Magnesium and MS

 

Allergies and Perfumes A Natural Toothpaste to Suit YOU Renewable Fuel for Cars Asthma and Magnesium

Major benefits of Magnesium Natural Toothpaste is Best for You OUR HEALTH

Magnesium for Major Illnesses

Well, the wonderful mineral, Magnesium makes for very popular posts each time I write about it. I encourage you to add it as a supplement as we need lots of it and we don't get much in our diet these days.

A few years ago I was in the Emergency ward with arrhythmia - my heart was not beating right, skipping beats etc. Now the nurses were pretty concerned. My main problem was I couldn't breathe properly. You know what they gave me? An intravenous dose of magnesium. Magnesium is needed by the heart. The heart is a muscle. It expands and contracts as it beats away every second of the day and night all our lives. Magnesium helps the muscles relax. We need it in our bones to help make them strong. We need it in our muscles all over the body.

Magnesium and MS

People with MS seem to suffer from problems with their muscles -

• twitching
• jerking
• muscle stiffness
• spasms 

Personally, I would prefer to take Magnesium supplements to relax my muscles than the drugs given to these people. If you are on medication for this, do not stop medically prescribed drugs. But there is no one stopping you from adding a magnesium supplement to your daily intake.

The general recommendation for magnesium supplement is 400mg daily. if you are addressing a more severe problem, you would need more than this.

One doctor who made a 30 year career studying magnesium recommends 8mg magnesium per kg of your body weight. For a person who weighs 50 kilograms (110 lbs), this is 400mg. An 80 kg person (176lbs) would need 640mg.

One other thing - this dose is not calculated on the total magnesium in the supplement. Much of the magnesium in the supplements is unavailable to our body. Manufacturers  often use the cheaper grades of the mineral to bulk out the tablet. Look for the word 'equivalent'. Add up the 'equivalent' magnesium and reach the appropriate dose from this. Otherwise you still won't get enough of this wonderful mineral.

Different Forms of Magnesium

• mineral magnesium taken as a supplement as I described above
•  magnesium in a cell salt form. These are very popular and are used as a quick relief from cramping etc. The football team my husband worked with used these for quick relief when the players got cramps in their legs. This is called Mag phos Cell salts or Tissue salts.
• Mag phos spray is the cell salt or tissue salts available in a spray form. Just squirt a couple of sprays in your mouth. 
• Mag phos cream can be rubbed into cramping fingers, toes or legs or anywhere else the cramp occurs
• Magnesium also comes as a Homeopathy remedy. This is marvelous when the cramps are really bad. It comes in much high strengths like 30c, 200c, M and higher. You will get these from a Homeopath. In some countries you can buy them in a pharmacy.
• Epsom salts is magnesium. Add half a cup of magnesium to your bath. Soak and enjoy. We absorb things through our skin so you will be absorbing the magnesium while you enjoy your bathe.

Many types of magnesium can be bought at my Ebay store

Let me know what your favourite topic is ......

Natural Supplements for Inflammation

 

The beautiful flower of the Aloe from my garden.

Relieving Inflammation

Science is now Proving the Knowledge

There are many natural supplements that can help relieve inflammation. These have been tried and tested over the centuries and increasingly studies have been done on them to prove the knowledge of these substances.

Many of these natural foods or medicines have other properties besides anti inflammatory power. They may be anti bacterial, anti-viral etc.

Lack of Side Effects

Because these natural medicines are made from the whole plant, they do not have the side effects that many Western medicines have. The plants that these natural substances come from have very many ingredients. There may be one that, if taken on its own would cause side effects. But Nature is wonderful, and in these plants that are helpful to us, it also puts other ingredients that will counter any side effects. 

Patents for Natural Supplements

Plants cannot be patented. They come already made, given to us freely by Nature. 

Pharmaceutical companies cannot make much money without a patent so they take out the one ingredient in the plant that they think is the beneficial one, and ignore the rest. Therefore, the medicines they make from the plants do not have the counter checks and balances.
 

Natural Plant Remedies

Some beneficial natural medicines that may help us with inflammation are as follows.

Olive Leaf
This is a natural NSAID, that is it has natural non-steroidal properties similar to Ibuprofen. It enhances the immune system. It has been clinically proven to help rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Aloe vera
Aloe Vera is a well known plant that is well proven for its beneficial effects. When taken internally it can help gastrointestinal inflammation and arthritis. It can also be applied to the skin to ease inflammation of the skin or arthritic pains. Aloe vera has all the essential glyconutrients for our body. This is why it is such a wonderful healer.

Tumeric
Tumeric root extract or Curcumin is a natural COX-2 inhibitor. It has similar anti-inflammatory effects to non-steroidal drugs but without the side effects. It can help arthritis and immune system disorders.

White Willow Bark
White willow bark eases pain and inflammation. It contains salicin. Aspro or Aspirin was made out of it but they did not use the whole ingredients (remember they couldn't patent it then). This remedy does not cause bleeding like Aspirin. It is good for arthritis and other pain.

I hope you find some of these can help you with inflammation and the pain resulting from it.

Cheers

Asthma Control

 

The airways in the lungs close during an asthma attack

Warning: Always take your medication as prescribed by your medical practitioner.

What happens when you have an asthma attack

When you experience an asthma attack, the airways in your lungs contract, that is, get smaller and tighter. This makes it harder for the air to get in and out. The airways become inflamed and fill with mucous. This mucous blocks the airways even more.

Why do your airways contract?

Your airways are more likely to contract when you are anxious, have a viral infection or are exposed to allergens. Allergens are something that upsets your system. Your reaction to the  allergens is a tightening of your airways.

There are many allergens that can affect people. They can be specific or varied. You may react only to one thing, or you may react to many different things. Everybody id different.

If your immune system is lowered you are more likely to react to more and more triggers.

Some common triggers are pollen, smoke, dust, chemicals, cold air, latex or aspirin. Find out your own triggers and avoid them if you can.

How to Boost your Health

By boosting your immune system and general overall health hopefully you will be able to say goodbye to asthma.

General Recommendations - Supplements

Take a Magnesium supplement. Magnesium is known as 'the great relaxer'. It relaxes the muscles and vessels in your body. By having a plentiful supply of magnesium in your body, the muscles and airways are relaxed, not tight and ever on the alert for the next thing that will come along to trigger a reaction. Very many people do not have enough magnesium in their body because our diet does not supply it any more.

It is generally recommended to take at least 400mg of magnesium daily. Take this in divided doses. One in the morning and one at night.

Vitamin C is another important natural remedy. It is an antioxidant. Our bodies do not make Vitamin C. Guinea pigs are also not able to make vitamin C and need a replacement. All other mammals can produce their own vitamin C. Who would have thought we had a similarity to a guinea pig?

Selenium is a mineral, a trace element and another important supplement.  We need very little of trace elements in our body, but we still need them. Take up to 200mcg. Notice this is mcg which means micrograms. It is a much smaller quantity than milligrams. Check any other vitamin/mineral mix you may be taking as selenium is dangerous if you take too much. 200 mcg is enough. Selenium is also good for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or ME or any other immune system illness.

Other articles that you may find interesting about asthma
Are You Worse for Windy Weather?
Asthma and Magnesium
Asthma and Tissue Salts
Mould can bring on Asthma


More next time, Cheers

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Order my ebook Wheezing and Sneezing, All about Asthma and Allergies

Swollen Legs

Do You Suffer from Swollen or Tired Legs?

Legs can be tired, cramping or swollen

Many people have lots of problems with their legs. They may be

• aching
• tired
• painful
• swollen
• itching

Legs can have

• dry skin
• varicose veins
• swollen ankles 
• cramping ay night  

 

Butcher's Broom

Butcher's Broom is a supplement that benefits the legs. It works by improving the circulation in the legs. The veins in the legs need to pump the blood in the legs back up to the heart. The little valves in the veins get pretty tired in some people and need some help.

Butcher's Broom helps to strengthen these veins. This means that the blood is sent back to the heart more quickly. The blood picks up oxygen from the lungs and then is able to carry more oxygen to the body.

Venous Insufficiency

This means that that there is not enough blood in the veins.

Symptoms of Venous Insufficiency

• swelling legs
• swelling ankles
• itching skin
• cramps in legs

Improving the Brain

Because of its effects on the veins and the blood, Butcher's Broom can also affect the brain bringing more oxygenated blood to it. 

Warning

If you are taking any blood thinning medication or have serious problems with your legs, always get medical support before beginning taking this supplement. 

This article is meant for information purposes only and not meant as medical information on the treatment of your health. 

Allergies are NOT Forever

 

Our Immune System

Our immune system is very important. It helps us ward off 'bacteria, toxic chemicals, and viruses that cause conditions like the common cold and flu.' (from altmedicine.about.com see reference below)
We can support out immune system by paying particular attention to out diet, exercise, the stressors in our life, sleep and hygiene. We can also support our immune system by taking herbal supplements, flower essences and homeopathy. 

Diet

A diet rich in antioxidants will help our immune system These antioxidants kill off free radicals. Free radicals damage our DNA and suppress our immune system. Antioxidants are found in fruit and vegetables.

Drink lots of water to flush out the waste from your system. Keep away from sugary foods or drinks.

Exercise

When we exercise it stimulates the T cells in our blood. These guard against infections. Walking regularly is a great exercise.

Stress

Prolonged stress wears down the immune system. Meditation, Tai chi or Qi Gong are good ways to relieve stress.

Tip: When learning Tai Chi or Qi Gong, find a teacher who will teach you step by step. This way you will remember the movements and be able to replicate them on your own wherever you are in life. When people attend 'Follow the leader' classes, that is just what they are doing. When they get home after the class, very often they cannot remember the movements on their own.

Sleep

Our body and mind needs to rejuvenate and process the events of the day. We need about 8 hours of sleep to do this properly. Go easy on the caffeine. This is in coffee, milk coffee drinks, colas and chocolate.

Tip: Herbs like Valerian and Kava can help with this.

Hygiene

Keeping our hands clean is very important. We tend to neglect this because things around us appear clean. However we cannot see the germs lurking on our skin.

Tip: Good times to wash your hands are

before preparing food
after coughing or sneezing
after wiping your child's nose
after going to the toilet
after changing your child's nappy

Natural remedies

Magnesium is a natural sedative. It is found in legumes, seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, wheat bran, almonds and cashews. It is also good to take as a supplement.

We only have one body for our lifetime. If we look after it by following the steps above we will improve our immune system and banish those niggling allergies.
Tell us your secret to good health.

Magnesium and Migraines

 

Migraines are not just a bad headache.

Migraines and Magnesium

I have written about magnesium helping asthma and leg cramps. Well this great mineral Magnesium can also help headaches and migraines. 

Dr Alexander Mauskop MD who is director of the New York Headache Centre and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology tells us that magnesium is also great for headaches of all varieties and especially for those hard to control migraines.

Migraines are SEVERE headaches that come with other symptoms. These symptoms vary from person to person but there is a group of common symptoms.

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Some symptoms of Migraine are throbbing or penetrating pain pain on one side of the head double vision worse with light and noise

More symptoms of Migraine are seeing flashing lights pain lasts from hours to days nausea and/or vomiting slurred speech

Dr Mauskop suggests 300-400mg daily of magnesium. This can sometimes help other medications to work better.

Many people in our society are lacking in enough magnesium. There are many good reasons to supplement our diet.

More about Magnesium

Asthma and Tissue Salts
Major benefits of Magnesium

Asthma and Magnesium

 

Homeopathic medicine is all natural

Magnesium

I have found that Homeopathic Magnesium phosphate generally known as Mag phos has eased my asthma remarkably.

Mag phos is a homeopathic remedy made from Magnesium. A homeopathic remedy is made very scientifically. There are different strengths or potencies for each remedy.

 Different strengths of Homeopathy medicines

6x strength or potency is the lowest generally accepted potency which is available to the general public in Health food stores in Australia.

In Australia higher potencies or strengths need to be dispensed by a homeopath. In some other countries these are more readily available.

Each higher potency actually has less of the original magnesium in it. By the time it gets to 12x potency there is actually nothing of the original substance in the remedy. Only the energy of the original substance is still held in the pillule or liquid. The little pills are called pillules.

As the potency gets stronger or higher, the energy contained in the pillules gets stronger or more refined. A homeopath is guided by his/her study to know which potency is best for each situation.

Annie's Asthma symptoms helped by Mag phos

Chest very wheezy, difficult breathing, worse breathing out, better for warm air, worse for cold air and wind. Breathing difficult when walking, worse going up an incline, worse fast walking, worse exercise, worse talking.

Remember to be guided by your health care professional. Asthma must be treated by a doctor as it can be serious. Complementary medicines are complementary.

Magnesium and Migraines
Asthma and Tissue Salts
Major benefits of Magnesium

Hay Fever Relief

 

Nat mur Cell Salts

Natural Hay Fever Relief

Natrum muriaticum or Nat mur for short is a wonderful, simple and effective natural remedy that helps relieve hay fever.

Here in Australia we are about to go into Spring. This is the time many flowers bloom and there is lots of pollen in the air. Also around the time of the equinox there is more wind. The equinox is when we experience equal day and night. This happens twice a year - at the third week in March and September every year. Leading up to this time the weather can become very windy. This can cause lots of sneezing and watery eyes  too, especially on the days of hot dry winds from the north.

Nat mur is a Cell salt. These can also be called Tissue salts or Bio-chemic salt. Our body is made up of 12 different salts or minerals. This is one of them. Each of these salts affects a different system in our body.

Nat mur affects the water in our body. It seeks to stabilise the moisture in our body, stopping it from getting too wet or too dry.
Nat mur is good for when we experience excessive moisture from hay fever.

Symptoms of Hay Fever are:

• excessive sneezing

• runny nose

• watery eyes

• irritability (who wouldn't be irritable with all these uncomfortable symptoms)

Nat mur can also help with sinus problems when there is excess moisture.

Skin Symptoms

Nat mur can also relieve blister type rashes on our skin. Watery blisters, eczema, and shingles may be helped or very dry, itchy skin for example in the creases of knees and elbows. Remember, Nat  mur is about regulating the water in our body, to stop it from being too dry or too moist. Eczema and allergies are common. It also helps with heatstroke.

Emotions

People who need Nat mur may also hold a lot of grief. It is also good for people who cry a lot, or who cannot cry at all. These people also hold resentment and wish to be alone.

Nat mur can be purchased as tablets or spray for under the tongue, or as a Homeopathic remedy.

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Click on image to purchase Nat mur

Glutathione - Major Antioxidant

 

Free radicals float around our body 

stealing electrons from other cells

What do Antioxidants Do?

Glutathione is known to be a MAJOR antioxidant in our body. We need antioxidants in our body to get rid of the free radicals, the little unbalanced guys that roam our body trying to get other cells to join them.

Free radicals are not good for us. They make our body composition unbalanced. These little itty bitty things that float around in our body should have a pair of electrons in them.

Because of the polluted air we breathe, and the chemicals we use, these radicals lose one of their pairs and go around to steal a pair from other cells - thus they are free. This damages our good cells which then become a free radical and do the same thing to the next cell. Wicked little creatures.

Glutathione is a product or antioxidant we make in our body to destroy these free radicals and stop them doing all the damage they do.

Glutathione is needed in our body in the blood, brain and cells. There should be a lot of it in the brain but when the necessary building blocks are not there for it, it can become deficient.

Diseases that can be helped by glutathione are Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease plus many, many more.

A Great Detoxifyer

Glutathione can also help the body detoxify all those bad chemicals and toxins that build up in it.

Anti Aging

It is thought that a lack of glutathione may also be the cause of aging - not the fact that we get older every day, but the fact that out body gets worn out and shows symptoms of getting old.

Boosting our Glutathione Levels

 

NAC helps boost glutathione

How to boost Glutathione in our Body

The best way to improve the Glutathione levels in our body is is to take a pre-cursor. What on earth is that? Well if we could take glutathione, it doesn't have much effect on our body. It does not blend into our system. We need to take something that is the food for our body to make the glutathione for ourselves. This works well and improves the glutathione levels in our body.

N-acetyl-cysteine

This fancy chemical sounding word is the name for the substance needed by our body to enable it to make all the glutathione it wants. However we do not have to remember the big word. It is generally referred to as NAC. It's much easier to remember.
Our body is like a chemical factory making chemicals here and there depending on what it has to use and what the body needs.

 

What is NAC?

NAC is an amino acid that contains sulfur or sulphur. Same word, different spelling. N-acetyl-cysteine is more readily absorbed and is a powerful antioxidant and anti-viral.
Glutathione is important in the brain and blood and cells. 

What is NAC used for?

Many scientific studies have shown that NAC is beneficial for 

• Depression

• Bi-polar

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

It boosts the immune system. It is an anti-mucolytic which means it deters excess mucous in the body, especially the lungs. Therefore it has been used by patients with Cystic Fibrosis.

 

So How do I Take NAC?

So, to boost your glutathione levels it is important to take NAC or N-acetyl-cysteiene. 

NAC comes in powder or capsules. Be aware that it does have a strange smell but if it is doing you good then get used to the smell. If you take the powder, mix it in water.

Take 600mg - 3000mg daily depending on what is wrong with you and how much you need to boost your system. Take this in divided doses, that is, morning and night. It can have a remarkable effect.

Where do I Get it?

NAC is not well known and can be a bit difficult to find. Click the link below or try your local health food store or the internet for supplies

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Supplements Do NOT Replace Food

 

Eat fresh fruit and vegetables daily for good health

Eat Fresh Food

I just read an advertisement by a large, world wide company - suggesting that if you take two of their tablets you woud get the nutrients of 10 pieces of fruit and vegetables for the day.

Now, I would prefer to get my fruit and vegetables the natural way. I would still be pretty hungry after eating two tablets for the day.

I do hope that people who take these realise that they are only supplements and just because you take them does not mean that you do not have to eat any more fruit of vegetables for the day.

I hope they realise that it does not give them carte blanche to go out and eat fatty fried foods, pizza and chips, lollies and sweets instead of good wholesome fruit and vegetables.

Good Food, Fresh Food

Eating good food, fresh food, helps to build up our body's immune system. It helps make us stronger so that we are healthy. When we are healthy we suffer from less allergies.
I have friends who have a two Chinese restaurants. One of their most important rules is that the food has to be fresh and it has to be of good quality. If it is not cooked properly they will not serve it to their customers. With these rules, they have built up a good business with many loyal customers.

Spring Time Illnesses

 

With Spring time is full swing here in Australia I would like to share with you something that makes me happy when I get up each day. We have just passed equal day and equal night, a big event in itself, although it often goes unnoticed.

My husband's aunt used to say that people often got sick when the temperatures were rising. Going from the cold of winter to the warmth of spring can affect some people.

Also, at the end of winter our Vitamin D levels could be at their lowest. We make Vitamin D in our body from sunshine. This is why sunshine is so important. Vitamin D helps us absorb Calcium. It also helps keep depression at bay.

We always feel better when the sun shines. Because there has been less sunlight over winter some people get SADS. This is a depression that comes about because of lack of light. It is more prevalent and severe in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere, merely because more people live there. People live there because there is land at these latitudes. In the southern hemisphere we do not have a mass of land at high latitudes. People with SADS  benefit from being exposed to a full spectrum light each day throughout winter.

Hay Fever is another illness that comes in spring. It comes about because of all the pollen in the air from the flowers and from the hot windy weather.

Enough of that - enjoy some pictures of Spring time in my garden.

More about Magnesium and MS

 

Magnesium for Major Illnesses

Well, the wonderful mineral, Magnesium makes for very popular posts each time I write about it. I encourage you to add it as a supplement as we need lots of it and we don't get much in our diet these days.

A few years ago I was in the Emergency ward with arrhythmia - my heart was not beating right, skipping beats etc. Now the nurses were pretty concerned. My main problem was I couldn't breathe properly. You know what they gave me? An intravenous dose of magnesium. Magnesium is needed by the heart. The heart is a muscle. It expands and contracts as it beats away every second of the day and night all our lives. Magnesium helps the muscles relax. We need it in our bones to help make them strong. We need it in our muscles all over the body.

Magnesium and MS (Multiple Sclerosis)

People with MS seem to suffer from problems with their muscles - twitching, jerking, muscle stiffness and spasms. Personally, I would prefer to take Magnesium supplements to relax my muscles than the drugs given to these people. If you are on medication for this, do not stop medically prescribed drugs. But there is no one stopping you from adding a magnesium supplement to your daily intake.

The general recommendation for magnesium supplement is 400mg daily. if you are addressing a more severe problem, you would need more than this.

One doctor who made a 30 year career studying magnesium recommends 8mg magnesium per kg of your body weight. For a person who weighs 50 kilograms (110 lbs), this is 400mg. An 80 kg person (176lbs) would need 640mg.

One other thing - this dose is not calculated on the total magnesium in the supplement. Much of the magnesium in the supplements is unavailable to our body. Manufacturers  often use the cheaper grades of the mineral to bulk out the tablet. Look for the word 'equivalent'. Add up the 'equivalent' magnesium and reach the appropriate dose from this. Otherwise you still won't get enough of this wonderful mineral.

 

Links:

Allergies and Perfumes

A Natural Toothpaste to Suit YOU

Renewable Fuel for Cars

Asthma and Magnesium

 

Major benefits of Magnesium

Natural Toothpaste is Best for You

OUR HEALTH

 

Asthma Control

 

The airways in the lungs close during an asthma attack

Warning: Always take your medication as prescribed by your medical practitioner.

What happens when you have an asthma attack

When you experience an asthma attack, the airways in your lungs contract, that is, get smaller and tighter. This makes it harder for the air to get in and out. The airways become inflamed and fill with mucous. This mucous blocks the airways even more.

Why do your airways contract?

Your airways are more likely to contract when you are anxious, have a viral infection or are exposed to allergens. Allergens are something that upsets your system. Your reaction to the  allergens is a tightening of your airways.

There are many allergens that can affect people. They can be specific or varied. You may react only to one thing, or you may react to many different things. Everybody id different.

If your immune system is lowered you are more likely to react to more and more triggers.

Some common triggers are pollen, smoke, dust, chemicals, cold air, latex or aspirin. Find out your own triggers and avoid them if you can.

How to Boost your Health
By boosting your immune system and general overall health hopefully you will be able to say goodbye to asthma.

General Recommendations

Take a Magnesium supplement. Magnesium is known as 'the great relaxer'. It relaxes the muscles and vessels in your body. By having a plentiful supply of magnesium in your body, the muscles and airways are relaxed, not tight and ever on the alert for the next thing that will come along to trigger a reaction. Very many people do not have enough magnesium in their body because our diet does not supply it any more.

It is generally recommended to take at least 400mg of magnesium daily. Take this in divided doses. One in the morning and one at night.

Vitamin C is another important natural remedy. It is an antioxidant. Our bodies do not make Vitamin C. Guinea pigs are also not able to make vitamin C and need a replacement. All other mammals can produce their own vitamin C. Who would have thought we had a similarity to a guinea pig?

Selenium is a mineral, a trace element and another important supplement.  We need very little of trace elements in our body, but we still need them. Take up to 200mcg. Notice this is mcg which means micrograms. It is a much smaller quantity than milligrams. Check any other vitamin/mineral mix you may be taking as selenium is dangerous if you take too much. 200 mcg is enough. Selenium is also good for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or ME or any other immune system illness.

Other articles that you may find interesting about asthma
Are You Worse for Windy Weather?
Asthma and Magnesium
Asthma and Tissue Salts
Mould can bring on Asthma


More next time, Cheers

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