Saturday, March 3, 2012

News and Home/Natural Remedies

So this has been a busy couple of weeks for me! I am pleased to inform you that I will be moving to a new office in Peoria, IL next week. My new office is AlignLife of Peoria and can be found at 4812 N Sheridan Road behind Walgreens. I am very excited to join the team and begin serving the Peoria community to the best of my abilities and beyond. If you want to find out more info about my new office, click here.

Ok, so let's talk about some natural remedies I've found very useful so far.

**Caution should always be used before using any home remedy and you should always consult your doctor before use.**

Tea Tree Oil has anti septic, anti bacterial, and anti fungal properties so it has a variety of uses, however it is a very strong product and for this reason shouldn't be used for long periods because it can cause skin irritation, redness, itching, or blistering. Some people may have sensitivies or allergic reactions to tea tree oil so if you have any reaction stop use and consult your doctor. Tea Tree Oil can alter hormones levels as well so consult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Tea Tree oil should not be taken internally as it can cause decreased immune function, diarrhea, or other serious conditions. I personally like to dilute the solution with water or olive oil depending on method of use due to the aforementioned reasons.  I mixed 1 tsp tea tree oil with 1 tbsp of olive oil and used a small makeup brush to apply it over the nail and voila! Nails are nourished, moisturized and if you apply over a course of 3 days you'll notice decreased yellowing and brittle quality to the nail. I've used this on my 1 year old's toe nails with great results as well! A randomized controlled study from the Journal of Family Practice had the same results. A 25 to 50% solution of tea tree oil and water can be sprayed with a spray bottle on the foot especially between the toes and will reduce symptoms of athlete's foot. I'd recommend drying the foot completely after applying as fungus can flourish in moist environments. Don't use for more than a week as skin irritation will occur. A 10% to 25% solution of tea tree oil and water can also be sprayed onto cuts or bedsores to help encourage healing and prevent infection. I used this solution myself after vaginal delivery and found the tissues healed very quickly and the cold solution also helped with pain post delivery. Tea tree oil treatments are becoming all the rage for hair products, and for good reason! If applied on the scalp (I prefer diluting with water or olive oil) for a few days it can reduce dandruff or a shampoo with tea tree oil can reduce it as well.  A study in the Department of Dermatology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia compared a 5% tea tree oil gel with 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion for open and closed acne lesions and it was found that both showed promising results. However the benzoyl peroxide lotion performed better over a 3 month period of time.

Honey has wound healing and anti-bacteria properties as well. In previous times it was used to help seal wounds from infection. Mixed into hot water or tea can help to sooth an irritated throat or it can also be used on cuts/acne. I found a single spoonful is a sweet treat that's great for children over 1 year old who are suffering from a cold or sore throat and it's usually quite easy to get them to swallow. It can also be mixed with petroleum jelly to rehydrate and heal those chapped lips.When mixed with lotion or olive oil can help to heal damaged skin and remoisturize as well.

Salt is great for helping with cleaning and it solutions mixed with water can also help to soothe irritated tissues. Salt can be applied on a new carpet stain to help soak up the fluid before it soaks in. Warm water mixed with 3 tbsp salt and gargled by mouth 2-3x per day can help to sooth irritated tissue and can also help to loosen phlegm and mucus. This can help to flush out irritants and possibly even decrease duration of sickness.

Parsley chewing can help to reduce bad breath by fighting the odor causing bacteria that like to take residence in your mouth.

Chamomile is very calming and can help decrease stomach cramps by decreasing spasms in the stomach and lower intestine. Chamomile tea can has a variety of uses but I've found its also great for calming you to reduce stress or before bed in addition to reducing stomach cramps or upset.

Lemon juice is also great for cleaning and revitalizing the body as well. If you take a small bowl of water mixed with 1-2tbsp lemon juice and place in the microwave for 3-5 minutes you should be able to wipe the microwave clean very easily afterwards! Lemon juice can also be used on carpet stains and wiped up after 5 minutes. Lemon juice has been found to help switch an acidic body environment/condition to a more alkaline one and for this reason can be used to help with flu, hangovers, and reflux. I recommend taking a shot glass of it or adding it to hot tea or hot water with honey to lessen the sourness. Lemon juice mixed in a glass of cold water is great for stomach upset and I found it very useful during pregnancy for the "empty stomach" feeling following nausea or first thing in the morning.

Well folks, there's plenty more uses for the above that I mentioned but I thought I'd share what I could before I get back to packing!!

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