When you are younger it is probably a rite of passage that you think that nothing will ever happen to you. I recently was given a book that was entitled, “Wear Sunscreen.” The entire book was dedicated to young people through the eyes, almost literally, of an older generation. You may not want to wear sunscreen but do it to protect your skin. You may not want to wear sunglasses, but do it to protect from Macular Degeneration. There are just some things in life that you may think will never happen to you but if you are fortunate to live long enough, they will probably happen.

I was adopted so there is not a lot of family history that I know about but I was able to gather some medical information about my history based on my own genes in my body. I carry what they call a gene that will most likely cause Macular Degeneration in my eyes. This gene was something that was passed down from generations in my family. I do know a little about my natural birth mother and she could see fine until she passed away at the age of 87 so I am guessing at this point that the gene was from my father’s side of the family.

Levitra

There are many products on the market that claim to be able to help with erectile dysfunction or ED, as it is sometimes called. Though there are a lot of herbal products that make the claim you should be extremely careful if you are considering going that route. The companies that market these products make claims that they will restore your physical abilities to that of your youth and many other unsubstantiated claims. Since the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate products that are considered to be natural you have no evidence or assurances that they will do what they say. If you know someone personally who is using a product that works then you may try it and see how it works for you. I definitely wouldn’t hold my breath waiting on great results, it’s kind of like the herbal remedies that guarantee you to lose 10 pounds a week, that isn’t going to happen.

Levitra has been a Godsend to many men who were experiencing problems in bed. The scientific name for Levitra is basically acts as an inhibitor of the enzyme PDE5. This preserves the high levels of cGMP that are produced when a man is sexually aroused. Similar products like Levitra and Levitra work in the same way, thus, all three products are defined as PDE5 inhibitors.

Have you tried all the weight loss supplements known to man only to be disappointed? Well this new revolutionary diet pill called Hydroxycut from Muscle Tech will change your mind and your body forever! They have cut the harmful ingredients to make it safe, yet very effective. Ephedra and caffeine free Hydroxycut will have you shedding pounds even without strenuous exercise and dieting! Never has a weight loss supplement been able to say that and deliver what they promise.

If you are tired of dieting only to fail, sick of exercising until you drop and seeing no results then you need Hydroxycut from Muscle Tech. Does Hydroxycut work? Nothing works for everyone, but this weight loss supplement has an extensive scientific review that shows it works for almost everybody! Here are a couple of reviews that actual medical professionals have done and what they thought of Hydroxycut:

“I have reviewed the research. You can lose weight fast, increase energy, and control appetite with Hydroxycut. In my opinion nothing works faster or better.”
-Dr. Chrisitine Lydon, 1994 Graduate, Yale School of Medicine, Fitness expert

“I recommend Hydroxycut with diet and exercise to healthy men and women who wish to lose weight fast. Hydroxycut is the best weight-loss supplement that I’ve ever used.”
-Dr. Nick Evans, 1989 Graduate St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London, England

These two medical professionals have created an atmosphere to see just how Hydroxycut works. They gave the first group of healthy individuals Hydroxycut and the other group a placebo. The first group lost an astounding average of 14.99lbs using Hydroxycut versus 3.53lbs with the placebo. Hydroxycut worked in just 8 short weeks!

The bottom line is if you find that you are not getting the weight loss results you want from diet and exercise alone then you need this very effective patent-pending weight loss formula that has been scientifically proven to help you lose weight fast. Hydroxycut will increase energy, burn calories, and control appetite. There’s not time to waste. Get yours today and start seeing the “New You” in as little as eight weeks!

Hydroxycut is a combination of ingredients that can help you achieve your weight-loss goals when combined with diet and exercise. Included are three proprietary compounds - Hydroxagen®Plus, Hydroxytea, and Chromatech - that help boost your metabolism, increase energy levels, burn more calories, and ultimately support weight loss. This special combination of proprietary ingredients is exclusive to Hydroxycut. They can’t be found in any other supplement! Remember that Hydroxycut also contains Gymnema Sylvestre Extract which can promote normal blood sugar levels. Stable blood sugar levels can help reduce sugar cravings, which can ultimately help you lose weight.

If you are ready to take the next step into reaching your fitness goals then OCD Supplements can help. Offering Muscletech Hydroxycut to help you get there fast. Losing the pounds and inches has never been so easy. You have nothing to lose except weight!

OCD Supplements is dedicated to helping you lose more weight faster. Our staff is specially trained in nutrition and fitness and we bring the latest in supplements and fitness tips and exercises.

Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking, but the average weight gain is about 10 pounds. Weight gain is more likely when someone has smoked for 10 to 20 years or smokes a pack or more a day. Water retention may cause a deceptive weight gain of up to 5 pounds in the week after quitting smoking, but this is not a real weight gain, and your body will go back to normal.

Even if you do gain weight when you quit smoking, the health risks of smoking are far greater…you would have to gain over 150 pounds to make your health risks as high as when you smoked.

The most important components of preventing weight gain when you quit smoking are:

1.Physical activity

• To prevent weight gain at this time, you need to become more physically active. Beginning to increase your physical activity before you quit smoking may remind you how much smoking slows you down, when you have trouble breathing or start to cough during exercise.
  
• Becoming physically active will not only help you control your weight, but will also give you more energy, improve your health, take your mind off smoking, and help relieve the stress and moodiness that may occur as a result of withdrawal from nicotine.
  
• Try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activities on most days, even if it is in a few shorter increments. Physical activity does not have to be planned exercise; it may include taking the stairs, mowing the lawn, or playing with children.

2.Healthy eating

• Improving your eating habits gradually can help prevent weight gain, as well as help you feel better as you quit smoking. But changing too much too quickly can increase the stress you feel as you try to quit smoking. Eating a variety of foods each day is a good start, and eating regularly so you never get too hungry.
  
• To prevent extra snacking as a result of quitting smoking, do not try to quit smoking during a stressful period. This can cause extra stress that can lead to extra snacking, especially over the holidays when more food is around, or relapsing back into smoking to cope with the stress.

3.Managing cravings

• Once you stop smoking, it is important to learn how to reduce your cravings for both cigarettes and food. A craving only lasts about 5 minutes. If you can distract yourself for 5 minutes, the craving will usually pass.
  
• Replace smoking with other activities that occupy your hands and your mouth. Snack on fruit or chewing gum to satisfy any sweet cravings. Keep your hands busy with doodling, crossword puzzles, knitting, or twirling a straw, pen, or pencil.
  
• Drink less caffeine; although you may think it will make you feel better, caffeine can worsen the jittery nervous feeling that may accompany nicotine withdrawal.
  
• Get enough sleep; when you are tired, you are more likely to crave cigarettes and food.
  
• Remember H.A.L.T.- never let yourself get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.
  
• Reduce tension by meditating, taking a walk or a bath, or taking deep breaths. Find something that will replace smoking as a way to relax and do it consistently.
  
• Get support and encouragement; talk to a friend when you get the urge to smoke; talk about something other than smoking.
  
• Make a list of when and where you are most tempted to smoke, and list healthy activities you can substitute when you have the urge. Try not to do things that tempt you to smoke, such as drinking or socializing in a bar, or tempt you to eat when you’re not hungry, such as bringing a bag of chips in front of the television.
  
• If you are struggling or anxious about trying to quit smoking, talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement such as nicotine gum or a nicotine patch. These can help prevent a relapse, and nicotine gum has been shown to reduce weight gain.

4.Positive attitude

• As you focus on quitting smoking and healing your body, your exercise and eating goals will become easier. When you quit smoking, you can breathe and get around more easily, and nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables taste better when you are not smoking.
  
• Try to stay positive, and try not to panic about modest weight gain; if you do gain weight, your healthy habits will help you lose the weight once your body gets back to normal. If you need more guidance, talk to your doctor or dietitian.
  
• Be confident that you are making a healthy choice! Your whole body will thank you!
  

Jessica Setnick is a registered dietitian in Dallas, Texas who travels the world spreading nutrition wisdom. As an accomplished speaker and writer, Jessica’s passion is promoting a positive relationship with food and eating as a key component of a healthy and happy life. Find out more or contact Jessica to speak at your event by visiting her website at www.understandingnutrition.com.

© 2004 Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided to www.understandingnutrition.com.

Everybody knows that 98% of dieters fail. But do you know
exactly why does this happen?

To understand this, let’s probe a little deeper into the working
of your own body.

The fact is,Your own body holds the secret key to weight loss.

Human body is a complex, self-sufficient machine capable of
managing it’s affairs on it’s own.

It has an independent defence and immune system ready to attack
any desease or external parasite in the fraction of a second.

This clearly indicates that your own body can cure any disease
on its own if proper conditions are made available for it’s
functioning.

Now, the question is, what are the conditions required for the
body to function properly and get rid of the excess fat and lose
weight.

To understand this, let us take a small example: If your skin
gets burnt accidentally, you apply some ointment containing
antibacterial/antiseptic properties.

What you are doing in effect is, you are creating a bacteria
free environment on the spot of the burn so that the wound
doesn’t get aggravated.

The actual work of healing the wound is done by the skin (read
body) and not the ointment. By applying the ointment, you
created an ideal bacteria free condition for the body to heal
itself. Same holds true in the case of the body fighting obesity.

Your body stores fat as reserve (for times of starvation) and
dissolves it on demand by it’s metabolic system.

The same way as it can cure any desease, it also has an inborn
ability for burning up this excess fat lose weight
automatically.

The body has many regulatory (hormone producing) filtering (fat
burning) and excretory organs which are capable of keeping the
body at an optimum weight level.

But the continuous overload of junk processed food and toxins in
your diet and daily living has damaged the functioning of many
of these organs, resulting in their malfunction and consequent
weight gain.

Faulty diet, polluted environment and stressful living
unknowingly introduce a lot of toxins into your system.
Definitely, these toxins will create problems in one way or the
other in your body, isn’t it?

No doubt, a host of diseases like diabetes, cardio vascular
diseases, colon cancer, gallbladder disease etc. are associated
with obesity.

So, a good weight loss program must begin with detoxification.
Because, until and unless these toxins are removed from your
body, there won’t be any significant loss of weight which can be
sustained over a long period of time.

Many diet programes have advocated different eating methods and
combination of foods. Some diets want you to rely on low fat
high carbohydrate, some on high protein low carb, whereas some
diets have food according to the blood type and still others say
different foods have different reaction with enzymes.

“But merely shifting to a different or healthier diet plan
without getting rid of the toxins in the body is just like
putting a freshly prepared cake in a bin, full of garbage. The
cake also becomes garbage in a short while.”

This is the reason why 98% diets fail! Got it?

So, what is the permanent solution for this problem?

To get to the root..I have researched and reviewed most of the
diet programs out there…studied those fat loss weight loss
supplements and come to a conclusion that to really lose weight
in a healthy manner, you need a weight loss program having a
comprehensive approach and a proven track record.

And after running through all the research materials out
there…I stumbled across the 5000 year old Ayurveda medicinal
science.Only Ayurveda seemed to have an all round holistic view
so essential for weight loss.

In fact,I was pleasantly surprised to know that this is the only
science which has recognized obesity as a desease thousands of
years back and suggested a remedy for the same!

Ayurveda recommends the following 3 steps for effectively losing
weight and keeping it off forever.

1)Remove toxins

a)Through the breath

b)Through the excretory organs

c)Through the skin

2)Burn fat

Increase metabolism naturally with the help of natural herbs
recommended by Ayurveda.

3)Keep fat off forever

Optimize the functioning of various fat burning organs like
thyroid,lever etc with the help of specific breathing
techniques,postures and herbs.

You only need to follow these three simple steps for losing
weight easily and effectively.

You can get all these three steps delivered directly to your
inbox FREE by suscribing to my ecourse my newsletter at: www.eweightlosstips.com

A common question among weight loss professionals…

People are often willing to try anything that promises to help them lose weight because they want to look or feel better. Regardless of what professionals would like to think, dieters want one thing…to fit in the clothes they wore two years ago. It rarely has anything to do with improving health. Fad diets exploit this fact and drive a multi-million dollar industry.

Quick and easy weight loss appeals to all dieters. The quick fix of a fad diet draws the attention of dieters almost effortlessly, while professionals struggle to spread the word about weight loss through long-term changes in eating habits and regular exercise. What can we do?

We continue to educate the public on the real science of weight loss and dieting. The diet basics of healthy weight loss must continue to be supported and taught by physicians, nurses, nutritionists, and other health care providers.

The Diet Basics of Healthy Weight Loss

1. Lose weight by losing fat (which excludes all quick weight loss plans)
2. Gain Muscle (keep the resting metabolic rate from dropping)
3. Practice good eating habits (that can keep you thin)

Fad diets also become popular because many of them do work for a short time. In many cases, this is because when you stop eating certain types of food or eat “special” combinations of foods, you are getting fewer calories than you normally would. You are also paying more attention to what you are eating.

However, it’s likely that much of the weight you lose is from water and lean muscle, not body fat. Also, most people are not able to keep up with the demands of a diet that strictly limits their food choices or requires them to eat the same foods over and over again. People who use fad diets usually end up gaining back any weight that they lost.

Here are some simple guidelines for recognizing a fad diet:

• Diets that claim to help you lose weight very quickly (more than 1 or 2 pounds per week). Remember, it took time for you to gain unwanted weight and it will take time to lose it.
• Promise that you can lose weight and keep it off without giving up “fatty” foods or exercising on a regular basis. If a diet plan or product sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Base claims on “before and after” photos, instead of solid evidence from clinical trials.
• Offer testimonials from clients or “experts” in weight loss, science or nutrition. Remember that these people are probably being paid to advertise the diet plan or product.

  If you want real testimonials, ask to read the reference page used when writing the diet.

• Draw simple conclusions from complex medical research.
• Limit your food choices and don’t encourage you to get balanced nutrition by eating a variety of foods.
• Require you to spend a lot of money on things like seminars, pills or prepackaged meals in order for the plan to work.

Let’s keep fighting for the truth…the diet basics of healthy weight loss. At some point, the truth will be heard…I hope it’s not too late for some.

Healthy Living!
Michael A. Smith, M.D.
The Weight Loss Professional

Additional Information is available at Dr. Smith’s Healthy Weight Loss page.

Dr. Smith is the primary physician and consultant for the Weight Loss Professional Website. His interests include preventative medicine, the genetic etiology of obesity, and several others too numerous to list. Please visit his Website at http://www.weight-loss-professional.com and let him know what you think.

The huge companies stealing your money by promising impossible results if you just drink their shake, take their pill, or do 10 minutes of exercise on their wiz-bang machines are abusing your trust in the name of profits and market share.

The real truth is that most (if not all) the products they’re peddling are worthless - to you, that is. To them, the products are incredibly valuable - because they’re raking in huge profits at your expense.

Are you sick of the hype and outright deception being fed to you by the weight loss and fitness industries?

Are you tired of being led to believe it’s your fault when the junk they push on you doesn’t work?

Do you want someone you can trust to tell you the truth about real, lasting weight loss and fitness, and show you how to quickly and easily adapt your eating and exercising habits so you can achieve the results you want and deserve?

If you answered “YES!” to any of these questions,
then this may be the most important article you ever read.

Because what I have to tell you addresses the most important issue you face - your health. From my years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness coach, one critical point has been hammered home countless times: our health is the most valuable asset we have… and if it goes south, we will spend everything we have, financially and emotionally, to get it back!

Four Secrets To Finally Achieving The Weight Loss,
Health And Fitness Results You Want….

1. The secret to making a simple commitment to your exercise program. The big companies who are stealing your money want you to believe that a pill, fad diet or a special machine will solve all your weight loss and fitness problems. This is counter-intuitive and insults your common sense. But people still want to believe - because there’s so much PAIN. The real “secret” is quite simple and I’ll distill it for you right here: eat 4 to 5 small healthy meals per day and perform a combination of aerobic and resistance training exercise for 40 to 60 minutes 3 times a week. Take out your calendar right now and mark off three days each week for the next 12 weeks when you will commit to exercising. Then do it. Your consistent commitment will bring you the results you want.

2. The secret of having a coach. Almost every self-help book ever written talks about the critical importance of having a coach/mentor. A coach is an experienced and trusted counselor or teacher. It’s inevitable that you will come up against hard times on your path to losing weight and getting fit. A coach will guide, motivate, educate and support you - so you can easily and rapidly overcome these hurdles. A coach is critical to systemizing your exercise program for maximum results and assisting you in heightening your motivation and strengthening your commitment. And a coach becomes your “objective feedback system,” helping you see, understand and correct the problems that are interfering with your progress. Exercise and nutrition are bona fide sciences and learning everything you need to know on your own can take years of struggle - but not if you have a coach.

3. The secret of progression. Have you ever met someone who says they exercise week after week, month after month, even year after year and aren’t getting any new results? Believe it or not, doing the same workout over and over without expert guidance to direct your progress will actually decrease your fitness. You must learn how to progressively improve and fine-tune your efforts for maximum weight loss and fitness results.

4. The BIGGEST secret: accountability. In a recent study at Virginia Polytechnic University, researchers divided people starting a walking program into two groups. Every week, each individual in one group got a phone call asking how their exercise program was coming along, the other group got no calls. At the end of 24 weeks, 45% of the individuals who got the phone calls were still walking compared to just 2% who did not receive calls. The results show that weekly accountability increases the likelihood of sticking to your exercise program by 2200%!

What you’ve just read is some of the most valuable information you will ever hear on how to lose weight and get fit. And having the RIGHT information is critical. But intellectually understanding what should be done, and actually doing it, are two very different things.

The truth is most people can’t get a grip on the three essential factors that separate those who achieve real and lasting physique transformations from those who don’t. Most people have difficulty with the commitment; don’t grasp the importance of progression; and lack the personal accountability to achieve their weight loss and fitness goals. Why?

Three reasons:

1. Bad information

2. It’s easy to cheat yourself

3. No guidance.

So what is the ultimate “secret” to successfully and rapidly
achieving your weight loss and fitness goals?

I have discovered that the ultimate secret to getting the results you want is finding a coach who understands you and provides you with an effective weight loss and exercise program and guidance, motivation, support… but most of all, a coach who makes you ACCOUNTABLE.

With the right health and fitness program and a coach to hold you accountable, you can become a goal-achieving machine. The weight will just peel off - and your firm, toned, attractive body will emerge.

Think about it. In your heart you know the truth. There is no quick fix, no magic potion, special pill or wiz-bang exercise equipment that is going to suddenly make you fit. The infomercials and advertisements you are bombarded with daily are produced by multi-million dollar companies that know how to push your emotional buttons.

They know how to get you to pull out your credit card. But once you get their shake or pill or abdominal machine, you realize that you have been misled. Because it’s not the pill, the potion, the fancy gym membership or the expensive equipment that will get you healthy and fit.

The ONLY thing that works is commitment to a healthy diet and regular exercise. You’ve got to burn more calories than you consume - simple as that.

But there is only one way to internalize your commitment and cultivate your motivation:

You must personally experience results!

And the quickest, most foolproof way to experience those results is to have a coach guide you.

The bottom line is this: you will have to engage in a moderate exercise program and you will have to eat a more healthy diet in order to safely, effectively and rapidly lose weight - and keep it off permanently! If you’re not ready to hear that, if you are still in search of some kind of “miracle” - then I can’t help you. Because I promise you, based on years of trial and error, years of study and years of real life application…there is no “miracle” weight loss program out there.

You may not believe it now, but losing weight and getting fit is not as difficult as you think. Anyone can enjoy a lean, toned body if they just understand the basic, fundamental principles I’ve discussed in this report - and then apply them to their daily lives.

But keep in mind that no matter how hard you work - if the underlying “system” is faulty, you’ll never achieve your weight loss and fitness goals. So be sure that, wherever you choose to get your information, it is accurate so that you can create an effective weight loss system.

Marilyn is a successful exercise/nutrition trainer and coach who works with women who are 50+. Her website http://www.fitandfabulouswoman.com provides fitness information, fitness products, fitness services, fitness advice and on-line personal training that support mature women in being their best…one-stop shopping for a healthy body, a clear mind and a soaring spirit.

The method know as three dimensional ultrasound is used when a woman is in early pregnancy, it provides 3d pictures of the unborn baby. Most of the time these ultrasound samples are captured and joined together and animated to make a “4d ultrasound”.

Three dimensional scans works in the same way to the normal ultrasound methods except that the ultrasound scanning pulses can be directed from multiple directions. The ultrasound waves can be reflected back then captured to provide info to construct a 3d image in much the same way as 3d pictures. 3d ultasound scanning was started by stephen smith and olaf von ramm.

It’s important to understand that sonologists all over the world have always pictured 3d pictures of the body in their minds while doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was almost impossibel to do this kind of reconstruction on on data using ultasound scanning. With the advent of baby scans for the first time allowed us a view into the brain of a sonologist and so allowing us see the images on the ultrasound machine.

3d/4d imaging should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. While there is no information of harm due to 3d ultrasound, its use in none medical situations needs to be undertaken with an understanding of the risks.

Also remember to store your new born childs cord blood by involving such as futurehealth.

The body of evidence regarding the effectiveness of natural botanicals against a great variety of viruses is growing. Over twenty years ago, German scientists found extracts of more than 100 species of the Lamiaceae family to have antiviral effects. This discovery lead to and increase in the examination of essential oils in Europe for the treatment of viral infections.

Essential oils from many plant families have now been demonstrated to have antiviral properties. Interestingly, different plant families exhibit varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the virus strain. This is due to the particular molecular structures found in each type of oil, which penetrate physical entities to varying degrees (different tissues, cell walls, mucous membranes, etc). The effect on each virus strain depends also on the virus structure (enveloped, non-enveloped, molecular symmetry, etc.)

Certainly, one of the reasons for oils’ effectiveness en vivo is their lipophillic character - essential oils are easily absorbed into mammalian tissues, where they may produce the greatest results. In fact, when studying the anti-viral effects of essential oils, researchers found that normal cells seemed to acquire a special resistance to viral penetration, though the mechanism for this effect is not yet known.

Melissa and the Herpes Virus

One of the Lamiaceae plants studied, Melissa (Melissa officinalis - also known as Lemon Balm), was shown particularly efficacious against the herpes virus (HSV). Doctor Dietrich Wabner, a professor at the Technical University of Munich, has even reported that a one-time application of Melissa oil led to a complete remission of HSV lesions. A cream medication for Herpes outbreaks, who’s active ingredient is an extract of Melissa, is now sold in Germany under the name Lomaherpan. Use of Melissa essential oil itself may be just as effective - the oil can be applied directly to the lesions (or diluted to 10% in carrier if sensitivity is noted) to speed healing. Further occurrences can be prevented by applying oil to the area when sensations signal an eminent outbreak - repeating this protocol 3 or 4 times may cause total remission.

Other essential oils found effective against the Herpes virus include bergamot, eucalyptus, lemongrass and tea tree.

Antiviral Components of Oils

The list of essential oils exhibiting antiviral effects is extensive: Melissa (as above), tea tree, juniper, eucalyptus, thyme, palmarosa, lavender, rosemary, clove, laurel, cinnamon bark, anise, rose, lemongrass, geranium, neroli, bergamot, clary sage, and dill. The antiviral effect of an essential oil is due to particular components of the oil - some oils will work just as effectively on a particular infection as another, because they contain similar amounts of a certain component. The components of essential oils showing antiviral activity, and the oils in which they can be found, are as follows (from K. Schnaubelt, Ph.D. - Advanced Aromatherapy, p. 36):

Anethol - found in Anise

Alpha-Sabines - found in Tea Tree, Laurel, and other oils

Beta-Caryophyllene - found in Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme Linalool, and other oils

Carvone - found in Dill

Cinnamic aldehyde - found in Cinnamon Bark

Citral - found in Melissa, Lemongrass and other oils

Citronellol - found in Rose and Geranium

Eugenol - found in Clove

Gamma-Terpinene - Found in Juniper, Eucalyptus, Niaouli, Tea Tree and other oils

Linalol - found in Lavender and Neroli

Linalyl acetate - found in Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot and other oils

Limited In-Vivo Data

Good studies of application of these essential oils in cases of illness are difficult to come by, as infecting people with viruses in the laboratory to subsequently be treated with aromatics would be a difficult process at best. The oils and components above have mostly shown effectivenessin-vitro, though tests also indicate that the anti-viral effect should occur in-vivo as well. As with Melissa, it has been HSV that has been most thoroughly examined, because of the relative simplicity of doing so. But there is nothing particularly special about the herpes virus, and proper oil/pathogen paring should prove as effective.

There are some noted case studies by professional aromatherapists. Of importance in these studies is the oil/symptom relationship. Essential oils from plants of the Myrtaceae family - notably Eucalyptus Radiata and Tea Tree - and Ravensara (also high in Eucalyptol) seem to have helped in cases with respiratory symptoms. For the lower respiratory tract, Hyssop decumbens (from the same plant family as Melissa) has been of interest. Essential oils for such cases may be used either in a diffuser, being taken at regular intervals, or through massage, diluted in a carrier oil.

Conclusion

Because of the difficulty in many cases of illness in determining the exact virus type involved, more specific application cannot be given. Certainly, in cases of HSV, Melissa has been shown effective in a number of studies. For respiratory infections, Eucalyptus and Ravensara have been used with success, and can be safely used as an adjunct to regular medical care. These oils may support one’s recovery on a physiologic level - essential oils also play a part in uplifting emotions, which may also speed healing, or at least improve mental outlook during the healing process. For such instances, one may simply find the essential oil or combination that one finds pleasant, calming, and/or uplifting. PLEASE NOTE: In no cases, however, should self-treatment with essential oils be used in place of professional medical care where signs/symptoms of infectious illness are present.

Misty Rae Cech, ND, is a Naturopath and Yoga Teacher practicing in Boulder, Colorado. She regularly employs pure wildcrafted and organic essential oils, such as lavender oil, with her clients.

If you find yourself worrying uncontrollably about everyday tasks or if you are constantly and excessively anxious about issues like family health, finances or your job, you may be suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. While everybody experiences anxiety occasionally, people who suffer from G.A.D. experience it so excessively that it can interfere with their ability to perform ordinary tasks. In order for the condition to be diagnosed, you must have suffered from these symptoms for at least six consecutive months. And if you are in fact suffering from G.A.D., you may find physical relief in certain natural remedies.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder should be treated by a mental health professional, and treatment is usually multifaceted and tailored toward each individual, especially since the condition is often accompanied by depression or substance abuse. Most professionals recommend behavioral or cognitive therapy, or a combination of both of them, along with relaxation techniques, as an essential part of treatment. Some also recommend prescription anxiety medications, which can be effective in alleviating many symptoms. But increasingly, doctors and patients are finding that natural treatments for anxiety can provide much of the same relief as prescription medication, but without the potentially alarming side effects.

When combined with relaxation exercises, kava kava (or piper methysticum) is an excellent anxiety remedy that can also be used to promote sleep (insomnia is a common symptom of G.A.D.) if taken in a higher dosage. It should not be used as a sleep aid for longer than four months.

Valerian is a natural remedy for anxiety and insomnia that is extremely popular worldwide. It is also used as a natural sedative and painkiller, and when taken at bedtime it can help prevent panic attacks.

Passion flower is an ingredient that can successfully treat insomnia, hyperactivity and nervous tension. Passion flower is naturally soothing and calming, and can also be used to treat hypertension and lower blood pressure.

Lavender is a popular natural remedy for a variety of conditions, one of which is anxiety disorder. Lavender is a nervous system tonic and one of the best natural panic attack treatments.

If you are already taking prescription medication and decide to stop in favor of natural remedies, it should always be in consultation with a healthcare professional. Natural remedies can provide a safe and effective alternative to other medications, but as with all medicine, it can take time to find the correct dosage for each individual, and it might take a few weeks before you see the effects. With patience and resolve, you may find yourself on the rewarding path to finding natural anxiety relief.

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Tess Thompson is a Homeopathic Practitioner, Reflexologist, Certified Aromatherapist, and Herbalist who contributes regularly to Native Remedies - where you can find All Natural Homeopathic and Herbal Remedies for many health conditions including natural treatments for anxiety and panic attack treatments.