Elementalities: Natural Remedies Newsletter

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Elementalities Natural Remedies Newsletter
www.elementalities.com
May 30, 2005 Volume 1: Issue 3
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In This Issue:
* Natural Remedies Q&A
* Share the Wealth: Essential Vitamins by Ladas Samnia
* Featured Article: Causes and Natural Remedies for Acne
* The Elemental Mentality: It's Okay to Cry
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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.

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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.
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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

This issue: Essential Vitamins by Ladas Samnia

Vitamins work as the building blocks for the majority
of chemical reactions in the human body. Combining
with amino acids and minerals, vitamins produce
enzymes (which speed up internal chemical reactions)
and hormones (chemical messengers which regulate
organ functions and activities including heart rate,
blood pressure and glucose levels).

Vitamins - fat soluble and water soluble are
its two groups--- promote normal growth, provide
proper metabolism, ensure good health and protect
against certain diseases. One can store fat soluble
vitamins such as A, D, E and K in the body, mostly
in fatty tissue and in the liver. However, there is
a possibility that they can build to toxic levels if
consumed too much.

Healthy supply of vitamins is essential, and except
in cases of massive overdosing, water-soluble vitamins
rarely reach toxic levels.

On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins like C and
B do not stay in the body long. Since they dissolve
in water, any excess vitamin not required by the body
is carried away in waste.

In the past crops were grown in nutrient-rich soil, but as
farming techniques become more focused towards increasing
the harvest, the nutrient content of crops tend to take a
dive. Nutrients are lost with storing, drying and freezing
foods. Foods also lose more nutrients the longer they are
kept.

Earlier crops were grown in nutrient-rich soil, gradually
farming became more focused towards increasing the harvest
and which in turn got down the nutrient content of crops.
Nutrients are lost with storing, drying and freezing foods.
Foods also lose more nutrients the longer they are kept.

Ladas Samnia is the webmaster of
<a href="http://www.robovitamins.com">vitamins</a> which
is the premier resource for vitamins information.
For questions or comments about this article go to:
http://www.robovitamins.com
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FEATURED ARTICLE: Causes and Natural Remedies for Acne
by Denise Kennedy, a member of the Elementalities family

As humans, we are all familiar with acne. We have either
suffered from it ourselves at one time or another or know someone who
does. Virtually all adolescents experience at least a few pimples
during puberty. And for some of us this annoying condition can plague
us into our 40's and 50's. It is estimated that about 17 million
Americans, of all races and ages, have acne, and about 85% of the
population between the ages of 12 and 24 develop the disorder.

Acne occurs when the sebaceous gland of a fine hair follicle produces
an over abundance of an oil substance called sebum. Normally, the
sebum flows to the surface of the skin and is not a problem. But during
an acne breakout the sebum, the cells lining the hair follicle, called
keratinocytes, and the hair follicle itself, create a plug with allows bacteria
to grow in the plug. The bacteria then attracts white blood cells to the area
causing inflammation which breaks down the walls of the hair follicle
spilling everything into the surrounding area below the skin surface. If it
stays below the skin surface it becomes a "white head" and if it
reaches the skin's surface it becomes a "black head". The myth that
pimples are caused from dirt probably began because of the "black
head's" appearance.

While the exact cause of acne is unknown, there are several
factors related to the disorder. Most of these are concerned with
anything that causes hormonal changes. Male sex hormones, called
androgens, are present in both boys and girls during puberty, and are
one factor. Another is the hormonal changes that occur during
pregnancy, the time right before a menstrual cycle, and when birth
control pills are started or stopped. Other drugs, like lithium, also
may cause acne. Family history, or genetics, is another factor,
especially with boys.

Other factors, not related to hormones, drugs, or genetics also
play a role. They include friction and pressure on the skin from
things like hats, scarves, bike helmets, tight collars, razors, hard
scrubbing of the skin, and frequent handling of the skin, like some
nervous gestures or "picking" at the pimples. Environmental irritants
like pollution and humidity can also contribute to "breakouts".

See your medical doctor or dermatologist when your skin becomes
severely inflamed with a reddish or purplish cast; or you have tried
over the counter or herbal remedies and they do not help; or your
pimples are forming scars after they heal.

Here are a few simple, common sense things you can do to help
prevent "breakouts".
1. Acne is not caused by poor hygiene, so limit the amount of times
you wash your face to twice a day and after a workout. Do not use
harsh soaps or scrub pads.
2. Don't "pop" your pimples. Popping pimples can be dangerous and
squeezing can inflame your skin and worsen its appearance. The veins
above your nose drain directly into your brain and you don’t want to
send the infection into those veins!
3. Shave gently and always soften your beard first.
4. Avoid the sun and tanning (including tanning beds). Many of the
medicines used to treat acne also make you more susceptible to
sunburn.
5. Only use oil free make-up and avoid oily hair products. Make-up,
sunscreen, and toiletries that do not clog pores will say they are
"noncomedogenic" on the label, so look for those products.
6. If you have oily hair wear a style that keeps your hair away from
your face.
7. Wear cotton clothing or moleskin under sporting equipment.
8. Give acne treatments time to work. As a rule of thumb, it takes
6-8 weeks of treatment before you will begin to see any results.

There are also a variety of natural remedies worth a try. In fact
there is only room to list a few of them here:
*Two separate studies on Green Tea and Tea Tree oil have shown
they are just as effective as 5% benzoyl peroxide in treating acne and
neither causes the dry skin syndrome that sometimes accompanies
benzoyl peroxide. Green Tea is now available in herbal supplements
and in creams. It helps detoxify your system when drunk as a tea as
long as you can avoid using sugar in the tea. Sugar seems to neutralize
Green Tea’s benefits. To use Tea Tree oil for acne, gently cleanse the
skin and pat dry. Apply a 5%-15% dilution of the oil to the area. Do
this twice per day. You can buy a product already diluted or you can
make your own dilution in jojoba oil. (Our tea tree oil soap is a little
milder than this at about a 3% dilution.) Caution: Tea Tree oil may
cause a rash in some people so try a test area first 24-48 hours before
using. Do not take internally.
*Lavender, which is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and just a
little bit of an astringent may work for you. Dot it on individual
blemishes with a cotton swab.
*Burdock is rich in minerals and vitamins that promote healthy
skin and it promotes sweating and urination to help flush toxins from
your system. You can also use the tea to clean your face with.
Typical dosage: up to 4 cups of tea per day (simmer 1 tablespoon of
dried root in 2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes); or take two 400-500
milligram capsules three times per day.
*Dandelion works much the same way as Burdock to help flush the
body of unwanted skin bacteria, but it also supports the liver--the
major organ that rids the body of excess toxins and hormones.
Dandelion is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals that support
healthy skin. You can eat the young, fresh leaves raw in salads or
steamed. (I personally love dandelion salads). Typical dosage: 3-4
cups of tea per day (simmer 2 teaspoons of dried, chopped root in 1
cup of hot water for 20 minutes or steep 2 teaspoons of dried leaf in
1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes); or take two 400-500 milligram
capsules 3 times per day, or 1-2 teaspoons of fluid extract 3 times
per day.
*Calendula petals are both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.
Make a tea by steeping 1 teaspoon of dried flowers in 1 cup of hot
water for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain. Let cool and apply to your face
with a cotton ball or a soft cloth.
*Grapefruit seed extract is a potent antimicrobrial agent. To
use, add 5 drops of grapefruit seed extract to 1/2 cup of water and use
as a face wash; or add 5 drops to 1/4 cup of witch hazel mixed with 1/2
cup of apple cider vinegar and use as a toner when you wash your face.
*You might want to try an herbal steam bath for your face by
simmering 5-10 drops of essential oil of either Tea Tree, Lavender, or
Rose in about a cup of water. Pour the water in a bowl and cover it
and your head with a towel so that the steam touches your face.
*One way to clear the complexion from the inside out is through
juice therapy that stimulates the liver using a blend of 1 part beet
juice, 3 parts carrot juice, and 2 parts water.

Other natural areas to explore possible acne therapies through are
acupressure, imagery, reflexology, and Ayurveda.

www.pioneerthinking.com
www.skincarephysicians.com
www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/acne/acne.htm
Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California.
Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Healing Visualizations, Gerald Epstein, MD.
Better Health with Foot Reflexology, Dwight Byers
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THE ELEMENT MENTALITY
This week's tip for simplifying your life naturally:
"Go Ahead and Cry"
by Misty Davies, a member of the Elementalities family

Memorial Day can be a very stressful time, particularly if you have lost
loved ones recently or if you have someone you care about overseas.

If you feel like crying, you should let it out. There are three kinds of
tears: basal tears, irritant tears, and emotional tears. Emotional tears
carry stress hormones out of the body as a way of getting rid of them.
If you are a woman, don’t be ashamed if you need to cry more often.
One of the major hormones associated with stress is prolactin. Women
have about 60 percent more prolactin in their bodies than men and cry
on average maybe four times as often. It’s okay, and healthy, to cry.

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the
silence of our friends.”
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
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