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Cookies Chocolate Chip
Crispy, but soft and chewy is the
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We use butter, eggs, chunks of chocolate chips,
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articles source: Native Remedies
Herbal antibiotic or conventional antibiotic?
The rapid pace of our lifestyles has resulted in a negligent behavior towards the environment. We have also paid no heed to warnings that maintain that a fast and stressful lifestyle is detrimental to overall and long-term health. There has been a vast increase in the incidence of diseases caused by pollution, stress, improper dietary habits and carcinogenic chemicals.
In the race to progress it was forgotten that the body has its own means of combating disease and our first focus should be on strengthening immune system health . Man may have been able to conquer some diseases but considering the overall situation, he has been able to find a definite cure for an infinitesimally small number of diseases (till date there is no sure cure even for common cold).
For a long time we created disease without realizing and followed it by creating drugs for the cure. However, now that we know that by using synthetic drugs we treat only the symptoms and over time create more complications, we should focus on strengthening the immune system with alarming speed.
But the urgency to get back to work and normal life has lead to an indiscriminate use of the antibiotic alternative for treatment of even minor ailments. In exchange we have got bacteria that have developed resistance to a large number of antibiotic compounds.
It is extremely difficult to find an antibiotic that can target only the harmful bacteria. Promiscuous use can lead to the destruction of friendly bacteria in the body. This is a costly side effect since it leads to creation of stronger bacteria that becomes capable of using the antibiotic compound for its own benefit.
Penicillin and tetracycline are a classic example of a case where the bacteria have developed resistance and are therefore no longer effective antibiotics that can be used.
A child is born sterile but can still develop a fever. The natural approach of the body is simple. The body’s temperature rises to fight an underlying intrusion by a foreign harmful substance or bacteria. The fever is a natural effort of the immune system to kill the antigen.
A holistic physician will let fever below 102 run its course for at least one day, instruct that the child be given plenty of fluids and let the fever do its job unless some accompanying symptoms are disturbing.
A child who has been taught hygiene to fanatic levels is more prone to disease. The human body has its own immune system and an occasional intake of bacteria actually helps in boosting acquired immunity in children. Vulnerability to disease and the speed with which you are cured is strongly related to immune system health. The emphasis should be on building up immunity rather than looking for the antibiotic alternative every time you fall sick.
Despite all this, humans will still fall sick and require treatment because not all bacteria are friendly. Herbal antibiotics , with their complex antibiotic compounds have demonstrable properties that include destroying bacteria, including some drug resistant bacteria as well.
Even though many antibiotics have been borrowed from the plant kingdom, scientists tend to isolate and use only a solitary compound that they feel is the strongest. The synergy of the compounds is thus lost in the resultant antibiotic. Herbs for immune system have complex compounds that bacteria cannot breakdown and use for its own metabolism, a property that single compound antibiotics do not possess.
Conventionalists tend to shrug off the use of the word antibiotic for herbs. Without getting into a debate over terminology, we had better look towards benefits of herbs, which our ancestors used successfully. Rather than focusing on drugs for specific diseases it is much better to change the direction of progress and teach our children to adopt a natural lifestyle.
Are there harmful effects on the immune system from dairy products?
A calf grows up to a 2000lb cow and does not drink mother’s milk after approximately seven months from birth. Humans are the only ones that drink milk of other animals. Do humans need to drink cow’s milk at all? The question is under the scanner of researchers and the medical fraternity and the general public would indeed like to know the answer.
Cow’s milk forms the first foreign proteins entering an infant’s body as most formulations for babies are based on dairy products. It is contended that oral exposure to dairy milk and dairy products results in cellular and immune responses that may be the cause behind the increased incidence of immune mediated disorders in countries with high milk consumption. A strong immune system is elemental to the body’s natural capacity to fight disease and in avoiding unnecessary dependence on the antibiotic alternative .
Milk contains different levels of white blood cells depending upon the health and the source - cow, goat, sheep or water buffalo. An eight ounce glass of milk contains at least one to seven drops of these cells. The controversy is whether these cells are simply somatic or pus cells. Another source of concern has been the presence of deposits of bovine growth hormones (administered for increasing milk yield) in cattle milk.
Although bovine growth hormones are naturally present in cattle in normal quantities, elevated levels of this hormone have been linked to different types of cancers in humans. In addition, cattle treated with bovine growth hormones usually get affected with an udder infection known as mastitis. This again is responsible for occurrence of blood cells in milk.
Furthermore, all types of animal milk contain a simple sugar called lactose. The body produces the enzyme lactase to digest lactose. The problem, however, is that production of lactase reduces significantly after weaning. Milk is thus absorbed into the blood without proper digestion. All proteins, including milk protein, are made of blocks of amino acids. These amino acids must first be broken down by the digestive system to avoid excessive immune responses.
Repeated exposure to these undigested amino acids can negatively affect immune system health and result in an overactive immune system. An overactive immune system may start attacking body’s own cells instead of trying to expel harmful bacteria.
Balanced against this evidence is the time tested use of cow’s milk for growth and supply of calcium to meet the body’s needs. Milk is rich in calcium that is necessary for maintaining a healthy bone density. Over centuries it has been its major source and is believed to be good for bones. It has also been known to help in preventing osteoporosis.
The point is that the requisite quantity that the human body actually requires is difficult to arrive at. The best course should be to stick by the ancient maxim – ‘too much of anything is bad’. In individual cases of lactose intolerance herbal antibiotics can be very helpful in treating mild ailments. Herbs for immune system are another option for meeting the challenges posed to immune system due to excessive consumption milk.
Fermented dairy products like yoghurt and other probiotics contain live and active cultures, which can be very helpful in maintaining a balance between harmful and friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract. Probiotics go a long way to boost the immune system, especially of children, to positively respond to antigens, substances that cause allergies.
Identifying and treating adolescent depression:
Parenting is a challenging job! Your child needs your guidance and help in practically every sphere of life. One of the major challenges that parents face today is related to the management of emotional upheavals in their teenagers. The emotional turbulence that a child goes through is normal and part of the process of growing up. But emotional trauma can potentially lead to depression in certain adolescents. Untreated depression has serious repercussions and may even lead to suicide.
It is highly unlikely that an adolescent will come crying to parents with an emotional problem. In our society, crying in public is not seen as an adult act and most adolescents are at a stage where they are trying to prove that they are adults and mature human beings. The fact, however, is that they are in the process of becoming adults. Therefore, there are times that they do need adult intervention to sort out matters. But for them, asking for help is like accepting the fact that they have not grown up yet. Moreover, they are too caught up with own emotions to ask for help and the adults fail to understand that subtle intervention is required in certain areas.
Developing a healthy relationship with children helps but it may not be possible to draw them out every time. The options for treating depression in children are limited. And therefore, it is essential that you understand the potential situations that can cause depression. It is also pertinent that you realize the various initial signs of depression in children so that you can identify the potential and address it before it is too late. You should be especially careful if your child has been through a chronic illness or lost a loved one. Neglect or abuse can also bring symptoms of depression.
Some of the symptoms to watch out for are:
* Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
* Lack of concentration.
* Drop in grades in school.
* Indecision.
Some physical symptoms like headaches, low energy, insomnia or inability to stay awake and loss of appetite may also indicate prevalence of depression. Behavioral changes like irritability and belligerence also suggest that the child has some mental problem. If your child is spending more time alone and is missing class, you need to delve further and find out the reasons for the same. In fact any change in behavior that shows negative patterns should be enough to raise an alarm for you to address the problem.
Depression is a clinical illness like any other medical condition and should be treated as such. It is not advisable to administer habit forming drugs like antidepressants to youngsters. Parental support is a prerequisite for treating depression naturally as children are not fully equipped to handle depression on their own. Some things that you should do are:
* Respect your child’s problems. They may seem to be trivial to you but remember that they appear as real challenges to teens.
* Respect his/her privacy and avoid talking about his problems in front of other people. Try to put yourself in his position and see how you would feel if someone was do the same to you.
* Teens usually develop imaginary fears. Many times it is just a minor inability, say, dancing, that makes them stay at home rather than go out and enjoy. Youngsters are very good at identifying with parents. Talk to your child about how you got out of similar problems (even if you have to concoct a story) in your childhood.
* Many schools have psychologists who are experts in dealing with adolescent depression. Encourage your child to go and talk to a counselor in school if it has one.
Except in the unfortunate event of a severe depression, treatment should be restricted to natural remedies for depression. If you find yourself unable to tackle your child’s depression on your own the best alternative is to convince him that a psychiatrist can help. It is better that your child chooses that option on his/her volition. Your child will be more receptive to treatment in that case.
References:
http://www.about-teen-depression.com/depression-statistics.html
http://www.about-teen-depression.com/treatment-depression.html
http://www.about-teen-depression.com/trends-treatment.html
http://ezine-articles.org/ezinearticles/health/teen-depression-can-be-beat.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Depression-in-Teenagers:-Now-What-Can-We-Do?&id=3437
Natural adolescence insomnia cures:
Adolescent insomnia is a recent phenomenon. Even though we think of adolescence as the most enjoyable and best period of life, things have changed considerably over the past few years. Adolescence has never been an easy time but the present environment of increased peer pressure and anxiety about success has made this stage of life a time of extreme turmoil for teen and parents alike. These two stress factors are enough to cause depression and consequently insomnia in most cases.
Despite this, the most common cause behind teenage insomnia is disturbance of the circadian rhythm, commonly known as the biological clock. Teenagers have a general disposition to have an active evening social life and stay up late in the night. They also have to get up early in the morning to go to school. They tend to make up for lost sleep on Sundays and holidays. But they do not realize the harm that they are doing to their body systems by disturbing their circadian rhythm. They indirectly develop something like a ‘jet lag’ each weekend. This phenomenon is medically termed as a Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome.
Exposure to bright sunlight for at least thirty minutes or normal sunlight for two hours has been found to be very effective in restoring the body clock to original settings. Teenagers also need to be taught the importance of sleep hygiene and routine bedtime schedules.
Depression based insomnia can usually be cured by treating depression. Medication for treating insomnia usually includes use of sleeping pills or sedatives. Treating depression naturally is a much better option for adolescents as sedatives are habit forming and can be a dangerous solution for teenagers. Natural remedies for depression offer much healthier treatment choices for teenagers as they are free from any side effects.
In certain cases, adolescent insomnia may have to be treated independently. Natural procedures involve psychotherapy, sleep education and lifestyle changes. Psychotherapy is used when sleep disorders in adolescents are caused by emotional problems. These emotional problems are caused when they have issues with accepting the changes in their body, environment or are unable to cope with the pressures that suddenly they find themselves in. Teenagers can be helped by explaining the basics of life and the challenges that it throws. Learning ways to solve issues or accepting the way certain things are, helps teenagers. Such acceptance and knowledge can have a positive effect on insomnia.
Teenagers have a long way to go in life. The most challenging parts of their lives are yet to come. They have to be fighting fit to meet life’s challenges. Teenage lifestyles need to be in sync with the necessities of their goal in life. The general trend of using sedatives to induce sleep can lead them off the track on the road to success.
References:
http://www.articleclick.com/Article/How-Common-Is-Insomnia-In-Teenagers-/2504
http://www.sunbox.com/Research/SCRD.asp
Organic Vegan Almond Butter Balls $23
Our scrumptious Organic Almond Butter Balls can be made with organic vegetable spread instead of butter - thereby making them vegan - great for those with dairy allergies or who are vegan persuaded. Our Almond Butter Balls are one of our 'Signature' products, developed from the very beginning. We'll make a dark chocolate 'A' on top to indicate it's almond butter. Packaged in our Simply Chocolate cream or brown box.