Benefits of Mindfulness Training

According to the Huffington Post scientific research has shown the benefit of Mindfulness training in these areas:

• Lowers stress chemicals in the body
• Lets us get to know our true selves--you choose your behaviors your are less reactive
• Can make your grades better—better focus and attention
• Could help our troops—helps PTSD
• Help people with arthritis—helps with pain management
• Changes the brain in a protective way—increases emotion al hormone balance
• Works as the brain’s “volume knob”—one gains psychological perspective
• Makes music sound
• Helps even when we’re not practicing it—a generalized calm when not meditating
• Has four elements that help us in different ways—socially, mind, body, spirit
• Could help your doctor be better at his/her job—he is focused, you are calm
• Makes you a better person—your decisions are better thought out
• Could make going through cancer just a little less stressful
• Could help the elderly feel less lonely
• Could make your health care bill a little lower—strengthens the immune system
• Comes in handy during cold season-- strengthens the immune system
• Lowers depression risk among pregnant women
• Lowers depression risk among teens
• Supports your weight-loss goals
• Helps you sleep better

Mindful meditation takes many forms. Some individuals such as Christian monastics, or Buddhist monks spend years perfecting their meditations. Many of us would like a meditation recipe book---Americans love “how to” recipe books. I have been doing my own brand of meditation for years, which tended to be more like an interior monolog. This monolog became real meditation when I gave up rehashing negative emotions and experiences and chose to listen for insight. Prayer is a form of meditation. Someone once asked Mother Teresa of Calcutta what prayer she said. Mother Teresa responded she no longer said prayers---she listened to hear what God was saying.

I’m not saying we should be able to match Mother Teresa’s meditative abilities. But the choice to develop mindful meditation practice brings with it a lot of mind/body/spirit benefits just through an honest effort. Who doesn’t want the best life you can have?

The book Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, does have many step by step activities and, meditations to help you develop your mindfulness skills. You may not agree with all of the author’s philosophical insights. But the science is real, although the discussion of brain structures was at times tedious. The author has a true desire for you to know and accept that you can change your brain chemistry, emotional outlook, and physical well being for the better.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/mindfulness-meditation-benefits-health_n_3016045.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Mindful-Meditation

http://www.ehow.com/how_2319093_do-mindful-meditation.html

Mind/Body/Spirit Synergy: Mindfulness

I am in the process of developing my mindfulness skills. There are various definitions for the term.  "Mindfulness as a psychological concept is the focusing of attention and awareness, based on the concept of mindfulness in Buddhist meditation." "Mindfulness helps us to stop living by reacting to pressure, freeing us from destructive mental and emotional patterns.  It changes our habitual way of reacting unhelpfully.  We learn and practice staying calm and making sound and creative choices.  To be mindful is to be in each moment and live our lives with understanding."

I finished reading Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, by Rick Hanson (2009). The book editor describes Buddha's Brain ---"a clinical psychologist and a senior neurologist explain how the brain benefits from contemplative practice and show readers how to develop greater happiness, love, and wisdom by drawing from breakthroughs in modern neuroscience."

Buddhism is not my spiritual practice but I do see great benefit from the Buddhist philosophical approach for emotional and physical well-being. Since solid research has demonstrated that mindfulness meditation does change the biochemistry of the brain, I believe we should use this knowledge to improve our emotional health. There are cultural differences between Eastern thinking and Western thinking. But often these differences are exaggerated by our own insecurities.

It is disconcerting to me when meditation practices advocate letting go of your sense of self, be impersonal---etc. As a Westerner, and from the USA, we tend to see Eastern practices as creating an overly compliant, dependent populace. (Yes this a naive, biased, stereotype but it seems to be human nature to be negatively biased about the unknown, which may actually be an evolutionary survival mechanism. Buddha’s Brain, the book, addresses topics like this.) And I am sure many Easterners view our striving for assertiveness as arrogant and aggressive. To me it seems the best place to be is living in the middle and having the ability to choose behavioral responses from either end of the continuum that enhance one’s life and well-being.

Constant aggressiveness creates a body chemistry overloaded with stress hormones, which is damaging to the body. Being overly compliant also creates an over abundance of stress hormones. Both behavior choices displaying “fight or flight” stress reaction. So perhaps we are not on opposite ends of a continuum but we are actually standing side by side—brothers and sisters under the skin.

One then sees that the best place to be is to be impersonal, let go of excessive self-interest. It is not easy; it is a mental discipline. How many of us make ourselves sick worrying over things we cannot change. Possibly we could have a positive effect if we calmed our minds to allow creative insight and intuition.

If the ego self is overly invested in controlling a situation for a specific outcome, we limit our possibilities. I am in a time of transition between being retired from a career that defined my livelihood, and my emotional sense of self-worth and self-competence and I am transitioning to ……? That blank space creates an inner tension and stress. When my ego self takes over and I worry about the future, or crave the economic stability of the past, my thinking becomes stuck, frozen.

Mindfulness meditation has helped me realize that quieting the mind puts me in touch with my own inner knowing and allows room for inspiration from the higher realms of Spirit. At the same time the body responds by cutting back on cortisol the stress hormone and releases happy, calm hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin.

It is my hope you will join me in my mindfulness adventure. I intend to post my insights and thoughts for the day. My spiritual inspiration has opened my eyes---this is part of my new life and I still have much to contribute. Best Wishes!

Prolotherapy for Chronic Back Pain

I am a chronic back pain sufferer. I have ligament laxity. Ligament laxity is a term that refers to ligaments in the body that can move more than usual. Doctors can also call these looser than normal ligaments hyper mobile; they do not generally refer to lax ligaments as a condition. Chiropractors tend to use the term to describe a potential cause of chronic joint pain or sprains.

For me exercise does not improve ligament or tendon laxity. When exercising here is a point of diminishing returns. I realized as muscle strength increased there was a corresponding tendency to tendonitis and ligament strain. Seemingly my muscle strength over powered my ligaments. Physical trainers and even physical therapists that have the “boot camp” mentality and harass one to work through pain often frustrate me. Pain is a symptom of something wrong, not something good.

Yes weight-bearing exercise is healthy, while running faster and longer builds muscle as well as a stronger heart and lungs. However this does me no good if I end up with sprained ankles and I can’t walk at all. Swimming is the best exercise foe me to keep up muscle strength, flexibility and cardiovascular health.

Hyper mobility is genetic. An estimated 5% to 12% of the adult population has some degree of generalized joint hyper mobility associated with ligament laxity. Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos are recognized syndromes, which are generally rare syndromes, and are characterized by ligament laxity and other determinants.  Hyper mobility syndrome appears to be familial with a clear-cut female predominance. Typically symptoms first appear in children or young adults. Although hyper mobile individuals have a potentially heightened aptitude for activities such as gymnastics, dancing, and playing musical instruments, they also have an increased susceptibility to dislocations, traumatic joint pain, tendonitis, and overuse injuries. These problems may present as a fibromyalgia-like syndrome triggered by exercise.

Chronic back pain can be a symptom of underlying structural problems, or it may be a symptom of an underlying condition. It is essential to have an appropriate physical exam to rule out kidney stones or kidney infection, prostatitis, chronic diverticulitis, cancer of the pelvis, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, fibroid tumors, shingles and circulatory deficiency from hardening of the arteries.

Your back supports your entire body, using a complex interconnecting network of nerves, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. All these components are capable of producing pain in the back, low back and surrounding areas. Because the back is connected to the rest of your body, back pain can be an early warning of underlying conditions elsewhere in your body.

Large nerves that originate in the spine and go to the legs and arms can make pain radiate to the extremities. The pain may be felt in the neck (or might radiate into the arm and hand), in the upper back, or in the low back (and radiate into the leg or foot). Other symptoms may include symptoms weakness, numbness or tingling.

If left untreated, most back problems only worsen as time and gravity take their toll on our bodies. After falling hard on my knee and twisting and torqueing my pelvis I had excruciating lumbar pain for nearly five years. I had sciatic pain shooting through my buttocks and down my leg into my foot. I could walk for about fifteen minutes at a moderate pace but could not tolerate standing after five minutes.

I started with physical therapy and back strengthening which created minor improvement but the PT became a treadmill sadist and I felt myself regress. I saw an orthopedic surgeon who requested I get an MRI. Although, I did have two slightly herniated discs, very slight spinal stenosis, and mild lateral arthritis, I did not meet his criteria for surgery because the pattern of symptoms did not indicate a diagnosis remediable by surgery.

My chiropractor told me about prolotherapy an injection technique that stimulates growth of cells and tissue that stabilize and strengthen weakened joints, cartilage, ligaments and tendons.

The injected solution intentionally causes controlled irritation in the tissue. This irritation is an inflammatory response, which increases the blood supply and thereby stimulates the tissue to heal and regrow new tissue. Typically prolotherapy involves the injection of natural substances such as dextrose into the tissue to initiate the healing process. Dextrose is the most studied substance worldwide and is extremely safe and effective. 

My initial prolotherapy, which occurred 1 ½ years ago, created a 20-30% improvement. (I have not lost any of this improvement.) I also worked with a Rolfer (Structural Integration therapy) and Sacral-Occipital Therapy Chiropractic. I would say I had another 30% improvement. Because I still have a tendency to extreme muscle tension in the lumbar, I felt that the pain had decreased significantly but not enough.

Recently, I attended a Dr. Norm Shealy workshop on wellness protocols. He described sacral shear as the cause of low back pain. This happens when the sacrum become hyper mobile and presses on the sciatic nerve. The sacrum is a small triangular bone located at the bottom of the spine and between the hips. I realized I had originally because I had only addressed half of the hyper mobility affecting my sciatic nerve. I am seeing a local osteopath for prolotherapy injections to strength the ligament laxity around the sacrum.

Prolotherapy was the innovation of Dr. Earl Gedney, an osteopathic physician and surgeon. In the early 1930s, Dr. Gedney caught his thumb in a door thereby stretching the joint and causing severe pain and instability. He was told that nothing could be done for his condition and that his surgical career was over. Gedney knew of a group of doctors that used irritating solutions to stimulate the repair of the distended connective tissue ring as treatment for hernias. He extrapolated this knowledge and utilized it to inject his injured thumb. He was able to fully rehabilitate the thumb. In 1937, Gedney published “The Hyper-mobile Joint,” the first known article about Prolotherapy. The 1937 article gave a preliminary protocol and discussed two case reports, one of a patient with knee pain and another with low back pain who were successfully treated with this method. Prolotherapy is practiced by physicians in the U.S. and worldwide. It is effective in treating many musculoskeletal conditions such as tendonopathies, ligament sprains, back and neck pain, tennis/golfers elbow, ankle pain, joint laxity and instability, plantar fasciitis, shoulder, knee, and other joint pain.  C. Everett Koop, the former US Surgeon General has endorsed prolotherapy, was helped by it, and practices it.

I view this odyssey as a life lesson; it took sixty years to get to this point I cannot expect to reverse the damage quickly. The alternative approaches I have chosen have been researched; they are not paid for by health insurance but they should be. Health insurance should pay for therapies that promote health, not pain killer medication addiction and steroids that cause physical deterioration.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/413950

http://www.prolotherapy.com/Prolotherapy.php

http://www.getprolo.com/tag/sacroiliac-pain/#sthash.BYAO8X00.dpuf

http://www.getprolo.com/prolotherapy-after-back-surgery/

Black Mold Triggers Serious Health Problems

This article on black mold and natural ways to get rid of it was published before on this site. Long exposure to mold creates many serious health problems. There are natural ways to clean up mold without toxic exposure to harsh chemicals. 

I had been introduced to the dark side of mold—black mold. My last work place, a public school, was infested. I ignored it—big mistake. I just tried to stay away from that office as much as possible. I blamed the increased headaches, dry eyes, allergy reactions, aches, pains, depression, and more, on to aging and stress. 

 I found myself with a bronchial infection where I did not sleep for three days because I coughed constantly. I went to the physician she put me on antibiotics. After six weeks of medication I began to make progress. But while I was laying on the couch reviewing my life, trying to figure out— how did I get to this state of depleted health, I realized THIS IS MOLD RELATED.

I had a damp basement in my home. My contractor set to work to deal with the wet basement—French drains outside and in. A French drain can have perforated hollow pipes along the bottom to quickly vent water that seeps down through the upper gravel or rock. I could tell an immediate improvement in the interior environment after the mold remediation.

People living with black toxic mold usually breathe in the mycotoxins. However they can also ingest them or absorb them through their skin. When mycotoxins end up lodging in the lungs this creates breathing problems. Inhaling mycotoxins is much more harmful than ingesting them. The main type of mycotoxins are called trithochecenes. These are some of the most toxic mycotoxins. It is suspected that trichothecenes can cause cancer and damage the immune system. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms. The seriousness of the symptoms depends on the amount of mycotoxins and length of exposure.

If you have a black toxic mold problem you might suffer some of these symptoms:

• Dry eyes • Vision problems • Mental impairment • Neurological symptoms• Memory loss • Anxiety • Depression • Confusion

• Balance problems • General discomfort • Pain • Joint pain • Muscle aches • Muscle pain • Tiredness • Fatigue • Headache • Nausea • Stomach pain • Abdominal pain • Internal lesions • Bleeding • Dermatitis • Rash • Breathing problems • Respiratory problems • Burning lungs • Bleeding lungs • Pulmonary hemorrhage • Wheezing • Shortness of breath • Sore throat • Burning throat • Vomiting • Diarrhea • Coughing • Coughing up blood • Sneezing • Flu-like symptoms • Cold symptoms • Fever • Nosebleeds • Rhinitis • Swollen lymph nodes • Heart palpitations • Yellow nails • Whitemarks under nail • Neck boils • Malaise • Seizures • Autoimmune disease • Acid reflux • Internal organ damage

A frequent musty smell in your home may be the sign of a mold infestation. If you suspect a musty smell, it’s a good idea to hire a professional who can assess your home. If you suspect you have a serious black mold problem call a professional mold remediation specialist to test the mold and make recommendations. The biggest mistake would be to try to kill or remove black toxic mold yourself. Disturbing black toxic mold can trigger the release of millions of spores and mycotoxins. These can contaminate your home, perhaps even beyond repair. The goal of black toxic mold removal is not to kill the mold, rather the goal is to completely remove the mold from your home.

For small, household mold clean up from nonporous surfaces, you can scrub mold from surfaces using water and detergent. Lightly wet the mold growth before you start scrubbing to stop mold spores from escaping into the air. Dead mold spores are still allergenic. So the main goal is to remove the mold, whether you kill it or not.

Does bleach kill mold? Bleach does NOT kill mold. It doesn't even disinfect mold spores. The only thing that bleach does is change the color of the mold by damaging the roots of it. Bleach is not an effective way to kill mold and provides only a temporary solution by slowing its growth. Chlorine bleach doesn't kill mold spores because bleach is made mostly out of water. Water is a main requirement for mold growth and trying to get rid of it with a product that is 99% mold (ie. bleach) isn't very effective.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1075538 

Natural Mold Removers

Tea Tree Oil - which you can purchase at health food stores does a fantastic job as a mold remover. It is expensive but you only have to use small amounts to get great results. It can be used on walls, ceilings, shower curtains etc. Be aware that it does have a very strong odor which will take a few days to calm down - at least it's better than a musty moldy smell! Tea Tree Oil appears to remove and kill the vast majority of mold types.

First thing to do is mix 2 teaspoons of the tea tree oil with approximately 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake gently to mix the two then spray the areas of mold with the solution. There is no need to rinse the mixture off simply leave to dry. You can keep the mixture ready for next time!

Vinegar - something which every household will most definitely have in the kitchen cupboard and it costs very little to buy. White distilled vinegar poured into a spray bottle and sprayed directly onto the area of mold will kill around 82% of molds according to reports. Again, don't rinse, allow to dry. This one is particularly smelly but a good, cheap mold remover!

Grapefruit Seed Extract - this one has a huge advantage over the others - it is completely odorless. The down side is that like tea tree oil it is expensive but again only small quantities are needed. Put 20 drops of the grapefruit extract into a spray bottle and mix with two cups of water. Once again apply to the affected area, no rinsing is required just allow to dry. This mixture too can be kept indefinitely.

Borax- is a common cleaning chemical used by individuals and industrial companies alike. It does not emit any toxic chemicals when you use it, so you do not need to wear any sort of respiratory mask while using Borax. Mix one cup of the Borax with a gallon of water. Shake or stir the container you mix the solution in to thoroughly stir up the water and Borax. Dip a scrubbing brush into the Borax mixture and scrub the mold away with the brush. The Borax will loosen the mold's hold on the surface while the brush completely removes it.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5564625_use-borax-kill-mold.html#ixzz279ynpPVg 

http://EzineArticles.com/3582608

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Life is stressful! And I am a ruminator. Rumination is a process that involves deeply reflecting on a situation. I am one of those deep thinkers who becomes lost in my thoughts and the everyday world can disappear. This is a characteristic of highly creative people. It is this characteristic that allowed Beethoven to write great symphonies even after he was deaf.

When rumination becomes difficult to control, it can lead to negative thought patterns and negative physical effects. I over think my worries and think myself into an anxiety, or panic attack. This habit pattern has created borderline high blood pressure.

The trouble with rumination is at least twofold. As you ruminate, you deepen the grooves in the brain, intensifying levels of anxiety and depression. And your problems remain unsolved, and are perhaps even exacerbated by the failure to move on them. As Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema has shown, the tendency to engage in rumination exposes a huge gender difference in the handling of emotional experience. Simply put, women are predisposed to rumination, largely because they value relationships and thus devote a great deal of time and mental energy to processing the often-ambiguous content of them. And there they get lost, obsessing about issues without taking action. Men, in general, take the opposite tack. They are given to launching themselves into action without thinking their problems through well enough. As a result, the solutions they attempt are not always directly or efficiently focused on their problems. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200304/the-rumination-rut

I am fortunate in that my mind seems to have a self-preservation shut off valve. I will ruminate and worry—ruminate and worry. (Rumination is an interesting topic for another day.) Then suddenly my mind just shift gears—and I will go in search of an answer right now. My thinking is still obsessed but in a positive way. 

My efforts to find a natural way to moderate high blood pressure led me to cinnamon. I now put a cinnamon stick in every pot of tea I make and let it steep for 6 minutes before drinking it----this works for me.

Scientific studies have shown that just a small amount (about ½ a tea spoon) of cinnamon taken daily can significantly reduce blood pressure. Other studies have shown that by taking as little as ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon powder each day can significantly lower cholesterol.

Cinnamon has many healthy benefits. It is an antifungal agent and an antibacterial agent. When mixed with honey a ½  teaspoon of cinnamon greatly reduces the symptoms of Osteoarthritis. It is used to alleviate all sorts of joint pains including Gout and arthritis.

Cinnamon has a long history of medicinal use in Eastern and Western cultures, and modern science has begun to investigate the herb’s healing benefits. Its medicinal effects are believed to derive from terpenoids found in the bark’s volatile oil. Cinnamon is a natural preservative. Because it delays the breakdown of the food in the digestive process, it helps moderate blood glucose levels thereby benefiting those with diabetes. A study released by Dr. P. Zoladz at the Assoc of Chemoreception Sciences (Apr 2004) demonstrated that subjects given cinnamon chewing gum, or who inhaled cinnamon, showed improved scores on tests involving recognition memory. Students can simmer a few cinnamon sticks in water to release the cinnamon aroma for improved retention and recall of information.

Kansas State University researchers added to apple juice that contained high levels of E-Coli bacteria. The E-coli was almost completely eradicated after three days. Cinnamon is effective against Yeast Infection and is used in the treatment of stomach ulcers.

Research studies have demonstrated cinnamon’s benefits for inhibiting Alzheimer Disease; helps curb the urge for tobacco, some pharmacological effects in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. It demonstrates antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties, and is effective on external as well as internal infections. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland found cinnamon reduced the growth of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells. Pharmacological experiments suggest that a cinnamon derived dietary factor is a potent antioxidant and an experimental chemo preventive dietary factor that targets colon cancer.

Benefits of Cinnamon

•                Reducing Inflammation – Cinnamon contains a compound known as cinnamaldehyde that helps prevent blood clotting and helps reduce inflammation

•                Treating Indigestion –cinnamon teas and tinctures are equally effective have the ability to relieve indigestion. Intestinal gas and reduce flatulence.

•                Healing Peptic Ulcers – the propanoic acid stops the formation of stomach ulcers without reducing the production of gastric acid and peptic ulcers

•                Reducing Menstrual Bleeding – Cinnamon tincture has been used for centuries as a standard treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding

•                Treating Yeast Infections – Cinnamon teas and tinctures are both used to successfully treat yeast infections and are useful for treating thrush, an oral yeast infection. Cinnamon bark oil is often used to treat fungal infections of the respiratory tract, including Candida albicans.

•                Treating Diabetes – A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 found that patients taking 6 grams of cinnamon daily experienced reduced blood glucose levels, which may be the result of delayed gastric emptying. (Source: Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun; 85(6):1552-6)

•                Memory Booster--Cinnamon can improve cognitive function as well as memory.

•                Blood Purification--Cinnamon helps in removing impurities from the blood, and is often recommended for pimples.

•                Promotes Healing--Cinnamon helps to stop bleeding, and facilitates the healing process.

•                Relieves acidity and morning sickness--and aids in the secretion of breast milk.

•                Respiratory problems-- helps in cold, flu, influenza, sore throat.

•                Menstruation--is effective in providing relief from menstrual cramp and discomfort.

•                Anti-Oxidant--believed to be high in anti-oxidants. Regular drinking of Cinnamon tea could be beneficial to oxidative stress related illness

•                Diuretic Effects--helps in secretion and discharge of urine.

•                Aphrodisiac--believed to arouse sexual desire.

Typically, we grate cinnamon directly onto food, or the ground spice is used in cooking, and it can be used as a food preservative. The herb can also be made into a tea, or its oil added to hot water. Cinnamon supplements are also available. Cinnamon benefits your health the most when it has a strong, potent aroma. If the scent is weak, the cinnamon is likely too old to have much benefit. Store ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks in tightly sealed glass containers in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Ground cinnamon typically lasts for about six months under proper storage conditions, and cinnamon sticks will last about one year. Cinnamon is considered safe for consumption as a spice.

A Simple Cinnamon Tea Recipe

Use freshly ground ginger and cinnamon if possible.

Ingredients:

•                1/4 tsp. ground ginger

•                1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

•                1 tsp. lemon juice

•                1 cup hot water

CAUTIONS:  Cinnamon does contain moderate amounts of oxalate and should be used in moderation by individuals with a history of kidney stones and those with prostate problems.  Those allergic to balsam of Tolu should avoid cinnamon oil. Cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on the blood and should be avoided in combination with blood-thinning medications such as aspirin. Large quantities of cinnamon should also be avoided during pregnancy. Interactions. Those taking medication for controlling blood sugar levels should consult their physician before using cinnamon as a regular supplement.

http://themodernherbal.com/2010/09/cinnamon-health-benefits/

http://www.medicalhealthguide.com/herb/cinnamon.htm#e

http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/health-benefits-of-cinnamon/

http://www.online-herbal-remedies.com/benefits-of-cinnamon.html

Adult Acne

When I learned that our skin is the largest organ in the body I was surprised. I had never thought about my skin in that way. To me skin was the body's outer covering---like a self made shoe, nothing more. If you would look in my closet you would see I do not take very good care of my shoes—they are in need of a good polish.

Like a shoe, skin protects us from injury, and environmental dis-comforts. Our skin regulates body temperature, protects us from light, fights infection, and stores water, fat, and vitamin D. The skin is made up of two main layers the epidermis (outer layer of the skin) and the dermis. The deepest part of the epidermis produces melanin, which gives the skin its color. The dermis (the inner layer of skin) contains blood and lymph vessels, hair follicles, and glands that produce sweat, which helps regulate body temperature, and sebum, an oily substance that helps keep the skin from drying out. Sweat and sebum reach the skin's surface through tiny openings called pores. Our skin allows us to experience the pleasure of touch, and the ability to interact with our environment.

When I was an adolescent I had problem skin, cystic acne. My parents got me appropriate medical care. At the time, I did not realize that acne can be a serious health problem, my adolescent point of view was skin was about beauty---what did others see when they looked at me? My treatments were successful and my skin was great for many years. Then as I got older I began to display the characteristics of Rosacea. NOT AGAIN---I had just gotten used to thinking of myself as attractive. However this time I was armed with knowledge gained as an herbalist.

Rosacea, sometimes called adult acne, is a chronic skin condition where the face turns red may swell and has skin sores that look like acne. Symptoms include redness of the face, blushing or flushing easily, a lot of spider-like blood vessels (telangiectasia), occasionally a red nose (called a bulbous nose), acne-like skin sores that may ooze or crust, burning or stinging feeling in the face, and irritated, bloodshot, watery eyes.

Rosacea is generally considered a harmless condition. Typically, women who are fair skinned and age 30-50 may display symptoms. When men develop Rosacea the symptoms are more severe. The cause is not known.  Symptoms involve swelling of the blood vessels just under the skin. Other associated other skin disorders include acne vulgaris, seborrhea, or eye disorders (blepharitis, keratitis).

Rosacea Phases:

1. Pre-rosacea—1. A simple tendency to flush or blush easily, 2. Then progress to a persistent redness in the central portion of your face, particularly your nose redness results from the dilation of blood vessels close to your skin's surface)
2. Vascular rosacea— 1. Small blood vessels on your nose and cheeks swell and become visible (telangiectasia), 2. Skin may become overly sensitive. 3. May also be accompanied by oily skin and dandruff
3. Inflammatory rosacea—1. Small, red bumps or pustules may appear and persist, spreading across your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin, 2. About 1 in 2 people with rosacea also experience ocular rosacea, a burning and gritty sensation in the eyes, the inner skin of the eyelids to become inflamed or appear scaly

Currently, there is no known cure for Rosacea. Your doctor will help identify the things, called triggers that make your symptoms worse. Avoid triggers to prevent or reduce flare-ups. Triggers are unique to the indivdual’s physiology and skin type. Triggers may include wind, hot baths, cold weather, specific skin products, exercise, or other factors.

Typical recommendations to ease or prevent symptoms include avoid sun exposure, use sunscreen every day, avoid a lot of activity in hot weather, try to reduce stress, try deep breathing, yoga, or other relaxation techniques, limit spicy foods, alcohol, and hot beverages. If you choose to use sun screen every day remember that sunscreen inhibits your skin’s ability to create vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical to being cancer free.

Physicians and dermatologists have specific treatment protocols that include antibiotics, medications, similar to vitamin A, and in severe cases laser surgery may help reduce the redness and remove some swollen nose tissue. According to standard medical thinking Rosacea cannot be cured, but may be controlled with treatment.

Steroid-Induced Rosacea has been called "The Great Impostor" because the long-term use of topical corticosteroids, a common skin therapy to reduce inflammation and redness, can actually cause rosacea-like symptoms. These hormones, Corticosteroid medications, are often prescribed to treat inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease. Topical corticosteroids may be used to treat some skin diseases, including dermatitis and vitiligo. However, they can be a potent skin irritant whose adverse effects often resemble rosacea. Typically the rosacea-like symptoms due to topical corticosteroids end when one stops using the medication.

Natural products for treating Rosacea

Aloe Vera gel

Green Tea Seed Oil

Camellia Seed oil

Kukui oil

Emu oil

Carrot Seed oil

Cypress

Lavender

Tea Tree

 I recommend that you try to develop a natural treatment program as many of the available medications can have serious adverse effects. A friend, with serious Rosacea symptoms, refuses to use the recommended medication because it is deadly to her cats. Over time I have developed my own Rosacea protocol based on natural products. My skin type is a medium fair. My first experiment was a yogurt facial mask (plain yogurt from the grocery store, straight out of the carton). The yogurt facial shrunk the blood capillaries, eliminated skin scaling, and eliminated inflammation. Ever since I have used a facial cleansing program that includes enzymes whether in a homemade concoction or commercial product. Rose water is a wonderful toner, pore shrinker. You can get economical rosewater at an Indian market.

Enzymes (which are in yogurt) are very good at eliminating dead skin cells. I believe the enzymes penetrate the skin and help tone the weak skin capillaries. I have found that salicylic acid  (an ingredient found in aspirin and originally gotten from willow tree bark) was very useful for getting the red out. During the winter I use a commercial cleanser that has pumpkin as an essential ingredient. During the summer I use a cleanser that includes white cranberries. After cleansing, I rotate between moisturizers, based on the weather. They include natural ingredients such as evening primrose oil, almond oil, olive oil, rice protein, calendula, and hemp.

I admit it—my favorite skin cleanser is a natural dish detergent made with enzymes, lemon and eucalyptus, which I dilute with water about 60% detergent, 40% water. (I went to see my dermatologist, who I had not seen in six years, her comment to me was your skin is so pale. She was expecting to see a flaming red face.)

Caution, if you have very sensitive skin, use enzyme cleansers with care they may be too potent for every day use. Also, pregnant women should not use salicylic acid.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001882/

http://www.rosacea.org/weblog/great-impostor-steroid-induced-rosacea

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rosacea/DS00308/DSECTION=symptoms

http://www.mychelle.com/skin-care/Redness#.UddHwsu9KK0

The Versatile Beet

My favorite restaurant in St. Louis is the Cafe Osage. The Café Osage is part of an urban farm complex. This urban farm complex is associated with the local organic Bowood farm located in Clarksville, MO. My friends and I often enjoy a visit to the urban greenhouse and gift shop. The urban farm is an island of green, two city blocks of green houses, a vegetable garden and a roof top herb garden, in the middle of a transitional neighborhood of old Victorian homes.

Urban farming is a wonderful new trend. Many of the vegetables used in the dishes at Café Osage are grown in their 1/4 acre garden across the street. The café also receives many plants and vegetables from the 4th generation Clarksville family farm. You can take a tour of the rooftop herb garden where all the fresh herbs used at the café are grown.

I tried Café Osage’s fantastic beet salad. I gave myself the challenge of tying to replicate this pickled beet salad. After a quick check I find this beet salad is no longer on the menu. So if you are a beet lover like I am you will need to perfect your own version of this recipe.

West End Beet Salad

Ingredients

◦                2 cans of sliced pickled beets (if you use fresh beets, 8 medium-sized, the flavor will be milder and you will need to bake them first—beets are not meant to be hard) 

◦                1/4 cup celery

◦                1/4 cup thinly sliced carrots

◦                1/4 cup minced onions

        Mix together dressing in separate bowl

◦                1/2 cup sour cream/ or plain yogurt

◦                3 teaspoon prepared white horseradish  (use less horseradish for a milder flavor)

◦                2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1.               Use canned beets or, for fresh beets the best way to peel/cook beets is Baked Beets recipe (http://www.recipezaar.com/251586). Wrap each beet in a square of tin foil and bakes them at 400 degrees for a hour to an hour and a half. When beets are cool enough to handle, just slip the skins off.

2.              Slice, dice or chop the beets

3.              Place all the ingredients in a serving bowl, add the dressing and mix gently but thoroughly.

4. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to let the flavors marinate

BENEFITS OF BEETS

1. The ancient Romans used beets as an aphrodisiac
2. Beets are high in many vitamins and minerals
3. Beets cleanse the body
4. Beets help your mental health
5. Beets are a high source of energy
6. Nutritionists use beets and beet juice to test stomach acid levels—if you pee pink your stomach acid is too low
7. High in potassium
8. Helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, helps protect against heart disease
9. Have been used it to get rid of tumors, help blood diseases and leukemia.
10.  Used to treat and boils, abscesses and even acne
11.  Help cleanse the blood and the colon, and strengthen the gall bladder and liver

In my herbal studies program one of the first herbs I was introduced to was the beet top (beet greens.) But how can you discuss the beet top without discussing the beet itself. Beets are excellent blood cleansers. They cleanse the liver, work as a blood purifier, and demonstrate anti-cancer properties.

Beets contain high amounts of boron, which is directly related to the production of human sex hormones. They are very beneficial to pregnant women. The vitamin B, folic acid, and iron are beneficial to new growth cells and beets help replenishing iron in the woman’s body.

Beets contain betaine, which has been used for treatment of depression. They contain trytophan, which enhances a sense of well-being and calms the nervous system. Beets demonstrate properties that lower blood pressure. They are low in calories and high in a form of sugar, which is released into your system gradually making then very beneficial to the diabetic individual.

Beets are high in many vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine; folic acid, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, thiamin, calcium, copper, phosphorous and zinc. Although beets are high in sodium, they're also high in potassium too and one cup contains over 14 percent of the recommended daily amount.

A study investigated animals with induced high cholesterol and colon cancer. Those that ate a diet consisting heavily of beet fiber displayed increased numbers of CD8 cells in their colons. CD8 cells help eliminate abnormal cells, such as cancer. The beet fiber group displayed a lower incidence of precancerous changes. It was discovered that the animals fed beets had a drop of 30 percent in total cholesterol with the triglycerides dropping a 40 percent while HDL levels, good cholesterol, increased.

A study of nitrosamines revealed beet juice inhibits their formation. Nitrosamines come from the ingestion and breakdown of nitrates found in preserved, processed meat Nitrosamines are known to induce the creation of cancerous cells. Beet juice is a powerful inhibitor of cell mutation caused by nitrosamines.

According to and article by Detopoulou P, Panagiotakos DB, et al. in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" people with a high intake of betaine, a substance found in beets, had lower inflammatory markers.

BEETS ARE VERSATILE

They are low calorie and all parts of the beet provide good nutrition. Add some of the leaves the next time you make stir-fry or drink a glass of beet juice for your health. Beets can be eaten raw or you can boil, steam roast or sauté them. Raw beets can be easily juiced. If you enjoy your beets cooked, wash the exterior thoroughly and put it in boiling water. Leave the top and skin, to preserve all the wonderful nutrient of the beet, and remove them later. If you want the benefits of beet juice but can not drinking it straight mix it with some carrot or apple juice for a milder taste. The raw beet leaves are a wonderful addition to salad. The leaves have been known to counter "garlic" breath.

http://healthfood-guide.com/HealthBenefitsOfBeets.aspx

http://beetsnutrition.com/health-benefits-of-beets.html

http://www.bowoodfarms.com/