Spring Detox
If spring is not already here, it’s certainly on its way. Can you feel it? It’s fascinating to watch spring unfold. It’s fun to observe buds bursting into bloom in the garden; the sprouts of grass came out from ground;
Spring inspires us taking initiatives and the perfect time starting the spring cleansing and carrying out some proper general DETOX! It’s essential we clear out all of the toxins and fat in the body accumulated over the gloomy winter because of lacking exercise and fresh air outdoors, which made our metabolism slowing down. The detoxification will awake our body, mind and spirit from a long hibernating winter. It may help to lose a few pounds of weight as well.
You can get a good jump start to take some excellent herbal remedies that will cleanse your blood, your body and enhance your immune system. These natural herbal products contain very powerful and effective properties to ensure your body getting the necessary and essential spring cleanses that can make improvement of health and wellbeing, reduction of fat in the blood and body weight.
If you prefer DIY and perform home-made remedies you may like to go another route?You can visit your holistic health practitioners who can identify your trouble spots and find out what will be good for you. Here I introduce a few DIY formulas by using the flower blossoms to DETOX, which it’s simple and easy to do.
Jasmine (Jasminum officinale): This gentle fragrant with subtle taste flower is our first choice. The delicate Jasmine flower contains powerful aphrodisiac properties that can eliminate toxins, improve the digestive system and relieve abdomen pain. It also aids increasing body metabolism and improves the blood circulation. Its anti-lipid peroxidative potential can support weight loss. You cannot image the flower teas can make you slim and are better than your slimming pills.
Another bonus of drinking Jasmine is its sedative effects, which helps body to relax, recover its strength and revitalise energy. It balances our emotional wellbeing and get rid of stress as well.
Chrysanthemum: This mild floral aroma with a delicate taste flower provides both caffeine free light refreshment and also remarkable health benefits. It contains calcium, iron, magnesium , high amounts of B carotene like choline, folacin, niacin as well as riboflavin and Vitamin C. These antioxidants protect our cells in the body and prevent damage by free radicals. It also shows the detoxification of the liver and improves blood circulation to expel toxins. Chrysanthemum is a natural coolant. Its anti-bacterial and antiviral properties support to relieve congestion in the head and lower the body temperature when suffering from fever.
In Chinese medicine it has been used for thousands years to treat illness such as high temperature caused headache, cough, pimples and acne, itching and dryness of the eyes. West herbalists used for lowering cholesterols and blood pressure. There are certainly beneficial to drink it for people with atherosclerosis and varicose veins. No wonder people have been using chrysanthemum for a long time. It will be enough to make a good cup of tea from 3 grams of dried chrysanthemum flowers.
Rose: I believe nobody doubts Rose is one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. Its rich fragrance and indisputable aesthetic appeal are already contributed to upbeat psychological effects and emotional wellbeing. However, there are many valuable properties to benefit our health.
Rose is an excellent source of vitamins A, B3, C, D and E. They also contain bioflavonoids, citric acid, flavonoids, fructose, malic acid, tannins and zinc. These rich vitamins support liver function counter to infection. There is indication the soothing property of Rose can act as a mild sedative and anti-depressant that reduce nervous tension. It can also relieve spasm in respiratory system efficiently and ease a mild sore throat
They can ease digestion, increase bile secretion and improve blood circulation. Therefore it is used in the treatment of diarrhea and infections, particularly bladder infections.
Commonly known Rose water and Rose Oil are good for skin on beauty treatments; especially it can help reduce brown spot on the skin.
Wow. We are spoiled by the flowers. Can you feel mouth-watering to have a cup of hot flower tea now. I hope you enjoy not only the sights and the fragrance of the colourful spring blossom and also sip more flower teas for your Detox and system cleanses.
Hay Fever
Hay Fever
Spring is finally arrived. We all go out to enjoy lovely sunshine and beautiful blossom of flowers.
Large amount of pollen is also naturally high now. It can be worse on the days in the wind. You need to protect yourself if you suffer from hay fever.
Hay fever is the common term used to describe pollen allergic rhinitis. It is an allergic reaction triggered by some pollens or spores that the immune system overreacts to against the pollen or spores in the air and release chemical called histamine to cause inflammation of the mucosal membrane. It often happens in spring and summer.
People with hay fever can experience the typical symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, nose, itch on eye and ear canal, but also severe hay fever can induce bronchitis, bronchial asthma and even pulmonary heart disease. A lot of people have substantial impact on a person’s quality of life such as suffering tiredness, poor concentration and difficult to sleep.
Allergic rhinitis affects between 10% and 25% of the world population, and this number appears to be increasing. I read an article mentioned there are 12 million people suffering hay fever in UK.
Hay fever cannot be cured completely, but there are ways to prevent and treat. What do I do to prevent it? You can reduce the symptoms or prevent it if you follow the steps here.
- Wear glasses: Wearing eye glasses can reduce your chance of being affected. You can use contact lenses instead of glasses with lenses and put on the wraparound sunglasses to protect your eyes when going out.
- Changing clothes: If you go out when the pollen index is high, come back home and be sure to put on clean clothes.
- Close the doors and windows: Shut the car and house door and windows during the day to prevent pollen especially on the windy day and consider buying a pollen filter for the air vents in your car.
- Wash your hair regularly: pollen sticks to it and will transfer to your pillow.
- Check the pollen count on TV often. Choose to do all kinds of outdoor activities with the lowest count of the pollen index, such as early morning, late at night, or after a shower. Do not stay long in the outdoors; especially the pollen index is high time, such as a sunny day or windy day.
- Do not hang out your washing out. Do not expose clothes, blankets, bed sheets, etc. to pollen.
- Vacuum and clean house regularly but dust with a damp cloth.
- Stop people from smoking cigarettes in your home. Breathing in smoke irritates the lining of your nose, eyes, throat and airways which can irritate hay fever.
- Avoid contamination: Make sure you avoid all the things that aggravate symptoms, such as dust and smells on the road if you are outdoors.
10. If your pet goes out of the house during the hay fever season does come indoors, wash them regularly to remove any lingering pollen from their fur.
11. Avoid high pollen places or season for holiday. If possible, arrange holiday not in hay fever season or choose the seaside resort instead of the mountain holiday because the sea breeze will make almost no pollen in the air.
Today’s tip. You can put a smearing of Vaseline inside each nostril to capture pollens that enter the nasal passages. You can find this method can ease the soreness of your nose as well.
Sometimes you may still have the hay fever attack although you have taken all necessary of precaution. How to treat it? Read my next blog.
Treatment of Hay Fever
Hay fever can be treated by many drugs that can relieve the symptoms: some over the counter and some need prescription. You may already experience all the drugs for your itchy eyes and running nose. But have you tried other therapies? I can tell you there are natural remedies can keep sneezing, itching and watery eyes at bay this season.
I remember one of clients is a pharmacist who had tried all the drugs surrounding him for his own condition, hay fever before he asked my help. After using Chinese Medicine he got better without other side effects. He introduced an army of patients to me every year, which gives me opportunity to help more people.
According to Chinese Medicine, hay fever is a hypersensitivity condition and can be successfully treated by Chinese herbs and acupuncture. It is usually known that this is a condition of Qi deficiency, which the body lacks essential energy and an invasion of Wind-Heat in the Lung. Chinese medicine uses acupuncture and herbal medicine to induce desensitisation of the allergic reactions. Research showed that acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs is remarkable effective. Through the treatment the improved energy and biochemical balance produced results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities. It can help to strengthen the body’s resistance and can regulate the body’s antigen-antibody’s reactions. This is important in helping to influence the body’s own internal regulating system and relieve hay fever and other allergic reactions such as asthma. It can achieve fairly fast and give lasting relief of hay fever symptoms such as nasal congestion, discharge, and itching. The treatments can be used before the reason or during the season. For you to be free from hay fever it’s much better if they can be treated before hay fever season to prevent all the allergic reactions.
Chinese herbal medicines, including bupleurum, magnolia derivatives, Chinese skullcap and liquorice, have been used for the treatment of hay fever. Reishi a well-known mushroom can help to modulate the immune system, clear heat and anti-allergy. Therefore it can help combat hay fever.
Chrysanthemum tea and Dandelion tea are great cooling anti-inflammatory teas which are especially good for relieving red, itchy eyes and sinus congestion. Drink a few cups day can help relieve of your hay fever symptoms. Nettle tea also helps
Pay attention of your nutrition in diet and foods. Allergies can be aggravated by certain foods such refined sugars, chemicals, growth hormones and antibiotics in our food. It is essential to avoid food as mentioned above and washing food well to reduce pollen and chemical pollution. Dark green foods are also helpful as they help to eliminate excess toxins in the body Eat more beta carotene rich foods such as the red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables are also rich in Bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Hay fever sufferers require greater amounts of these nutrients. Drink freshly pressed orange and carrot juices and plenty of water.
Breathing exercises help to strengthen lungs and decongest nose and stop smoking cigarettes.
Obviously you can visit your doctor if the symptoms are still severe. However always use the natural ways to help yourself first! Contact me if you have any questions.
Pulsed Light and Heat Therapy
Another treatment that is actually quite similar to lasers is that of pulsed light and heat therapy.
Just as with laser treatment, the main target is the sebaceous gland and its production of oil. By using pulsed light and heat, this gland can actually be ‘shrunk’ so that the oil production is limited.
Mostly, this form of treatment is used for mild or moderate acne, but it is still being perfected, and has displayed some promising results so far.
Although it is cheaper than laser treatment in general, most medical insurances do not cover its cost yet, which is a big limitation. Of course, this is subject to change, and it might be worthwhile checking out whether or not yours does.
As far as side effects go, this treatment only seems to cause a slight red tinge in the affected areas, which is vastly better than the pain and risk of long term affects that plagues laser treatment.
Bear in mind though, being new, there may still be downsides that are yet to be discovered.
Oral Retinoids (Isotretinoin)
Some of the side effects that you might expect from taking isotretinion include nose-bleeds and dry skin. Also, this drug is not to be taken by pregnant women, as it has been known to cause birth defects.
Although unconfirmed, it has also been linked to causing depression, and, in some other cases, liver damage.
As you can probably now see, it really is something that is that little bit ‘extra’ and far more powerful and convincing than other acne treatments. If you’re really serious about treating a severe case of acne, then it could be just the thing that you need.
But you’ll need to commit to regular appointments and checkups with a dermatologist, and be willing to accept the possibility of side effects.
Once you start this drug, you may notice an initial ‘flare up’ of acne, that is worse than anything that you’ve had before. Don’t worry though – it is completely natural.
Subsequently, over the course of a few months, you should begin to see improvements, until eventually your acne is at a much more manageable level, or completely gone.
Be sure to talk to your doctor very carefully about the risks of taking isotretinoin. Yes, it is a great acne cure, but you don’t want to end up facing much larger problems as a result of taking it.
Oral Retinoids (Isotretinoin)
Don’t be put off by the heavy medical jargon that you probably don’t understand. In actual fact, isotretinoin is one of the most effective treatments for very severe acne that has been proven time and time again.
Even the statistics back it up, showing vast improvements or completely getting rid of acne in over 80% of people who use it.
Sounds good, right?
Well, unfortunately things aren’t all rosy and there are various side effects which could crop up; which is why isotretinion is only used for very severe cases, and even then under the close supervision of a medical expert (often, a dermatologist).
Anyway, what is an oral retinoid? In a nutshell, it just means that it is a Vitamin A derivative that is swallowed. Simple enough right?
Still, while they are slightly related to Vitamin A, and do occur naturally in small quantities through the body, it would be bad to understate just how powerful an oral retinoid like isotretinoin is.
Long story short, it is very strong.
For the most part, isotretinoin is supposed to work by reducing oil secretion from the glands. That said, there isn’t a real consensus on its affects, and some medical experts believe that it also helps treat other aspects of acne.
What is known is that it is very effective, but should, as any doctor would recommend, only be used as a last resort.
