General Articles - Oofamily

thyme
June 4, 2023
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Lavender – How Do I Love Thee?

One of my favorite therapeutic oils is lavender.Aï¿½ Over the years I’ve asked many people, “If you could have only ONE essential oil, what would it be?”Aï¿½ The answer is almost always, “Lavender!”Aï¿½ Why was lavender chosen so frequently?Aï¿½ After several years of personal use, I’d like to share information with you about lavender’s versatility.

1)Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½ Anxiety or Distress.Aï¿½ Lavender oil has a soothing, calming effect.Aï¿½ It relieves tension.Aï¿½ My daughter was frying eggs one morning, when the unthinkable happened.Aï¿½ The stove top malfunctioned.Aï¿½ An electric arc was created from the heating element, melting right through the pan, to the fork in her hand.Aï¿½ All the hair on her arm was gone.Aï¿½ Her bones were aching.Aï¿½ We applied lavender, and then called the doctor.Aï¿½ He said if it continued into the next day, he would see her, but there wasn’t anything further to be done right then. Aï¿½The lavender would take care of the discomfort in her arm, as well as help relieve any panic she might be experiencing. In the middle of that trauma, we received a phone call informing us that a cousin had committed suicide.Aï¿½ That’s when I reached for the lavender oil and liberally applied it to my wrists and temples.Aï¿½ Does lavender soothe anxiety and help relieve tension?Aï¿½ Oh, yes!

2)Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½ Headache or Migraine.Aï¿½ Lavender can be used to help relieve headaches.Aï¿½ Be aware that someone with a migraine may be very sensitive to smells, and may not welcome the essential oils.Aï¿½ We’ve dealt with that difficulty by applying lavender to the sole of he foot, then covering the foot with a sock.Aï¿½ This helps to reduce the scent in the air.Aï¿½

3)Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½ Sunburns.Aï¿½ Over the years we have purchased many sunburn relieving products.Aï¿½ What we have found is that often the pain they are supposed to relieve has merely been aggravated.Aï¿½ On one particularly difficult sunburn we tried three different products.Aï¿½ None was effective.Aï¿½ Then we remembered, Lavender!Aï¿½ We applied it neat, drop by drop over the burn, and the relief was immediate. We are so grateful for this marvelous essential oil.

[Caution must be stated at this point.Aï¿½ Make sure your essential oil is pure; lavender angustifolia.Aï¿½ If you try to use a lavender hybrid (Lavandin) on a burn, the camphor in it will only make things worse.]

4)Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½Aï¿½ Exhaustion or Insomnia.Aï¿½ Lavender works so well when you just close your eyes, inhale, and allow it to seep into your consciousness.Aï¿½ Sometimes that’s all the strength you feel you have left at the end of the day, even breathing seems difficult. This is definitely the time to reach for lavender.Aï¿½ One daughter wrote, “Mom-I’ve been using lavender for its aromatherapy properties.Aï¿½ It soothes, relaxes, and calms me at night before I try to fall asleep.Aï¿½ My rest, the nights I use it, is deeper and more relaxed.”Aï¿½ Another daughter loves the aroma so much she wears it in a special necklace around her neck, just to …

thyme
May 23, 2023
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What You Need to Know About Consuming Essential Vitamin Supplements for Your Health

Do you ever suspect that whatever you eat daily may not be enough for your overall wellbeing? If so, you are most probably correct. Why? Because people, including you and I, these days, tend to grab a quick meal, aka fast food, just to save time. But such quick meals are not so good for your health because they do not contain enough essential vitamins for your wellbeing. Hence, consuming a good selection of vitamin supplements is what most of us badly need.

A good daily dose of vitamin supplements can provide you with much the needed nutrition to maintain good health. This is especially so if you find that you don’t have the time or the inclination to shop for healthful, organic foods in the local supermart. Not only is shopping for such food time consuming and tedious, it is also not very necessary in today’s context.

So what role do vitamin supplements play in your life? To fully appreciate the value of vitamins to your health, you need to be aware that without proper nutrition, your body will begin to fall apart. Premature aging, decrease in your body’s resistance or immunity and other problems will surface. Vitamin supplements can provide your body with the proper nutrients and keep you in the pink.

With a good dose of healthful vitamins supplements, you can say goodbye to heavy binging or overeating, often disguised as excuses to get enough nutrients. This is understandable because in ancient times, humans often need to do lots of work to keep alive. This requires a lot of food intake too. But in today’s context, we don’t need to work so hard anymore. Thus, it will be a bad for us to consume too much food just to get the nutrients we need. In this respect Vitamin supplements can help us cut down on overeating and thus help keep us healthy.

It is clear by now that it is almost impossible to have all the nutrients and vitamins you need in your daily diet alone. How can you ensure that you are getting all the vitamins you need in your meals? Luckily, vitamin supplements can help us in this direction. You simply need a good selection of Vitamin A, B, C,D E because these will supply your body with the best nutritional needs.…

thyme
April 28, 2023
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Will Neurofeedback Prove to Be an Effective Therapy For Migraine Headaches?

Throughout history, humans have known that the brain is an important and powerful aspect of who we are. Yet scientists continue to be astounded by the capabilities of the human brain. New research in the field of neurology reveals just how powerful the brain can be. Not only does it help to repair the body when necessary, but it can also actually fix itself.

This makes sense when you think about it. The brain regulates all of your body’s functions, from your breathing to your hormone levels, which in turn affect everything else. It is logical, then that the brain would be able to resolve many of its own issues. This is where neurofeedback comes in; this technique uses specialized sensors to tell your brain when your body is having certain reactions. Many stress-related conditions such as chronic lower back pain and asthma can be prevented from taking hold as soon as the brain recognizes the stress-related triggers that cause the symptoms. Neurofeedback can help change the way your brain reacts to stress, thus preventing many physical problems before they have a chance to manifest themselves.

Neurofeedback is basically biofeedback for the brain since it involves feedback from and to your brain’s neurons. During the painless and non-invasive neurofeedback therapy sessions, a therapist will attach thin leads to your scalp using a water-based gel. The wires are then connected to a machine that reads your brain’s electrical currents and translates them into data about how your brain is functioning.

This machine responds to your brain’s currents much like a biofeedback sensor will respond to heart rate, skin temperature, or other markers. In regular biofeedback, the sensor will send you a light or sound signal when, for instance, your skin temperature drops, indicating stress in the body. A neurofeedback machine will use similar signals, but they may be even more advanced; some machines include screens with computer-like games, and others even play DVDs.

The machine will respond in a certain way when your brain is sending the “correct” signals. You might use your brain waves to make a robot or spaceship icon move about on the screen, or play a game like “Pac-man.” Your brain experiences this as a reward for staying within the proper wavelengths, and it will begin to do so more often, and for longer periods, until the changes become longer lasting.

How does this help with migraines? Well, these debilitating headaches may originate from improper signals in the brain, and they are sometimes brought on by stress. In fact, people who feel they have little control over their lives are more likely to get migraines. Neurofeedback allows you to overcome your migraines and helps you to have more control over your life by changing the way your brain functions. In fact, in some studies, 80% of the people who used neurofeedback therapy saw no recurrences of their migraine headaches. These results were achieved without the use …

thyme
April 19, 2023
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Eye Migraine – Reasons of the Silent Migraine

Eye migraine is a migraine form that is classified as the casual aura of migraine wherein the sufferer is experiencing visual disturbances’ symptoms such as partial blindness, eye numbness, blurred vision, difficulty in distinguishing and hallucinations. These visual symptoms are called migraine aura. It occurs before the migraine symptoms begin to appear. Silent migraine can occur without a headache pain so it called an equivalent headache.

The causes of the silent migraine are similar to the normal migraine causes. It can be caused by the rapid narrowing and swelling of vessels of the blood. The blood cells can be clogged due to the excessive sections that produced by the nerve fiber in the brain. These brain reactions are due to the man involvement on several harmful thins such as the following:

Reasons of the silent migraine:

1- Lack of exercise

2- Irregular sleep

3- Emotional, physical or mental stress

4- Tensions and pressures

5- Hormonal changes

6- Engaging in stressful activities

7- Eating foods with mono sodium glutamate, tyramine and other preservatives

8- Frequent smoking and drinking

9- Bright lights

10- Loud sounds

11- Unbalanced diet

The silent migraine symptoms include auditory, natural, visual and sensory symptoms. The symptoms of the visual disturbances are events that affect the vision and occur in eyes. Sensory and auditory symptoms are those that affect the hearing and sensation capabilities of the patients. The eye migraine natural symptoms include fears, tensions and anxieties. The most common symptoms of the silent migraine are the aura.

There are many symptoms happen before the occurrence of the silent migraine includes: zigzag lines in the sight, flashing lights’ appearance, blurredness, sighting blind spots, light sensitivity, visual hallucinations and eyeballs pain. Eye migraine also includes many auditory symptoms include hearing unusual voices and sounds. Other eye migraine symptoms include smelling strange scents, numbness feeling, weakness, unsteadiness, the feeling of being separated from the body, excessive saliva, gustatory hallucinations and inability to understand or speak.…

thyme
April 4, 2023
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Ocular Migraine – Recognize the Symptoms and Triggers Before it Affects You

Migraine is generally associated with headache that becomes almost chronic in nature and can occur without any warning signs. Ocular migraines are also known as eye migraines, with visual disturbance usually lasting less than an hour before dissipating. A mild headache may or may not follow the disturbance. It is believed that the cause of ocular migraines is a change in the blood flow of the brain, and a number of things may trigger them.

Ocular migraines are usually accompanied by abnormal visual sensations like blurring of vision headache and eyestrain headache. They are often observed in people with a history of classic migraines.

Often, no pain is associated with ocular migraines. Many sufferers experience only fatigue after the visual disturbance. However, for some, it is often accompanied by vomiting, nausea and double vision followed by a migraine. A migraine aura involving your vision usually affect both eyes, and you may experience missing areas of vision, flashing lights, zigzagging patterns or shimmering spots and become very sensitive to any light. Sometimes, only one eye is involved, and the symptoms usually disappear after approximately half an hour. These symptoms can temporarily interfere with your reading or driving but the condition is not considered serious.

Possible ocular migraine triggers are tiredness, especially after extended periods of reading, watching television, computer work, or other work that requires intense focus. This type of headache usually disappears after a period of rest.

Stress, hunger, birth control pills, changes in the menstrual cycle of women and nerve weakness are also believed to be associated with ocular migraines.

Foods and additives that may trigger or aggravate migraine attacks include caffeine, chocolate, dairy, aged cheeses, rich meat, alcohol, food with monosodium glutamate, stored meat or meat that contains nitrate preservatives.

You can control ocular migraines by taking the proper diet and by also managing your stress levels. Since it may not be possible to totally prevent its onset, being familiar with the symptoms and triggers assists you in early diagnosis and to take immediate action to manage it once it sets in.…

thyme
April 1, 2023
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In the Beginning There Was Food – Part 4

Welcome back! We’re happy you’ve chosen to return to follow along with us in our journey to a more balanced and nutritionally sound diet and lifestyle. Today, we’re going to talk about the Vegetable category on the Food Pyramid. We’re going to see why they are so good for us and why we should incorporate them into our meal plans.

Vegetables – A Great Way to Reduce Risk of Chronic Diseases

The veggie category in the USDA Food Pyramid is an interesting one. I know, eating all your veggies at dinner time was always drummed into our heads as we were growing up. We’ve all heard our moms tell us how important it was to eat your spinach. Well, there is excellent reason for those encouragements from long ago. Let’s look at some of them.

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet is said to reduce the risk for stroke and as well as other cardiovascular diseases, may reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes, may protect against some cancers (mouth, stomach, colon-rectum cancers), may reduce the risk of kidney stones and may prevent bone loss as we age. And, of course, eating veggies can give you fewer calories per cup then some other foods you might consume and, thereby, help with losing or maintaining a healthy body weight.

How About the Nutritional Value of Vegetables?

Well, let’s really look at this part. We know that, for the most part, veggies contain fewer calories and are lower in fat than many other foods. Usually the sauces, seasonings or dressings that we use add these other components to the mix. They can also add cholesterol to the fat and calories. Veggies are major sources of potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin C.

The Potassium Connection

Diets that are potassium-rich may help maintain a healthier blood pressure. Some sources of this mineral are sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products such as paste, sauce and juice, beet greens, soy beans, lima beans, winter squash, spinach, lentils, kidney beans and split peas.

More Dietary Fiber

The dietary fiber contained in vegetables offer the same health benefits and nutritional components mentioned above as well as providing an excellent “full” feeling to reduce the calorie intake of our diets.

Vitamins A, E and C

Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy as well as helps to protect against infections. Vitamin E helps protect vitamin A and essential fatty acids from cell oxidation. Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds, keeps teeth and gums healthy and aids in iron absorption.

In our next post, we’ll be talking about the Fruit category of the Food Pyramid and all the good reasons why we need fruits in our meal plans. Please plan to return for the next stop on our journey to a well-balance and nutritionally sound lifestyle.

Thanks, Vicki…

thyme
March 9, 2023
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Migraine Headache Treatments – Reflexology Can Sort Your Migraine Out

Just say the word migraine and most migraineurs will inwardly cringe at the memory of the pain, their most recent headache still very vivid in their mind. Mention the word reflexology and more likely than not you will get a blank stare. And yet a recent study in Denmark has shown reflexology to be a useful migraine headache treatment.

So what then is reflexology?

A massage technique reflexology is based on the premise that every part of the human body has a corresponding point of contact on the sole of the foot. Massage to stimulate these points on the foot is believed to relieve tension, pain and stress in the corresponding parts of the body.

The Danish study consisted of a mix of people suffering from a migraines and people suffering from chronic tension headaches. About 90% of the people involved in the study had taken prescribed medication for their headaches in the month before the start of the study. After the study, thanks to the treatment, 19% of those involved were able to stop taking their headache medication.

The study included a program of six to eight treatments with regular monthly follow-ups afterwards for a period of six months. At the end of six months 23% of those involved claimed to be completely cured and were no longer experiencing headaches. 55% said there was a marked improvement in their condition and were experiencing less frequent and less severe headaches. And 78% of those involved said they had seen some improvement in their condition.

A follow-up check was done three months afterwards and found 23% of participants said they were cured and 41% believed their quality of life had improved. It was found that treatments were most effective on younger patients and those who had been suffering from migraines for a shorter period of time.…

thyme
February 20, 2023
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Natural Migraine Treatments – Chiropractic Care Can Provide Migraine Relief

A natural method of relieving migraines that is non-invasive and without the use of medication is the use of chiropractic care. This method is of particular benefit for patients who for some reason or another are not able to take prescribed medication.

Despite the advances in medical science over the last hundred years migraine headaches remain idiopathic, their cause remains unknown. There are several theories that attempt to explain migraines and their causes but the net result is no definitive cause has yet been found. Serotonin deficiency, genetic malformation and arterial swelling in the brain are some of them.

On the other hand a fairly common chiropractic theory is subluxations at the base of the head and neck are responsible in some way for the production of migraines. Subluxations are tense or knotted areas in the muscles attached to the small bones of the upper spinal column. When x-rayed doctors often miss the tension of the muscles as the bones appear to be in their correct places. A chiropractor can relax these subluxations by gently manipulating the spine.

There are two varieties of chiropractic care for those who suffer from migraines. Straight and mixed chiropractic. Straight chiropractic is only about manipulating the spine to relieve the subluxations. Mixed chiropractic on the other hand uses traditional manipulation with other complimentary techniques. Reducing neck strain and tension is the goal of mixed chiropractic care.

Chiropractic care has been compared with the use of medications in treatments of migraines and chronic tension-type headaches. Researchers at the Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Minnesota gave 218 headache patients either drug therapy or regular chiropractic care. 40 to 50% reduction in headache pain was reported by both groups but four weeks after all care was discontinued the group that received chiropractic care were the only ones still enjoying the reduction in pain the treatment originally initiated. Only a quarter of the drug therapy group were found to be still benefiting from their treatment at the follow up.…

thyme
February 17, 2023
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Top Causes of Folic Acid Deficiency

Knowing the top causes of folic acid deficiency is important because this nutrient can give a woman 50% more protection from some birth defects. Folic acid is used to repair and protect the DNA of cells and really is crucial when it comes to the development of a person.

This nutrient also makes a difference when it comes to the red blood cells in a human body which bring oxygen to various organs and they eliminate waste. So if someone is feeling really lethargic and tired one cause may be a lack of folic acid in their diet and the scientific name of this is anemia.

People who consume above average levels of alcohol and who have malnutrition are all at risk for being deficient in this vitamin. Malnutrition can be people who don’t eat enough of the green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, eggs or some of the whole wheat foods like cereals and breads are all at risk for not having enough of this vitamin in their diet.

Another thing to think about is the quality of the food. For instance, every second vegetables are being shipped and sitting on a shelf they lose vitamins. Plus overcooking them causes a loss in folic. Some other major risk factors could be prescription drugs. Some drugs may inhibit the absorption of this substance and may even suppress it. Make sure to talk to a physician when it comes to risk factors of any drugs that you take.

Also the older someone is the more of a chance that they can be deficient. This is called the aging process and it means that the older we get, the more likelihood something is going to break, just like an automobile. Plus pregnancy can put a woman at risk since she needs more folic, and some diseases like kidney failure and cancer.

What is tricky is that the symptoms of a folic acid deficiency may not show up for a long time. The top one is lack of energy, however this can also be caused by a number of other factors. Headaches with problems in concentration, and diarrhea can all be symptoms as well.

Vitamin B12 and folic acid may also play a role in mood disorders. So if you notice yourself or a loved one acting more depressed than they normally are, maybe they need some folic acid. Also remember folic is used for way more purposes than just protecting pregnant woman. It is used to keep bones strong, building red blood cells, preventing high cholesterol, cancer, Alzheimer’s, fighting toxins, and improving the way skin looks to name a few.

In the end, the safest way to ensure someone is getting enough of the nutrient is to take a supplement. For information on how to pick the right supplement for your situation as well as what not to look for, click on .…

thyme
February 12, 2023
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Migraines And The Diet Factor

Many of those who suffer from migraines would never consider the fact that what they eat or drink could actually be the very cause of their problem. However it is thought that at least 20% of people who suffer from this condition will more than likely have a direct connection between their diet and migraines.

Studies show that diet is a major influence and factor with regards to the causes of migraines. Over indulgence in a variety of foods that contain certain chemicals, additives and preservatives will over a period of time trigger a migraine and yet by just avoiding these particular foods can often be an important step in preventing an attack.

By eliminating those food items which are the cause of the problem, experts believe that nearly 45% of sufferers whose condition is associated with their diet would see the possibility of a migraine greatly reduced.

Although what you eat and drink can be a contributing factor that sets off a migraine attack, it is worth noting that not everyone will have the same reaction to every foodstuff, what may be a trigger for one person may not necessarily be a trigger for another, although in saying that there are some common foods which will probably affect nearly every sufferer in one way or another.

Common Food Related Triggers

There are many common food related triggers contained in our diets today, some are natural chemicals and others are preservatives and additives.

Tyramineis a natural chemical which is found in aged cheeses, red wine and a number of alcohol drinks and even some processed meats.

Nitrates and Nitritesare food additives and preservatives predominantly found in ham, sausages.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), mainly found in Chinese food, frozen dinners and soups.

Specific Food Triggers

Aged Cheeses – Blue cheeses, mature, cheddar, feta

Alcohol – Red Wine, beer, whisky

Caffeine – Coffee, Tea, Cola and other fizzy drinks

Processed Meats that include pepperoni, hotdogs and cold meats

Yeast products – Bread, doughnuts

Dried Fruits – Raisins, figs

Citrus Fruits – Oranges, grapefruits, Lemons

Bananas

Smoked or Dried Fish

Nuts and Peanuts

As you can see from the above list, the effect food and drink can have on the causes of migraine are wide and varied, so when shopping at the supermarket or your local store it may be a good idea to check the labels to see what actually is contained in the items you are buying and avoid where necessary..

Migraine Diet Diary/Journal

To control and understand what specific food item or items set off your own migraine, the first step would be to write down or make a note of what you ate or drank prior to a migraine/headache. Do this over a period of time and you’ll be able to eliminate the guilty foods from your diet without sacrificing other foods which you may enjoy.

Non-Specific Diet Trigger

It is also worth remembering that controlling your diet is not only beneficial to reducing your …