Timeless Herbal Remedies

There are quite a lot of natural remedies that have been used through the years. Such plant based remedies have a long history and have been handed down from generation to generation. While some of them have long been forgotten, there are also remedies that have survived all through the years, mainly because they have proven to be effective. Here are some of them.

Cayenne Peppers

Pepper has a long tradition as being an ingredient to various traditional remedies. Since Columbus brought them to the New World from the Old, cayenne peppers have long been used for many things other than as spices for food. It has been used for various remedies ranging from pain relief to weight loss. Science has shown that it is effective in both counts. Cayenne pepper contains a compound known as capsaicin that gives peppers its heat. This compound is also known to help block chemical messengers that transmit pain messages to the brain. It can also help people lose abdominal fat.

Onions

Ancient traditional medicine has considered onions as a natural cure-all. They have been recommended for a variety of ailments ranging from respiratory to digestive problems. Scientific studies have also proven that this might be true. Onions contain a flavonoid known as quercetin that protects the stomach from ulcers and cancers.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is another natural remedy with a very long history in ancient traditional medicine. It has been used to get rid of anxiety, improve memory as well as aid in sleep and digestion. Research has also suggested that it may be effective, too.

Lemon balm seems to aid in calming an overactive thyroid. It may also help in the fight against viruses. Drinking tea out of lemon balm also has proven time and again to help calm the nerves and helps in keeping people calm and focused.

Quitting Smoking and Weight Gain

Quitting smoking can be a challenge for most people. Aside from the challenge of quitting the habit because of nicotine addiction, there is also the issue of weight gain. According to studies, people who quit smoking gain around ten pounds on average.

Why Quitting Causes Weight Gain

The main reason why quitting smoking leads to considerable weight gain is due to the changes in the body’s metabolism. Nicotine has the ability to increase the body’s metabolic rate. Once the body experiences nicotine withdrawal as what happens when one quits smoking, the metabolic rate also drops. This can then cause the body to pile up excess poundage easier because of the lower metabolic rate.

Another reason why those who quit smoking may also gain weight is that people tend to eat more. When a habit such as smoking is being removed from the usual daily lifestyle, people tend to find something to substitute for it. The easiest alternative available for most people is food. Most people who try to quit smoking tend to substitute eating as their habit. This can also cause weight gain for some people.

Exercise More

One way to avoid gaining weight while quitting the smoking habit is by getting into exercising more. Exercise may be the best alternative that you can substitute for your smoking habit. It may help prevent that drop in metabolic rate that usually happens when nicotine is removed from the system. Exercise itself can help increase metabolism to help avoid weight gain.

Drink More Water

Staying hydrated can also help provide a metabolic boost. Those who are trying to quit smoking should drink plenty of water since it can also help reduce those cravings for a smoke. People can try carrying a water bottle with them all the time instead of a pack of cigarettes.

Understanding Stroke Rehabilitation

Stroke rehabilitation is an important means to help stroke victims and patients regain certain skills that they may have lost as a result of a stroke.

It is the best means to help stroke patients get better as well as a way to help them avoid sinking into depression as a result of their stroke. Stroke rehabilitation aims to help stroke victims try to gain back their independence as well as confidence and be more able to cope up with their condition.

Stroke Rehab Team

There is a team of specialists who make up a stroke rehab team. Their mix of medical specialties aims to help people recover from stroke. Aside from the doctors and nurses who make up the large part of the stroke rehab team, there are also a number of therapists included like:

Physical therapist- works with the stroke victim to help on physical problems concerning balance, movement, and coordination.

Speech/Language Therapist- works with the patient to help regain speech and language skills that may be affected by the stroke. The therapists may also help patients in trying to overcome difficulties in swallowing.

Psychologist or Counselor- works with the patient to try and cope up with the emotional dilemma and psychological complications brought about as a result of a stroke.

Occupational therapist- works with the stroke patient to regain the skills of doing everyday activities. This therapist helps the patient practice eating, dressing up, taking a bath as well as doing other related tasks.

Recreational and Vocational Therapists- although they may or may not be a part of the stroke rehab team, recreational and vocational therapists may also play a big role in helping patients regain a source of normalcy even after the stroke. A recreational therapist can help a patient try to develop and regain the enjoyment of certain activities that the patient once enjoyed before the stroke. A vocational therapist can aid a patient with concerns dealing with finding a job or getting back to work.

Duration

The duration of a stroke rehabilitation program can vary, depending on the degree of damage caused by the stroke as well as the level of development a stroke victim undergoes.

But for most people, stroke rehab may be a lifelong process. Some people may do better after several weeks or months of stroke rehab while other people may take years and years to show considerable improvement.

The Therapeutic Effects of Writing

Writing is one of the first things we learned in school as kids. We were instructed to trace letters, write words through colored pictures, describe our surroundings through phrases and sentences, until we eventually learned to write coherent paragraphs.

As we grow up, though, we learn about things that go beyond the four corners of the classroom. As such, we learn to make use of writing for different purposes.

Many people resort to writing down their thoughts in black and white when they feel down or sad or desperate. Unintentionally, they are actually resorting to what is known as journal therapy.

Journal therapy is defined as the purposeful act of writing down our thoughts and feelings in an effort to further psychological healing and personal growth. Through therapeutic writing or journal therapy, a person is able to:

â—� cope with stress
â—� reduce physical symptoms of certain diseases
â—� foster self-awareness
â—� reduce anxiety
â—� and develop self-esteem

For the most part, writing is also an individualized process of personal growth. It is an effective distressing method which has the ability to settle the mind and release pent-up emotions. It also gives us an honest insight into our real selves. For Lyn Petit’, author of The Philosophy of a Thought, writing is a form of therapy.

Like most of us, Lyn also went through a lot of adversities in life. She made use of these personal experiences to put all her thoughts into writing. According to her, her counselor urged her to write her thoughts on paper as a form of therapy. To her surprise, her counselor’s advice worked, so much so that Lyn was able to publish her first book in 2007.

Through writing, Lyn was able to express herself more. At the same time, she was also able to give out advice to other people about simply putting both feet down and saying no, standing up for oneself, and not allowing people to take the rein of one’s life from one’s own hands. Lyn accomplished all of these, in spite of the fact that she is a dyslexic, a tad autistic, and a little deaf.

What is Hydrotherapy Treatment?

Hydrotherapy is the practice of using water to sooth away pains as well as in treating diseases. It is a practice that has its roots way back in ancient times. Egyptian royalty took their baths with essential oils and flowers. The Romans were known for their communal public baths. The Father of Medicine from ancient Greece, Hippocrates, was known to prescribe bathing in spring water to treat sickness.

Benefits

There are a number of benefits attributed to the use of water therapy. One of the known benefits is that it helps increase blood circulation. This enables the efficient circulation of the body’s white blood cells for better immune function. Hydrotherapy is also known to help induce the production of endorphins which can help improve overall well-being as well as relax and energize the body.

The use of hydrotherapy helps in supplying fresh nutrients and oxygen to tissues as well as helps it dispose of toxins and waste products. Hydrotherapy also helps aid physical rehabilitation for people who are injured or have suffered through a stroke. Hydrotherapy has also been used to help reduce the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis and other similar ailments such as rheumatism.

Forms of Hydrotherapy

There are various forms of hydrotherapy treatments being used today. The use of different compresses is considered as hydrotherapy. Cooling and heating compresses are being used to help reduce inflammation and congestion. They can be used for either short or long periods.

Baths are also considered another common and popular form of hydrotherapy. Baths are usually used as therapy using a combination of both hot and cold water. The effect on the body through this therapy is said to help aid blood circulation as well as help stimulate the body’s nervous system.

An internal form of hydrotherapy is colon cleansing. It is also known as a basic enema where the colon is flushed using water in order to clear it. It is said to help get rid of toxins that may have accumulated inside the colon. But doctors believe that such practice may cause an imbalance between bacteria and chemicals found in the colon which can lead to other problems.

Hydrotherapy in the form of full body immersion in water is usually used to aid in physical therapy. It can be used to aid an injured muscle to gain strength in a more sensitive manner than ordinary exercise. The water helps provide some resistance as well as buoyancy that help injured muscles react to forces gradually.

Concealing Medication in Food and Drink

When we were kids, our parents used to conceal medication in our food and drink when we were sick. It is admissible when there is no other way to give a drug. Covert administration of drugs for adults is an entirely different matter, even for mentally ill patients who will not or cannot take their medicine.

Is it ethical to conceal medication in food and drink? Should drug concealment be medically sanctioned and recorded? How common is it?

The extent of concealing medication

Studies about the extent of covert drug concealment are patchy but suggestive. A 2000 study revealed that medications were administered covertly at some point in 24 of 34 nursing, inpatient and residential units in southeast England. In Norway, a recent study of caregivers for patients with dementia in nursing home and special care units showed that 11%-17% of 1,362 patients were given drugs mixed in food or drink at least once every week.

The Norway study also found that only 40% of the nursing documents recorded the concealment of medication in food or drink. When a doctor authorized the concealment, it was found that medical records were more likely to have written confirmation of the practice, 57% as opposed to 23%.

According to former American Psychological Association (APA) President Paul Appelbaum, concealing medication is rare in inpatient settings in the United States. Overall, there is little information about the extent of this questionable practice in the country.

Support for the practice

Concealing medications in food and drink of patients has supporters. Try talking to a professional caregiver and he or she can often cite good examples of times when covert drug administration seemed logical and sensible.

Caregivers and physicians might consider concealing medications in food and drink to avoid delays in treatment. Delays in treatment could result in self-destructive behavior or means increased morbidity, prolong the patient’s agony, or worsen outcomes.

Criticisms of the practice

Critics of the practice argue that it is a violation of trust by the physician or the caregiver or by members of the family who administer the medications. Many patients are upset and refuse treatment when they learn that their doctor or family betrayed their trust. This in turn breeds paranoia.

It is illegal and unethical in the United States to perform this practice without the consent of a competent and responsible person. According to Spencer Eth, APA Ethics Committee Chair, "Can you treat someone without his or her consent? Not without violating the patient’s autonomy and the core ethical principle of consent. It is a paternalistic attitude that is an anachronism in psychiatric practice. You can’t justify it in the name of ‘the patient’s best interests.’"

Cognitive Restructuring for Stress Relief

Stress management involves different ways on how to handle stress. One of them is the use of cognitive restructuring for relieving stress. Cognitive restructuring has actually been developed as a form of therapy used for treating conditions such as severe stress, anxiety disorders as well as depression.

What is cognitive restructuring?

Cognitive restructuring as a form of therapy was developed in the belief that situations and circumstances that seem to bring or cause stress is borne out of a person’s way of thinking. This can be explained better at how different people may look at spending some of their vacant time.

Some people may see it as an opportunity to feel relaxed and get lost in the moment. Others may think of it as time wasted with nothing productive to do and may even feel distressed or get bored. A person’s way of thinking can determine the resultant action or behavior to a given situation.

The theory behind cognitive restructuring states that a person’s own unrealistic beliefs can be directly responsible for bringing out certain dysfunctional emotions and feelings that further lead to behavior and attitudes resulting from it such as depression, stress or anxiety.

By trying to get rid of such emotions and feelings, stress and other similar conditions can be prevented. But in order to get rid of them, there would be a need to restructure or change certain unrealistic beliefs or faulty thinking that may be giving them life.

Faulty thinking

In cognitive restructuring, faulty thinking or beliefs is referred to as cognitive distortions. Cognitive restructuring is the process of identifying, challenging and then changing the cognitive distortions and negative and unrealistic thinking patterns with more accurate and beneficial ones.

When it comes to stress management, cognitive restructuring can help change certain unrealistic beliefs and thought patterns that usually lead to negative behavior as well as stress. Self-talk usually have a big impact as to how this way of thinking is gradually ingrained into a person’s subconscious mind.

Self-talk

Self-talk can either make life better or worse for a person. It is the internal dialogue that a person makes that initially tries to interpret, explain and judge every situation encountered. The way a person process the internal dialogue based on certain beliefs can lead to different resulting behavior or actions.

If the internal dialogue is based on cognitive distortions are faulty thinking, then it would most likely lead to negative behavior and thought patterns, many of which lead further to stress, anxiety and depression up to a certain period.

The "I Must Be Loved" thinking

The "I Must Be Loved" way of thinking can be considered as one of those cognitive distortions and unrealistic views that can lead to negative results in terms of behavior and attitude. It is unrealistic in a way that it is impossible for all people to experience being loved by everybody.

If a person is led to believe as such, this can result to failure, false hopes and unfulfillment. Cognitive restructuring works to try and recognize and change these faulty beliefs and way of thinking into something positive and reachable. As people undergo a restructured thinking and beliefs, they begin to see things differently little by little.