Life Style

Discover 3 Natural Remedies For Morning Sickness
By David Silva

Here's an estimate that might shock you: as many as 80% of pregnant women experience morning sickness or some form of nausea during their pregnancy. Fortunately, the morning sickness doesn't last throughout the entire pregnancy. It tends to peak around the 9th week and disappear around the 20th week. Unfortunately, nearly three months of battling nausea can be tough on anyone.

Because of concerns for the baby, more and more women are turning to natural remedies for their morning sickness. However, even natural remedies require caution. For instance, the three most common natural remedies for morning sickness are ginger tea, acupressure wristbands, and peppermint oil. Yet these remedies can cause mild adverse reactions such as skin irritation due to the wristbands or the intolerable taste of the ginger.

You do have other choices, however. Here's a short list of steps you can take immediately to help relieve your morning sickness

- Eat frequent, smaller meals so you never feel too hungry or too full.
- Avoid fried or fatty foods.
- Eat crackers, bread, toast, cereal and other bland foods throughout the day. Eat something from this list before you get out of bed in the morning.
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially between meals.
- Keep a record of your activities and the foods you eat in order to identify what tends to trigger your nausea.

If these steps aren't helpful, then you might want to consider trying one of natural remedies listed above. Let's take a closer look at these ...

Acupuncture

A very small percentage of pregnant women experience hyperemesis gravidarium, which is a severe form of morning sickness that can result in weight loss, dehydration, and potentially hospitalization. Several studies have demonstrated that regular, several-times-a-day acupuncture sessions can be helpful in minimizing this form of nausea and vomiting.

In addition, acupuncture wrist bands (also known as ‘sea bands’) that stimulate the pericardium (p6) acupuncture point can be effective. The wrist band consists of a plastic button that applies pressure on the p6 point inside the wrist. This is a form of traditional Chinese medicine used to relieve nausea, and it generally works immediately. You can find an acupuncture wrist band online or at your local health food store. They're generally reasonably priced.

Ginger

Ginger is a popular natural remedy for morning sickness. It's been used for this purpose for centuries, and after numerous medical trials, is generally recognized as safe. However, ginger does contain substances that can potentially cause birth defects. For this reason, taking higher doses (over 500 mg) during pregnancy is generally unadvisable. In addition, there are concerns that ginger can prolong bleeding time and interfere with platelet aggregation, though studies focused on the first trimester found no notable difference in the number or miscarriages, stillbirths and malformations.

Ginger is commonly taken in hot water as a tea. It can also be consumed as ginger soda, gingersnaps or in capsule form.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Nausea can be minimized by using the aroma of peppermint. It's relatively easy to create your own peppermint aroma bowl. Fill a large bowl with hot water, add two drops of peppermint essential oil, and you're all set. Keep the bowl on a nightstand near where you sleep and see if it doesn't help.

As with any medical treatment or natural remedy, always consult with your physician first. Some natural remedies can work against medications, others can have hidden side effects that your physician can caution you about.

David Silva is the webmaster for Alternative Medicine First, a website dedicated to the dissemination of information about alternative medicine, including various practices such as acupuncture, biofeedback, Traditional Chinese Medicine, massage, yoga and others.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Silva

Five Easy Ways to Avoid the Flu This Winter
By Steven Sonmore

Many people wonder how they can stay well this winter, considering the onset of the flu season and the fear of a possible influenza epidemic. Fortunately, acupuncture and Oriental medicine provide proven steps toward preventing illness and maintaining good health in cold weather.

We hear about so many people catching the flu - but in reality it is only a portion of those exposed to a virus that get sick. Why? According to Oriental medicine's teachings, our bodies get sick when we are in a weakened state. It is only when our immune systems are weakened and our bodies are out of balance that we are vulnerable to sickness.

Acupuncture originated in China between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. It corrects imbalances in the body's energy systems that cause illness. Practitioners of Oriental medicine identify Qi (pronounced "chee") as the life giving energy that needs to flow freely through the body for good health. Integrated with a wise lifestyle, Oriental medicine can help prevent illness.

Here are Five Tips for Avoiding Illness This Flu Season:

1. Exercise a little bit everyday. Exercise moves the lymphatic system, thereby helping to detoxify the poisons in your body.

2. Keep warm. Make sure your neck and chest are protected from wind, drafts and cold. Use a scarf around your neck when going outside and wear turtle neck shirts or sweaters. The neck is an area where wind can invade the body and cause sickness. The Oriental medical perspective is that wind invasions make people more vulnerable to developing colds and flu. Always keep your feet warm and dry.

3. Get adequate sleep and relaxation. Your body is vulnerable to stress without enough rest. Think about doing some deep breathing exercises to help relax and unwind at the end of the day. Use stress-reduction methods like Qi Gong meditation or yoga.

4. Eat smart. Avoid refined sugars (processed food and baked goods, alcohol, etc.). A diet of refined or simple carbohydrates (white sugar, white bread) raises the body's Ph and allows bacteria, mold, yeast and fungi to thrive. Simple carbohydrates suck up the nutrition your body needs to detoxify, nourish and build new cells and antibodies. This makes you MORE susceptible to illness. Vitalize your nutrition by eating more fresh, organic foods and less processed food. This food has more "Qi" in it.

5. Get Acupuncture. When you get regular acupuncture treatments (as little as once per month) it actually boosts your immune system. Acupuncture strengthen the "Wei Qi" or the protective energy that safeguards us against colds and flu.

Use these Five Tips for Avoiding Illness to keep your body strong and healthy this winter. You can resist illness, the flu or the common cold.