When most people look in their medicine cabinets, they see a wide array of over-the-counter and prescription medications.  There are probably cough and cold remedies, pain medications, ointments, and much more.  If only feeling well could be simpler.

Actually, it can.  Herbs can provide quick and simple relief for many everyday ailments.  And although there are numerous herbs in the world, you don’t have to keep every one of them in your medicine cabinet.  Most of them can be used for multiple purposes.  Here are some herbal cures for common health problems.

* For bacterial infections, use garlic.  Eating raw cloves can help the body fight off almost any kind of infection.  For ear infections, put a few drops of garlic juice in the affected ear.

* Apple cider vinegar is helpful when battling fungal infections.  Some ailments that can be eliminated with vinegar include swimmer’s ear, toenail fungus and athlete’s foot.

* For depression, make a tea with St. John’s Wort and Gingko Biloba.  Ask your doctor before using this remedy, however, if you are on medication for depression.  Read more...

Question: from Melissa

I just read a response of yours to a customer inquiring whether drinking a lot of water would interfere with nutrient absorption. My question is about one of your final comments, “as long as it’s not a gallon a day.” I live in a very dry, hot climate, exercise rather rigorously on a regular basis, and frequently drink a gallon of water a day. Other than my morning cup of coffee, water is pretty much all the liquid I consume. Are you suggesting that there is a problem with drinking this quantity of water?

Answer: from Joanna (Medical Nutritionist for Xtend-Life)

I think that the comment referred to was made a little ‘tongue in cheek’ as a rough guide, and bearing the average person in an average climate in mind, rather than a specific safe cut off for drinking excess. (Comment from Warren! Joanna is correct in that it was a tongue in cheek comment as the amounts each individual needs can vary greatly such as in the case with Melissa. Sorry…I should have been a little more careful and specific)  Read more...

A skin tag is often described as little bits of skin that rejects from the surrounding area from a narrow stalk.  They usually pop up around the neck, under arms, eyelids and in some cases under the breasts.  Although they vary up in an appearance they are usually smooth or slightly wrinkled and irregular.  Early or beginning skin tags can be small as a flattened bump and others can get as large as a grape.

Although skin tags are a type of growth they are completely harmless.  This means they are not cancerous and have not been found to be calm potentially cancerous if left untreated.  Most people tend to leave them alone in the areas of the body where they are not very noticeable unless they grow to be very large.  Read more...

Hemorrhoids are sometimes referred to as piles. They are veins around the anus and rectum that become swollen and inflamed. Hemorrhoids that are external can become quite painful. Internal hemorrhoids may not cause pain but they can produce blood with a bowel movement.

Other symptoms of hemorrhoids can include a sensation of fullness that is usually described as feeling the need to have a bowel movement when you don’t have anything to pass. Hemorrhoids can also produce pain, itching and irritation. Sometimes a blood clot will develop in the hemorrhoid or it can become twisted. This can be serious and warrants a medical evaluation.

But if you are just suffering from run of the mill hemorrhoids, there are natural remedies you can use to reduce the pain and inflammation. These natural remedies should only be tried after you have had your hemorrhoids evaluated by a doctor. This is especially true if you have experienced bleeding with your hemorrhoids.  Read more...

Skin moles are a very common occurrence and are usually benign or noncancerous in nature.  A skin mole is a growth, frequently black or brown in color, which is present on any part of the skin.  They can occur alone or within groups.

A skin mole will usually present itself within the first 20 years of your life and most commonly in the childhood years although there are some moles that do not occur until a person is older.  By the time someone has reached the adult years 10 to 40 moles can be present on the skins surface.

A skin mole can change at any time becoming elevated above the skin or having a notable change in the color.  Sometimes a mole can have some hair growth.  It can also go the complete opposite way with no changes in color or totally disappearing.  Read more...

An enlarged prostate is a common condition in older men. There are various symptoms that a man with an enlarged prostate may experience and all of the symptoms involve problems with or changes in urination.

Typically the prostate enlarges as a man ages and you may hear of several different terms to describe this condition including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), benign prostatic hypertrophy, or simply an enlarged prostate.

The prostate goes through two main periods of growth as a man matures. First of all when males reaches puberty, the first growth period occurs and the prostate doubles in size. At around age 25 the prostate will grow again, and in fact this growth period may result several years later in BPH. The prostate will continue to grow over most of the male’s lifetime and the enlarging prostate doesn’t usually present any problems until the man in  his seventies or eighties when symptoms of BPH may occur.  Read more...

We all want to think that we know what good oral hygiene basics to follow each day but are we correct in our thinking? Here are some important oral hygiene basic steps to read about and compare with what you are doing to see if you are right in thinking that you know what good oral hygiene looks like.

Good oral health starts with good dental habits such as cleaning your teeth everyday, caring for your mouth, and seeing your dentist every six months. If you practice of these good oral habits can prevent gum disease and tooth loss. These good oral habits can also keep that pretty white smile that you love to show off.

The first good oral habit to follow is brushing your teeth properly twice a day after your dentist would prefer every meal; but if you brush a minimum of twice a day the habit is considered to be a good one. The best toothpaste is generally fluoride-containing toothpaste but check with your dentist to see which toothpaste is right for your particular situation.  Read more...