Alternative Health Articles

Healthy Pain Management

If your most recent workout has left you with a case of aches and pains, you may find yourself reaching for the closest pain medicine.  But if you are looking to manage your pain without taking pills, fortunately there are plenty of other ways that you can do so.

Here are some ways to treat post-workout aches and pains without popping pills:

Go see your chiropractor : Chronic and nagging pain can be alleviated oftentimes by a trip to your chiropractor.  There are many different pain patterns and chiropractors are trained to handle these pain patterns.  They can best determine how to handle your pain from the most invasive to the least invasive way.

Ice bath : An ice bath is perfect for reducing inflammation in your joints and muscles.  The ice bath helps to constrict your blood vessels, pushing your blood to your core and then that blood returns to your muscles after you get out of the ice bath.

Contrast therapy : Another popular “anti-pill” method of pain management is contrast therapy, or “3,3,3.”  This method consists of three minutes of heat and 30 seconds of cold, three times in a row.  The heat dilates all of the blood vessels, relaxes the muscle and lets in nutrients and oxygen.  The cold does the exact opposite and pushes the fluid back out.  The combination of heat and cold creates an “artificial pump” through the muscle : bringing in nutrients and pushing out the waste that causes the pain.

Anti-inflammatory diet : Inflammation causes much of the pain that people feel, so by eating an anti-inflammatory diet, with plenty of whole foods, this will help cut down on your discomfort.  Choose lean foods like chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Foam roller :Pain can be caused by adhesions, scar tissue or even repetitive use, and the body needs collagen to heal.  Foam rollers help to smooth out and realign fibers that are damaged in your tissue and promote healthy collagen growth.

Odd Home Remedies Fact or Fiction

Whether you heard it from your great aunt Millie or from your grandma's neighbor, at some point in your life you have been told a home remedy or two that simply did not make any sense.  While there are plenty of home remedies that are more folk lore than fact, there are others that do indeed work. Here are some home remedies that were put to the test to determine : fact or fiction?

Honey helps heal wounds, FACT.

Because of its antibacterial properties, honey is most effective as a wound healing agent.  According to studies, honey has an inhibitory effect to more than 60 different species of bacteria.  To heal a wound with honey, apply liberally and cover with a nonadherent dressing; change dressing once or twice a day.

A penny over a bee sting relieves pain and swelling, FICTION.

Unfortunately there is no medical evidence to show that putting a penny over your bee sting will relieve the pain and swelling.  Instead you should use aloe vera gel and apply it liberally or until it is absorbed, about 4 times a day.

Licorice helps heal sore throats, FACT.

Don't run out and get a bag of candy though when you have your next sore throat because even though licorice helps heal sore throats, it is the active ingredient in the licorice root that actually has the healing power.  You can find licorice tea bags in most drug stores that will help to heal sore throats if you drink them twice a day upon feeling your first symptoms. Two notes though, don't drink your tea after 6 p.m. as it may cause sleeplessness and do not take it if you have high blood pressure.

White flour on a small burn helps it to heal, FICTION.

White flour may not help a small burn to heal, but luckily the small burn category has a number of home remedies that do in fact work.  One suggestion is to use diluted apple cider vinegar (diluted with equal parts water) to apply to the burn.  You can also try honey, tea bags, oatmeal or milk.  If you go the tea bag route, apply wet, cool tea bags to the burn or you can soak a cloth in milk and apply it to your burn for 15 minutes, repeating every few hours for pain relief.

Legs and Arms Natural Sculpting Secret

Product Review

This month's product review will review the pros and cons of our very popular Legs & Arms Natural Sculpting System. Out of all of the products we have, this is the one product takes the longest and most amount of treatments to be effective.

Each pair is pre-cut and the herbal remedies are pre-applied to it.  After taking a hot shower, just unfold each pair and place it on your legs or arms (not both at the same time).  Most people need six pairs to get really good results on their legs, thighs and/or buttocks area.  (Note: The arms area is not as stubborn as the legs.)

It is rare that you'd see any results from one pair, but as far as the effectiveness of our Legs & Arms NSS, you will see results if you are patient enough to wait and use each of the six pairs as instructed and on schedule (every 3 days).

This might sound a bit like a negative review, but as you know by now, we are not in the business of misleading anyone and if you can stand to wait and use each pair as instructed, you'll see a significant reduction in fat, cellulite, stretch marks and even loose skin.

To try the Legs & Arms Natural Sculpting System, go to: www.HealthyRevelations.com/products.asp

Health Benefits of Deep Breathing

Deep breathing exercises is perhaps one of the simplest exercises we can do. Whether we are in the office or feeling stressed at home, all it takes is a few minutes to enjoy the health benefits that deep breathing brings.

Stress Reliever

Deep breathing helps take your mind off stressful situations. It forces you to concentrate on performing the exercise momentarily clearing your mind and reducing your stress level. This can be done anywhere, anywhere. Whether you're in the middle of a stressful meeting or at the gym, deep breathing does not only help you clear your mind but also relaxes the different muscles in your body.

Mind over Pain

Feeling the urge to pop a pill for that bothersome headache? Go natural and take a few deep breaths. Focus on your breathing and momentarily distract yourself. Pain can be caused by an aching muscle or poor circulation. Deep breathing gives your body time to relax and recuperate. This could also act as your starting point for mediation.

Strengthen your lungs

People suffering from respiratory conditions such as asthma or bronchitis can benefit from deep breathing exercises. This trains your body to make deeper and longer breathes. Deep breathes can improve air flow to the lungs and improve air capacity.

Improves Meditation

Deep breathing exercises enhances your meditation technique. Breathing is an essential discipline in yoga. Deep breathing brings you closer to the level of consciousness needed to perform yoga.

Improve your workouts and sports performance

Proper breathing technique improves overall physical performance. Deep breathing exercises improves lung capacity and make more oxygen available for your muscles. This is exactly what running out of breathe means. Your lungs are unable to compensate for increased oxygen requirements during high impact or prolonged physical activities.

Relaxation

Deep breathing helps relax your mind and body. Performing deep breathing exercises after a physically exhausting activity helps relax your muscles. It also brings much needed oxygen to the different cells in your body. Deep breathing exercises help relax shoulder muscles while releasing pent up stress. If you're having a hard time going to sleep, deep breathing exercises sets your body up for relaxation and good night sleep.

Detoxification

The simple act of exhaling helps you release harmful toxins from the body. Exhaling for example helps remove carbon dioxide a byproduct of cell activity. It also improves the flow of oxygen back to the body that feeds the cells.

It is amazing how a few deep breathes can do wonders for your mind and body. These are very simple to perform and can be done almost anytime and anywhere. So the next time you feel stress building up or find yourself too tired to move a muscle, take a few deep breathes to rejuvenate your mind and body.