Naturally Beautiful
Are you interested in other ways to get naturally healthy and beautiful? Curious about alternative medicines and natural remedies to keep you healthy? Aromatherapy, herbs and vitamins, holistic living, homeopathy, yoga — what is all this stuff and how can it be beneficial? Here are some of the basics on these topics and how they can be implemented into your life.
Aromatherapy
You may use aromatherapy and not even know it: lighting a scented candle, putting on scented body lotion or perfume, sinking into a warm scented bath, simmering potpourri, or enjoying a walk through a scented garden. These are all essentially forms of aromatherapy. The actual practice of aromatherapy uses pure and natural essential oils that are scientifically proven to elicit certain physical and emotional responses.
The sense of smell occurs in the limbic portion of the brain, the most primitive part of our brain that stores and processes memories and emotions. A scent can take us back in time and make us recall memory. Learned odor responses are our brain's reaction to odors that have memories attached to them. They can be triggered by any scent, whether it's synthetic or natural. However, the scientific research of aromatherapy focuses on natural scents.
Synthetic oils, or oils reproduced chemically in labs, do not have the same properties or effects as natural essential oils and experts believe they are not effective in aromatherapy. Synthetic oils are also blamed for causing unpleasant effects, allergic reactions and headaches among them.
Essential oils can cause physiological changes in the mind and body of a person. “Smells act directly on the brain, like a drug,” says Alan Hirsch, M.D., a neurologist and psychiatrist. Essential oils are highly concentrated essences of aromatic plants. Aromatherapy is the art of using the oils of the plant to promote the healing of the mind and body. Essential oils can be used alone or in combinations.
Essential oils are effective not only through inhalation but also when used topically. When used in massage, the oils are both inhaled and absorbed through the skin. They penetrate tissue, find their way into the bloodstream, and are transported to the organs and systems of the body.
There are many ways to use and enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy. Essential oils can be added to humidifiers, vaporizers, candle wax, diffusers, spray bottles of water, baths, and light bulb rings. They can be inhaled directly from the bottle or added to massage oils, bath oils, bath salts, powders, or body lotions. The proper use of essential oils can be very beneficial. Most natural body care products use essential oils. If you are interested in essential oils or herbs, check out www.mountainroseherbs.com. It carries a great selection of essential oils, bulk herbs, and tea and supplies for do-it-yourself bath and body products.
With rising health care costs and the dangerous side effects of some prescription medications and medical treatments, many people are looking for natural ways to stay healthy. Herbal therapy has become extremely popular because herbs are often cheaper than prescription medicines and have fewer to no side effects compared to prescription drugs.
Herbal Therapy
No one knows when humans started using plants as medicine, but some prehistoric sites suggest that Neanderthals used healing herbs more than 60,000 years ago. Many pharmaceuticals are derived from herbs. Aspirin was derived from the bark of a willow tree. Oral decongestants containing pseudoephedrine are made from the ephedra plant. At least one-fourth of all drugs that doctors prescribe contain active ingredients derived from or synthesized from plants. Scientists have learned how to isolate the active ingredients in herbs and produce more potent, faster-acting medicine. Unfortunately, with more potent medicine comes more powerful problems and side effects. With all the added chemicals and preservatives, and the synthetic formulations, the safety of the original herb is gone.
Most herbal remedies are safe and have no known side effects, but some can be dangerous. Combining the remedies with prescription or over-the-counter drugs or using them if you have a pre-existing health condition can be particularly dangerous. Always exercise caution. Consult a trained physician or herbalist before taking herbal remedies. Herbal remedies can commonly be found in pill and capsule forms, in teas, extracts, tinctures, ointments and creams, and in raw, dried forms.
Holistic Practices
Holistic medicine is a healing approach that considers a person's body, mind, and spirit when evaluating health or treating a disease. Holistic medicine promotes an individual's overall health and well-being to ensure the proper functioning of the body as a whole. The term holistic(sometimes wholistic) comes from the unification of the mind and body.
Holistic practitioners treat the whole person, not just the organs or areas where the symptoms occur. Holistic medicine emphasizes the need to look at the whole person and all areas of her life, including physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual, and lifestyle values.
The beauty and cosmetic industries are recognizing the growing popularity of natural medicine and therapies and are incorporating holistic approaches and formulas into their products. Holistic skin care is a regimen that recognizes your skin as a reflection of your body's internal state. Outward appearance is a reflection of what is going on inside the body. Rather than just treating the surface symptoms that destroy beauty, holistic skin care targets the roots of your problems and treats them. Holistic approaches take into consideration all aspects of your life and all your symptoms so your entire body will be revitalized and rejuvenated.
There are many therapies and remedies that fall into the categories of holistic, alternative, and natural medicine. The practices may be used alone, together, or as a complementary therapy alongside conventional medicine.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy relies on minute amounts of herbs, minerals, and other substances to stimulate a person's natural defenses and help the body heal itself. It is thought to be able to heal illnesses with just a single dose of medicine with few to no side effects.
Homeopathy is based on the law of similars, which has been verified in experiments and in clinical studies throughout the past 200 years. The law of similars basically boils down to the statement “like is cured by like.” The same principle is behind the creation of modern vaccinations and some allergy medications. In vaccines, a small amount of the disease is used to create a substance that will encourage immunity to the disease.
Today more than 1,200 substances are recognized as homeopathic remedies. In the United States, homeopathic medicines are drug products made by homeopathic pharmacies in accordance with processes described in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States and are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, unlike most herbs and herbal remedies that you will find in a store. Many homeopathic remedies can be purchased in health food stores or drug stores, through catalogs, or online.
A homeopathic remedy is prescribed based on an assessment of all your symptoms and should be done by a trained homeopath. Homeopathic medicines are not something you should prescribe for yourself or ever try to make yourself. They are not quick and easy home remedies. Use caution before deciding if homeopathic medicines are right for you.
If you choose to walk or bicycle to places you would normally drive, you are simultaneously getting yourself in shape and reducing the amount of transportation pollution being released into the air. It's also a money-saver; you can conserve your financial resources by using your vehicle less and spending less money on gas.
Yoga
Yoga is the most basic of natural remedies and exercise. All you need to practice yoga is a quiet place with a level floor, comfortable clothing, and a few minutes each day to practice breathing, stretching, and meditation.
Yoga is extremely effective in increasing flexibility and massaging all organs of the body. It is excellent for toning the muscles, and there are many other benefits, both physical and psychological. Yoga can act as both a preventive and curative therapy for many illnesses and conditions.
The whole system of yoga is built on three main structures: postures, breathing, and meditation. To receive the maximum benefits of yoga you should practice all three. Yoga brings the mind, body, and spirit together.
