a food additive), nuts, beans, caffeine, chocolate and onions can cause migraines. Foods that cause headaches are called ?triggers.? People who experience migraine headaches because of food sensitivities can eliminate their pain by simply eliminating the foods causing the pain.

However, it?s not always easy to discover which foods are the culprits. One way is to keep a food diary. Get a small notebook, with each page representing one day. On each daily page make three columns. The first column will contain the hours in the day. The second column will be a list of the foods eaten that day. And the third column will list the symptoms that you experience.

As an example, if you had eggs and toast for breakfast at 8 AM you would write ?eggs and toast? in the food column that corresponds with 8 AM. Make a note of everything that is eaten on this list and at what time they were eaten.

When you eventually experience a migraine headache you write ?migraine headache? or ?headache? down in the symptoms column at the time it began. For example, if one of your headaches begins at 2 PM you will write ?headache? in the symptoms column for 2 PM.

It may take a few weeks or even a few months, but after experiencing a few migraine headaches, with the help of the food diary, you will be able to tell which foods cause headaches. Over time, by figuring out which ingredients in these foods are causing your pain, you will be able to eliminate these ingredients and relieve some pain.

Another very common cause of tension headaches and migraine headaches is just plain stress. People who experience tension can get headaches from their increased tension.

Relieving tension can often relieve migraine headaches. Tension can be relieved in many ways such as with biofeedback training (as explained above), taking a warm bath or shower, lying down and resting in a quiet dark room, putting something cold on the back of the neck (at the base of the skull) or having someone massage your neck muscles and possibly your temporal region to help relieve your tension and muscle spasms. Regular exercise can also, over time, reduce tension.

These are just a few of the many natural treatment methods that are available to migraine headache patients. They are all considered safe and are effective for many people. If you have headaches it may be beneficial to try some of these treatments or search out others on your own. But as always it is a good idea to talk with your doctor before attempting to treat yourself for a health problem.

Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has treated many patients with migraine headaches. He has patented a unique neck pillow that was designed to correct neck problems that cause headaches. For information about his natural approach for <a href="http://www.soothe-a-ciser.com">relieving migraine headaches</a> please visit his site.