Saturday, December 26, 2009

Headache Prevention - Sinus Headache

As you know a sinus headache can be extremely painful and last for ages. The headache is just a consequence of inflammation within the sinus cavities of your skull. Inflammation causes swelling of the tissue lining the cavities and creates pressure which is experienced as a headache.

It is important to differentiate between pain from the sinus and a dental infection. The feeling can be the same. You may find your ENT specialist and dental specialist at odds over what the problem is.

From a natural medicine perspective the treatment is much the same. Patients with these headaches with unclear origins have responded to the same treatment.

Just a hole in the head

The simple reason that we have sinus cavities, or holes in the head, is to reduce the weight of your skull, which makes it easier for your neck and spine to support your head. Imagine if your head weighed just another 1kg or 2 pounds. The effort to support it especially when you are moving quickly or stopping suddenly would be too much for your neck.

Now imagine your sinus cavities as small spaces or air pockets in your forehead and under your eyes. These pockets are lined with tissue just like inside your mouth. Like your mouth this is a warm moist environment.

If the tissue becomes aggravated by pollen or dust or from a cold, the tissue swells up. You notice this especially when you have a cold and you feel congested and tend to block up when you lie down.

The problem with the sinus is that after the cold or whatever caused the aggravation the tissue remains a little inflamed. It doesn't quite heal completely. Next time you experience some dust or pollen or eat a food which causes mucus membrane inflammation, then sinus tissue swells quickly and causes pain.

Now you reach for the decongestants or anti-histamines, or pain killers. These all help but don't solve the problem, and the infection starts again.

To relieve this for good you need to do 7 things.

1. Remove the most common foods which typically cause allergic reactions or immune suppression. e.g. dairy, eggs, sugar, artificial sweeteners and wheat. Remove one at a time to test which is affecting you. To re test you introduce a small amount back into your diet and look to see if any symptoms return.

2. Treat the infection with herbs such a Echinacea, Golden Rod and Cats Claw.

3. Treat the sinus tissue with Golden Seal and Agrimony.

4. Use sinus specific herbs such as Golden Rod and Elderberry.

5. Use the anti allergy herbs such as Baical Skullcap and Albezzia

6. Vitamin C and Zinc for immunity.

7. Lots of fresh vegetables and fruit.

8. Plenty of clean water.

9. Daily walking will boost your immune system and reduce sinus and hayfever symptoms.

10. Ensure you get adequate rest and manage your stress.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Want to Burn Fat? Eat More Protein

Muscles are made of protein. This statement is rather obvious to all of us. So to build muscle, equally obviously, you need to take proteins. This can be found in eggs, fish meat, cottage cheese or protein concentrates like protein powder.

To appreciate the importance of proteins in your body, you have to understand that your body cells are constantly being replaced by new ones. The tissue, made of protein, is in a state of flux, constantly being changed as old cells die and new cells replace them. Rheo Blair states "It is as if you lived in a building whose bricks were systematically taken out and replaced every year. If you keep the same blueprint then it will still look like the same building. But it won't be the same in actuality. The human body is in a constant state of flux, it loks the same from day to day, but through multiple biological processes, it is always rebuilding itself."

Science has proven that 99% of the atoms in your body are replaced within one year. Every cell in your body is always being recycled. Protein is what is used in the creation of new cells. It is the building blocks of your body. Skin, hair, bones, hormones, and antibodies are formed of protein. Save for water, protein is the most abundant substance in your body. Like other nutrients, proteins are made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. But unlike other nutrients, proteins are the only nutrients that bring nitrogen into the body. Thus by measuring the amount of nitrogen in ones excreta, compared to the amount taken in, one can estimate the amount of protein used for muscle growth. If the difference is positive, then muscle is being made. But if the difference is negative, there is a negative nitrogen balance, and the body literally begins feed on its own muscle to produce energy. Proteins are broken down by digestive acids like protease to smaller units called peptides. This occurs in the stomach where there are acidic conditions necessary for the digestion of proteins. The peptides are in turn are digested by peptidase, found in the duodenum, into amino acids. These are what the body actually absorbs and utilizes to form body tissue, including muscle.

There are 20 amino acids that are required for the normal growth of the body. Eleven of these are naturally made in the body and thus are called non-essential amino acids. The other nine have to be ingested into the body as it cannot synthesize them and are thus called essential amino acids. Foods containing both types of amino acids in the exact amounts as they are needed by the body are called complete proteins. Only when all the essential amino acids are available can the body grow muscles. Otherwise it starts breaking down body tissue to suffice the amount of essential amino acids for growth and repair purposes. Thus lack of these amino acids actually leads to muscle loss.
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