Herbal remedies for sinus and runny nose

Here's a herbal combination for treating sinus and runny nose or flu symptoms:

• Sage
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Clove
• Ginger

Now add about a tsp of mixed herbs per cup of boiled water, cover, and steep about 20 minutes.  For best results, make up a big batch, and drink about 4 cups (1Litre) per day for 3-5 days as needed and see what happens

"In traditional Chinese medicine, emotions and physical health are intimately connected."

I have checked out this article "Emotions in Traditional Chinese Medicine" and I noted that "emotions and physical health are intimately connected", and different emotions "are each associated with a particular organ in the body". I also learnt that "a diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine is highly individualized", and "once an organ system is identified, the unique symptoms of the patient determine the practitioner's treatment approach".

While googling to find out more about this subject, I came across this article that shares a similar observation - it says Finnish researchers map how emotions are expressed physically in human bodies".

"(NaturalNews) New research published in the journal Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America (PNAS) provides a solid basis for understanding how our bodies physically react to various emotional states. Scientists from Aalto University in Finland found that the human body lights up differently on a heat map for each type of emotion, illustrating for the first time how emotions play a definitive role in physical health."
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043686_emotions_human_bodies_physical_expression.html#ixzz2tvJ4ytNt

I also learnt from this article below that Chinese medicine such as acupuncture treats physical and emotional trauma.

"Chinese medicine is particularly effective for trauma relief because the method of diagnosis involves searching for the root of a person's distress, rather than merely treating the symptoms. By thoroughly investigating the cause of a patient's stress disorder, origin and continuing source of discomfort and fear is recognized and more readily conquered. Whether a treatment occurs quickly after a traumatic event has been experienced or years later, acupuncture can help relieve tension".

- See more at: http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-news/articles/252-chinese-medicine-treats-physical-and-emotional-trauma.html#sthash.N8n7zApf.dpuf

Another article I found focuses on liver health harmony and the link to physical and emotional wellbeing - I learnt from the article about some foods and herbs that are good for the liver.  

http://soundworksbygehl.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/liver-health-harmony-the-link-to-physical-and-emotional-wellbeing/

"We get a new liver every 6 weeks, and with the proper nourishment, care and some lifestyle changes, we can avoid or reverse many of these problems. Everything in the body can and will return to a state of balance when provided with the right support.

Foods that are good for the Liver: red beets, carrots, zucchini/squash, raw green leaf vegetables, tart cherries (sour is cooling & tonifies liver), black cherry juice, lemon water, rose hips, wolfberry, aka lyceum.

Bitter Herbs good for the Liver: Yellow dock, Dandelion, Blessed Thistle, Milk Thistle, Burdock, Oregon Grape".

Borage

I noted from this article that borage is a herb that is now naturalized in most parts of Europe, and it has a "cucumber-like fragrance", and when steeped in water, it imparts a coolness to it and a faint cucumber flavour". As for its uses, I learnt borage can be used for fevers and pulmonary (lung) complaints, or as a gargle to relieve inflammation and ulcers in the mouth or throats".

I read in this related article on some ways the borage leaves can be used.

http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Borage

"The leaves can also be used. Some ideas for use include:

• Adding to gin-based summer cocktails
• Placing the young leaves into salads cooked like spinach or dipped in batter asfritters
• Use the leaves uncooked in salads and soups, as they have a cucumber flavor
• Add sprigs to wine, cider, and fruit drinks
• Freeze the flowers into ice cubes
• Use the flowers as garnishes in salads
• Candy the flowers for cake decorations."

This blog below says that the Indian borage is used as a cough remedy too.

http://gardeningwithwilson.com/2007/11/08/gcs-feature-articles-for-oct-07/

"In Singapore, the Indian Borage is often mistakened as a type of mint. To make things worse, a rough search using the Internet search engine will yield has several confusing common names. Botanically, the Indian Borage is known as Plectranthus amboinicus and is a member of Lamiaceae and this herb is famed for its use as a cough remedy."

Anxiety and food

I learnt from this article that possible reasons for anxiety after eating includes physical sensations from food, such as light-headedness, heart palpitations and indigestion; something within the gut activated by the food; acid reflux; and so on. I remember a few times I experienced mild heart palpitations after eating a full meal of oatmeal for breakfast in the morning, and I think it was probably due to the carbohydrates, sugar and sodium as mentioned in the article. (Oatmeal happens to be my favourite dish as it is tasty and healthy, and I would eat it once a week on average, usually on a weekend morning.) I would then sit or lie down for about an hour or so and wait for the food to digest and I usually feel better after that. I have been avoiding coffee or tea or other beverages that contain caffeine, so nowadays I don't experience palpitations often, unlike in the past, thankfully.

On a similar note, I was googling about natural remedies for anxiety caused by the gut after eating, and came across some related articles on this topic - here's sharing a couple of them with you too, which may be useful as a reference or reminder.

"The gut is home to about 1,000 trillion bacteria. The gut also contains around 100 million nerve cells (neurons), more than in either the spinal cord or the peripheral nervous system. This multitude of neurons in the enteric nervous system enables us to "feel" the inner world of our gut and its contents.
Neurons in the gut also use serotonin to signal back to the brain - and 95% of all serotonin in the body is in the gut. About 90 percent of the fibers in the primary visceral nerve, the vagus, carry information from the gut to the brain.

Generally when people think of "gut feelings," they are thinking about instinctive-like reactions such as the "butterflies" or "hollow feelings" one may get due to fear, bad news or an upcoming daunting task. Now it is apparent that other serious conditions may originate at least partially in the gut. Maintaining a healthy digestive system, including a healthy intestinal flora mix, could be a key in helping to prevent and control such conditions."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032508_anxiety_gut_feeling.html#ixzz2tdNa8kLO

"When you first start re-introducing good bacteria in your gut through eating more cultured, fermented foods and taking a therapeutic grade probiotic, you’ll probably notice what’s called “die-off” symptoms. Headaches, dizziness, fever, nausea, and other mild cold-like symptoms are all natural parts of experiencing die-off. Basically, as your newly introduced good bacteria start out-competing the bad bacteria already present in your system, the bad bacteria start dying off. When they die off, they produce toxins. Normally, your body is able to eliminate these toxins without you experiencing any symptoms. However, when a radical shift in gut flora takes place, the bad bacteria die off in such large quantities that your body can’t effectively eliminate the toxins created in the die-off. So, you’ll experience the die-off effects, also known as a Herxheimer Reaction.

Don’t worry! The die-off symptoms won’t last long at all, and on the other side of them you’ll be feeling better than ever. And, if this new study is any indication (which I believe it is), you’ll have happier and more balanced moods, too."

http://www.foodrenegade.com/study-shows-anxiety-may-be-caused-by-gut/

http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/causes/after-eating

"How to let go of anxious sensations" by Barry McDonagh

Here's sharing this article I came across recently which may be useful as a reference or reminder about learning to trust in our body to take care of anxious sensations that we experience at times. It is a reminder for me as well as I too experience anxiety symptoms such as palpitations before due to tensed situations or stressful circumstances such as at work over the years and so on, and I am learning to remember to breathe deeply where possible. 

http://www.panicaway.com/word/blog/letting-go-of-sensations-that-scare-you

I find some of the comments in the article encouraging.

"October 19,2013

Dil Mari @ 10:01 pm

I’m reading the comments with interest. I wake in the middle of the night with a severe epigastric pain. No one has diagnose or treated it, but at last the pain is so much less intense, plus it only lasts about 20 minutes now rather than the hours it used to. It used to happen if the phone or doorbell rang, or if I had even a slight surprise or shock. I’m accepting it now, and hoppe that, after having it for over 20 years, maybe it will now go away altogether. I hope so. hanks for all your good, sound advice. Dil Mari"

Another person commented below about how he or she learnt to deal with anxiety:

"January 8,2014

Lou Brown @ 12:23 pm

To all those who have commented that they feel ‘dizzy’—-I had the good fortune to watch the Dr Oz show last year where Depak Chopra was a guest. Depak suggested a natural remedy for headaches but I tried it the next time I felt dizzy from anxiety AND IT WORKED! It’s as simple as (sitting if possible) or just standing still and taking 2 or 3 long breaths in and out and then focusing all your attention on your heart-beat until you can really feel it and hear it… then you re-focus as hard as you can on your fingertips and try and FEEL your heartbeat in the very tips of your fingers. Apparently what this does is, it tells your brain to send the rush of blood from your head down to your fingertips – thereby taking the pressure out of your head. I’ve even done this while sitting at traffic lights or in a meeting and it’s quickly dispersed the dizzy feeling. Oh, I forgot to say that I am able to ‘feel’ my heartbeat in my fingertips after a while."

I suppose different people find different strategies work best for themselves. For me, when I experience anxious sensations such as stiff or tensed neck muscles and palpitations, I usually find listening to soothing music or taking a walk helpful to clear my mind, besides conscious breathing, and sometimes I would type mini journals in my office computer email program (and save them in the draft folder) as a form of therapeutic exercise - it also helps me to express or articulate my thoughts and feelings about things that cause anxiety.

Foods that help reduce anxiety

I have checked out this website on "19 remedies for anxiety", and I noted that a key to reducing anxiety in the long term is "a whole-foods, plant-based diet with carefully selected meat and seafood, plenty of leafy greens (such as kale) to get folate, and a wide variety of phytonutrients to help reduce anxiety".

I learnt from this article that besides kale, other excellent sources of folate include romaine lettuce, spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, mustard greens, calf's liver, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflowers, and beets, and I have checked Adamo's website that these aforementioned sources are neutral or beneficial for blood type B too. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=63

As for phytonutrients, I learnt from this article http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=286 that phytonutients "have health-promoting properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and liver-health-promoting activitles". It also says:

"Fruits and vegetables are concentrated sources of phytonutrients; other plant foods like whole grains, legumes/beans, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices also contain phytonutrients. Since many phytonutrients also serve as the pigment that gives foods their deep hues, you can identify many phytonutrient-rich foods by looking for colorful foods; for example, look for foods that are blue or purple like blueberries, blackberries and red cabbage (rich in flavonoids); yellow-orange foods like carrots, winter squash, papaya, and melon (rich in beta-carotene); red or pink foods like tomatoes, guava, and watermelon (rich in lycopene); and green foods like kale, spinach, and collard greens (rich in chlorophyll). Yet, since not all phytonutrients give color, it's important to not overlook some off-white foods as well—for example, garlic, onions, and leeks are rich in powerful sulfur-containing phytonutrients."

This article below also gives some examples of spices that contain phytonutrients, such as turmeric, ginger and fennel.

"Turmeric, ginger, coriander, cumin and fennel are just a few of the spices containing phytonutrients, according to The Detroit News. Cinnamon has been found to help control blood sugar and improve insulin resistance in diabetics. Paprika may help raise good cholesterol, and ginger, coriander and cumin may promote healthy digestion."
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032463_phytochemicals_health_benefits.html#ixzz2sEGL8TMu

"Humans are omnivores. We function best eating both animals and plants."

I have read the informative article "Top 5 reasons why vegan diets are a terrible idea" by Kris Gunnars, in which I learnt that "the optimal diet for any one person depends on a lot of things". including "age, gender, activity levels, current metabolic health, food culture and personal preference". I also learnt that the reasons that vegan diet may not be a good idea include the fact that vegan diets are "deficient in many important nutrients", such as Vitamin B12, animal protein, creatine, carnosine, and DHA; and "there are no controlled trials showing that vegan diets are any better than other diets"; and there is also "no scientifically valid health reason to completely eliminate animal foods (especially organic, unprocessed, grass-fed meat)".

Yes, humans are omnivores, and we function best eating both animals and plants, and I remember that even Adamo's blood type diets include both meat and plants for people of different blood types, with different varieties of these meat and plants being recommended for different blood types.

Like what the article mentioned, the optimal diet for a person depends on the current metabolic health too, and I came across another article that discusses the same subject. http://nicolesnaturalnews.weebly.com/find-out-your-body-type.html

I also noted from the article that the author Kris Gunnars personally thinks that "vegan diets can have health benefits for a lot of people… at least in the short term, before the nutrient deficiencies kick in (which can be partly circumvented by supplementation)."

Similarly, this article "The vegetarian myth" says that "There is a time for detoxification, and a time for rebuilding and nourishing. Vegan/vegetarian diets are great for detoxification, but this should only last a week to a couple months. Then, after the body is done detoxifying, it needs nourishment and a rebuilding of nutrient stores."

So, maybe for most cases, vegan diets are best only for a temporary season of detoxification, before one needs to include meat again for nourishment and rebuilding of nutrient stores. As Kris Gunnars also wrote, she is "100% certain that a plant-based diet that includes at least a little bit of animals (the occasional whole egg or fatty fish, for example) will be much healthier in the long-term than a diet that eliminates animal foods completely" since such meat and dairy contain important nurients such as iron and animal protein.

Related article
Is Red Meat Healthy?

Yintang - Acupuncture Point

I learnt from this article that yintang is "a single point located between the eyebrows, just below the area known as the third eye", and it is used in acupuncture to calm the mind and "for anything head and face-related, especially issues with the nose".

I also learnt from this article that we can apply self-acupressure on the yintang. 

 http://taoism.about.com/od/Acupressure_Treasures/a/Yin-Tang.htm
"To apply acupressure to Yin Tang, bring the first and middle fingers of your two hands together, using the ends of those four fingers, in concert, to very gently, in a circular motion, massage the area between the inner ends of your two eyebrows. The motion can be either clockwise or counter-clockwise (find out which intuitively feels best to you). As you apply that circular acupressure/massage, allow all the muscles of your forehead to soften and relax (saying "ahh" can be useful here), as though they were releasing backward, in the direction of the center of your skull (the upper dantian area)."

When googling "yintang acupuncture youtube", I came across this fun and edutaining video on the extra points in acupuncture, including the yintang point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxEPv0jEFWw

 I also find this information on this related article useful regarding how yintang or the pineal gland can be stimulated to secrete the hormone melatonin which makes us sleepy.  

http://cuppingforlife.blogspot.sg/2011/11/yintang-most-requested-acupuncture.html

"The location of this acupuncture point corresponds to the third eye, a metaphoric eye in Hinduism and Buddhism that opens as our consciousness expands and we become enlightened. It is the location of the brow chakra, the 6th of 7 major energy vortexes that exist in our bodies, which has to do with inner guidance, mental clarity, and intuition. Even in western medicine this is an anatomically important location, where light enters the skull to activate the pineal gland. As darkness increases in the evening, the pineal gland is stimulated to secrete the hormone melatonin, which makes us sleepy. As the sun comes up and light increases, the pineal gland stops producing this hormone and we wake up."

This article says that research results showed "similarities measured in the human brain both under sedation using yintang and sedation using anesthesia." 

http://healthystuffu.com/acupuncture-point-yintang-the-third-eye-6th-chakra/
"The journal Medical Acupuncture published a 2005 study entitled “Shenting and Yintang: Quantification Of Cerebral Effects Of Acupressure, Manual Acupuncture, and Laserneedle Acupuncture Using High-Tech Neuromonitoring Methods,” by Gerhard Litscher, MDsc. The study was about the electroencephalographic similarities of acupressure induced sedation and general anesthesia, as assessed by bispectral index and spectral edge frequency. Read the study here. The basic result showed similarities measured in the human brain both under sedation using yintang and sedation using anesthesia."

Amazing Herb Kills 98% Of Cancer Cells In Just 16 Hours

I have checked out this article and I learnt that "according to the researches published in “Life Science”, artemisinin, a “Sweet wormwood” or “Artemisia Annua” derivative, was used in Chinese medicine and it can kill 98% of lung cancer cells in less than 16 hours." I also learnt from the embedded video that "Artemisinin works in the presence of iron to create free radicals that kill cells that hoard iron, and it s non-toxic and has been used on over 4000 patients without problems."

Artemisinin or sweet wormwood is indeed an amazing herb, given its high effectiveness and safety profile in being used to klll cancer cells, which made it ideal for cancer treatment, as mentioned below.

"Artemisinin and its derivatives offer the possibility of using a non-toxic form of chemotherapy that is inexpensive and readily available. Because of its excellent safety profile, it should be a consideration for cancer treatment when conventional treatments have failed or when people refuse conventional therapies."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033182_artemisinin_cancer.html#ixzz2quP4gMfN

I also learnt from this article below that according to researchers, an environment of pure oxygen adds significantly to the effectiveness of artemisinin to kill cancerous cells. 

http://www.washington.edu/news/2011/04/04/high-dose-of-oxygen-enhances-natural-cancer-treatment/

"In the new study, using artemisinin or high-pressure oxygen alone on a culture of human leukemia cells reduced the cancer cells growth by 15 percent. Using them in combination reduced the cells growth by 38 percent, a 50 percent increase in artemisinins effectiveness.

“If you combine high-pressure oxygen with artemisinin you can get a much better curing effect,” said author Henry Lai, a UW research professor of bioengineering. “We only measured up to 48 hours. Over longer time periods we expect the synergistic effects to be even more dramatic.”"

Related articles 

Artemisinin could selectively kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed 

Development of artemisinin compounds for cancer treatment 

Zollinger Ellison syndrome

I have checked out the forum in which Lesley Anne shared that she was told she had "excessive secretion of Hydrocloric acid and IBS by GI doctor", and the medical doctor Kevin Pho who replied her post said "As for the reason for the hypersecretion of acid, you may want to consider gastrin and secretin stimulation test to evaluate for a gastric tumor known as Zollinger Ellison syndrome (which is manifested by hypersecretion of acid)."

I googled about this term, and I learnt from this article below that "excess stomach acid is only found in a few rare conditions like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome". 

http://chriskresser.com/what-everybody-ought-to-know-but-doesnt-about-heartburn-gerd 

"In Wright’s 25 years of conducting these tests, he found very few people with excess stomach acid. Excess stomach acid is only found in a few rare conditions like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome), and GERD is hardly ever associated with too much stomach acid."

I also learnt that one of the possible causes of stomach pain and/or cramps is skipping meals, as mentioned in this article.  

http://www.livestrong.com/article/474727-skipping-meals-stomach-cramps/
"Nonulcer stomach pain refers to the common symptoms of bloating, belching, nausea and cramping not identified as originating from any specific disease or disorder, according to MayoClinic.com. Skipping meals, leaving the stomach empty except for stomach acid, can create feelings of nausea." 

However, in Lesley Anne's case, it seems the epigastric pain was probably not due to skipping meals, as she wrote "It doesn't matter if I eat something or not--everyday is the same".

I agree with Dr Kho's advice to Lesley that following up with her personal physician is essential, as his answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only.

Related articles
What Is Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome? What Causes Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome? 
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (Mayo Clinic) 
About Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
Misdiagnosis of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

"Being able to express repressed emotions can improve survival rate in cancer patients" - Candace Pert

I recognise Candace Pert's name as the one who wrote the book "Molecules of Emotions". I learnt from this article that when emotions are expressed, the flow of peptides in the body are released, so that the psychosomatic network facilities the healing of cancer cells, as mentioned below. 

http://www.merrily.com/Body/mind.htm

"Recent studies including those done by David Spiegel of Stanford have convincingly shown that being able to express emotions like anger and grief can improve survival rates in cancer patients.

In her fascinating book, Molecules of Emotion, Pert provides a theoretical model to explain why this might be so. Since emotional expression is always tied to a specific flow of peptides in the body, the chronic suppression of emotions results in a massive disturbance of the psychosomatic network."

Similarly, another article says:

http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lcancercd.htm

"Re-living painful memories and giving yourself permission to fully and completely feel and express the painful feelings associated with them, is a liberating and healing experience.  It is the key to your health and well-being.  It is the key to releasing harmful negative energy from your body's cells, cells that mutate into cancer cells when under constant stress, due to depleted adrenaline levels, low oxygen levels, and high sugar levels.  And when practiced regularly, overtime, is the key to your healing and recovery from cancer."