Migraine is a disease characterized by periodic headaches, but patients often experience other symptoms, including dizziness. In some patients, dizziness can be the only symptom. The dizziness associated with migraines is called vertigo.

Vertigo is basically a sensation of a room spinning around you, while at rest. Nausea and sometimes vomiting is always associated with vertigo.

Motion sickness is a common migraine accompaniment as well. Most studies report about 50% of patients with migraines have motion sickness. Patients with migraine-associated vertigo often provide a long history of motion intolerance during car, boat, or air travel or all three. People with migraines are, in general, more sensitive to motion of the environment and to busy environments.

The symptoms of migraine-associated vertigo are variable and may feel like a room spinning at rest (true vertigo), a constant feeling of imbalance, and/or dizziness associated primarily when moving and not at rest. Symptoms directly associated with a migraine headache can occur prior to the onset of headache or during a headache.

Vertigo Without Headaches

It is also quite common to experience vertigo during a headache-free interval. As such, many patients who experience migraine-associated vertigo will experience dizziness as the main symptom even in the absence of a headache! In fact, most patients with migraine-associated vertigo have dizziness that occurs independently of the headache.

This last condition of someone experiencing vertigo without any headache confuses doctors and patients alike. It is far more common than thought and most of the time is a missed diagnosis and thereby a missed opportunity for treatment.

Prevalence of Migraine-Associated Vertigo

Reports indicate that 27-42% of all migraine patients report episodic vertigo. What is interesting is that about a third (about 36%) of these patients experienced vertigo during headache-free periods. The remainder experienced vertigo either just before or during the headache. The incidence of vertigo during the headache period was higher in patients with aura as opposed to those without aura.
Duration:

The vertigo symptoms may last for a few minutes or may be continuous for several weeks or even for months! In women, there is a strong association of dizziness occurring within the menstrual cycle.

The duration of the vertigo can also be quite variable. The frequencies of different durations of vertigo spells in migraine-associated vertigo are as follows:

o 7% experience vertigo for a duration of seconds.
o 31% experience vertigo for minutes to up to 2 hours.
o 5% have vertigo for 2-6 hours.
o 8% have vertigo for 6-24 hours.
o 49% experience vertigo for longer than 24 hours.

What Causes the Vertigo Associated with Migraines?

The most commonly accepted theory regarding the pathophysiology of migraine-associated vertigo is the Cortical Spreading Depression theory (CSD). Multiple authors propose that episodes of dizziness are similar to that of a migraine aura or are actually part of the aura.

But since only about 20% of migraine sufferers actually experience an aura, researches attribute the vertigo as part of a fluctuation of nerve cell ion channels. Recent understandings in a particular type of migraine – Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) have shown two genes responsible for controlling ion flow across nerve cell membranes.

These two genes affect changes in calcium, sodium and potassium channels. This alters the electrical conduction potentials of nerve cells. The result is a transient wave front that suppresses central neuronal activity. This depression spreads in all directions from its site of origin. These changes result in a reduction in cerebral blood flow in the areas of spreading depression.

Two authors have suggested that when dizziness is unrelated to headache, the dizziness occurs from the release of neuropeptides, including substance P, neurokinin A, calcitonin and gene–related peptide [CGRP]. No single hypothesis explains the headache or dizziness process in migraine at this time. Thus, the causes of the symptoms of migraine remain controversial.

Meniere’s Disease

There is another relatively common form of vertigo called Meniere’s Disease. Meniere’s Disease is not related to migraines at all. It has a classic triad of vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing of the ears). The vertigo of Meniere’s Disease is frequently confused with migraine-associated vertigo.  Fortunately, the vertigo associated with the more common forms of migraines rarely have any hearing loss and also does not have much in the way of tinnitus.

Basilar Migraines

The is one ominous variant of migraine headaches called Basilar Migraines (or also known as Bickerstaff ‘s syndrome) which is a cross between a migraine and occasionally ends up in a stroke. Some features of Basilar Migraines include vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus. Up to 80% of patients with Basilar Migraine have been reported to have sensorineural hearing loss.

So in the case of the Basilar Migraines, the vertigo might be indistinguishable from Meniere’s Disease during the headache-free intervals. Otherwise the presence of the headache would lend it toward the migraine component and should be treated as a migraine.

Clearly, Basilar Migraines are a more pernicious variety of migraine headache. Even though Basilar Migraines are classified as a sub-group of migraines, some believe that the stroke-like damage that is frequently associated with this group of headaches places it in a different category and should be treated very differently from the typical migraine.

Treatment

Unfortunately, the vertigo component of migraines is extremely resistant to standard treatment. The triptan class of drugs is relatively ineffective. Also, the standard anti-vertigo drugs like meclizine and phenergan also do not work well.

Nausea and vomiting are two very distressing symptoms accompanying migraines in some people. About 80% of migraine sufferers get nauseous, but only 30% actually throw up. In rare occasions, a person may vomit so many times they actually become dehydrated.

Most of the time, simply treating the migraine relieves the nausea. However, the nausea and vomiting may be so bad that it actually prevents a person from taking their migraine relief medications. When this happens the nausea only serves to prolong the agony.

There are two types of migraine nausea:

• Nausea that’s caused by extreme pain from any source – whether it be from a headache, neck or back pain, or abdominal pain.
• Nausea produced by the brain sending signals down the vagus nerve into the stomach causing acute queasiness.

In the first instance, standard anti-nausea medications may be used to relieve symptoms. These medications may be taken orally as pills – or in severe cases where someone just cannot hold down anything – as rectal suppositories.

Examples of standard anti-nausea medications include:

• Phenergan (promethazine hydrochloride)
• Thorazine (chlorpromazine)
• Compazine (prochlorperazine)
• Tigan (Trimetho-benzamide hydrochloride)
• Reglan (metoclopramide hydrochloride)
• Gravol (dimenhydrinate)

All of the above are available in suppository form except for Reglan.

One natural method that delivers real benefits is ginger. Taking ginger in the form of tablets or even a tea has been shown to alleviate some of the nausea accompanying a migraine, as well being effective for other conditions, including motion sickness, pregnancy and vomiting after surgery.

For the type of nausea primarily caused by the brain itself, the activity that causes the migraine also causes the nausea. This is where the “triptan” drugs are used.

Effects of Triptans on Migraine Nausea

Triptan drugs have become the primary migraine prescription medication used since the 1990’s. Examples of triptans include:

• Imitrex (sumatriptan)
• Maxalt (rizatriptan)
• Amerge (naratriptan)
• Zomig (zolmitriptan)
• Axert (almotriptan)
• Frova (frovatriptan)
• Relpax (eletriptan)

A 2001 study comparing four of the triptans concluded that Maxalt and Zomig were more effective at relieving nausea associated with migraines than Imitrex or Amerge. Of course about a third to a half of the patients in the study got better in two hours based simply on the placebo effect.

This isn’t to say that triptan medications should be used to combat nausea in non-migraine situations. Triptan medications don’t directly affect the nausea itself – they work in alleviating the migraine – which in turn eases the nausea.

As with any oral medication, unless you can keep it in your stomach – it’s not going to do you much good. Of the above triptans, all come in oral forms, but some can be taken in ways other than swallowing a pill.

There are 5 possible triptan formulations available:

• Standard oral tablet (all triptans)
• Subcutaneous (under the skin) injection (Imitrex)
• Quick dissolving oral tablet (sub-lingual) (Maxalt, Zomig)
• Nasal spray (Imitrex, Zomig)
• Rectal suppository (Imitrex)

For example, Imitrex comes as an injection, which is fast acting and relatively effective, but has a host of unpleasant side effects and is extremely expensive. Imitrex has recently become available as a nasal spray and also comes as a rectal suppository.

Zomig and Imitrex are the only two triptans that are available as nasal sprays. Sprays have the advantage of being rapidly absorbed and being quick acting – with relief coming as early as 15 minutes after use.
Zomig and Maxalt are also available as quick dissolving sub-lingual (under the tongue) tablets, doing away with any problems associate with swallowing.

The triptan formulations offering an alternative to swallowing a pill allows patients the opportunity to possibly abort a migraine attack at its onset. This is very reassuring to those migraine sufferers who frequently encounter nausea – especially vomiting.

Early administration of treatment, particularly the triptans, during a migraine attack is vitally important. The preferred method of taking conventional pills and tablets is perfectly reasonable – so long as the patient is able to swallow and keep the medication down long enough for absorption to take place.

However, in situations where nausea with or without vomiting is frequent or likely, alternate forms of the triptan medications should be carefully considered.

A Better Method

There is another option – a migraine cure. Cure the migraine and never worry about nausea or vomiting again.

Recent reports indicate migraine headaches can indeed be totally abolished – as a number of elite medical clinics catering to women have testified. Under their treatment protocols, migraines are completely eliminated in 80% of their patients.

These successes are limited to women only, as addressing a women’s hormones is the basis of the cure. Some clinics have published their treatment protocols and even made them available to the public.

There is a fine line within the balance between the initiation of an immune reaction and its termination, between causing inflammation to combat a foreign invader and stopping the same inflammation. Each different enzyme can cleave a protein molecule into two parts at a specific site within the molecule, and achieve a different result by doing so.

It was in the 1950s that enzymes were found to act as anti-inflammatory agents, when the fore-mentioned trypsin was found to alleviate inflammatory conditions such as ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis when administered intravenously. This sparked off a whole raft of work on the effects of proteolytic enzymes on inflammation and other problems associated with the immune system. It was found that inflammation was initially caused by the immune system reaction to an irritant such as a mould, bacterium or even pollen spore. The inflammation caused then attracted further attention from the immune system, and the whole inflammatory process became self-generating.

At that time the mechanism by which these enzymes reduced inflammation and also pain was not understood, but it is now believed to be through the breakdown of the proteins involved in the immune reaction, of the proteins that act as intermediaries in the inflammation process and of those that lead the inflammatory agents to the site of the irritation that is causing the inflammation. The Circulating Immune Complex that was drawn to the site of the inflammation and further irritating the condition was destroyed by the proteolytic enzyme. There are other parts of the mechanism, but each involves the breakdown or ‘digestion’ of a protein involved somewhere along the line.

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme discovered in the intestine of the silkworm, but that is manufactured through fermentation. It does not harm the silkworm, but when regurgitated by the silkworm at the right time destroys the protein that makes up its cocoon, forming a hole through which the fully developed insect can emerge. This phenomenon led to a study on its effect on other proteins and it was discovered to have very strong ant-inflammatory properties.

It also appears to easily break down excess fibrin floating in the blood, the fibers that cause blood to clot, and does so without diminishing the ability of the blood to clot wounds. Some blood achieves the consistency of yoghurt due to the excess fibrin it contains, and is so prone to clotting when it is not wanted. The blood is much healthier when this fibrin is destroyed by enzymes.

It appears to break down and digest dead proteins, blood clots, cysts, the debris left after the immune system has destroyed invading cells and organisms, and also internal scar tissue. By clearing up all the debris floating around in the blood it effectively thins it, and allows it to circulate better. Serrapeptase is even claimed to break down the plaque that forms on arterial walls and that promotes strokes and cardiovascular disease. It appears to have no effect on healthy cells, or living organic matter and acts as the body’s waste disposal system for the blood and lymphatic systems.

It has been used for thirty years with no reported side effects, and all of its claims have been supported by testimony from people who have used it. The medical authorities believe that further work is done prior to any effect on arterial plaque to be officially accepted, although the patients that it has helped would disagree with this.

It is not only inflammation that proteolytic enzymes can help, but also problems relating to the respiratory system. The two are linked since the destruction of mucus by the enzyme is related to its proteolytic properties. Sinusitis sufferers obtain very effective relief through oral doses of serrapeptase, although it must have an enteric coating to protect it because it is destroyed by the acidity of the stomach. Treatment is needed for between 2 and 4 weeks for the effects to be apparent, but it is effective even with chronic cases.

It is also useful in the treatment of infections of the upper respiratory tract, although does not cure all conditions. Those that are caused by allergens or inflammations will more likely be cured than others due to viruses or bacteria that do not involve inflammation. Conditions such as bronchitis and emphysema can be alleviated by the reduction of and thinning of mucus, and the clearing away of dead scar tissue.

This reduces the possibilities of secondary infections and helps to body’s healing systems to work better and improve the patient’s lung function. Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary condition and cannot be cured, though some sufferers have reported an improvement in their condition after taking proteolytic enzymes, particularly serrapeptase which seems to be the most potent. It should not, however, be regarded as a cure or as a substitute for any other medication the patient is under and should be used only with the permission of the patient’s doctor.

There are many similar conditions where the reduction in mucus viscosity and cleaning up and removal of dead tissues and debris in the respiratory system can help sufferers feel more comfortable. The general property of proteolytic enzymes ‘digesting’ useless protein cells from the blood, lymphatic system, respiratory system and between the joints can cure many painful conditions involving the non specific immune response that medicine calls ‘inflammation’.

The protease found most effective at achieving this is serrapeptase, also called serratio peptidase, and sometimes called the ‘wonder enzyme’. You will hear more of this enzyme in the future as it finds more and more medical applications due to the fact that it consigns all the detritus and rubbish within the non-digestive parts of our body to the rubbish bin.

Clear out the rubbish that is clogging up our bodies, and we are bound to feel healthier, and that is what many of these proteolytic enzymes do best, particularly serrapeptase.

About the Author

More information on proteolytic enzymes at http://vitanetonline.com/ where a large selection of anti-inflammatory supplements can be found.

Catalyn contains every nutrient that the body needs to function. When Catalyn was introduced, researchers had not yet discovered most of the vitamins and minerals we know today. Whenever they discover a “new” nutrient, spectrographic analysis reveals that it is in Catalyn.

Royal Lee, a dentist and an early pioneer in the field of nutrition, created Catalyn. He knew that it was unwise to try to improve on what God created. He knew not to isolate any nutrient from its natural environment of food. Vitamins occur naturally in foods as complexes of enzymes, trace minerals and other synergistic nutrients. This is the form that your body can use. If you take only a fraction of a vitamin complex, separating it from its natural cofactors, your body must provide the missing parts from its own reserves. This creates a deficiency of these cofactors. Dr. Lee’s philosophy was to find the food source of a nutrient and concentrate that food to a therapeutic dose.

As a dentist, Dr. Lee noticed that most of the chronic dental problems he saw were from nutritional deficiency. He concluded that if many dental problems came from poor nutrition, then other health problems could too. In 1926 Royal Lee set out to create a food concentrate that included all the nutrients the body uses to function. For three years he searched for the foods that, when combined, would provide the body with all of these micronutrients-not just those known of at the time.

Lee also invented a way to dry and concentrate these foods into pill form without heating them above body temperature. He knew that for foods to be useful they needed to be alive-with all their enzymes and other heat-sensitive nutrients intact. Enzymes start to denature, or die, at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To this day, the ingredients in Catalyn are not heated above body temperature. Lee’s patented low-heat vacuum-drying process takes the water out of the foods. This means that Catalyn, unlike nearly every other vitamin product, is a living food. Its vital energy is intact. In Chinese medicine, the energy of a food is at least as important as the physical nutrients in the food. Eating denatured or highly processed food is not nearly as beneficial as eating the whole food. So Catalyn is a whole food concentrate.

Dr. Lee said, “Whole food nutrition begins with the sun, water and fertile soil.” Most of the ingredients in Catalyn are organically-grown vegetables and grains. Dr. Lee knew that the trace minerals from the soil were the most important to the body. He wanted to grow his foods on the richest, most fertile soil in the country. Wherever he found it he would build his farm. He chose the Kettle Moraine, in what is now Palmyra, Wisconsin. It has the richest trace mineral supply, left from glacial erosion. Farmers water the crops from an artesian well that taps pure glacial water 580 feet below the surface. They use no chemicals on the land. They have never used chemicals to farm the land. There is very little land left in this country of which this is true. Most organic farms are converted conventional farms that were once sprayed, and depleted of their precious supply of trace nutrients.

Dr. Lee felt that deficiencies of trace minerals-minerals present in very small quantities-were the key to most chronic health problems. He recommended that everyone take three Catalyn a day. He did not believe in megadosing on vitamin preparations. His philosophy was to give the body concentrated food as a nutrient source. Then the body takes what it needs. A small amount of a food concentrate is better than a large amount of a synthetic or fractionated vitamin, which invariably disrupts body chemistry. Lee realized that it is foolish and futile to try to figure out what amounts of nutrients a person needs at a given time. Your body is made to get its nutrients from foods. If the diet does not supply what the body needs (and it doesn’t), then the body needs a food supplement, not a man-made synthetic, to fill the gaps and promote healthy function. For Lee, that meant three Catalyn a day.

Catalyn is an excellent source of all the vitamins and trace minerals. It does not contain the major minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorous) in sufficient quantity. Ideally, your diet supplies these minerals. However, most Americans are deficient in calcium and magnesium. Magnesium is the most common mineral deficiency in America. So it is wise to include additional supplements for calcium and magnesium in a well-rounded nutritional program.

Soon after Royal Lee released Catalyn in 1929, reports started to come in-wonderful and even miraculous results with just three Catalyn a day. Back then, the junk food was nothing compared to today’s. There were no hydrogenated oils, chemical preservatives, Nutrasweet, McDonald’s or rampant environmental pollution. The soil was richer, not yet depleted of its life-giving nutrients by industrial farming. So for modern Americans, three Catalyn a day is useful, but may not be enough. I take six a day, and more if I feel run-down.

With such success, Dr. Lee thought he had done his job-there was no other product needed. Soon he realized his work was not done; it had just begun. As complete as Catalyn was, it simply contained “a little of everything.” Lee saw the need for more specific products. From 1930, he began to develop a group of food concentrates designed to address the specific nutritional needs of people with a wide range of health problems. Though Royal Lee passed away in 1957, he left in his writings insights into health and illness that are far beyond what is widely known today. And he left the basis for what evolved into a group of more than 120 products based on the same philosophy that gave birth to Catalyn nearly seventy years ago. All Standard Process products are synergistic, just as foods are. Lee designed these products to work together, like a well-prepared meal.

As a practitioner of Chinese medicine, it is important for me to use nutritional medicine that is compatible with herbal medicine. High-dose synthetic drug/vitamins are incompatible with herbs, because fractionated vitamins disrupt the delicate balance of micronutrients found in herbs and foods. Since we have not even discovered most of the substances in herbal medicine, it is impossible to know how these phytonutrients interact with synthetics. Unfortunately, nearly every multi-vitamin available is a synthetic or fractionated vitamin product.

I was an avid fan of high-dose synthetic vitamins for a long time. I imagined that I would have less energy if I stopped the “strong formula” I was used to. How could three or even six small Catalyn, with ingredients that read like a grocery list, and with very unimpressive quantities of “stuff” listed on its label, equal the nutritional support from my four huge pills that contained vast amounts of vitamins? I wanted to find out. I stopped my mega-vitamin formula, cold turkey, and replaced it with six Catalyn a day. To my surprise, I did not suffer any adverse effects. Instead, after a few weeks, my energy, endurance and mental clarity improved. No surprise, really. All I did was take away the toxic burden of these synthetic nutrient/drugs, and put in their place a wondrous concentration of what God provided, and designed my body to use-good food.

We are just starting to learn about the complex interactions between two or more drugs. We know even less about how synthetic vitamins interact with each other and with drugs. Catalyn and products like it are simply a pure concentrate of what nature provides.

Researchers and practitioners who use synthetic or fractionated vitamins worry, just as doctors and pharmacists do, about toxicity from an overdose of their medicines. Synthetic vitamins are not foods, and they do not have a nutritional, or rebalancing effect on the body. Rather, they have a pharmacological or drug-like effect on the body. They often produce fast and dramatic results, just as drugs do. They also produce imbalances in the body, just as drugs do. Common sense says that too much of anything taken into the body, even water, is toxic. Common sense also knows that foods have much less potential for toxicity than drugs, or their cousins, high-dose fractionated vitamins. While many of Dr. Lee’s contemporaries began the movement to isolate and synthesize nutrients, he sought to preserve them in their natural state. The first fruit of that work was Catalyn. I am thankful to use Catalyn and its sister products, and recommend them to my family and patients.

Ingredients in Catalyn (* means Organically grown)

• Carrots *
• Alfalfa *
• Wheat germ *
• Nutritional yeast *
• Mushrooms *
• Kidney powder
• Essential fatty acids
• Wheat flour *
• Oat flour *
• Spleen powder
• Liver powder
• Rice bran *
• Soy bean lecithin *

Catalyn contains all the…

• Vitamins
• Enzymes
• Minerals
• Trace Minerals
• Amino Acids
• Essential Fatty Acids

…that the body needs to function.

—

Michael Gaeta, BPS, is a New York State licensed acupuncturist, licensed nutritionist, licensed massage therapist and certified Amma therapist, and holds a diplomate in Asian bodywork therapy. He is a graduate of the New York College of Health Professions, where he has been a faculty member since 1993. Michael is a certified instructor and state representative of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia. Michael also serves as President of the Acupuncture Society of New York. He writes for local and national publications, and presents seminars nationally on practice management, nutrition, medical ethics, herbal therapy and Oriental medicine. He is also a pianist and composer. His passion is to give, love and serve through teaching, hands-on therapies and music. Michael founded the Hands-On Health Wholistic HealthCare Center in 1990.

After receiving leptin replacement therapy, research subjects with a recessive mutation in the obesity (ob) gene – a population both deficient in Leptin and morbidly obese – lost about half of their body weight while regulating their own food intake. (Medical news Today 4/5/2005).

If you take it at face value, it seems as if the research is saying that more leptin will help you lose weight. This research refers to subjects with a genetic basis for obesity who were deficient in leptin. But obese individuals tend to have more and larger leptin-producing fat cells than thinner people. They simply are not getting vital chemical signals to their brains that tell them to stop eating.

To illustrate my point:

Despite an assiduous search, scientists have found only a half-dozen people in the world who make no leptin. These people eat voraciously – one 3-year-old girl consumed 2,000 calories at a sitting. When several of these people were treated with leptin, they lost their appetites and their weight plummeted. (The New York Times 31/10/1999).

Don’t get me wrong, if it helps those who cannot make leptin, then this is a major breakthrough for them.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, goes a long way toward proving to me that more leptin does not equal less weight in very overweight people in the general population.

To make things worse, a hormone called leptin that was supposed to be the magic bullet for obesity, making people effortlessly lose fat while retaining muscle, looks like a bust. In a preliminary study reported last week, most people who took leptin lost little or no weight – one fat person who took the highest dose actually gained 20 pounds. (The New York Times 31/10/1999).

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston say lean, physically active people have low levels of leptin, which is produced by the body’s fat cells and is believed to be a major culprit in causing obesity. The study finds that when couch potatoes start exercising regularly, their leptin levels decrease.

“As you get fatter, your body makes more leptin,” says Eric B. Rimm, Sc.D., associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, and a co-author of the study. “But when you exercise, the amount of leptin in the blood decreases. Most of the time, you also lose weight, which means your risk of heart disease decreases too.” (Science Daily 7/3/2000).

Normally, when leptin levels in blood go up, the brain signals us to stop eating. But since obesity isn’t the result of a lack of leptin, it is a lack of response to leptin, and obese individuals tend to have more and larger leptin-producing fat cells (leptin is a hormone secreted by fat cells) than thinner people, their leptin levels increase substantially with every pound of additional weight gain.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but there appears to be no logic in the idea of taking more leptin to reduce weight if you have an impaired response to leptin.

It is important to keep in mind that the study that showed that raising leptin levels in people who have already lost weight helps them to keep the weight off. It does not help people to lose weight in the first place. It prevents the yo-yoing that most dieters go through as their leptin levels drop and the brain tries to compensate by increasing hunger.

Weight loss lowers levels of leptin, which in turn can restore an impaired response to leptin signalling, thereby increasing your appetite. Therefore the first step, if considering using leptin, is to accomplish initial weight loss, thereby enabling supplemental leptin to signal you to stop eating.

—-

Kevin Flatt has extensively researched the subject of Alternative Medicine over many years. For Weight Loss help read this article

This just isn’t uncommon. You may be performing everything you can to lose weight, but can’t seem to make any progress. Consequently, you might be frustrated or depressed and are ready to give up.

One problem is that many diets are homogeneous. They don’t consider the individual’s physiology, metabolism, and way of life. They’re a cookie-cutter approach to weight loss, which doesn’t work in most circumstances. Therefore, employing the services of a registered dietician may be the most effective solution. This could be carried out in person or via the net, where you can contact your dietician any time of the day or night via e-mail. Your dietician will probably be your personal coach and cheerleader, helping you through the inevitable setbacks.

Lack of support can be a large reason that diets often fail. You may feel like you have nobody to speak to about your weight problems. When this is the case, some individuals go to psychotherapists to help them with their food-related issues. This can be very helpful, particularly if an individual suffers from an eating disorder, for example anorexia or bulimia. Bulimia and anorexia are serious diseases that need to be treated by a medical expert to be able to make sure the recovery of the patient.

Hidden calories within the foods we eat is an additional pitfall of dieting. Often, we are consuming calories and do not even know it. Sugary drinks like sodas and fruit juices are a typical source of unneeded calories. By switching to diet drinks, or drinking water, and substituting skim milk for whole milk, you can eliminate the hidden calories which are keeping you from reaching your weight reduction goals.

Being a yoyo dieter is yet another problem. You might commence a diet, then quit prior to you’ve made any measurable progress simply because you might be bored or feel deprived. Healthy weight loss just isn’t often quick, and involves losing only a couple of pounds per week. Keeping a positive attitude and sticking having a healthy diet plan strategy is key to losing weight.

Lifestyle change is part of effective eating and physical exercise. Stay away from consuming for comfort or emotional fulfillment. Changing the way you eat needs lifetime commitment; it means that you must follow the plan for the lengthy haul. Find an consuming plan that’s healthy, and that you’ll be able to stick to. Whilst your primary goal may be to lose weight, you should also focus on being healthy. Fad diets can not give you both of those things. For that reason, you must carefully choose your consuming strategy.

Acupuncture incorporates inserting thin, specialized needles just slightly into the skin at extremely specific spots. According to Chinese medical theory, there are very many uses and disease situations that can be successfully treated using acupuncture. On the other hand, we wish to say that you should make a scheduled appointment with your primary medical professional before using this technique. Obviously it is your judgement, but you never know what may be a concern which is precisely why you should see your own doctor.

However along with all the other information and understanding, where the needles are required are all in accordance with the key theory. Yet, the acupuncture points exist in special regions of the body called meridian lines. These lines are located all over the body, and there are hundreds of acupuncture points. The official explanation of meridians is they are the channels through which our life force flows. So depending on the disorder, that is exactly where the trained person will put the needles.

According to acupuncture texts, it is the blockage, or increased resistance, of energy at a location that results in particular medical problems. The activity of the acupuncture needles is to clean the obstacle to energy flow and regain health and well being. Pain caused by other conditions can be reduced using the same basis. That is why very many people undergo acupuncture, and it’s for alleviation of pain from other issues. If a person can feel pain relief this way, then there’s no need for taking pain relievers given by physicians.

All of the various conditions and situations for which acupuncture may be helpful, or effective, have not been thoroughly studied. Acupuncture can be effective for managing stress and the types of headaches that can end up from it. Migraines are a typical problem that people apply acupuncture for, and they state that effective treatment can occur. Additional benefits consist of being a safe option, but it is very important you consult your doctor and seek a skilled and licensed acupuncture therapist. Apparently there may be some side effects with some kinds of problems, but the best path to take is ask a professional acupuncture therapist. An added reason some people make use of this method is in special situations when other methods of alleviating pain are not effective.

One such alternative or complementary treatment is Reiki. It has gained quite a bit of popularity over the past few decades. It is being offered in most hospitals and hospices nowadays.

If you are like a lot of people, you have heard of Reiki, but do not know exactly what it is. Besides this, many people are unaware of how Reiki can help them and their overall well-being.

Well Reiki is a Japanese form of self-healing and self-development. It is often called energy healing, Spiritual healing or laying on of hands. It is ancient, but said to have been re-discovered in the early 1900’s by a man by the name of Mikao Usui while on a 21-day spiritual retreat in Japan. In Japan, it was originally referred to as, the Reiki cure.

Here in the Westernized World it is commonly referred to as a way of relaxing and de-stressing, therefore allowing one’s own immune system to more optimally do its job.

So just what can one expect from Reiki? Well these are just some of the things it is known for;

• helping to reduce pain
• helping to reduce stress
• boosting and strengthening the immune system
• increasing energy
• correcting of insomnia, allowing for sleep
• increasing your intuition
• increasing confidence
• causing deep relaxation and peace
• helps with letting go of fears
• helps with releasing unwanted habits
• aids in the process of detox, reducing side-effects
• promoting a more positive outlook
• Reiki is complementary to all other forms of healing, so you can combine it with conventional treatments
• Reiki has been shown to reduce or even eliminate the side effects of pharmaceuticals
• in some miraculous healings have even been reported from all types of disease

Reiki is a very easy to learn technique that anyone can learn. One can opt for learning to do it for themselves or by utilizing the services of a Reiki Master. There are three levels of Reiki, Master level being the highest. At this level sending the healing energy over great distances or even to healing past traumas is possible.

With Reiki, you are allowing the flow of Divine energy to work with and through you. Reiki can only help and aid in the healing process. While practicing Reiki there is an ideal to always be kept in mind,-wish harm to none.

All in all this type of energy healing dates as far back as ancient Egypt. It’s funny how people think of it as “new age” when the reality is that “conventional” or “Westernized” medicine is the real “new age”.

So if you are seeking a natural, holistic form of healing, Reiki is a tool that can easily be added to any healing protocol. Reiki is complementary to all other forms of more conventional healing.

For more info on Reiki self healing and to find out how you can easily learn this empowering technique just click here to Learn Reiki. Suzanne OBrien is a Reiki Master, certified Medical Intuitive, certified Reconnective Healer tm,Distant Energy Healer trained in many various healing techniques. She continues to learn all she can about natural and energy healing techniques while teaching and offering services to both pets and people.

One of the most well-known ingredients in virgin coconut oil is vitamin E. Some people use vitamin E in large doses directly on their skin. While this may be beneficial for some people’s skin care–as everyone’s skin is different–it is not the most ideal way to expose skin to vitamin E for most people. For most skin types it is best to use this vitamin in smaller doses that will not clog the pores or cause breakouts.

How Does Vitamin E Help Skin?

The vitamin is fat-soluble and contains many compounds that are well-known for providing great skin care benefits. One of its primary compounds is d-alpha-tocopherol–an ingredient with strong antioxidant abilities. The antioxidant capabilities of vitamin E, as well as other antioxidants found in coconut oil, are incredibly important when it comes to skin care. Antioxidants work to protect skin from the damaging effects of oxidation. They also protect the skin from the tissue damage that free-radicals cause.

Coconut oil is often used to help reduce the appearance of scars, including stretch marks, acne scars, and more. The compound in virgin coconut oil that is said to have the most impact on healing scars is vitamin E. The vitamin is often used directly to remedy and reduce scars and skin irritations like eczema and psoriasis. Coconut oil is also well-known for its moisturizing properties and vitamin E plays a large part in this. The vitamin works to help preserve the skin’s natural level of hydration by maintaining its oil balance.

Vitamin E is also used as a sun burn treatment and is known for enhancing the skin’s barrier function. In addition to this, it is also often used as a dietary supplement and has many positive benefits for the body.

Want to find out more about coconut oil, then visit Barbara Beckham’s site on how to choose the best coconut oil benefits for your needs.

What Is Red Clover?

Native to Europe and Asia, red clover is also cultivated in North America. It is grown in meadows for the purpose of grazing animals. The sweet nectar in the plant’s tiny red flowers may be collected by bees, eventually to become clover honey. If organically grown, the flowers are edible and are frequently used in iced tea and salads.

The red clover plant has a wide array of vitamins and minerals. Some of these nutrients include calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. The substances that have recently put red clover in the spotlight, however, are isoflavones. These natural plant substances act as powerful antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants fight inflammation, which is believed to be responsible for many chronic diseases. The isoflavones in red clover have an effect similar to estrogen because of their ability to attach to estrogen receptors in cells.

How Red Clover Benefits Your Health

Traditionally, red clover has been used as a diuretic, an expectorant for clearing mucous from the lungs, and a treatment for infection. It has also been used as a cancer treatment, particularly for prostate and liver cancers, because of its ability to stimulate the immune system. It also contains a substance called coumarin, which is known to act as a blood thinner. This blood thinning effect may decrease the risk of clots and improve blood flow.

Some studies suggest that the isoflavones in red clover may disrupt bone loss in pre- and postmenopausal women. It has also been used to treat infertility and chronic miscarriages, which are both associated with low estrogen. It may fight heart disease by raising levels of good HDL cholesterol in the blood. Other conditions that may benefit from the isoflavones in red clover are psoriasis, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disorder, liver problems and a weakened immune system. It has been noted that people at risk for breast cancer or other diseases caused by excess estrogen should not take red clover.

Red Clover and MSG

A new study has shown that red clover may prevent the damaging of effects of the food additive, monosodium glutamate, or MSG. In the June issue of the journal, Phytomedicine, it was reported that neurons treated with red clover isoflavones were not affected by glutamate exposure, which normally results in cell damage.

MSG is not simply a salt or seasoning, but a substance that directly affects the brain. It is often added to processed food, such as soups, prepared meals, gravies, sauces, and fast food. MSG sends messages to the brain that release dopamine, a chemical that makes you feel good and creates the perception of flavor. That is why it is often used to make lower quality foods taste better. This activity in the brain can cause cell damage. Taking red clover before eating fast food may prevent this effect.

As you can see, there are many ways to benefit from red clover. This herb is available in dried form, which is perfect for tea. You can also get it in tincture or capsule form. If using capsules, the recommended dosage is 40 to 160 mg per day. Because of red clover’s potent estrogenic and blood thinning properties, it is essential to talk to your doctor before using this herb. If it is right for you, your doctor can help devise a complementary treatment plan.

Looking to find more information on isoflavones, then visit www.healthyanswers.com to find the best advice on isoflavonesand what they can do for you.