Natural Healing Alternatives to Fibromyalgia

Healing crystals and gemstones can be used to treat Fibromyalgia in conjunction with traditional medicine, as part of a holistic approach to wellness.This information is not intended to replace regular medical care with your doctor, but instead to be used as one of many paths to good health.

Many believe that Fibromyalgia is caused by an abnormal sensory processing in the central nervous system. Symptoms include chronic pain, tenderness of joint, muscles, tendons and soft tissue. Other symptoms are migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, anxiety and stress.

Central Nervous System

1. Amazonite can be used to help remove any blockages in the central nervous system. It soothes the brain and nervous system, and is said to help alleviate stress and exhaustion, and heal emotional disturbances and the after effects of emotional trauma.

2. Aragonite is a grounding stone that is said to calm the nervous system and mediate stress. It may be beneficial for chronic fatigue.

Balance and Energy

1. Hematite has been called the stone for the mind. It brings with it grounding and calming which in turn creates mental organization and focus. Hematite decreases negativity and can help balance the mind, body and spirit connection. It draws negative energy away from you into itself and also acts as a stabilizing force. Physically, it is thought to stimulate iron absorption in the small intestine, which in turn improves oxygen supply to the body.

2. Tiger Iron is a powerful lower Chakra stone, promoting physical vitality, energy, and stamina. It is a helpful aid to those who feel emotionally, mentally or physically exhausted and burned out. Tiger Iron acts as a supreme healing stone, encouraging the remembrance of perfection within the cells, and can be therefore laid upon any affected areas to bring improvement. It is also very useful for people who are overly sensitive to the moods of others, and who tend to take on the feelings and emotions of others.

3. Smoky Quartz is good for balancing and improving one's general health. It is a grounding and stabilizing stone, bringing calm and centering. It can be used to relieve stress, fear, jealousy, anger and other negative emotions by transforming them into positive energies. Smoky quartz is very comforting and calming, and can be considered a stone of serenity.

Chronic Pain and Sleep

1. Amethyst is the Stone of "Spirituality and Contentment". Amethysts have a soothing and relaxing effect on people, and they promote healthy sleep habits when placed on the body or under the pillow. This crystal is also used to alleviate migraines, help improve concentration, calm mental disorders, strengthen the immune system, as well as to balance and heal all chakras.

2. Howlite is predominately a calming stone. It can aid in sleeping, calming the overactive mind and ease insomnia. Physically, it calms the whole body and releases muscle tension. It is used to eliminate pain brought about by stress.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

1. Carnelian can promote balanced digestion

2. Banded Agate stimulates digestion and elimination

3. Citrine promotes stomach functioning

Depression and Anxiety

1. Labradorite is said to provide quick relief from anxiety, hopelessness and depression, replacing them with enthusiasm, self-confidence and inspiration. It can be used to dispel negativity, as well as to give perseverance, strength and enhanced intuition when one is experiencing times of conflict and change. Labradorite may be helpful in treating eye and brain disorders, and to help regulate metabolism and the digestive process.

2. Lepidolite, also known as Lilac Stone, can be used to reduce depression and stress as it works to halt obsessive thoughts. It promotes calm, trust and acceptance during times of change. It is said to be a powerful pain reliever, as well as work to strengthen the immune system, relieve allergies and exhaustion.By Julie Lloyd 

Eating Herbs and Spices for Natural Healing

Spices play a big part in all of our lives. There are groups of herbs and spices that we all find common depending on where we live on the globe and what grows in each region.

Some herbs are more rare than others and harder to find not to mention, they are also more expensive.

We enjoy the flavor of the herbs and how they enhance the flavor of our food. Sometimes the herbs and spices make the food colorful and we can always count on them to spice things up. That's all, many people don't think of herbs and spices in any other way here in America.

The main reason to use herbs and spices is to assist digestion. In order to do that you need to include all 6 of the tastes:
Sweet
Sour
Salty
Pungent
Astringent
Bitter

Ayurvedic cooking is unique because it incorporates each of the tastes into each meal allowing our food to be optimized in our body. Because all of the tastes are incorporated we will absorb more nutrients and utilize the nutrients in a more optimum way. When we are able to absorb and utilize our food, we have less chance of producing "sludge" in our system that slows us down and makes us feel sluggish. We call that "sludge" Ama in Ayurveda.

Because disease has only two ways to enter the body and one of those ways is the gut, our digestion has the ability to keep us well and healthy or when it is having a problem it can lead to disease.

One way disease enters is through our digestion and the other way is through stress. Stress is pretty tricky. Stress can be internal or external. We can name external stress all day long, especially if you have a stressful job.

What type of stress is considered internal stress? Some of our internal stress comes from eating wrong food combinations, eating out of time, eating too much or too little, eating when we aren't hungry and other digestive related things.

My point here is that digestion can give you issues and stress can give you issues and some of the issues that stress comes from is the diet. It all effects the digestion. I am sure you are getting the point here, it's a vicious circle, one leads to the other.

Let's get back to the reasons that Ayurvedic cooking is unique. As we stated it incorporates all the tastes to allow our digestion to work better so that we are enhanced and we absorb and utilize our food, all of this is preventing disease.

So when we eat the correct foods in the correct amount at the right time we are able to be preventative about our health.

When we manage our diet in such a way, we completely cut off one route of disease. In addition we cut off part of the path of internal Stress which comes from the diet.

This is Natural healing at it's finest. When we are able to manage our health with fresh food, herbs and spices that are local, the natural healing will happen

By Shelli J Thompson

Stomach Ulcers and Natural Remedies

First you need to know what caused your susceptibility so ulcers do not become a repetitive occurrence in your life. Stomach acid imbalance, too many pain relievers, taking capsules on an empty tummy, stress, Dosha imbalances and too much pepsin are common causes that compromise the body making it susceptible to ulcers. 90% of duodenal ulcers are developed by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). While everyone will have individualistic needs, below are some essential natural remedies:
Mastica: Safe effective alternative to antibiotics to clear gastro-intestinal disorders (gastritis, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), intestinal inflammation). Mastic Gum, 500 mg twice daily for two weeks, kills H. pylori without killing the necessary friendly bacteria in the tummy.
Cabbage: Juice raw cabbage to cleanse, sooth and heal. Mix with carrots, apples and ginger root. Drink 1/2 C 30 minutes prior to meals and at bed time. If you do not have access to a juicer make a broth with carrots and onion. Add cayenne, raw garlic and raw green herbs right before drinking for optimum antibiotics and immune function.
Cayenne pepper: Natural pain reliever to take in broths, teas or capsules.
Greens: Juices & Smoothies (barley, wheat grass, kale) alkalize the body for healing.
Plantains & Bananas: Eat 1 daily to thicken stomach wall and increase mucus production, building a barrier between digestive acids and the lining of the stomach. Add to smoothies for yum factor.
Herbal Teas: Slippery Elm Bark soothes the stomach mucous membranes. Find a mixture that has slippery elm bark, marshmallow, and licorice root.
Raw Honey: Antimicrobial to soothe and reduce inflammation. Take with peppermint and ginger tea for bloat, gas, burning and after meals to aid digestion.
Optimal Digestion: Eat 6 mini meals through the day, we do not want to put layers of food in our tummies. Do not "eat on the run," when in a negative mind state or after 8pm. Eat just before you begin to feel hungry and stop eating just before you feel full, we do not want our bellies too hungry nor too full. Take the bulk of your liquids at least 30 before and after meals so you do not dilute digestive juices. Please stay away from meats as they very acidifying to the body and hard to digest. In the least, do not pair meet and starches.
Digestive Enzymes: Aids the body to break down protein and fats.
Pro-biotics: Replaces friendly bacteria if you took prescription antibiotics.
Dairy: Replace cow products with goats'.
Stress-reduction: Do not forget yoga, deep breathing, meditation, aromatherapy, visualization and massage.
Reflection: Set aside time to become aware-acknowledge-accept "what is eating you." Ask for healing, give yourself permission to heal then see yourself healing.
Nurture: Do one thing daily to love yourself.
*Disclaimer: Not intended to diagnose/treat any disease or be a substitute for medical advice/ health care. Speak with your doctor before incorporating any new lifestyle changes.

"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." -Hippocrates.

By Stephanie D Harper