Natural Health Remedies

Because it was Remembrance Day on Sunday there have been many documentaries on TV about the Great War. One of the documentaries was about the poet Wilfred Owen who served and died as a soldier.

During the war he suffered (along with 20,000 other men) from shell shock. Because of the horrific conditions in the trenches, being bombarded with bullets and having to bury dead bodies everyday, it’s no wonder that so many men suffered mentally as well as physically.

Ignorance - Unfortunately back then people didn’t understand what shell-shock was. When men displayed symptoms of uncontrollable shaking it was thought it was caused by injury of the nerves or cowardice.

Horrific Treatments - One way that doctors dealt with the men was electric shock treatment. It was thought that the pain from the shock would be so much worse than anything experienced at war that the men would be more than willing to go back.

Wilfred was one of the lucky ones and instead went to Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh where a new form of treatment was being practised. What was this treatment? Occupational Therapy.

Occupational Therapy allowed victims to re-adjust to normal life by carrying out simple activities such as arts and crafts along with nature watching. For 90% of patients this simple treatment was successful.

Luckily our attitudes to such illnesses have changed over the years. It’s heart breaking to think that some men were convicted for “desertion” and punished by being shot to death. They were simply suffering from severe stress.

For those suffering from the occasional heartburn to those suffering from GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease, you know that the burning sensation in your chest and throat is enough to send you over the edge.

There are different prescription drugs that help with the symptoms of GERD, along with many drug store varieties that are good for the burning felt after eating a large bowl of gumbo. There is also a surgery that will help to relieve that GERD.

What About Natural Cure, Remedies

By far the safest way to cure heartburn is by simply changing your diet. By eliminating certain foods and drinks, you will be able to drastically help diminish the symptoms.

Coffee and some teas are very acidic and should not be consumed in huge amounts. Also, juices such as cranberry, orange, grapefruit, and even apple have high acidic levels and may aggravate things.

Alcohol should also be avoided all together or consumed in small amounts infrequently.

Eat slowly instead of rushing though your meal. Most aliments concerning your digestive system can be avoided by taking smaller bites and chewing each bite slowly and thoroughly.

Avoid things like smoking and chewing gum before meals. This, too, may aggravate GERD.

Sit at a table during meal time. I know this sounds like common sense, but so many of us have very busy lives and are always in a rush. We are either eating in our cars, over the sink or on the couch instead around the dinner table. This is not only a huge benefit to your digestive system, it will also be a good way to hang out with the family.

Wear unrestricted clothing. Tight clothing that pushes everything inward may make us look slimmer but it also smashes all of our organs including our stomach. If there is no room for the food to digest, it may move upward to find some.

Don’t do any extreme exercising after meals. On the reverse side of that, don’t go lie down and sleep either. Lying down may cause those acids, and food, to travel up the esophagus.

There are a few things that may help. Ginger is a great root for digestion issues. It also is great for nausea so if you are experiencing acid reflux with nausea this would help both.

WATER, WATER, WATER! This cannot be said enough. Water is one of those simple things that everyone can do. It is often found people who drink a lot of water tend to have less health issues. When we drink water throughout the day we eat less and are less likely to eat the foods that give us the biggest problems like things high in fat, sugar, and grease.

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Acid reflux AKA heartburn occurs when the stomach acids enter the esophagus. The esophagus is not equipped like the stomach is to handle strong acids. This is why a burning sensation is felt. This condition is often called heartburn because the burning feeling can be felt in the chest, in the same area as your heart. While heartburn may sound more like an uncomfortable aliment, it can be dangerous as well.

Causes of Heartburn

Heartburn can happen in anyone. Most often felt after a heavy or spicy meal and often aggravated by lying down soon after eating. Occasional heartburn is normal and can be remedied by any over the counter antacid.

Acid reflux that happens often should be cause for worry. Those acids are not meant to go up into the esophagus. When they do, they burn the lining. Over time that lining will become permanently damaged.

If someone has frequent acid reflux they may be suffering from GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease. GERD is caused when the valve between the stomach and the esophagus becomes weak which then allows the acids to rise up into the throat instead of keeping them down. When the acids reach the throat, a burning sensation is felt which is described as heartburn.

Symptoms of Acid Reflux

Burning in the chest and throat are the first signs of acid reflux. This can be felt at night when going to bed, bending over or eating a spicy food.

Most chronic GERD sufferers experience symptoms at night when they are in bed. This is because the acids are more likely to travel to the esophagus when laying flat on your back.

Other symptoms are a feeling of being full, nausea, having food raise into the esophagus and pain in the upper abdomen. Not so common symptoms are dryness in the throat, a hoarse voice, trouble swallowing, chest pain and even a sore throat from the acids.

Dangers in Acid Reflex

Chronic acid reflux that is continually burning the lining of the esophagus can eventually lead to cancer. It is very important that if you feel that heartburn is plaguing you, go see a doctor to discuss your options.

Barret’s esophagus happens when the cells in the esophagus, due to over exposure to stomach acids, become damaged. This happens in about ten percent of the people who suffer from GERD. Barret’s esophagus can turn into cancer.

Things to Avoid

Try avoiding foods and beverages that are highly acidic. Coffee, some teas, juice, spicy and greasy foods should either be completely avoided or at least eaten very seldomly.

Things to Remember

It is important to remember that having occasional heartburn is normal. There are different ways of treating acid reflux from over-the-counter treatments for the random occurrences to surgery for those with more extreme cases. It is important to speak with a doctor to review your options.

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Many glossy magazines have a special knack of convincing us that we can’t live without a particular supplement. Before you know it, your kitchen cupboard resembles a mini-health store. Yeah, so there are a number of supplements that are very good for you such as Evening Primrose Oil, Cod Liver Oil and Spirulina, however if you had to choose just one what would it be?

For me I think I would have to choose Digestive Enzymes.

What are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes digest our food so that we can use the nutrients to keep our body healthy. There are many types of enzymes, each with a specific role. For instance, amylase digests starch, whilst lipase digests fats. Without these enzymes we will suffer from indigestion, malnutrition or even a weakened immune system.

How do We Normally Get Digestive Enzymes?

If you are eating a diet largely made up of processed food then it’s unlikely intaking enough enzymes. This means your body then has to produce its own enzymes. Unfortunately our bodies have a limited supply, so when they’re gone, they’re gone. Even eating raw fruit and veg may not be enough if they have been grown thousands of miles away or in soil that is poor quality.

What Digestive Enzymes to Take?

As I said, there are a number of types of enzymes available each with its own role. You can buy them either individually, for instance people who are intolerant to milk can take lactase or you could take a protease capsule with a protein drink. It you aren’t sure then it’s probably best just to take one which has the most important enzymes in it along with your main meal.

At the moment I’m taking a Bromelain (from pineapples) and Papain (from papaya) tablet with my protein shake every day. My boyfriend on the other hand takes Now foods Plant Enzymes because he suffers from indigestion. When taking the enzymes he doesn’t need to take any indigestion tablets. I call that a success.

(If you live in the UK, I buy these enzymes and protein powders from MyProtein.co.uk as I find they have a very good selection at competitive prices.)

So basically, it’s all very well to take lots of supplements however if you aren’t digesting them properly it could all be a waste of time (and money).  I don’t know, but it might even help with cleansing your liver.

The award for the worst excuse ever goes to dentist Dr. Mark Anderson who claimed that the breast fondling of 27 female patients was purely “professional”. He claims that the massaging of his patients’ chests was to treat temporo-mandibular joint disorder (TMJ), which is the cause of neck and head pain.

Not only that but attorney Rober Zao told administrative law judge Jonathan Lew that his client should be able to keep his licence so that he can feed his seven children and pay for his defence.

Having looked more at TMJ I cannot find anything about massaging the breasts and there is certainly nothing to suggest that having a sleazy dentist shove his hands into your bra is going to help.

It seems the judge has made no final decision. I say send him to the slammer!