Using Essential Aromatherapy Oils to Boost Your Health

Essential aromatherapy oils have been in use for centuries by millions to improve health conditions.

Many of them will benefit you physically, emotionally and mentally. You can use them to treat problems like headaches, stress and skin diseases and improve the functioning of vital body systems.

How do you use these aromatherapy oils for maximum benefit?

There are many methods of using the oils depending on the condition you are dealing with.

You can inhale them directly either from the bottle or pour a few drops onto a piece of cloth. This way, you will get instant relief from nasal congestion, coughs, colds and flu.

For deep inhalation, you should put a few drops of oil into a basin of hot water and cover your head over the basin to inhale the steam. You can also use the oils as vaporizers or burners to keep the air in your room smelling fresh and clean.

A hot press would work fine, while a cold press will reduce swellings and ease headaches.

Massaging your body with essential aromatherapy oils will not only revitalize your skin but will also treat acne and other skin conditions.

Another beneficial way to use the oils is to add a few drops to your bath water and apply some to your hair.

Lavender oil can be used as a deodorant and decongestant. Inhaling its aroma will lift your moods, relieve you of tension, improve your circulatory system and memory, reduce symptoms of asthma and ease feelings of nausea. Also, it is a good remedy for burns, scratches cuts, muscle pain and joint pain.

Massage lavender oil onto your scalp to address hair loss. It will stimulate your scalp to encourage growth of new hair.

To fight depression, you should use jasmine oil. It has a strong sweet smell which will instantly uplift your spirits and reduce the stress levels in your body. In addition to that, it will improve your heart rate and boost your immune and respiratory systems. Women will experience the benefits of jasmine oil when dealing with menstrual and labor pain.

During labor, inhaling jasmine oil will strengthen your contractions, reduce your pain and increase your energy levels. This will make the delivery process easier and faster. Stretch marks and scars can be an eyesore, but you can reduce their appearance by applying the oil of jasmine to the affected area of your skin. It increases your skins elasticity and encourages the growth of new skin cells.

Make sure to dilute it with a carrier oil of your choice as it may irritate your skin in high concentrations.

Emu oil is another favorable aromatherapy oil.

You will find it pleasant to apply to your skin because of its non-greasy nature. It will penetrate your skin fast to deliver the benefits. Apply it onto your neck to reduce stiffness and pain and massage it onto your skin to refresh it and give it a youthful glow.

It is also effective in healing minor wounds and reducing the appearance of scars. You have many reasons to try Essential Aromatherapy Oils. They will improve the overall state of your health as you enjoy using them.

This article was brought to you by Michelle Reynolds who will provide you with a comprehensive, highly informative and useful resource for using essential aromatherapy oils to help improve health conditions. Find out more about Visit her site at www.essentialaromatherapyoils.net and see the benefits of the oils.

Healthy Foods For Diabetes Control

When you are diabetic you are oftentimes faced with the need to eat an appropriate diet that will help you control many of the symptoms associated with this disease. In fact by eating the right foods you may even be able to reduce your need for insulin. The normal process of eating involves consuming food that is then turned to sugar. This sugar is transported from the bloodstream to the body's cells by insulin. Unfortunately, diabetics do not produce sufficient quantities of insulin to do this effectively. Therefore a larger portion of the sugar remains in the bloodstream leading to the condition of "high blood sugar". There are several things that can be done to help you to control your blood sugar if you are diabetic. These include; diet, exercise and medication.

Diet for diabetes: Blood sugar levels are most affected by carbohydrates. Limiting your carbohydrate intake is a very good idea. Use carbs that are lowest in starches and highest in fiber. The higher fiber will help slow down your food digestion which will then slow down the release of sugar into your bloodstream. Good food choices here would include; brown rice and whole grain cereals and fruits such as strawberries, apples or bananas.

Dairy Products: You should limit dairies to foods such as yogurt and milk to no more than 2 servings per day. Good choices could include low fat milk and sugar free fruit flavored yogurts.

Meats: You need protein so choose lean healthy cuts of meats such as roasted turkey or chicken breast. Limit the fat intake and keep the protein level to 4-7 oz per day. You can also substitute meat with egg whites or low fat cottage cheese.

Vegetables: Try to consume non starchy vegetables because these are lowest in carbohydrate content. You should aim for 3-5 servings per day. A serving is equivalent to ½ cup of cooked or 1 cup raw vegetables. Good examples include carrots, broccoli and green beans.

Healthy Fats: Healthy fats are important for diabetics. You should strive for 3-4 daily servings. The best choices would include; olive oil, vegetable oil and margarine. The key is balanced, healthy meals that stabilize blood sugar. Balanced eating will also have the added benefits of controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as help to prevent low blood sugar reactions that often affect diabetics. Additionally a healthy diet will keep your weight under control which is also a problem for many diabetics. You may want to work with your medical doctor or a registered dietician to create a healthy and easy to incorporate diet. These medical professionals will take into account all of the various factors necessary such as your weight, height, activity level, medications you may be taking and current blood glucose levels.

Eat Smaller Meals: Make sure to keep portion sizes under control and don't skip meals. It is best to eat 4-5 "mini meals" each day with several hours between meals. By keeping a steadier flow of food digesting through your body you will help to keep your blood sugar levels stabilized.

Sugars and Salt in your diet: Yes, a moderate amount of sugar is acceptable in the diet. However it should be done sparingly and as a treat and not a regular part of the daily diet. You should also remember that fruit and fruit juices have high levels of sugar so you need to take this into account. Use artificial sweeteners sparingly if at all. A good sugar substitute is stevia. Salt should also be used in moderation. Many processed and canned foods are laden with added salt so look for labels that say sodium free. Incorporate a variety of spices into your foods as a replacement for the usual salt.

Following these guidelines will help you keep your diabetes under control. Remember when you have been diagnosed with any medical condition always follow the advice and guidance of a medical professional, particularly if you are taking prescription medications.

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Healthy Salaries in Health Care

If you think you need to be an MD to earn a prime salary in health care, think again. The doctors are not the only ones pulling down healthy salaries. Some of the highest health care salaries may well surprise you.

In fact, you may be surprised to discover that the top current salary among non-MD health professionals is earned by a pharmacist. Today the prime salary for a pharmacist is about $105,000 a year. Pharmacists are not mere medication dispensers, either. These professionals must know what goes into medications, what their primary effects are, and what their potential side effects may be. They are also teachers; they are responsible for teaching patients the right way to use medication, including what to avoid when using it.

Because many people develop chronic illnesses or conditions, a pharmacist may become someone's primary health care professional for a very long time. His knowledge of medication and his ability to convey intelligent use and alternatives to his customers is invaluable. Becoming a pharmacist is almost as involved as becoming a medical doctor: a typical pharmacist today finishes two years undergraduate science study, passes a pharmaceutical college entrance examination, and, if accepted, finishes a four-year course of study earning a doctorate in pharmacy.

Physician assistants are also highly salaried; today's physician assistant is likely to earn $85,000 a year. Today, a medical doctor is just as likely to delegate routine physical examinations, basic treatments, and basic patient counseling to a physician assistant while the doctor tends directly to the most specialised problems of his patients. More important, physician assistants find themselves part of a fast-growing career path, particularly in the inner city or the rural area, according to several health field surveys.

A physician assistant typically earns a college degree and obtains health-care work experience before or while finishing an accredited program and a national examination. But the PA's education does not stop there; typically, they are required to finish one hundred hours of continuing education in the newest medical techniques every two years, and they must re-certify every six years.

If you have the kind of personality that empathises with and reassures others, you may want to consider a career as a radiation therapist. Typically, this professional earns about $77,000 a year, and the job includes reviewing diagnoses and prescriptions from radiologists, preparing X-ray equipment, and keeping continuously updated and accurate records. According to numerous reports, moreover, radiation therapy is thought to be one of the steadiest-growing health career fields.

Typical radiation therapists earn bachelor's degrees heavily oriented toward the sciences and toward physics, since they work with the physics side of the body. Certification in radiation therapy is also a requirement.

These are the three highest-salaried, non-medical doctor careers in the health field today. Following them to complete the top five are physical therapists (around $76,000 per year), and occupational therapists ($71,000). Health care careers whose salary ranges are between $49,000-70,000 are, in ascending order, physical therapy assistants ($49,000), cardiovascular technicians (also $49,000), certified occupational therapy assistants ($51,000), dietitians ($53,000), radiologic technicians ($54,000), respiratory therapists ($54,000), medical and clinical laboratory technicians ($56,000), diagnostic sonographers ($64,000), occupational health and safety specialists ($64,000), registered nurses ($67,000), orthotists and prosthetists (artificial limb specialists/technicians, basically; $67,000), audiologists ($67,000), dental hygienists ($68,000), speech-language pathologists ($68,000), and nuclear medicine technologists ($68,000).

Are Vegetarian Diets Optimal For Children's Health?

When someone says I am a Vegan or Vegetarian, what comes to mind first? Let me guess, a person that doesn't eat meat right? Well, part of that is true but there are different types of Vegetarians, such as Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians, Vegans, and Macrobiotic diets. A Lacto-Ovo Vegan doesn't eat meat or fish but eats dairy and eggs. A Vegan excludes all meats, fish, dairy, eggs, and no animal products, this is the type of Vegetarian most of us refer to. Macrobiotic diets are not necessarily vegetarian, but are largely based on grains, legumes, and vegetables. Although I am not a huge fan of vegan diets, I am not one to say they can't work. A well-balanced vegetarian diet should pay particular attention to the following sources: adequate protein intake, essential fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamins B and D.

Supplementation may be required in cases of strict vegetarian diets with no intake of animal products. If done right, then there are positive outcomes from vegan diets and at the end of the day if you are a vegan and live a healthy lifestyle, than more power to you. Now, the real question is, are vegetarian diets optimal for children's health? Before we begin with this topic, coming from my biased opinion, I do not agree with parents raising their young children on vegan diets for several reasons. A very important reason is the fact that parents lack giving their children a nutritious diet as it is, let alone a vegan diet which is supposed to be stricter and could lead to more health and deficiency problems down the road if done wrong.

Are Essential Fatty Acids and Amino Acids important for children's growth? Absolutely they are, our body does not naturally produce them and a child is not going to go and buy their selves some fish oil and BCAA's at a vitamin store to supplement with. Since vegan diets exclude animal proteins and fish, where do the fatty acids and Amino Acids come from? That is the biggest problem. They do not come from anywhere because most parents are not aware of how critical these nutrients are for optimal growth and overall health. If parents aren't aware of the importance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 and Amino Acids, than how is a child supposed to know that? The human brain needs the major essential long chain fatty acids known as "DHA" and "EPA," which are found in omega-3 for proper development. There is a handful of research to support that theory.

Do children using vegan diets have Vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can lead to lack of growth? Energy Expenditure, also known as the "Metabolic Rate" can be at risk with restrictive vegan diets, due to the lack of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients being provided. Many vegan dieters become Copper toxic and Zinc deficient, do to not getting the right amounts of animal proteins the body needs. These deficiencies can cause what is known as "Brain Fog," which is a fuzzy feeling you get in your brain from time to time. Eventually this can potentially lead to chemical imbalances in the human body and digestion problems. (1)In a study conducted by Roberts et al. and Campbell et al. states that severe malnutrition has been reported in infants and toddlers fed inappropriate vegetarian diets as well as deficiencies of iron, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D. So, the greater the variety of foods that make up the diet, the better the chances that all the nutrients will be provided. (2) In another study found in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Hebbelinck et al. concluded that a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian diet sustains adequate physical growth and maturation. Some of the vegetarian subjects, however, appear to have had difficulty meeting the energy requirements. Basically if the vegan diet is done the right way, then children can have optimal growth and not have any vitamin and mineral deficiencies, but they may lack energy.

What other deficiencies can potentially occur if a child is fed a vegan diet? Nutrition for kids is more vital than it is for adults, due to the fact they have to grow and mature into adults at some point in time. When children are growing up, they are in such a tender stage of development for their brain, muscles, and bones. Every bit of quality nutrition is critical for proper growth and parents need to understand that, bottom line! There has also been research that when mother's being pregnant and on a vegan diet, the baby can be born with undeveloped brains and their central nervous systems are starving due to not getting the proper vitamins, minerals, and nutrients through proper diet during the pregnancy term. An undeveloped brain can then lead to learning disabilities. Some symptoms to watch out for in the children, if fed a vegan diet are: Short term memory loss, cold hands and feet due to not getting the proper amounts of nutrients from animal fats to support the adrenalin and thyroid functions, and sleep disorders.

Can vegan diets lead to child obesity? Depending on what kind of vegan diet is being provided, sure a child can put on fat through a vegan diet. If the parent's are just feeding their children "High Glycemic Carbs" and no proteins or fats, than that can cause a huge insulin spike and most likely go to your fat cells rather than your muscle cells and then be stored and lead to fat gain. It all really depends on how educated the parents are, if they are keeping a good balance of macronutrients, especially rich proteins high in Leucine content and fibrous carbs than the child should be fine. Also I would hope the child is doing some sort of physical activity and not living a sedentary lifestyle sitting and playing video games all day. Sugar consumption, well we can't leave that out of the equation now can we. Most vegetarians don't even know they are pre-diabetic and continuously eat refined sugars and alternative sweeteners without even knowing it. Well, we should all know by now that sugar is the devil, and does lead to fat gain, and if you are pre-diabetic then you are only going to make matters worse. What do children love the most? Nine out of ten times it's good old sugar, and some more sugar. So, if parents are feeding their children adequate amounts of sugar daily, even through a vegan diet, then the children will gain fat and may lead to diabetes down the road.

With all this said, are vegetarian diets optimal for children's health? In my humble opinion I do not agree with them, but if done properly and the children are monitored for symptoms and are living a healthy active lifestyle, than it should be fine. Someone once told me that vegan diets will become more popular in the future, but I have to disagree respectively do to all the studies and research that show animal fats and animal proteins are the key to longevity and muscle growth. At the end of the day everyone is going to live their life the way they choose too, whether that's through a paleo diet, zone diet, vegan diet, or regular diets. Whatever makes that person happy is all that really matters, but for the sake of children not having control of what they eat is wrong. Parent's need to educate themselves regardless of the circumstances, it doesn't matter if you are a vegan or not, the bottom line is to feed your children the right nutrients their bodies need for proper brain development and overall growth.

Current Health Articles on Obesity

Obesity is a health problem which is growing very rapidly all over the world. Current health articles are emphasizing the importance of diet and exercise to keep your body weight and to avoid obesity at all costs. It is extremely important to make sure you are maintaining a good body weight in order to avoid other complications later on in life.

Current health articles also mention the need to have a very healthy diet which will keep your body weight in check at all times. Metabolism plays a very important role in making sure you remain healthy and with age, we tend to put on weight due to the fact that our metabolism is not capable of working in the same manner as it used to do before.

There are some obesity experts who have proven to be very accurate in defining your diet requirements and which have had tremendous results in getting rid of your obesity problems and in maintaining a balance without age discriminations. Current health articles help you keep in touch with the realities of the health findings and the real outcomes of some of these claims.

Our bodies are different and it is therefore very important to understand what is really good for us and for our metabolism. Current health articles also mention the importance of having a proper nutrition plan to make sure we are not having some kind of problems due to lack of vitamins and minerals intakes.

Some research done on sugar free components have also been found to have adverse effects on some people. As mentioned before, we are all different and our bodies react differently to different foods and fitness programs. What is good for you may not be so good for me, and your body is accustomed to certain kind of food and diet and you should listen to what it really tells you.

However, some current health articles have also mentioned that obese people lose their connection with their bodies to the point that they are not really sure whether they are fully satisfied with the amount of food they have taken or not. This in itself is a problem, because you have to then measure the intake of food and eat accordingly.

Current health articles help us understand the different aspects involved in diet, nutrition and body fat and the ability to overcome the obstacles that we may face in the process. Diets do not really work as starving yourself will only trigger hormonal imbalances which will take your body into an emergency mode where your body will only think of accumulating all that it gets for the upcoming emergency.

And those of you who have been able to lose some weight through diets, may have also found that putting that weight on again is very easy. So, you spend time starving yourself and then eating and becoming fat again. It becomes a vicious circle where you only find frustration. Current health articles on obesity and diet and nutrition may prove to be extremely enlightening to help us get the proper advice and to act accordingly and attain the desired results efficiently.

Avail Ginger Benefits For A Healthy Living

Ginger is consumed as a delicacy, a medicine and a spice. It was first cultivated in Asia and slowly spread to African and European lands as well. Its bionomical name is Zingiber officinale, commonly known as ginger. The name ginger is derived from the Tamil name inji ver viz ginger roots. Though, everyone is familiar with what ginger is, not many of us know the benefits of the root. It is used as a spice in most of the Indian recipes. It is not commonly known that ginger gets its flavours from pungent oils like gingerol and shagaol present within the root.

Apart from being a useful food preservative, it reduces pain, fever, aids the digestive system and has a possibility of being able to cure cancer in the near future. Ginger also benefits people suffering from nausea, morning sickness, motion, heartburn and gas. Another benefit of ginger is that it helps reduce inflammation and migraine and cures arthritis. Ginger benefits stimulation and circulation of blood. It is also helpful for the mom and the baby during pregnancy. It also helps people with sea sickness and those suffering from diabetes. Thus, it is obvious that a small supplement of ginger is beneficial to the overall health of a person.

Ginger warms the blood vessels, causing them to expand and thereby improving circulation. It is highly beneficial for people who suffer from side effects due to chemically inflated medicines and anti-biotic. Raw ginger can last up to 3 weeks and is also available in capsule format.

One of the main ginger benefits is that it keeps your heart healthy. It also reduces headache, cures knee osteoarthritis, is good for the stomach and blocks vomiting reflex. It also cures hangover and nausea after drinking. Ginger can be had in different ways; it is either mixed with tea, vegetables, juice etc. It is also mixed with bread. Ginger bread is a common food item in Western Countries. Some people also have it with meat and fish.

Ginger is full of minerals and nutrients. 100g of ginger contains 80 calories, 0.75% of fat, 17.77% of carbohydrates, 2% of fibers, 1.82% of protein and 0% cholesterol. It is used to treat diarrhea, blood clots, prevent holes in the stomach, is used to cure allergies. Ginger benefits secretion of mucus and relief from bloating and gas. One of the most commonly known ginger benefits is that it cures cough, cold and scratchiness of the throat.

Ginger is commonly found in countries like India, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Japan, Philippines and Cameroon. Ginger is an ancient herb and has been widely used as natural medicine over the years by our ancestors. The only difference being, the benefits were not scientifically proven back then but they are now and science has been discovering more and more benefits of ginger with each passing day. There is no denying the fact that ginger is a treasure trove of natural medicine. Thus, consumption of ginger everyday is not a bad idea.

How Does Exercise Help in Keeping Your Digestive System Healthy?

For overall health and fitness you need a well balanced diet and exercise. Among the innumerable benefits, exercise helps to tone your muscles, protects you from dangerous diseases like cancer, heart attack, and blood pressure. Exercise plays an important role in keeping your digestive system healthy and strong.

In order to digest food efficiently, you need to have a strong digestive system as well. If the food is not digested properly, it can lead to:

- Gastro intestinal problems
- Acidity
- Acid reflux or Gerd
- Heartburn
- Heaviness
- Constipation
- Bad breath

To overcome such problems related to the digestive system, you need to adapt a lifestyle and eating habits that will make you fit and healthy. Food plays a very important role in your overall health. Right eating habits and proper exercise will definitely result in good health condition. Doctors often report that several digestive disorders arise because of lack of exercise. While exercising, your heart beat rate and breathing rate are increased and thereby the muscles that support the digestive tract also get toned and result in good bowel movements. Several exercise regimes like yoga, aerobics, boot camp workouts demand changes in your eating habits as well.

Your digestive system is made up of several organs like esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gall bladder, small intestine and large intestine. The normal time for digestion of the food is usually 24 hours to 72 hours. Exercising helps to improve the digestion process.

There are several forms of exercise that really help you to strengthen your digestive system.

Yoga

Yoga, one of the ancient systems that help you to achieve a balance of physical and mental health, works superbly for digestive problems as well. There are several asanas or yogic postures that concentrate mainly to improve the digestive system. Yogasanas or postures that comprise of twists and forward bends tone the digestive muscles and stomach, help to eliminate gas that causes stomach pain, acidity, heart burn and heaviness. Yogic postures that are exclusively meant for improving digestive system enhance blood circulation to the stomach thereby improving the digestive capacity of the stomach. Several digestive disorders can be treated and diabetes, which results with the malfunctioning of pancreas, can also be prevented by specific yogic postures. The important yogic postures that aim to assist in improving the digestive system are wind relieving pose, supported child's pose, revolved abdomen pose, bound angle pose.

Yogasanas or yogic postures result in calming your mind. Relaxation also helps in improving the digestive capability of your stomach.

Breathing

Several breathing exercises or pranayama also aim to strength your digestive system in a subtle manner. Deep breathing exercises help in eliminating toxins from your body.

Boot camp workout

In a boot camp workout, the stomach muscles are strengthened, your stamina levels are increased and the body metabolism rate also goes up. For performing boot camp workouts, you need extremely high levels of stamina and energy.

Whatever exercise regime you may follow, you need to remember certain basic rules:

Any form of exercise should be done on an empty stomach.
It is better if you consult your physician before starting any form of exercise.
Eat a well balanced diet that consists of all nutrients required for the body.
Eat only when you are hungry.