Garlic - The Miracle Cure?

Garlic's powerful curative properties have been known and used for eons. Many cultures have used garlic over the centuries to ward off everything from minor illnesses to evil spirits and for extra protection they add a heavy dose to most meals! Anyone who has ever seen a Dracula movie can surely remember the villagers running around with garlic wrapped around their necks to fight off those evil vampires.
Garlic was even used during major Plague outbreaks, and with some reported success! They just saw that garlic prevented more illnesses, and they were sure it was because the evil spirits were frightened away and not able to inhabit the sick person's body to cause more trouble.
Some writings that have survived from the thirteenth century suggest that victims of the Plague who had been fed and covered with garlic either lived longer or survived altogether. It's too bad the people didn't quite realize why the garlic was working - it could have perhaps saved even more lives.
Its incredible success in healing is the sole reason that we still use garlic today.
Modern medicine, however, has finally pinpointed the exact reasons why garlic works and its curative powers can all be attributed to one tiny ingredient called allicin. This is the same chemical that gives garlic its distinctive aroma, and its antibacterial abilities. It is because of allicin that many professional health care providers have added garlic to their practice.
The scientific community can't quite agree whether garlic is an herb, vegetable, or flower - but when it comes to healing, no one really cares. Garlic actually is a member of the lily family and it is closely related to the onion.

Garlic is one of the most potent "miracle cures" known to man. It:
o Is a powerful antibiotic.
o Is also kills some fungi and viruses including Athlete's Foot and even Herpes.
o Can help reduce blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels which in turn helps to reduce tissue swelling.
o Reduces blood sugar levels by increasing insulin production.
o Fortifies the body's immune system.
o Reduces the cancer causing effects in nitrates.
Garlic can be eaten alone, added to other foods raw or cooked, taken in tablet form, or applied topically. Baked garlic is actually a tasty and healthy side dish which has a bit of a nutty flavor. Simply put an entire unpeeled head of garlic in a shallow pan, brush liberally with olive oil, and bake for about half hour at 350 degrees F. The garlic will be soft and can be easily removed clove by clove.
If you are going to buy garlic tablets, make certain you are buying pure unadulterated garlic. Do not purchase tablets that have been "deodorized". These tablets have had their allicin removed to prevent any residual odor, but it is the allicin that provides the majority of the healing. When the allicin content is changed, there is little point in even taking the tablets.
Be aware that garlic is very strong. Some people complain of stomach or digestive upsets after even one tablet. Others report minor to serious skin irritation when garlic and/or its juice is used topically. So before deciding on your new garlic regimen, start slowly. Don't take tablets and add it to every meal on a particular day. You could be sorry.
So, what can you do with garlic?
o Take one 800 mg capsule daily to strengthen your immune system and fight off minor illnesses including colds, various infections, and allergy symptoms.
o Apply the juice to skin irritation such as poison ivy, eczema, hives
o In the rare instance that you find a case of measles or chicken pox, garlic juice soothes the skin and can prevent some scarring. The juice also kills the germs that are live on the skin, decreasing any chance of cross contamination.
o Garlic has shown remarkable results in recurrent yeast and urinary track infections. For a yeast infection, a tampon completely soaked in garlic juice can be inserted and left overnight. For a UTI, take up to three 800 mg capsules each day either instead of or along with your prescription antibiotic.
o Ingrown nails that have become infected, swollen and painful can be easily treated with a cotton ball soaked in pure garlic juice or fill a small bowl and let your finger or toe soak for ten minutes or so. Two or three treatments in one day can provide dramatic results.
o Garlic works wonders for hemorrhoid sufferers! Make a compress of crushed garlic by putting about a tablespoon on a gauze square, and place over the affected area for about 10 - 15 minutes. It will help to sooth the inflame tissues, reduce swelling, and kill any bacteria present.
o Post-partum: New moms with stitches have found great relief with some warm sitz baths with added garlic juice. It helps the tender skin heal, reduces swelling, and helps prevent infection.
Note: If you don't like chopping or pressing garlic, it is perfectly acceptable to buy a jar of real garlic that has been previously minced or chopped. This is actually an ideal alternative if you plan on using the garlic juice in some of the remedies such as a sitz bath because the garlic is packed in plenty of the juice. Having ready to use garlic is also a boon when it comes to cooking. You can add a spoonful to anything at the last minute without needing to plan ahead.

By Marie Duffoo

Causes of Sudden High Blood Pressure - The Silent Killer

Depending on your daily activity, your blood pressure constantly changes. Unpredictable causes of sudden high blood pressure can also be related to your mental status or even the time of the day. In most cases, if your blood pressure has been stable for most of your life, a sudden onset of high blood pressure measurements could return to normal.

If your blood pressure is usually normal, physicians generally repeat a second and third blood pressure reading before becoming concerned. However, if a sudden or dramatic rise in blood pressure continues for more than several days may justify medical attention. Short- term high blood pressure may cause an acute crisis of effects while long- term high blood pressure can obviously cause damaging and devastating consequences.

An unpredictable or sudden rise of high blood pressure may result in nosebleeds, giddiness, headaches and/or feelings of oppression in the chest. Multiple rises of blood pressure is subject to induce small cerebral vascular accidents that may be extremely damaging to the brain.

If your blood pressure suddenly rises and remains elevated, this may signify other important medical issues or obvious causes that must be addressed. The sudden onset of high blood pressure may be due to the side effects from certain drugs (both prescription and 'street' drugs). When your body produces too much of certain hormones, it may cause your blood pressure to rise unexpectedly.

The Kidney disease that narrows the flow of the blood to the kidneys or even identified complications that are associated with pregnancy may also result in high blood pressure sudden onset. Obvious causes that elicit doctors to avoid providing unnecessary treatment to patients and that you may have full control over must be addressed.

Such causes of sudden onset might be excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption. Other obvious factors include the consumption of cocaine and other prescribed drugs such as the contraceptive pill, anti- inflammatory drugs, adrenal steroids, nasal decongestions or antidepressants.

Of course, your physician will prescribe a medical evaluation to address these types of circumstances. You should actually be monitored by a hospital in order to carry out certain procedures to treat short- term high blood pressure. The residing physician will order Antihypertensive Therapy to make the blood pressure lower.

The therapy is managed by intravenous injection. This therapy is generally utilized if there is a risk of serious organ damage. However, if an acute Oedema of the lung appears, the doctor will prescribe a diuretic intravenous treatment. Causes of sudden high blood pressure are vast, but can be potentially self- maintained. It is certainly recommended that you seek the attention of a physician if the episodes of acute high blood pressure persist.By Alvin Hopkinson

How To Lower Diastolic Blood Pressure, Safely?

High blood pressure also commonly known as hypertension can be fatal if not treated. Hypertension is known for causing the hardening of the arteries and may get worst if is not addressed. What does all this have to do with a how to lower diastolic blood pressure?

One of the most important numbers in determining pressure reading is the diastolic number in the reading. It is the number at the bottom of the line when the reading is express as e.g 120/80. In this case it is 80, and the systolic number is 120. A lower diastolic blood pressure reading is preferable as the higher that number the greater the risk to developing hypertension, and becoming a victim to this silent killer is more likely.

Here are seven, safe and powerful ways to maintain a normal pressure reading.

1. Know your risk factors

• Obesity due to over eating and lack of exercise
• Too much sodium or salt intake
• Habit of smoking and excessive alcohol drinking
• Physical and mental stress
• Heredity or genetics
• Old age

2. Always monitor

You can monitor your pressure by using a sphygmomanometer and knowing the different ranges in the reading. In the list below note the levels of they diastolic reading - the lower number. Take a close look at how both the systolic (upper number) and the diastolic (lower number) increases as the level of hypertension stages increases. Again, it is important to know how to lower diastolic blood pressure in order to minimize the risk of hypertension.

• Normal - 119/79 and below
• Pre-Hypertension - 120-139/80-89
• First stage hypertension - 140-159/90-99
• Second stage hypertension -: 160/100 and above

3. Know the signs and symptoms Here are the most common signs and symptoms

• Severe headaches
• Fatigue due to physical stress
• Blurry vision
• Chest congestion
• Breathing problems
• Heartbeat irregularities
• Blood in the urine

4. Maintain a proper diet

• Avoid foods high in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat
• Consume foods rich in potassium, calcium and vitamin c.
• Eat fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and wheat

5. Lose some weight

• Lose weight if you are 30% above your normal weight or more
• Exercise regularly

6. Drug ad Natural Supplements

• Use herbal treatments such as garlic, burdock or Hawthorne
• Use conventional treatments prescribed by doctors such as diuretics, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers.

Finally, educate yourself; just by reading this article you have already started the process of doing that. The resource box below provides and excellent resource on hypertension and more importantly how to keep your eye on maintaining a lower diastolic blood pressure reading as indicated in the list provided above. Do not keep in the dark about this. This is the most important step to curbing this lethal silent killer, hypertension.

To your Health, live well!

By Xavier Jerry

Lower Blood Pressure At Any Cost? - 5 Hypertension Myths

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects at least one in three adults in North America and many other developed countries. Even more alarmingly, it is afflicting an increasing number of young people, some as young as 12 years old. So it's not surprising that hypertension medications are among the 10 most frequently prescribed drugs.

With an issue of such importance, it's critical to get the facts right and to keep things in perspective. Unfortunately, a number of myths have developed around hypertension. Here are five of the most common and potentially damaging misconceptions:

Myth 1: High blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Not necessarily. There is no direct connection between high blood pressure and heart problems. In a recent article for the Virginia Hopkins Health Watch, John R. Lee, M.D. writes: "heart problems (due to high blood pressure) are not correlated with any specific or absolute blood pressure reading; it is correlated with an observed rise in blood pressure from whatever the earlier blood pressure was". (italics mine)

In other words, if your blood pressure is normally around 120/80 and rises to 140/90 your risk of heart problems is about the same as that of someone whose blood pressure increases from 140/90 to 160/90. It also means that if your blood pressure is a steady 160/90 and shows no sign of rising, it is not a sign of impending heart disease without other risk factors involved.

Myth 2: "Normal", healthy blood pressure is in the range of 120/70. Pressure above 130/80 is either high blood pressure or "pre-hypertension".

What is normal? For a long time the medical standard for high blood pressure was considered 140/90 and this was further moderated by age. But suddenly the standard was changed. Now some doctors call even 130/80 "high blood pressure" and many others consider it "pre-hypertension". New medications to treat "pre-hypertension" are even underway!

The fact is that blood pressure varies widely among healthy people and usually increases with age. Many things can increase blood pressure including over-the-counter and prescription medications, stress and over-indulgence in alcohol.

Add to this the fact that blood pressure varies, sometimes significantly, at different times of the day. Then there's the notorious white-coat syndrome whereby the stress of a doctor's visit shows up as high blood pressure while readings taken relaxing at home can be "normal".

These examples all go to show that just getting an accurate reading can be difficult enough, let alone setting normal and abnormal levels for a wide range of different people.

Myth 3. If you are hypertensive you must severely restrict or eliminate salt (or sodium) from your diet.

Not true. Salt is unfairly blamed for causing high blood pressure. Salt, or sodium, is not the culprit. It's an imbalance of sodium, magnesium and potassium in our diet that knocks our blood chemistry out of kilter and thus contributes to hypertension.

The problem is that many processed and junk foods are high in salt but deficient in magnesium and potassium. This is compounded when you add table salt to your already salty bacon at breakfast.

But the answer is not to become paranoid about salt but to eat whole, natural foods (and you can even take that with a grain of salt!). Grains, vegetables, fruit, meat and fish in their natural state contain more balanced amounts of sodium, magnesium and potassium. Simply eating a healthy diet of whole foods can have a dramatic effect on blood pressure. Hypertension is almost unknown among the few remaining peoples that still eat in this way.

Myth 4. Taking blood pressure medications is better than the alternative.

Only in a minority of cases and as a last resort!

It's no surprise when you hear natural health gurus claim that drugs are worse than the disease. But you really take notice when it's a medical doctor saying it! That's exactly the case when Dr. Lee writes in the same article quoted above: "I don't like anti-hypertensive drugs because their side effects are often worse than the high blood pressure they're prescribed to treat." (his bolding) He goes on to say: "conventional physicians tend to prescribe anti-hypertension drugs any time blood pressure readings fall outside of so-called normal ranges. This is unjustified, and probably does more harm than good in the long run".

All categories of blood pressure drugs have side effects and these have been minimized by doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. For example, some hypertension medications can contribute to ischemia whereby tissues are damaged due to insufficient blood supply. Others cause erectile dysfunction. Still others can result in low blood pressure, which has implications just as serious as high blood pressure. These are only some of the potential dangers of blood pressure medication. See Dr. Lee's article for a more complete discussion.

Myth 5. Lifestyle changes are not usually enough to reverse high blood pressure. Therefore, prompt drug intervention is advisable.

Exactly the opposite is true. The best way to maintain healthy blood pressure is always through lifestyle, including diet and exercise. If you are seriously overweight or out of shape, if you smoke or over-drink, or if you're under severe stress, a positive change in these factors is bound to have a dramatic effect on your blood pressure, regardless of how high it is.

The problem is that many doctors have come to believe that their patients are unlikely to make the changes needed. This is one of the reasons they over-prescribe medications or intervene too quickly. It's almost become a preventive measure for them. But the fact is that most people will make the effort to improve their lifestyles if given the right support (and especially if given accurate information about the side effects and dangers of hypertension drugs!).

In the rare case in which your blood pressure fails to respond to lifestyle improvements it's time to look beyond the usual suspects such as weight and diet. There are several other areas that are rarely examined but which can wreak havok on your blood pressure. For example, are you suffering from hidden stress? Some people have been chronically stressed for so long they don't even recognize it any longer. It's become their "natural" state.

What about your breathing? Yes, your breathing! Often together with high stress, people develop what some experts are calling "inhibitory breathing". It constricts blood vessels by increasing muscle tension and may also unbalance blood chemistry. A new technique called slow breathing with music can do wonders to lower blood pressure through breathing.

It just goes to show that there's more to lifestyle than you may think. If you are frustrated that your changes are not making a difference you may need to dig deeper.

Conclusions:

1. High blood pressure is a serious condition that demands attention but there's no need to panic, especially if otherwise healthy. A significant and sustained rise in your blood pressure is of much greater concern than the actual numbers themselves.

2. There is a wide range of healthy blood pressure. Watch out for white-coat syndrome and determine your normal blood pressure in a relaxed state. Then watch out for sustained increases from this level.

3. It's not about salt. There are no "evil" or "miracle" foods! Eat a balanced and varied diet of whole, natural foods. A modest magnesium supplement of 300 to 400 mg might not be a bad idea either.

4. If you are healthy and have no other risk factors, take medications only as a last resort. Give lifestyle at least a six-month chance. Don't ignore medical advice but if your doctor is too rigid seek a second opinion.

5. Healthy blood pressure is maintained through lifestyle. If your blood pressure is a problem then something is almost certainly out of whack. Look deeper if you don't find an obvious answer.

By David O'Hara