Elementalities: Natural Remedies Newsletter

----------------------------------------------------------
Elementalities Natural Remedies Newsletter
www.elementalities.com
May 9, 2005 Volume 1: Issue 1
----------------------------------------------------------
In This Issue:
* Natural Remedies Q&A
* Share the Wealth: Call for client stories
* Featured Article: Herbal Medicine & Aromatherapy
* The Element Mentality: This week's tip for simplifying your life naturally
_________________________________________________________
WELCOME TO OUR NEWSLETTER!

Our newsletter is sent out 2-4 times monthly and is designed to inform our
friends about :
* alternative, all natural remedies
* nutrition, body care, and health
* simple and environmentally friendly ways to make your life easier.

You are welcome to forward and post this newsletter as long as you forward
and/or post the entire newsletter. Thank you for helping us keep our messages
in context!

If you are receiving this newsletter from an elementalities email address, it is
because you (or someone who has access to your email account) subscribed. If you
would like to unsubscribe at any time, please see the instructions at the bottom
of this newsletter.
----------------------------------------------------------
NATURAL REMEDIES QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Let us do your research for you! If you have a question about natural or
alternative remedies, reply to this newsletter or email us at:
questions@elementalities.com
We'll look into it and reply by email and/or in a future newsletter.
___________________________________________________________
SHARE THE WEALTH

If you have a story or a tip you'd like to share with the readers of our
newsletter, reply to this newsletter or email us at:
questions@elementalities.com
____________________________________________________________
FEATURED ARTICLE: Herbal Medicine & Aromatherapy
by Denise Kennedy, a member of the Elementalities family

As early as 25 years ago, many doctors would have said that
patients who used alternative medicines such herbals and aromatherapy
were poorly educated and were being scammed by charlatans posing as
healers. But a study by Stanford University researchers revealed that
consumers of alternative therapies tend to be highly educated. Do
these alternative therapies work? Recent studies seem to indicate that
they do. For example, echinacea has been shown to increase the activity
of immune cells--thus fending off infection by viruses and bacteria.
Allicin, the active ingredient in garlic, is a potent antibiotic and
studies show that garlic is also effective for reducing risk factors for
coronary artery disease. Indeed, supportive studies abound for almost
every herb you can name, but most of the scrutiny seems to be centered
around chamomile, echinacea, feverfew, garlic, ginkgo, lemon balm, milk
thistle, St. John's wort, and valerian.

Suprised? You shouldn't be. An estimated 25 percent of all
pharmaceuticals are still derived directly from plants. Some of these
include quinine for malaria, digitalis from foxglove, aspirin from white
willow bark and meadowsweet, and taxol, a compound from the yew tree that
is used in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer.

Another arena in which herbs seem therapeutic is aromatherapy,
although it is difficult to get science to back aromatherapy claims. Good
research in this area is hard to find. The problem is not with the aromas
themselves, but with research protocols which typically use carefully
controlled double-blind studies. That is, they test two identical drugs
(or therapies)--a fake one and the real one--and neither the researcher nor
the individuals tested can know who gets which in order to minimize the
power of suggestion or differential treatment of the participants. So, the
problem is that the oils by nature are readily distinguishable by their
aromas and makes this sort of study difficult.

There have been, however, some good studies done on the effect of
odor on mood. Some researchers think the aroma of certain smells stimulate
the brain to release neurochemicals that alter emotions such as fear, anger,
and anxiety.

It is important to remember that alternative treatments and medicines
should not be a substitute for conventional medicine without talking to your
health practitioner first. It is also important to talk to your health
practitioner about any possible interactions between any drugs you are
taking and the herb you intend to use. For instance, garlic may increase
the effects of blood thinners and valerian may increase the effects of
sedatives.

Another thing to consider is dose for dose most herbs are less potent
than pharmaceuticals and while this actually makes herbs safer to take don't
expect them to work quickly for chronic health problems. For some long term
conditions you may need to take an herbal remedy for at least three months
before you see results.

When used correctly, herbal remedies just might be the boost your body
needs to keep you vital and to help protect you from illnesses.

For further information on herbal, aromotherapy, and other alternative
medicine you might want to check out the following researchers.

Herb Resource Foundation, Boulder, Colorado
http://www.herbs.org
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY
http://www.aecom.yu.edu/home
Herbs and Herbal Medicine for Health, Stanford University
http://healthlibrary.stanford.edu/resources/internet/therapy_cam.html
National Center for Alternative and Complimentary Medicine
http://nccam.nih.gov
____________________________________________________________
THE ELEMENTAL MENTALITY
This week's tip for simplifying your life naturally:
"Keeping Your Soap High & Dry!"
by Misty Davies, a member of the Elementalities family

If you are buying (or making) premium soap, then you want it to last, and
you want to keep it from becoming a gooey, gunky breeding ground for
badness! The best way to do that is to get your soap as dry as possible
between uses.

A good soap dish is a worthwhile investment. Choose a soap dish that lets air
circulate around the entire soap, and also lets water drain. Some choices
include dishes that have lots of holes, and dishes made of sandstone or
soapstone. Another idea is to put your soap in a nylon or silk baggie and hang
the soap somewhere to dry between uses.

____________________________________________________________

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this email newsletter, visit us at:
www.elementalities.com/newsletter.shtml.
Elementalities respects your privacy. To find out about our privacy
policy, you can visit us at www.elementalities.com/privacy_policy.shtml.

Thanks from the Elementalities Family!
visit us at www.elementalities.com