Acupuncture

What Is Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of medicinal therapy that falls within the ambit of the articulate system of healing called Oriental Medicine. The other therapies that come under this category are herbology, physical therapy, dietetics and special exercises. Acupuncture, in itself, is a complete medical system, but is very different from the other branches of the modern Western medicine. This therapy finds its origin in the principles and philosophies that are based on the Oriental thinking and Oriental medicine. Read on to explore more about acupuncture therapy, through this article.

  

Acupuncture Therapy

History

Most of the people would be surprised to know that Acupuncture is one of the

House Plants

1. Bamboo Palm: According to NASA, it removes formaldahyde and is also said to act as a natural humidifier.

2. Snake Plant: Found by NASA to absorb nitrogen oxides and formaldahyde.

3. Areca Palm: One of the best air purifying plants for general air cleanliness.

4. Spider Plant: Great indoor plant for removing carbon monoxide and other toxins or impurities. Spider plants are one of three plants NASA deems best at removing formaldahyde from the air.

5. Peace Lily: Peace lilies could be called the “clean-all.” They’re often placed in bathrooms or laundry rooms because they’re known for removing mold spores. Also know to remove formaldahyde and trichloroethylene.

6. Gerbera Daisy: Not only do these gorgeous flowers remove benzene from the air, they’re known to improve sleep by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off more oxygen over night.

Health Benefits of Sesame Seeds

Sesame (pron.: /ˈsɛsəmiː/; Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods.

Sesame seed is considered to be the oldest oilseed crop known to man, domesticated well over 5000 years ago. Sesame is very drought-tolerant. It has been called a survivor crop, with an ability to grow where most crops fail.

Sesame has one of the highest oil contents of any seed. With a rich nutty flavor, it is a common ingredient in cuisines across the world.

Sesame, like other nuts and foods, can trigger allergic reactions in some people.

The world harvested about 3.84 million metric tonnes of sesame seeds in 2010. The largest producer of sesame seeds in 2010 was Burma. The world's largest exporter of sesame seeds was India, and Japan the largest importer.

        
A staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, sesame seeds are one

The Health Benefits of Pomegranates

Have you ever eaten delicious organic pomegranate seeds or drink refreshing pomegranate juice? What a great tasting and refreshing snack! This slightly peculiar fruit has held legendary powers for countless centuries.

Persians believe Eve actually ate a pomegranate she plucked from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, not an apple. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life.

This fruit is also featured in mythology and tradition as a symbol of good tidings. Greeks break open a pomegranate at

Foods for common cold

In common cold you may hesitate what foods should be taken, what not, here is a list of foods are best for fighting common cold.



1. Chicken soup why: It’s been called nature’s penicillin and is at the top of the list for its curative powers. Hot chicken soup helps clear clogged airways,

2. Hot and spicy food why? : chillis or spicy sauces to help ease congestion. Cook Indian or other ethnic foods that contain these ingredients, or simply add a spicy sauce to foods for extra zip

3. Garlic why: This fragrant bulb contains a flavoring agent called alliin which acts as a decongestant. Garlic is also believed to act as an antioxidant and destroy free-radicals, the active oxygen molecules that damage cells


4. Fluids Why:

Benefits of Waking Up Early

Early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy as well as wise. And that is not merely an age-old saying. It works in daily life too.




 Read on to know how.

1. Time to Exercise
Waking up early gives yo

u the time to exercise. You can easily go for a jog, do a few laps in the pool, practice yoga or hit the gym with plenty of time at hand.

2. Time to Meditate
There is nothing like beginning the day with a dose of meditation. It will help calm your mind and sharpen your reflexes to keep you going through your busy schedule of work.

3. Experience the Charm of Early Morning
Only an early morning person knows the charm and serenity that those hours offer. The silence, the birds chirping, the absence of cars honking, and the sunrise are all advantages only early rising can offer.

4. Increase Productivity and Efficiency
A study conducted at the Texas University in 2008 revealed that early risers are more

the Right Fruit Juice with Meds

Before you wash down medication with just any beverage, watch out; common drinks, from fruit juice to coffee, can lessen the effectiveness of certain drugs as well as pose serious health threats when combined with some prescriptions. Medical toxicologist Lesile Dye, MD, FACMT outlined the top alarming combos.

Grapefruit Juice
Grapefruit juice negatively interacts with more than 50 medications, including statins. Because the effects of the citrus juice last more than 24 hours, simply taking your meds at a different time won't solve the problem.



Pomegranate Juice
An enzyme found in pomegranate juice can

A must to add to your daily diet - Petai scientific name Parkia speciosa

Petai, scientific name Parkia speciosa (bitter bean, twisted cluster bean, or stink bean) is a plant of the genus Parkia in the family Fabaceae. It bears long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a rather peculiar smell, characterised by some as being similar to natural gas.

      

It is known as petai, pete or peteh in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. In marketplace, depending on the country of origin Parkia species may be labelled peteh, petai, yongchaa, yongchaak,Zawngṭah (pronounced Zongtrah). They are best when combined with other strongly flavoured foods such as garlic, chili peppers, dried shrimp or shrimp paste, as in sambal petai. When young the pods are flat because the seeds have not yet developed, and they hang like a bunch of slightly twisted ribbons, pale green, almost translucent. At this stage they may be eaten raw, fried or pickled. Young tender pods with undeveloped beans can be used whole in stir-fried dishes.

Spice Up Your Life

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance primarily used for flavouring, colouring or preserving food.^{[citation needed]} Sometimes a spice is used to hide other flavours.

Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are parts of leafy green plants also used for flavouring or as garnish.

Many spices have antimicrobial properties. This may explain why spices are more commonly used in

Tropical Fruits That Can Change Your Life

In many parts of the country, snow and ice still have a deathgrip on the local climate. In my neck of the woods, we still have massive piles of ice and snow on every street corner and at the end of every driveway. So it’s only natural that many of us are looking for a way to bust through the winter blues.

One thing that often works is to enjoy more tropical fruits, such as mangoes, bananas, coconuts, or papayas. These fruits are usually available all winter long, and are like an early preview of summer’s warmth. But beyond these warm feelings, many tropical fruits have far more powerful abilities.

Did you know that one tropical fruit can be used as a substitute for IV fluid in an emergency? Or that another tropical treat has been shown in studies to kill cancer cells? Aside from their health benefits, there are plenty of other reasons to love the following tropical fruits…and some of these benefits will definitely surprise you.

               

1. Coconuts
You might think of coconut as the sweet topping on German chocolate cake, but this fruit has plenty of health benefits as well. Coconut water has a

More on Health Benefits of Dates

Health benefits of dates are uncountable, as this fruit is affluent in natural fibres. Dates are even rich in several vitamins and minerals. These natural products contain oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous,manganese, copper and magnesium which are advantageous for health. It is said that consumption of one date daily is necessary for a balanced and healthy diet. Dates help in fighting constipation, intestinal disorders, weight gain, heart problems, sexual weakness, diarrhoea and abdominal cancer.

Health benefits of dates have made them the best nourishment for muscles development. People consume dates in several ways, like mixing the paste of the dates with milk, yoghurt or with bread or butter to make the food tasty and healthy. This paste is beneficial for both adults and children, especially during the time of recovery. According to the modern medicine survey, it is known that dates are useful in preventing abdominal cancer. It is also seen that many Muslims break their fast by eating dates and water according to their traditions. Breaking fast with eating dates helps us to avoid overeating of the food after the fast. When the body absorbs the nutritional value of the dates, the feeling of hunger gets pacified.
          

Dates are termed as a crown of sweets and ideal food which easily balances and digests food. It gives extra energy to a tired human body within half an hour after taking it. Dates are considered to be the best diet for confinement of the women.American Cancer Society

Dates nutrition facts

What nutrients are there in dates? A lot indeed! Here are sweet, delicious fruits from the tropical oasis, brimming with much-needed minerals and energy to help you stay fit and healthy. 

Botanically; they are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae in the genus:Phoenix and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. The tree is believed to originate in the lands on the banks of Nile and Euphrates Rivers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Date palm is now grown extensively for its edible fruits under warmer climates across all the continents.

The date fruit is a "drupe" in which outer fleshy part (exocarp and mesocarp) surrounds a shell (the pit or stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. The fruit is oval to cylindrical in shape, 3–7 cms long, and 2–3 cms diameter, and when ripe, range from bright red to depending on the variety.
There are many varieties of date palm cultivated. ‘Amir Hajj’, ‘Saidy’, 'Khadrawy' and 'Medjool' is some of the important varieties that are popular for their superior quality.

      

Health benefits of dates

• Wonderfully delicious, dates are one of the most

What Do Berries Have?

Berries contain many beneficial micronutrients including vitamin C and calcium. In addition, berries are an excellent source of dietary fiber (mostly a soluble fiber called pectin). Scientists have found that berries have some of the highest antioxidant levels of anyfruits. Kale and spinach are the only vegetables with oxygen radical absorptive capacity (ORAC) values as high as fresh delicious berries. These tiny mouth-watering fruits contain numerous health-promoting compounds. They are some of the most powerful (and yummy) “good-for-you”  foods available.

If you have ever had the pleasure of picking berries right from a garden or gathering wild berries in the woods, you already know how wonderful fresh berries are. Most berries are naturally sweet and require little effort to prepare. Just rinse them under water and serve for a nutritious snack or dessert.

One cup of strawberries contains over 100 mg of vitamin C, almost as much as a cup of orange juice. We need vitamin C for immune system function and for strong connective tissue. Strawberries also add a bit of calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium and only 53 calories. 
One cup of blueberries offers a smaller amount of vitamin C, minerals and phytochemicalsfor only 83 calories. The same amount of cranberries is similar, but with only 44 calories, 1 cup of raspberries offers vitamin C and potassium for 64 calories. 
You can choose other berries with similar

Korean Ginseng - Weight Loss Herbs

Korean Ginseng and Some Advice About Weight Loss Herbs
Robert Newman, L.Ac.

In order to discuss and understand Korean Ginseng, I think it’s important that I present some information about Ginseng, generally and specifically. There are several types of Ginsengs, derived from either different species of plants or from the same species being processed and prepared in different ways. There is American Ginseng (from Panax quinquefolius), and White Chinese, Red Chinese, Korean and Japanese Ginseng (all of these last four come from one species, Panax ginseng). There has also been a species of Panax discovered to be a potentially excellent tonic herb in Vietnam. And there is also the well-known Siberian Ginseng, but that is not really a true Ginseng(Panax species) -- it is in the same family (Araliaceae), but of a different genus: Eleutherococcus senticosus. So as I just stated, the Korean Ginseng is a type of Panax ginseng, known in Chinese as "Ren Shen" ("wren shen," meaning "person/man root": a good root was said to look somewhat like the shape of a person’s body; this follows the belief that form and function are linked, so it is felt that a root that looks like a person’s body is more likely to improve the health of the body). 

 

Generally speaking, Panax ginseng is said to have the following properties, functions and indications: 

-- it is said to be sweet, sl. bitter, sl. warming; it affects the Lungs and Spleen "Qi" (this is not the western physiological "Spleen," but rather it is the Chinese concept of this organ -- it’s fairly similar to the the idea of the western pancreas: strongly responsible for the digestive and assimilative functions; but additionally, it is said to help hold up the organs and tissues to prevent prolapse, hold the blood in the blood vessels to prevent bleeding from weakness, and to be important for distributing nutrients throughout the body to maintain one’s energy and weight); 

Knee Pain

Pineapple Express Eases Knee Pain

Anti-inflammatory effects

Aside from high levels of vitamin C, pineapples are a good source of calcium, potassium and fibre, as well as being low in fat and cholesterol. But what makes this tropical fruit truly unique? It contains an enzyme knownas bromelain, which aids digestion and causes the body to produce substances that fight pain, swelling and inflammation.

Preliminary studies suggest bromelain extract may be especially effective in treating pain associated with knee osteoarthritis, and may

Serious health issue about HANDBAGS

I used to think currency coins and notes are the 'dirtest' items that we handle. Ladies handbags and men's clutch bag must be a close second after reading this article.

 HANDBAGS : Something to think about!
 

Have you ever noticed girls who set their handbags on public toilet floors, then go directly to their dining tables and set it on the table?
Happens a lot!   It's not always the 'restaurant food' that causes stomach distress. Sometimes 'what you don't know will hurt you'!

20 Painkillers in Your Kitchen

Make muscle pain a memory with ginger

When Danish researchers asked achy people to jazz up their diets with ginger, it eased muscle and joint pain, swelling and stiffness for up to 63 percent of them within two months. Experts credit ginger’s potent compounds called gingerols, which prevent the production of pain-triggering hormones. The study-recommended dose: Add at least 1 teaspoon of dried ginger or 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger to meals daily.

Cure a toothache with cloves

Got a toothache and can’t get to the dentist? Gently chewing on a clove can ease tooth pain and gum inflammation for two hours straight, say UCLA researchers. Experts point to a natural compound in cloves called eugenol, a powerful, natural anesthetic. Bonus: Sprinkling a ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves on meals daily may also protect your ticker. Scientists say this simple action helps stabilize blood sugar, plus dampen production of artery-clogging cholesterol in as little as three weeks.




Heal heartburn with cider vinegar

Sip 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8 ounces of water before every meal, and experts say you could shut down painful bouts of heartburn in as little as 24 hours. “Cider vinegar is rich in malic and tartaric acids, powerful digestive aids that speed the breakdown of fats and proteins so your stomach can empty quickly, before food washes up into the esophagus, triggering heartburn pain,” explains Joseph Brasco, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Center for Colon and Digestive Diseases in Huntsville, AL.



Erase ear aches with garlic

Painful ear infections drive millions of Americans to doctors’ offices every year. To cure one fast, just place two drops of warm garlic oil into your aching ear twice daily for five days. This simple treatment can clear up ear infections faster than prescription meds, say experts at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Scientists say garlic’s active ingredients (germanium, selenium, and sulfur compounds) are naturally toxic to dozens of different pain-causing bacteria. To whip up your own garlic oil gently simmer three cloves of crushed garlic in a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil for two minutes, strain, then refrigerate for up to two weeks, suggests Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., co-author of the book,Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy. For an optimal experience, warm this mix slightly before using so the liquid will feel soothing in your ear canal.



Chase away joint and headache pain with cherries

Latest studies show that at least one in four women is struggling with arthritis, gout or chronic headaches. If you’re one of them, a daily bowl of cherries could ease your ache, without the stomach upset so often triggered by today’s painkillers, say researchers at East Lansing ’s Michigan State University . Their research reveals that anthocyanins, the compounds that give cherries their brilliant red color, are anti-inflammatories 10 times stronger than ibuprofen and aspirin. “Anthocyanins help shut down the powerful enzymes that kick-start tissue inflammation, so they can prevent, as well as treat, many different kinds of pain,” explains Muraleedharan Nair, Ph.D., professor of food science at Michigan State University. His advice: Enjoy 20 cherries (fresh, frozen or dried) daily, then continue until your pain disappears.

Fight tummy troubles with fish

Health Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea field plantation.

Although previous studies have shown that green tea consumption aids in weight loss, can lower cholesterol levels and is full of anti-oxidants, a new report published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research reveals that it may also benefit memory and spacial awareness as well. 

Yun Bai, from the Third Military Medical University in Chongqing China commented: 
"Green tea is a popular beverage across the world. There has been plenty of scientific attention on its use in helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, but now there is emerging evidence that its chemical properties may impact cellular mechanisms in the brain."

During their study, the experts concentrated on EGCG (epigallocatechin-3 gallate), an organic chemical and main ingredient in green tea. Although EGCG is an anti-oxidant, the researchers say that it may also protect against degenerative diseases which come with age