Let's give thanks for pumpkins

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, which means many people will be enjoying pumpkin pie. Though we typically feel guilty for indulging in this decadent dessert, pumpkin itself is a very nutritious food which is high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Pumpkin is high in Vitamin A, which can help improve the eyesight. Vitamin C is also abundant in this fruit and is good for boosting the immune system and aids in preventing free radicals which can lead to cancer. Pumpkin has high concentrations of zinc, and this mineral likewise boosts immunity and can also prevent osteosporosis. Another mineral, potassium, is effective in reducing high blood pressure, therefore leading to a decreased risk of heart disease.

Perhaps you elected to use fresh pumpkin for making your pies, and if so you can achieve additional benefits from the seeds of this fruit. Pumpkin seeds are thought to help the kidneys function effectively and may even be effective in fighting prostrate cancer. They have been used by natural healers to rid the body of intestinal parasites and may also be effective in treating arthritis since they tend to have anti-inflammatory properties.

This food is low in calories, containing around 50 calories per cup whenever baked or broiled without additional oil or sugar. While your pie may have considerably more calories, this food nonetheless has a great deal of nutritional value, so enjoy your leftovers!

Need a good night's sleep?

Are you frustrated by the lack of a good night's sleep? Getting an adequate amount of rest is an important part of our overall good health. Our bodies need approximately 8 hours of rest each night in order to repair our cells of the damage done during the day, and rest and rejuvenate for the next day. Not only is the amount of our sleep important, but the quality of our sleep is as well. Without the proper amount of sleep we simply cannot function at full capacity. But there are many things that can cause us to toss and turn without fully falling asleep. Some of the factors are stress, not maintaining a constant sleep pattern, noise and light, and overloaded schedules. But if you are plagued by any of these, take heed because there are plenty of natural sleep inducers that will not leave you drowsy nor become habit-forming.

Lavender has long been known for its potential to aid people in falling asleep naturally. In fact, many manufacturers of baby and toddler products offer lotions and soaps with the scent of lavender because it soothes restless infants. You could take a sachet scented with a few drops of lavender essential oil and place in a cool bedroom as a form of aromatherapy. You could also take a few lavender leaves and make a sachet to keep underneath your pillow to help you relax before falling asleep. Also, a few drops of this oil could be added to an unscented lotion or body wash. A relaxing bath with a few drops of this oil right before bedtime followed by a massage with lavender-scented lotion will have you ready to hit the hay in no time. Please note that essential oils should never be used by pregnant women.

Another popular method for inducing sleep naturally is chamomile. This is most often taken in the form of a tea right before bedtime. Most people find the tea easy to acquire a taste for. If it seems somewhat bitter, add a little honey to this tea and drink while warm. You will definetely feel relaxed and ready to fall asleep. A side benefit to this tea is that it also induces a deep sleep, better known as REM sleep. You could experiment by drinking a few sips at first if you are concerned about the possibility of needing to be more alert (say if you have small children.) Even though chamomile tea has these properties, it is not known to be habit-forming. So enjoy a cup of this soothing remedy and get ready to enjoy a great night's sleep.

Uses for Oregano Oil

Many people are aware of oregano being used as a spice especially in many favorite Italian dishes. But did you know there are many medicinal uses for the oil of oregano as well? You should be aware that there are two types of oils, the oil of oregano and essential oil of oregano. Essential oil of oregano should be used externally only. Here are a few uses of oil of oregano.

Oregano oil is a pain reliever and can be used to alleviate the pain of headaches and toothaches. To end the suffering of a headache, take a few drops of the oil on the fingertips and massage into the temples. To relieve toothache pain, dilute the oil with water and dampen a cotton swab or cotton ball and rub onto the gums.

Oil of oregano is effective in treating fungus, especially in the toenails. Apply a few drops of the oil to the affected toenail and you should see marked improvement in only a few days. Oil of oregano has also been proven effective in treating athlete's foot, eczema, and other skin conditions such as psoriasis. You only need a small amount of this oil applied to the affected areas once or twice a day.

This natural oil can also be effective in helping to get rid of painful and unsightly cold sores. A drop or two of the oil applied directly to the cold sore will help dissolve it quickly and naturally. If the oil burns your sore when applied, you could dilute as recommended above for toothaches.

Sinus congestion can be alleviated by drinking 2-3 drops of the oil in a glass of milk or juice for 3-5 days. As mentioned before, please take care to ensure that the oil you are ingesting is safe for internal use.

The same 2-3 drops of oil in a glass of orange juice can be used as a treatment for a sore throat.

A few drops added to a wart on the hands or feet will cause the wart to be dissolved painlessly.

One of the more interesting properties of Oil of Oregano is the fact that it responds to infections that are otherwise antibiotic-resistant. You can even prevent the possibility of food poisoning from meat that contains antibiotic resistant bacteria by consuming a few drops daily (with milk or juice) as a "preventative".

With so many versatile uses, this product is a must have in any home remedy medicine cabinet.

Prevent H1N1

If you are concerned about the possibility of becoming infected with the H1N1 virus, try these tips to keep yourself well and prevent the spread of disease:

1: Use echinacea to help build a healthy immune system naturally. Echinacea is also known as purple coneflower. It can be purchased from a local health food or vitamin store or in the vitamin section of your local grocery store or pharmacy. One tablet per day is usually sufficient to build a stronger immune system but may take 4 weeks or longer. Check with your physician if you are taking any other medications or supplements.

2. Try a daily dose of vitamin C. You can take these in the form of Vitamin C drops, or by eating an orange, tangerine, or lemon each day. Orange juice is also a great way to add Vitamin C to your diet.

3. Don't forget to wash your hands frequently with hot soapy water.

Keep your pets naturally flea free

If you're a pet owner you know how difficult it can be to control fleas on your dog or cat. It seems that once they are infested, it can take weeks to control these nasty pests. But the good news is that keeping your pets free of annoying fleas is relatively simple and inexpensive to do. You will need to be very diligent at first, but don't be discouraged because the end results will be well worth it.

First of all, bathe your pet with a gentle shampoo. If your pets are severely infected, you could purchase an over-the-counter flea shampoo; however most of the time this will not be necessary. Following your pet's bath, rinse him or her with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water. The vinegar solution tends to "offend" biting fleas and serves to repel them. After you leave this solution on your pet for a few minutes (5-10 minutes should work well) rinse and dry your friend.

Next, take a small flea comb and comb through your pet's hair. You will need a bucket of water to rinse your comb in after each pass through. Do this because the comb itself will not kill the flea, but rather the flea will get caught in the comb's teeth. Dipping it in the water will kill the flea and keep it from getting back onto your pet. You may use a solution of warm soapy water if you wish for dipping the comb, but usually plain water will suffice just as well. Make several passes over your pet's coat, taking care to comb areas that may easily be overlooked such as the back of the legs, tail, and top of the head. Comb gently and take care not to pull your animal's fur and most dogs and even cats will allow you to comb them as long as you please. Continue combing until you make several passes through the pet's hair without catching any live fleas.

Since you have treated your pet, you now need to treat your home. Mule Team Borax is an excellent treatment for fleas in carpets and furniture. Take the full-strength borax and sprinkle on your carpet. Next, take a straw broom and work the substance deep into the carpet. Leave in place and do not vaccuum. This will take a few days to take effect, so be patient. In the meantime, restrict your companion animals and small children from the space.

You will need to comb your pet with the flea comb daily for at least two weeks, since new flea eggs can take up to that amount of time to hatch. Don't be discouraged if you do find new fleas each day, it just means that the new eggs have hatched. You should find progressively fewer each time, but as I mentioned before, you will need to be persistant. After the two week period, be sure to comb your pet with his or her weekly bath to catch new fleas before they become a problem. If you do notice a high level of flea infestation again, comb daily for a week or so until all of the fleas and eggs are removed.

Now that your pet is naturally free of blood-sucking fleas, you will want to prevent them from infesting your furry friend again. Apple cider vinegar in the pet's drinking water has been shown to be effective in preventing fleas from getting onto your pet. You can try 2-3 drops of vinegar in the pet's drinking water each day as a preventative for flea infestation. This will take 6-8 weeks to take effect because the vinegar will change the alkalinity of your pet's skin, making it unattractive to biting pests. Note: You should use organic apple cider vinegar only, and do not use on animals which have a skin irritation, are allergic to yeast products, or have digestive problems.

Follow these steps and you and your furry friend will enjoy many flea free days while saving you money and your pet from harmful chemicals.

An apple a day

There's an old saying that goes "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." I'm sure you've heard this one before, but probably don't know why an apple a day keeps the doctor away. This saying was first coined by Benjamin Franklin, so keep in mind that in his day orchards were not frequently sprayed with pesticides as they are today. I'm also pretty confident that Mr. Franklin never ate an apple covered with wax. Because much of the fiber and nutrients come from the apple peeling, you should eat the whole apple and not peel it first to get rid of the waxy exterior. I would recommend buying organic apples if there are no orchards to pick from in your local area. Apple juice and apple sauce are not good substitutes for a whole apple because they do not provide the same amount of fiber.

Apples are a great antioxidant. As with the fiber of the apple, the skin is the main source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they rid your body of toxins, help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, protect against heart disease, cancer and even Alzheimer's disease.

Apples also aid in healthy gums and teeth. Chewing a raw apple helps to reduce the build-up of plaque and exercises the gums and jaws. Exercising the gums and jaws aids in maintaining healthy circulation to the gumline. Apples are also known to contain an acid which helps whiten the teeth over time. Apples aid in the prevention of periodontal disease as well. Medical professionals now believe that there is a link between good dental health and the prevention of heart disease.

For maximum health benefit, you should try to enjoy as wide a variety of apple as possible. Green apples have been known to be effective as a liver and gall bladder cleanse. Red delicious apples have the highest level of antioxidants out of the over 7,000 varieties of apples known. Yellow Golden Delicious apples have a high amount of memory booster. Try several different types and you will never get tired of this delicious, highly nutritious, and healthy wonder food.

What's keeping your spuds from spudding?

The potato often gets a bum rap as far as its health benefits are concerned. In fact, the potato is one of the most nutritious foods available. The bad rap that potatoes are given is often due to the way they are prepared. Baked potatoes loaded with cheese and sour cream, greasy french fries, or deep fried potato chips are some examples of a potato that is unhealthy as prepared.

However, an average potato contains every nutrient except for Vitamin A. It is an excellent source of Vitamin B6, containing 20% or more of the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin B6 helps with the formation of cells which regulate the nervous system, brain cell activity, and the lowering of blood pressure. The potato is also a huge source of fiber-but only if the skin is eaten. The skin is also an important source of Vitamin C if eaten raw, but most of the ascorbic acid is lost when cooking.

Since the potato and especially the skin of the potato is such an important source of vital nutrition, should we be concerned that many store-bought potatoes are being sprayed with a chemical to keep them from sprouting? Have you ever noticed how long potatoes can stay in your cupboard without producing sprouts? Chlorprophram liquid concentrate is a chemical that is commonly used to keep potatoes from sprouting.
This chemical is labeled as a poison and skin irritant. Now think about this for a moment. Your food is being sprayed with a poison before you purchase it at the store. You can read more about Chlorprophram at http://www.agservices.ca/documents/E.C._Label_e.pdf.

If a person were to swallow this chemical, you need to induce vomiting (again, you should not swallow this chemical, yet it is on your potatoes). If the chemical gets on your skin, you should wash your skin with clean soapy water and remove contaminated clothing. How much of this chemical gets on our skin when we are handling or washing our potatoes? You should also not get this chemical in your eyes, and should avoid inhaling. Hmm, this doesn't sound too healthy, does it?

So how do you keep the health benefits of the potato when the potatoes you just brought home from the grocery are laden with poison? Here are a few ideas:
1) Buy potatoes from a local farmer's market or locally grown produce stand. Ask the grower if they are in the practice of spraying their potatoes with Chlorprophram or any other agent to keep them from sprouting. They most likely do not contaminate their produce, so purchasing locally is not only good for your local economy, but your family's health as well.
2) Purchase seed potatoes and grow your own. You do not need a lot of room in order to grow potatoes. You can grow even grow them in a barrel or in old tires. Because you can be very versatile in the way your potatoes are grown, you could even grow them on a small patio. This would save you money as well.
3) As a last resort, you could purchase organic potatoes from the store. These are often not available and expensive when they can be found.

If you must purchase potatoes from your local grocer, be sure to wash them carefully before cooking. You should also forgo eating the skins of potatoes that are commercially purchased. This should not mean that all of the nutritional value of the potato will be lost, because the fleshy "meat" of the spud still contains lots of vitamins, including traces of copper and iron. Enjoy.