Tips On Growing Herbal Plants That Offer Medicinal Properties

The continuing interest of the medical experts and researches in the herbal plants is rendering some great results. A number of compounds known to offer health benefits have been isolated from many popular herbs. This is the reason that the practice of growing the natural herbs at homes catching up with people. Needless to say, growing them at a home garden is as simple as purchasing them from an herbal store.

The benefits of herbs like aloe vera, clove, rosemary, parsley, mint, chamomile, fennel and many others are innumerable. Most importantly, the medicinal properties of these plants are counted as more effective and safer alternatives to the laboratory prepared chemicals. The following sections discuss the tips to grow them at home, along with some of their most popular medicinal qualities.

* Growing Herbs at Home

* To start with, the first step is to choose the area (herbal plants nursery) where the herbal plants should be grown. It is important to take note of few important things like:

* How much sunlight does the area receives

* Does the area have proper arrangements for drainage

* Is the enough space available to maintain spacing between every two plants

Some homeowners prefer to grow herbs indoors and it is a good idea to use vessels and containers for this purpose. The plants can be placed on the window sills to expose them to sufficient sunlight. While growing them outdoors, make sure that they do not sit for longer in standing water. Another important consideration is the type of soil that must be used. Average garden soil is good for growing herbs in the garden, while indoor growing demands soil less potting mix.

The home owners should also decide whether they wish to use seeds or small herbal plants to start with. Using seeds may take more time to achieve the results, but it arranges for an enriched experience. The use of fertilizers should be done carefully to avoid those with excessive nitrogen content. Moreover, the fertilizers must be supplied once a month and should be used sparingly. Other practices like irrigation and trimming must be done according to the expert instructions.

Benefits of Herbal Plants:

Different parts of herbal plants can be used to make medicines and food preparations that can achieve many health and treatment goals. The herbs like chamomile can address a number of issues related to nervous and digestive systems. California poppy is a popular remedy for the treatment of insomnia. The patients suffering from low blood pressure and poor blood circulations can attain relief with rosemary.

A number of herbs are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Many of them can take care of body pains and aches. The cosmetic manufacturers around the world make use of these natural products to fight skin problems.

Managing Stages of Heart Failure

If proper care and teamwork are followed, the stages of heart failure would not be able to hold back a person from carrying out their daily activities and also those things that they enjoy doing the most.

It all depends how healthy the heart is, does the prospective patient know how to manage the stages of heart failure, how often does one visit the cardiologist and follows the treatment as per the given instructions.

Here are some tips to manage five major symptoms during the stages of heart failure:

1. Difficulty in Breathing - If breathlessness is seen as a potential symptom, then the patient should be arranged an oxygen facility at home in times of dire need. Doctors recommend nasal cannulas so that the patient finds it less difficult to drink, eat and talk while using oxygen. It also avoids them to feel smothered by the mask. The dosage of oxygen should be suggested strictly by the doctor; usually a low dose (31) is required for longer periods. If the patient has experienced severe dyspnoea and a feeling of drowning in pulmonary edema in the past during acute left ventricular failure, they will often fear that it could happen again, and this can prevent relaxation and sleep.

2. Fatigue - This fatigue linked with a heart failure can be an overwhelming event. So, the patient and their families need to be informed well in advance about this gradual drop in the energy. Another thing to be noted is that medications like beta blockers add to the fatigue. It may prove really difficult for the patients to push, pull or lift things i.e. activities that use the upper body. So, the patient should be least stressed as much as possible. Other measures may include shifting the bed from a higher floor to the ground one, using wheelchair for commuting, using back rest, etc.

3. Bad Kidneys - The patient's renal function start worsening with the characteristic low blood pressure. Therefore, in such a case, diuretics become essential. But at the same time the need to keep a check on the kidney functions hold less importance, so, the need for conducting blood tests should be avoided.

4. Changes in Personality - People suffering from the risk of heart failure may also face blues and events of chronic anxiety. If one has been diagnosed with depression, the intake of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors are said to be more useful than tricyclic antidepressants. The latter are infamous to cause arrhythmias leading to sudden death.

5. Sleeping Disorders- One of the most common symptoms of sleeping disorder in a heart patient is leg jerking which may cause the patient to have sleepless nights or disturbing sleeping patterns. Quinine and baclofen are helpful when it comes to these leg cramps. The patient may find it difficult to fall asleep at might in bed while it is dark and quiet around. On the other hand, one may find it unnerving to doze off or even rest during daytime with people around. To induce sound sleep and provide relaxation, zopiclone and diamorphine (2.5 mg) can be administered respectively.

Hope this information about handling the stages of heart failure by knowing about the most important symptoms of heart failure proved to be helpful. Here's wishing happy and healthy life for your heart!

6 Key Concepts for Your Core Training Workouts

Discover the importance of utilizing all the muscles of your core to improve the effectiveness of your core training workouts and help reduce back pain by targeting these 6 key concepts (and muscle groups) during your workouts.

Maximize the benefits of your core training workouts to support good functional movement habits and improve strength and stability for optimal whole-body health.

1. Strengthen the Diaphragm 

with Better Breathing to Improve Both Standing and Seated Posture

Learn to strengthen and improve the action of the Diaphragm. Great breathing habits help improve our posture and provide compression and decompression for the spine. This helps lift the ribs up off the hips to create space so the Core muscles have more room to move. Good Pilates posterior-lateral breathing techniques can help assist in re-training the lungs and diaphragm to better support the Core.

2. Find and Engage the "Floor" of the Core (Pelvic Floor Support)

Using proper Pelvic Floor support is a CRITICAL component to effective Core Training! Doing a Kegel will NOT help you use the right muscle for pelvic and spine stability for Core training during exercise & movement. The Pelvic Floor is our foundation for torso support. Using the pelvic floor muscles is what allows the breath to lift and lengthen the spine. You can visualize the Pelvic Floor as having 4 walls. 2 side walls & a front & back. Different muscles are involved to contract and support the front-to-back of the Pelvic Floor vs. the Sides of the Pelvic Floor. These muscles should be able to engage all together, and independently to assist and support the body when we move.

3. Strengthen the Internal & External Obliqueswith Twisting Exercisesto Improve Movement & Stabilization of the Spine

It's the strength of our Internal and External Oblique muscles that defines the distance between our ribcage and our hip bones to provide Core stability and support. When the Internal and External Obliques contract in the front of the body, the spine rotates. (AND there are back muscles that also have to fire and assist with this rotary movement.)

The strength and support of our Oblique Muscles assist our Core training efforts in two different ways.

• If doing an exercise like Criss-Cross in a Pilates Mat Class, the Obliques and Back muscles work together to rotate the spine and twist the torso.
• If doing an exercise like the One Leg Circle, the Obliques and opposing Back muscles now become stabilizers of the spine and pelvis to allow free movement of the leg.

4. Engage theTransverse Abdominals for Support in the Front of the Pelvis, Sacrum, and Lumbar Spine

The Transverse Abdominals help hold the organs inside our body cavity, and provide support in the front of the spine and pelvis. The lift of these muscles helps to lift the pelvis up off our legs to allow free movement of the leg from the hip. As well as a free hinge of the body forward and backwards around the legs. (A lot of people attempt to find this lift by "gripping" with their Quads & Hip Flexors - instead of using much (if any) Transverse support.)

Here's a helpful hint to help you find and use the Transverse Abdominals: If you lift your lower Abs up and in, and the pelvis tucks - you've used the Rectus muscle to contract and shorten, rather than your Transverse to support. Keep your hips and pelvis still and think about lifting up with your lower abdominals from approximately 2 inches below your belly button. Pull up, in, and back with these muscles towards the bottom back ribs. (without changing the position of the pelvis - tucking or arching) It's almost like your low abs are smiling. When you find this muscle contraction, you are using your Transverse Abdominal muscles to do the work.

This "low Ab smile" can be practiced with standing and seated posture, and is a part of the support needed for a good Pilates C-Curve - but it's not the initiator to scoop the pelvis into a posterior-tilted position.

5. Back Strengthening - Using the Muscles for Spine Extensionand Movement(Erector Spinae muscles)

While the Transverse and Oblique Abdominals help keep us lifted up through the front of the body, in the back we need to be using the Spine Extensors and Multifidus for support. Our Spine Extensors are the muscles that MOVE the back into extension.

To maintain tall, lifted posture Erector Spinae muscles need to be working to help keep gravity from winning when we sit and stand. Typically, the neck extensors and low back are strong, and the Erector Spinae muscles through the middle and upper back are weak. Learning to balance the work of the Spine Extensors through the ENTIRE spine can help ensure balanced muscle development, improved Core support, and helps to facilitate efficient functional movement.

*Note: Military Posture - "pinching the blades together to pull your shoulders back and stick your chest out" is not helping to strengthen the weaker middle/upper back spine extensors, but instead is overworking the Rhomboids, and reinforcing poor shoulder mechanics which long-term can result in serious shoulder injuries. When you pinch the shoulder blades together, the shoulders are doing all the moving and the spine will be held in a stabile position (but not supported from the right spot!

6. ImprovingBack Stabilityand Support- Multifidus Muscles

Along the back, our Spine Extensors are the mobility muscles and the Multifidus are stability muscles. The Multifidus muscles span the full length of the spine in a chevron pattern to link multiple segments of the spine together for back stability. When you do an exercise like Plank, or a Push-Up, to help keep the back from sagging it involves a tremendous amount of core support. Part of the support to stay lifted comes from the Abs, the Spine Extensors work to maintain length, and it's the Multifidus muscles working for stability that help keep the back from sagging.

• Exercises that involve MOVEMENT of the spine will not involve the Multifidus.
• All positions that involve STABILITY of the spine and the Multifidus muscles are an important part of helping to maintain great Core support.

Whether the back is held in a neutral position like a Plank, a held still in a C-Curve position for Pilates Matwork exercises like Rolling Like a Ball, or held in extension for the Advanced Mat exercise the Swan Dive, if the goal is to hold the spine in a stabilized position, the Multifidus muscles have to be activated to hold the position.

Evaluate the exercises in your core training workouts. Are you doing exercises that target, (or have you thinking, finding, and feeling) each of these important concepts and muscle groups to strengthen your core?

By incorporating exercises that train and target all six of these very important Core training concepts into your workouts, you can be sure that you are truly making a difference to strengthen and improve Core stability for balanced muscle development, efficient functional movement, and improved health.

A great core training program will incorporate exercises that move your spine in all directions - forwards, backwards, sideways, and twisting. For some exercises you'll move into and out of these ranges of motion. For other exercises you'll hold the body in a still and stable position. Your ability to maintain great support and freely move your body (and back) is a contributing factor to a healthy life without back pain. Always check with your doctor if you're experiencing back pain problems before starting to exercise to determine what is safe and appropriate for you!

An excellent Pilates Core Training tool is The Pilates Spine Corrector / Arc Barrel. Start incorporating these fun and effective Pilates Arc Barrel Core Training Exercises into your workout program now to enhance your health and fitness. To learn more visit: http://www.Centerworks.com

Improve Breathing, Pelvic Floor, Abs, Obliques, Spine Extensors, Multifidus and more to improve core strength, keep your spine fit, flexible, and healthy, and enjoy a healthy, active life.

Improve Your Wellbeing by Staying Fit

Staying fit is not only a question of leading a long and healthy life, but is also an important aspect of your overall happiness and sense of wellbeing. As our lives becoming increasingly busy, it's easy to forget about the cost of failing to exercise and to imagine that it's perfectly fine to go for months or weeks without putting in some time at home or your local gym. As with most things, the secret to creating and sticking to a good exercise regime is to set realistic goals and to constantly evaluate your performance to see the progress you've made. Without setting realistic goals, you'll only disappoint yourself and find that you lose motivation quickly. The same is also true if you don't frequently review your progress.

In the frenetic buzz of your busy life it can be easy to lose track of the exercise inroads you make, leaving you feeling as though you've been chipping away at a stone without any progress. Of course, we are all different, but the reality is often that you've improved your ability in myriad different ways and the particular form it takes will depend on you and your exercise regime. Some people may find that, for example, although they've improved their cardio-vascular health, they haven't made much progress when it comes to their strength, or vice versa. It's therefore important to spend some time with an accredited fitness instructor before you begin your first session so that they can make a detailed study of your general health and help you to set goals that can periodically be reviewed.

Finding the right combination of exercise equipment or regime is a very personal thing and it will only be through trial and error that you'll discover the sweat spot for optimal health. Of course, it's always a good idea to try as wide a range of exercise or exercise machines as possible as you want to try and develop a range of muscle groups and health indices, rather than simply concentrating on the things that you enjoy and which you're therefore probably already good at. If there are certain machines or exercises that you don't enjoy then try asking yourself why not. If an exercise it too challenging, then try to find a way to make it easier whilst still challenging yourself. Music is always a good way of helping you to power through those exercises you don't like and the sense of accomplishment that you get from overcoming a particularly difficult challenge will buoy you up for further challenges.

Samantha Brown is an experienced author who specialises in fitness and enjoys sharing her thoughts and interests with you. The websites recommended by Samantha have been chosen by herself from her own personal experiences. Take a look at Billingham Forum and buy online today.

What Is Normal Blood Pressure?

he two numbers seen in a blood pressure reading are the systolic (upper number) and the diastolic (lower number). The systolic number is reading the pressure your blood is putting on the arteries as it is pushing through to the heart. The diastolic number is reading the pressure of the blood while the heart is at rest in between the heart beats.

SYSTOLIC NUMBERS:

• Low systolic numbers are under 90.
• Normal systolic numbers are 120 and under.
• Prehypertensive or borderline high are 120 to 139.
• Hypertensive or high are any numbers above 140.

DIASTOLIC NUMBERS:

• Low diastolic numbers areunder 60.
• Normal diastolic numbers are 61 to 80.
• Prehypertensive numbers are 81 to 89.
• Hypertensive numbers are above 90.

High blood pressure also has another name, "the silent killer." Many times the symptoms do not show up until all of a sudden there are signs of stroke or heart attack. At that point, there is no doubt that you would be wishing you had taken the time to pay attention to your body.

It is for that reason it is really important to at least have an idea of what your numbers are. Everyday stresses in life, the food we eat and even how much sleep we do or do not get influences what is going on in your arteries.

HOW DO YOU GET HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

One of the reasons for high blood pressure is that plaque builds up in the arteries. Someone with type 2 diabetes can have inflammation in the arteries, which can in turn make the plaque buildup faster. Also eating a lot of foods full of cholesterol or sodium, being overweight, genes, and smoking can all influence how healthy your arteries are.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HYPERTENSION

The lucky people sometimes do get a warning of an impending stroke or heart attack. Especially if you have been hypertensive for a while and start having these symptoms, be sure to check with your doctor. These symptoms could include any of the following:

• Dizziness
• Severe headache (can include floater images in the eyes)
• Fatigue
• Vision problems (from damage to blood vessels)
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Nausea
• Blood in urine(from kidney problems)

In the past, headaches have been considered a sign of high blood pressure, but recent studies (published in April 2008 edition of "Neurology") have shown the opposite: that it is actually a cause of it. The people with the higher systolic numbers have less pain. One theory for that is that the stiffness of the arteries is blocking the pain.

Getting your numbers checked is recommended yearly unless blood pressure issues runs in your family or you already are aware that you have them. If that is the case, be sure to keep track at home, not only for your peace of mind, but so you can show your doctor what's going on outside of his office. And then let your doctor know if anything worrisome is happening!

Give yourself some peace of mind by having your own blood pressure monitor at home. Imagine not having to run to the pharmacy to use the public monitor or paying the doctor's high fee just to find out what your numbers are! Keep track at home so the doctor has a more accurate history of how your body is acting. Click here now for information on different varieties as well as tips on how to use a monitor.

Click here to get access to lots of tips on lowering blood pressure naturally in the e-book "How to Lower Blood Pressure Fast." It's available on Kindle or also downloadable to PC.

5 Action Steps to Fast Migraine Relief

Migraine Fast Relief

When you are battling migraine pain the one thing you really need is fast relief, often easier said than done but finding fast relief is surely about taking fast action.

I suffered with migraines for many, many years and fully understand the excruciating pain, the pain unlike any other. Migraine pain as you know is difficult for non-migraineurs to understand. If they have not experienced the pain first hand or at least lived with someone who has they really can't know the extent of Migraine pain. I was fortunate that my husband seemed to be able to understand what I was going through and was great support.

Listed below are 5 action steps to take as soon as you know a Migraine is looming. They most likely will not stop the Migraine completely but they may lessen the severity of pain or the duration of the Migraine.

1. Recognize the Signs

Do you see flashes of light, little sparkly images, or haloes around objects?

Do you experience mood swings? Some people become uncharacteristically productive exhibiting abnormal energy levels while others seem to become lethargic and begin to yawn frequently just before an attack.

2. Take your Medication

I always kept some of my prescription medication with me so that I could take a dose as soon as I felt the Migraine symptoms and occasionally it helped. As mentioned before, it would not stop the Migraine but it often helped make it bearable.

I am not a big fan of over-the-counter medicines as they never worked well for me and there is too great a risk of Migraine bounce-back. But if you don't have prescription medication Motrin and Excedrin Migraine Relief have proven effective to help lessen Migraine pain. Check with your doctor to be sure you can take these medications especially if you take other prescription medication or have additional health conditions.

3. Find a Cool, Dark, and Quiet Place

As soon as possible find a quiet place to lie down and relax. You want to isolate yourself away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life as much as you can. My favorite place was my own bed I'd turn out the lights, close the curtains, and crawl in.

If you're away from home surrender to your hotel room or the room of a friend or relative. Turn off all noise makers, chiming clocks, air conditioners, anything that makes a noise that may disturb you.

4. Pass on the Smells and Comfort your Head

When experiencing a Migraine you may witness an increased sensitivity to aromas and smells, if so remove them from your quiet zone. Not all migraineurs experience this as some find aromatherapy quite therapeutic.

Comfort your head by wearing an eye mask. Experiment with what works best for you a mask filled with lavender may be calming and refreshing. Others like to use chilled eye masks or place an ice pack on the back of their neck at the base of their skull. If this is your preference invest in refrigerated eye masks or head wraps.

If you can keep one at the office for fast relieve before you head home. Even a cool, damp cloth over your eyes to block the light or resting on your forehead or applied to the back of you skull will help in a pinch.

5. Fall Asleep

I know this sounds crazy when your head is hurting so badly but try it. You really need to relax, unwind, and release all tenseness; your head is creating enough. Try to shut out all sounds and noise in your head. Some find soft, calming music helpful, while others take up meditation.

Chances are good you will feel better after a nap. My husband would go work in his shop or leave the house for a spell when possible so as not to interrupt my sleep. Do whatever you can to be sure that someone else is taking care of the kids or pets in your home so you can rest without concern.

Headaches Migraines Article Category

For those who frequently suffer from both headaches and neck pain simultaneously, it may not be surprising to learn that these symptoms are often interlinked. In 1983 a Norwegian physician, Dr. Ottar Sjaastad, documented a sub-group of headache patients with head pain that originated within the cervical spine. He dubbed this discovery the "cervicogenic headache".

Cervicogenic Headaches - Likely Causes:

Pain can spread. A problem within the neck can stimulate a nerve that leads to the scalp and subsequently cause a headache. Unfortunately, the duality of this problem can make it difficult to find the root and therefore define a suitable treatment. The majority of cervicogenic headaches are due to tightness in the posterior neck muscles, which can be found at the back of the neck. As a result, anything that can strain the neck muscles can also cause a cervicogenic headache. Below is a list of the main causes:

Stress Induced: Stress can cause the muscles around the neck to tighten, which can lead to tension headaches, neck pain and a feeling of pressure.

Bad Posture: From a pillow with inadequate support to a poor driving position, there are a thousand and one ways to cause neck pain.

Injury or Trauma: An injury to the neck of shoulders can create tension and strain within the muscles around the neck, shoulders and head.

Poor lighting: If you're straining to read due to insufficient light, it can lead to eyestrain and stiffness in your scalp and forehead muscles.

Gum chewing: Vigorous chewing can strain the muscles in your head and neck.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders: Excessive jaw clenching or poor jaw alignment can lead to both headaches and neck pain.

Meningitis: Symptoms of meningitis often include head pain, neck stiffness and fever.

Do I have Cervicogenic Headaches?

Approximately 8% of the global population suffers from cervicogenic headaches - according to the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. If you think you may be suffering from cervicogenic headaches, ask yourself these questions:

1) Does the pain begins at the base of the neck and gradually moves into the head?

2) At the headache's onset, is the neck region tender to touch?

Both of these are classic symptoms. However, there are many causes for headaches and neck pain, so it is important to talk to a health care provider to determine the exact cause. Issues rarely cure themselves and can sometimes be a sign of a more serious condition, so don't ignore the issue.

Written by Nick Paul Taylor - Spring Shop TV

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