How to Use Buckeye for Health

How to Use Buckeye for Health



Buckeye is the American version of the European horse chestnut tree. It blooms in late spring and produces white and orange flowers. Buckeye seeds mature into glossy brown nuts, bitter to the taste. Health benefits from buckeye stretch back to ancient European medicine, and the claim is that keeping a buckeye nut in a clothes pocket cures arthritis. Buckeye has since acquired a legitimate place in home remedies. A quick review reveals several useful possibilities.







Things You'll Need:





Water




Pot




Buckeye bark




Buckeye leaves




Buckeye nuts




Kitchen hammer or rolling pin




Lard









1


Arrest arthritis. Try buckeye tea. It has anti-inflammatory health effects. Brew buckeye bark and leaves in boiling water for 6 minutes.





2


Heal hemorrhoids. Buckeye makes veins strong and flexible. Drink tea made from buckeye bark. Take buckeye extract. It is often sold as horse chestnut extract in health food stores. Hemorrhoids start to shrink in a few hours.





3


Diminish varicose veins. Buckeye improves blood flow through veins. It inhibits an enzyme responsible for breaking down vessel walls rendering them enlarged and inefficient. Drink tea made from buckeye leaves or take horse chestnut extract.





4


Reduce edema. Take horse chestnut extract for swollen legs. Studies support the health benefits of buckeye when compared to placebo in treatment of edema.





5


Heal rashes and sores. Make buckeye salve. Crush buckeye nuts with a kitchen hammer or rolling pin. Cover with water and boil to soften. Drain the water. Cover buckeyes with lard. Bring to a second boil. Allow the mixture to cool. Swab affected areas. Healthier skin appears in a day or two.








Tips & Warnings










The typical dose of horse chestnut extract is 250 mg two times a day, 12 hours apart.








Buckeye can be used safely for up to 3 months.








If taking buckeye, always tell the doctor and pharmacist.








People with bleeding disorders should not take buckeye. It is a blood thinner.








Do not eat buckeye seeds or nuts. They are poisonous.








Do not take buckeye if pregnant or lactating.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2121393_use-buckeye-health.html

How to Treat Styes Naturally

How to Treat Styes Naturally



A stye is caused by a clogged oil gland and/or bacterial infection around the eyelash. Traditional medicine often treats styes with expensive oral antibiotics that may come with unwanted side effects. If you are looking for an alternative to prescription medications for treating your stye, there are several home remedies that you can try before resorting to drugs. Read on to learn how to treat styes naturally.







Things You'll Need:





Fresh parsley




Clean washcloth




Fresh dandelion




Green tea




Bandages, bandana or headband




Burdock seeds









1


Rinse a handful of fresh parsley and place it in a bowl. Boil water, and pour a few cups over the fresh herbs, allowing the parsley to steep for at least 10 minutes before straining. Soak a clean washcloth in the water and wring dry, placing in on the stye three or four times a day until the cloth cools.





2


Drink fresh dandelion tea at least twice a day, an herb that naturally helps to eliminate bacteria from the body which may be causing the stye. Make tea by boiling 1 cup of water and pouring the water over 1 tsp. of dandelion. Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes before straining and drinking. You may use this tea to wash the stye several times a day once it has broken, to help treat and prevent further infection.





3


Moisten a green tea bag and place it over the affected eye at night, before bed. Hold the tea bag in place using bandages or by wrapping a bandana or headband around your forehead.





4


Prevent future styes with burdock seed tea. Every morning pour boiling water over 1 tsp. of seeds, allowing the tea to cool. Take 1 tbsp. before each meal and 1 tbsp. before bed.








Tips & Warnings










Never try to pop or forcefully break a stye. These treatments can help a stye to break naturally on its own, but trying to force it can make the infection worse.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2122618_treat-styes-naturally.html

How to Treat a Stomach Ache With Natural Medicine

How to Treat a Stomach Ache With Natural Medicine



Tummy ache, belly ache, upset stomach, indigestion, no matter what you call it a stomach ache is uncomfortable. While many people treat stomach aches with over-the-counter liquids, chewable or dissolvable tablets, some of the best treatments for a stomach ache are natural and chemical-free. Read on to learn how to treat a stomach ache with natural medicine.







Things You'll Need:





Natural yogurt




Fresh ginger




Fresh lemon




Rice




Lavender essential oil




Old tube sock









1


Eat yogurt, which is full of natural healthy bacteria that can help soothe a stomach ache. Often a stomach ache is caused due to lack of bacteria that helps to break down food, meaning the stomach acids that help break down food are working over-time causing pain, cramping and acid reflux.





2


Peel a small piece of ginger and slowly chew the root, swallowing the medicinal juices. Ginger has been used in natural medicine to treat stomach aches, nausea and to aid in digestion for centuries and can quickly relieve the pain naturally.





3


Squeeze the juice from one whole fresh lemon into a cup of hot water and drink. The hot water helps to flush the stomach while the lemon helps break down food, easing the work of stomach acids and relieving a painful stomach ache naturally and efficiently.





4


Add five or six drops of
lavender
essential oil to a few cups of rice, stirring until well combined. Place the rice in an old tube sock and tie the end. Place the rice-filled sock in the microwave just until hot and place the sock over the painful area of your stomach. This natural treatment will quickly relieve cramping, and works well for menstrual symptoms as well.


http://www.ehow.com/how_2122627_treat-stomach-ache-natural-medicine.html

How to Treat a Runny Nose With Natural Medicine

How to Treat a Runny Nose With Natural Medicine



While there is a wide array of prescription and over-the-counter medications available on the market that promise to dry a runny nose, they don't always work and often come with unwanted side effects. So, try stopping your next runny nose in its tracks with safe, affordable and effective natural treatments. Read on to learn how to treat a runny nose with natural medicine.







Things You'll Need:





Elderberry




Fresh mint




Yarrow root




Cayenne pepper




Andrographis tablets




Fresh watercress




Fresh ginger









1


Drink a natural herbal tea, two or three times a day, to help bring a runny nose to a halt. Boil 1 cup of water with one teaspoon of elder berry, 1 tsp. of fresh mint, 1 tsp. of yarrow root and 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper for five minutes. Strain the herbs and allow the tea to cool. Keep your handkerchief handy, because this tea will make your nose run even more at first, but you symptoms will soon dry up.





2


Take 400 mg of andrographis three times a day before meals to help dry a runny nose. Andrographis is a natural homeopathic treatment that is often called "Indian Echinacea," as it shares many of the same curative properties. Andrographis is readily available in natural food stores or from your naturopath.





3


Eat 1 oz. of fresh watercress twice a day to naturally relieve a runny nose. Watercress also works to soothe a cough and can be eaten as is, added to a salad or made into tea. To make tea add 2 or 3 tsp. of dry watercress to boiled water, allowing the tea to steep off heat for five minutes before straining and drinking.





4


Peel a small piece of ginger, about the size of a piece of bubble gum, and gently chew the root, swallowing the juice. Ginger warms the body, increases blood circulation and helps to drain the nose, relieving the symptoms of runny nose. Repeat this natural treatment two or three times a day to keep a runny nose under control.


http://www.ehow.com/how_2122628_treat-runny-nose-natural-medicine.html

How to Practice Qigong

How to Practice Qigong



Qigong, pronounced "chee gung,"
dates
back to seventeenth century Chinese medicine. Unlike Tai Chi, which has a few similar movements but is a fighting system, qigong is a health exercise system which combines meditation with slow gentle movements to help relax and balance the "qi," or the body's life force. Qigong students learn to move the life force through their body to achieve healing.









1


Learn to breath properly and learn movement only with an experienced teacher, otherwise you could harm yourself. Meditation and visualization can help a student learn to feel the "qi." When meditating, the Chinese speak of striving to achieve a state of "cheerful disinterest."





2


Make sure you're using the correct posture or the "qi" or life force cannot flow freely. To practice qigong you should be relaxed and stand with legs a shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and buttocks tucked under the hips. Arms should be held out from the body slightly. The chin should be slightly lowered and the tip of the tongue should rest where the teeth meet the roof of the mouth.





3


Take your practice outdoors, weather permitting. Any healing art is enhanced if performed amidst the
beauty
of nature. The Chinese say if you practice qigong under the shadow of a pine tree, you will absorb more oxygen into your body. During inclement weather, choose a quiet, comfortable room indoors.





4


Practice qigong daily. It's best to practice the same time every day. According to the Chinese, the best times for qigong are between 3 and 5 a.m., 11 and 1 p.m. and 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Three days before and after a full moon are reported to be great times to practice since the moon's gravitational field can help circulate "qi."





5


Learn the sequences or sets of moves. Each set can range from 4-20 exercises and there's a lot of flexibility to add or delete specific moves or to create new ones.








Tips & Warnings










Practitioners caution people to not practice qigong if they have one of the following conditions: menstruation,
pregnancy
, dizziness, infection, fever, internal bleeding or severe mental disturbance. If you have any concerns, you may wish to check with your doctor before practicing qigong.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2121218_practice-qigong.html

How to Wear Pants

How to Wear Pants



If you want to be comfortable in a wide range of situations, you may want to wear pants. While in the past, pants were better saved for more casual outings, today it is easy to dress them up so they will be an appropriate and stylish choice for even the most formal setting. Read on to learn more.







Things You'll Need:





Wool Pants



Khakis



Wide-leg velvet pants



Boots



Strappy sandals



Flats



Blouse



Blazer



Cropped sweater



Silk camisole



Long beads









Step
1



Invest in pants in a variety of fabrics and styles, such as wool dress pants, traditional khakis and wide-leg velvet pants.




Step
2



Try on pants with different lengths and with different heel heights to see what suits you best.




Step
3



Look for pants that fit you well through the hips and thighs for a flattering look.




Step
4



Ask a seamstress to take "OK" pants all the way to fabulous by tailoring for a custom fit.




Step
5



Check the washing instructions to find some of the new, easy-to-care-for styles. Many are wash and wear now.




Step
6



Realize that many basic pants styles can be dressed up, or dressed down, to be appropriate for a wide range of functions.




Step
7



Pair wool pants for work with a tailored blouse and pumps for work. Throw on a strand of long sparkly beads and switch your shoes for strappy sandals for a more evening look.




Step
8



Wear khakis with a sweater and boots for casual weekend wear. Throw on a blazer to wear this outfit out to lunch or dinner.




Step
9



Make velvet pants appropriate for a formal affair with a silk camisole, metallic sandals and some sparkling jewelry. Take the look down a notch by switching out the camisole for a cropped sweater and flats.







Tips & Warnings









Opt for pants in basic colors that you can pair with many items to get the most for your money.








Splurge on very well cut, classic styles that will be staples in your wardrobe for years to come.








Wear control-top stockings beneath your pants for a smoother fit.








Don't let panty lines ruin your look. Check your rear view before you go out.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2152734_wear-pants.html

How to Wear Pageant Shoes and Very High Heels

How to Wear Pageant Shoes and Very High Heels



Preparing for a pageant is very exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. While it's important to buy the right dress and shoes for the pageant, it's equally important to learn to wear pageant shoes and very high heels for the big night. High heel shoes must be bought months in advance so that you can practice walking in the shoes properly and elegantly.









Step
1



Decide which pair of pageant high heel shoes you will be wearing for the pageant show. If you are on the shorter side, the higher the heels the better because the shoes will make you look taller and flatter your appearance.




Step
2



Buy a pair of short high heel shoes about 6 months before the pageant. For the first month, it is important to practice the pageant walk in the short one-inch heels to prepare your feet for the higher heels you will be wearing.




Step
3



Move on to the next pair of high heels during month number two. This month it is best to wear the 2-inch heels to prepare your arch for the higher ones.




Step
4



Continue to practice walking in the next size heel until you are wearing the size heel you will be wearing for your pageant.




Step
5



Wear your pageant shoes and very high heels in various locations throughout your house. Practice walking on carpeting, wood floors and slippery surfaces such as linoleum and tile. Also practice walking in your high heels on stairs to prepare for the big pageant show.


http://www.ehow.com/how_2217153_wear-pageant-shoes-very-high.html