Organic All-Purpose Cleanser

Here's a recipe for a great organic all-purpose household cleanser.  Initially, the ingredients may seem costly, but in the long run, they are actually a fraction of the cost of commercial cleansers.  These ingredients should last you several years.


What You'll Need:
  1                  Large Spray Bottle 
  1                  Funnel 
  2 cups        Hot Water (not boiling)
  2 tbsp        White Vinegar
  1/2 tsp       Borax
  1/2 tsp       Washing Soda Crystals (Arm & Hammer)
  1/2 tsp       Liquid Castile Soap
  20 drops   Tea Tree Essential Oil

Recipe taken from Gorgeously Green, by Sophie Uliano, eHow Presenter

Muscles of the Shoulder and Arm

Posterior View

Anterior View

Trail Guide to the Body Student Handbook,
Text by Andrew Biel, LMP
Illustrations by Robin Dorn, LMP

Stretching Is A Daily Requirement ~ Stretch #1

Benefits of Stretching

- Improve preparation for athletic activity. 

- Facilitate the removal of metabolic waste products.  Improved oxygenation eliminates carbon dioxide formation; whereas, improved circulation eliminates lactic acid build up.

- Reduce risk of muscle, tendon, ligament and joint injuries.  Improved flexibility optimizes physiologic functions and decreases local ischemic effects.

- Reduced postural tightness due to aging, kyphosis, scoliosis, and flexor contractures are created by tightness of myofascial structures supporting the spine as we stand in a forward biped stance.

- Flexibility promotes improved blood circulation and oxygenation, nourishing cells, tissues and organs restoring health and wellness.

- Facilitate the flow of lymphatic fluid.  Optimal stretch stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluid that allows the body to channel waste and toxic products out of the body.

Stretching is a daily requirement!

Muscles shorten, stiffen, or become tense from work, training, posture, gravity, or stress.  Tissue can be revitalized by proper nutrition, rest, and exercise.  Exercise such as Active Isolated Stretching help restore full joint movement, decrease tissue soreness and fatigue, increase tissue pliability and improve posture.

Establish the following breathing rhythm when stretching:
- Exhale during the work phase of stretching.  Exhalation encourages muscle relaxation.
- Inhale as the body part returns to the starting posture.

AIS Stretch #1 ~ Horizontal (Abduction) Extension I

Muscles Stretched:  Anterior chest and shoulder muscles including the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, teres major, anterior deltoid and coracobrachialis.

Muscles Contracted:  Trapezius, infraspinatus, teres minor, rhomboid major and rhomboid minor muscles.

Method:  You may incorporate the use of a wall, doorway, or suitable stabilizing surface to assist with the stretch.  To properly stretch these muscles, exhale and with your hand in contact with the surface, contract posterior shoulder muscles and reach backward with the arm as you rotate the body (pivot) away from the stabilizing surface.  Inhale while returning to the starting position and repeat movement.  Gradually, elevate arm (18-24 inches above level) to lengthen the fibers above those previously stretched.

Repetitions:  10 or more if needed.

Text and photographs taken from Active Isolated Stretching:  The Mattes Method, by Aaron L. Mattes

ALFALFA is one of my favorite herbal supplements!

ALFALFA
Medicago sativa

Properties and Uses:  Food, alterative (good for the whole body),
CO-Q 10 source, body nutrients, tonic, joints, stomach and arthritic discomfort, stops excess sweating, deodorizes, pituitary gland nutrient.

Common Names:  Lucern and Baffalo Herb

Parts Used:  Leaves

Bodily Influences:  This food, which has its name from the Arabic language is known as the "father of all foods."  Alfalfa comes to us originally from Asia.  It is always a matter of great humor for herbalists when some chemist isolates a new vitamin and discovers it is also found in Alfalfa.  Alfalfa is easy to digest as it contains at least eight active enzymes.  These enzymes help a person to digest the food as well as the plant itself.  Large quantities may be eaten for the purpose of relieving joint pains, repairing and maintaining bones, repair of stomach and as a source of hormaonal nutrition for all important pituitary gland.  Alfalfa, due to a root system as deep as 125 feet, brings up a rich storehouses of Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorous and Sodium.  These minerals are in excellent balance for a healthy system.

Dosage:  20 to 80 drops after each meal and persist until results are achieved.  Enjoy the many short-range benefits and especially those long-range benefits which occur over months and years.

Herbs For You Build Better Health Naturally, by Dr. A.B. Howard

*Note:  This article is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice by licensed physicians.  A reader should consult a physician regularly in all matters relating to medical problems, especially in matters of diagnosing, treating or curring diseases or other physcial or mental conditions.*

I have been a distributor for Pure Herbs, Ltd. since 2010.  If you are interested in herbal supplements, please contact me at knead.to.be.in.touch@gmail.com!

Massage Offers Therapeutic Benefits to Hospice Patients

By Brandon J. Thomas

Massage can provide comfort and relaxation at the end of life, which can be a time of increased anxiety and fear for those making the transition as well as for their families. Hospice is a term that refers to the palliative care of patients who are nearing death. Palliative care does not attempt to cure a condition, rather, it strives to provide comfort and support to the dying, and treatments such as massage are focused on making the transition more comfortable for the individual. 

Physical benefits of therapeutic massage for those at the end of life include the easing of muscle tension and improved circulation. Improved circulation has secondary benefits, such as aiding with digestion, promoting easier breathing, providing a temporary enhancement of mental clarity and encouraging a more restful sleep. Pain management is also an important benefit of massage, especially for those with a terminal illness. Massage's proven effectiveness for the reduction or mitigation of pain can even diminish the need for prescription painkillers.

Emotional comfort also extends to the family members, as they are aware that someone is providing a gentle and compassionate method of care to their dying loved one. Isolation is a common factor that hospice patients experience, and the gentle, caring touch of a massage can convey a sense of physical connectedness that helps the individual to know that they are not alone.  Massage can reestablish positive self-esteem and promote self-acceptance to a person whose body has been tormented by disease. This can have a positive impact on the quality of life, and can also spur a release of emotions. 

 

Medicare does not yet cover massage therapy for hospice situations, but there are an increasing number of groups that are developing programs to provide palliative care to the terminally ill and dying. As more data is collected regarding the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy for hospice patients, it is hoped that the gift of compassionate touch can be made available to each individual who is in need of comfort and kindness as they transcend the physical realm.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2659183

Dry Brushing Technique

Did You Know?

~ The skin is the largest most important eliminative organ in the body and is responsible for one quarter of the body’s detoxification each day?

~The skin eliminates over one pound of waste acids each day in the average adult, most of it through the sweat glands?

~That the skin is known also as our third kidney? 

~That the skin receives one third of all the blood circulated in the body?

~ That the skin is the last to receive nutrients in the body, yet the first to show signs of imbalance or deficiency?

Detoxification is performed by a number of organs, glands, and transportation systems, including the skin, gut, kidneys, liver, lungs, lymphatic system, and mucous membranes. The dry brushing technique deals with detoxification of the skin.

Dry brushing is a way to stimulate all the above organs of detoxification because it provides a gentle internal massage. Dry brushing is promoted as a preventative for dry skin and a way to exfoliate the skin, thus stimulating skin renewal that is super soft to the touch, but there are many other benefits as well:

    1.    Removes cellulite

    2.    Cleanses the lymphatic system

    3.    Removes dead skin layers

    4.    Strengthens the immune system

    5.    Stimulates the hormone and oil-producing glands

    6.    Tightens the skin preventing premature aging

    7.    Tones the muscles

    8.    Stimulates circulation

    9.    Improves the function of the nervous system

   10.   Helps digestion

   11.    AND it’s easy, inexpensive and invigorating!

What You Need To Do Dry Brushing:

To dry brush, use a soft natural fiber brush with a long handle, so that you are able to reach all areas of your body. One with a removable head with a strap for your hand is a good choice.

Tips and Tricks for Dry Brushing:

 ~Always dry brush your dry and naked body before you shower or bathe because you will want to wash off the impurities from the skin as a result from the brushing action.

~You can do the brushing head-to-toe or toe-to-head.  It really doesn’t matter as long as the entire body is brushed. Long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction help drain the lymph back to your heart.

Note: Stroking away from your heart puts extra pressure on the valves within the veins and lymph vessels and can cause ruptured vessels and varicose veins.

~Use light pressure in areas where the skin is thin and harder pressure on places like the soles of the feet.

~Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. A thorough skin brushing takes about 15 minutes, but any time spent brushing prior to bathing will benefit the body. If you are feeling ill, increasing the treatments to twice a day is good. You can also dry brush areas of cellulite five to 10 minutes twice a day to achieve cellulite dissolving but the technique needs to be done consistently for a minimum of five months.

~Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken such as areas of skin rash, wounds, cuts, and infections. Also, never brush an area affected by poison oak or poison ivy.

~Finish up with your regular shower.

~Clean your skin brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.

~Any well designed program will take about 30 days to see and experience the changes. Please be patient and keep up the program!   For a thorough lymphatic cleansing, perform skin brushing daily for a minimum of three months.

http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com

Pomegranate Juice May Inhibit the Spread of Cancer

The exotic red fruit know as pomagranate is making headlines again.  Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have identified components in pomegranate juice that inhibit the movement of cancer cells and the metastasis of prostate cancer to the bone.

The researchers attribute this effect to four key ingredients, hydrobenzoic acids, flavones and conjugated (types of polyunsaturated) fatty acids.  "Having identified them, we can now modify cancer-inhibiting components in pomegranate juice to improve their functions and make them more effective in preventing prostate cancer metastasis, leading to more effective drug therapies," says Manuela-Green, a professor of cell biology at the university.

She adds:  "Because the genes and proteins involved in the movement of prostate cancer cells are essentially the same as those involved in the movement of other types of cancer cells, the same modified components of the juice could have a much broader impact in cancer treatment."

~ HealthBriefs, Natural Awakenings, April 2011
   http://www.naeastmichigan.com/