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Doing microdermabrasion acne treatment at home July 19, 2009

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If you are plagued with persistent and difficult to deal with acne then no doubt you have considered microdermabrasion acne treatment. The problem is that microdermabrasion acne treatment is very expensive and for most people it is completely unaffordable. There is a solution however. If you shop around you can find products like the Neutrogena microdermabrasion acne kit. This product, while not as effective as many of the spa microdermabrasion acne treatments, is a fraction of the cost. In addition, because you can continue treatments over time the home microdermabrasion acne treatments will become more effective over time.

Why A Home Microdermabrasion Acne Treatment Is A Great Thing To Try

If you are trying to clear up your acne and can not afford the spa treatment giving a home microdermabrasion acne treatment kit a try is a great way to see if you like the treatment and if it is going to be effective for you. Most of these kits run in the $30 - $100 range. This is for the full kit and treatment. Spa session cost far more then that for one treatment. Many of the microdermabrasion acne treatment kits you can use at home will last for several months if not a year depending on what you buy. The cost in spa treatments over that same time period would dwarf what you are going to pay for the home kits.

In addition by doing microdermabrasion at home you can do it much more frequently then you would if you were having to go to a spa. It is much easier to schedule then a spa treatment and much easier to keep that appointment. In addition if you need to do it at a later time it is much easier to do then if you are having to work around the schedule of the spa. In addition, if you need to cancel the appointment there is not a fee or anyone to notify, just skip a week.

Home microdermabrasion acne treatment will not have the immediate effects that you would see going to a spa. Many times those are quite dramatic and and profound. However, you will eventually see the same results if you give the treatments time. These treatments take time to get to the same level as the spa treatments, but once you are there they are much easier to maintain. The problem with the spa treatments that unless you continually keep doing them your skin will slip back to the way it was. With the home treatments, this slipping does not happen and you can keep your skin looking like the best spa treatments money can buy for pennies on the dollar.

http://www.thehealthguide.org/microdermabrasion/doing-microdermabrasion-acne-treatment-at-home/

Colic: using gripe water to treat it July 15, 2009

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It is quite possible that you might have tried several ways to soothe your colicky baby but still have not got a sure shot way to pacify your distressed baby. Then, chances are that you have not tried to give your baby gripe water. Not many know that gripe water is a natural and safe remedy to cure a colicky baby. In case, you are unaware of the power and types of gripe water, then read on to know about it.

What Is Gripe Water?

Though a European remedy, gripe water has been tried all over the world for its beneficial uses especially in curing a colicky baby. It helps when massages and gas medications fail to relieve the baby from colic. It is not a medicine but water fortified with certain useful herbs that provide relieve to the stomach. The most common herbs used in gripe water are:

* Ginger
* Peppermint
* Chamomile
* Fennel

Finding Good Gripe Water

Now, that you know about gripe water, you may logically be thinking how to find good gripe water for your baby. Though the market is full of a variety of gripe waters manufactured by different brands, not all are safe. So, when you are about to buy one, do check the ingredients used in it, if all of them are natural, then it can be given to your baby. The most popular company known for making safe and effective gripe water is Wellements.

Ingredients Used In Gripe Water

It’s time to learn about the ingredients used in gripe water and how they can benefit your colicky baby. As told before, ginger, peppermint, fennel and chamomile are the common herbs used in gripe water, but there some other herbs too like cardamom, dill, cinnamon bark, angelica, caraway, fructose and catnip.
* Ginger: It helps in relieving nausea.
* Dill: It helps in relieving stomachache and stimulating appetite.
* Fennel: It helps in relieving upset stomach, gas and hiccups.
* Cinnamon Bark: It helps in relieving vomiting and flatulence.

Right Way Of Giving Gripe Water

Choosing a perfect gripe water will be useless if you don’t know the right way of giving it to your baby. Remember, that all gripe waters have different strength and doses for infants. Simply try the following to give gripe water in the right way to your baby:
* Read the instructions and give the gripe water as instructed.
* You can mix gripe water in baby’s milk and feed.
* Gripe water can also be given in a bottle or sipper in the directed quantity.
* You can also use a dropper to feed the baby directly with gripe water.

Benefits Of Gripe Water

Now, have a look at a quick list of benefits of giving gripe water to a colicky baby:
* It is natural and leaves no side effects on the baby.
* Herbs used in it are good for the digestive system of the baby.
* It can be given to colicky babies with ease.
* They are easily available in affordable price.

http://www.thehealthguide.org/colic/colic-using-gripe-water-to-treat-it/

The truth behind the back sleep position for infants July 14, 2009

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The present threat of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) among infants has created a stir not only to mothers, but to medical experts as well. Over the years, modern science have been looking for better sleeping position that can prevent such tragedy.

Among babies, sleeping on one’s back is recommended as opposed to sleeping on one’s stomach. It has been a popular myth that when babies are allowed to sleep on their backs, they are most likely to choke. This is actually not the case. Most babies do vomit or spit during sleep. When this happens, some believed that babies are prone to choking when they are in a back sleep position. The truth is - babies involuntarily swallow any fluid they produce while in sleep. Doctors state that there has been no instance where such incidents were increased with such sleeping position.

A distinguished medical organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommended infants to sleep on their backs. Medical experts attest that the back sleep position can decrease the risk of SIDS. Modern research shows that the chances of acquiring SIDS among children were lowered dramatically by almost 40% each year if such sleeping position was implemented. It is actually beneficial for babies if they are in this position as they can easily move their arms and legs.

Babies who are 2- 4 months old are likely to shift positions, put them back to the back sleep position by carefully rolling them over. Another option is to carefully swaddle them in a comfortable blanket to prevent them from sleeping on their stomach. You can also get one of those special swaddling blankets available in the market.

At first, your babies may find it uncomfortable to sleep on their backs because they naturally sleep on their stomachs. It would be the parents’ or the guardians’ responsibilities to train them in the back sleep position. With enough practice, they would eventually make it a sleeping habit. When training your babies, remember to remind your relatives or babysitters who might put your child into sleep in case of your absence.

Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/465/Jason-Rickard
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/6068/1/The-Truth-Behind-The-Back-Sleep-Position-For-Infants.html

Milkweed: the worth of a weed July 13, 2009

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Historically, milkweed has been a weed that farmers tried to kill. Yet now, serious efforts are under way to cultivate itand even to develop a milkweed industry.

In truth, the use of milkweed is nothing new. American Indians knew the value of floss; they used it as a soft, warm lining for their children’s cradles. In 1635, the French produced silklike fabrics from milkweed fibers. Milkweed “went to war” when World War II interrupted the supply of imported kapok from Asia, and Americans picked milkweed pods so its floss could be used in U.S. Navy life jackets. Each of these uses of milkweed relied on harvesting by hand from the wild. This chapter is a case study of a current venture which seeks to grow milkweed as a cultivated crop, thereby providing a stable source of floss for commercialization.

Background

In the late 1970’s, Nobel Laureate Melvin Calvin and others were promoting the idea that billions of barrels of synthetic crude oil could be recovered from plant biomass. Standard Oil of Ohio began a milkweed research program, working with Native Plants, Inc., to produce a synthetic crude oil from milkweed biomass. Milkweed was grown, cut, dried, and baled much like hay. Analysis of that research concluded that the cost of producing the synthetic crude oil was too high and the yield of oil too low to be economically feasible.

During the course of that research project, Herbert D. Knudsen, Manager of Corporate Ventures for Standard Oil, was looking at alternative uses of milkweed. He made contact with William G. Wilson of Kimberly-Clark in Neenah, WI. Kimberly-Clark was interested in the potential of milkweed floss for use in its disposable absorbency products. With Standard Oil’s 5 years of experience growing milkweed in research plots for the synthetic crude oil project, the fit of interests seemed good. Arrangements were made for Kimberly-Clark to proceed with product development research and Standard Oil to grow milkweed.

When British Petroleum acquired Standard Oil of Ohio, they eliminated diversification efforts, so Knudsen decided to acquire the milkweed venture himself. In 1987, Natural Fibers Corp. was founded with the dream of creating a new agricultural industry, comparable in size to the cotton industry, based on milkweed.

Analyzing the Opportunity

Product development for milkweed floss has been a cooperative effort between Natural Fibers Corp., the University of Nebraska, the Southern Regional Research Center of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, and various private corporations. Based on their experience, 10 pounds of dried milkweed pods can be used to produce 2 pounds of floss, 3 pounds of seed, and 5 pounds of pod biomass. Prototype development using these components has shown that it is possible to make a number of products with milkweed floss, which can be:

Combined with down and used as loose-fill in comforters, pillows, and clothing, Used to form a batt or filling for quilts, jackets, and disposable absorbency items, and Blended with cotton and woven to make a linenlike cloth.

In addition to the products developed from floss, milkweed biomass and the oil from the seeds have been evaluated for potential uses. Paper has been made from the bast fiber; pet litter and fireplace logs have been made from the pod biomass. The seed oil has been analyzed to determine its lubricating properties and its potential for use in cosmetics. There are undoubtedly other possible uses for milkweed. The challenge is to determine which ones are economically viable at given levels of milkweed production and cost.

To move ahead, market opportunities for milkweed were assessed in terms of volumes, prices and resources. The resources of Standard Oil were substantially greater than those of an entrepreneur, even with the cooperation and special grants funding of the University of Nebraska and USDA’s Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS). While the nonwovens market was a realistic target, considering the resources of Standard Oil, it was not realistic as a startup venture for an entrepreneur. The $2 billion nonwovens market requires a minimum of 500,000 pounds of floss at less than $9 per pound. Financial projections determined that penetrating the nonwovens market would require at least $6 million of investment by Natural Fibers Corp., so it was not viewed as a viable short-term target. Instead, the goal was to find a high-value, low-volume market for the initial entry.

Market Niche

Milkweed floss has properties similar to those of goose down. In the United States, the size of the waterfowl down market is about 10 million pounds with a price range of $10 to $30 per pound. A number of loose-filled products can be made: comforters, pillows, sleeping bags, and jackets.

Knudsen’s approach to product development and testing is to “put the product in the customers’ hands and tell them the price. Then keep lowering the price until you cannot get the product back.” With an idea of the potential retail value, one can then look at the economics of costs and revenue for the grower, the processor, the manufacturer, and the distribution system. Next, ask if you can make a profit at the price the customer is willing to pay. If the answer is “yes,” you proceed to make the process as efficient as possible, from grower to consumer. For blended, loose-fill milkweed floss, the products that held the greatest potential were comforters and pillows. Thus, Natural Fibers Corp. chose these to launch their line of Ogallala Down products.

Growing Milkweed

After years of trying to kill milkweed, it now seemed that growing it was nearly as difficult. First, farmers willing to grow milkweed had to be found. Richard D. Zeller, an agribusiness professional, was hired to coordinate production activities. Robert L. Raun, former director of agriculture in Nebraska, is growing milkweed in Minden, NE. Ralph Holzfaster and Edward Perlinger, farmers from the Ogallala, NE, area, also have fields of milkweed. In addition, a number of researchers from the University of Nebraska and one from Kansas State University have been actively involved in addressing the obstacles to growing milkweed.

Milkweed grows in the same basic regions as corn and is planted and cared for with traditional row crop equipment. A deep-rooted perennial, milkweed produces beautiful flowers that provide habitat for Monarch butterflies in mid- to late summer as they migrate south for the winter. Pods containing floss and seed are formed in the second year after planting.

The major production problems faced by milkweed farmers have been diseases, weeds, and hail. The diseases causing the most damage are a black spot fungus and a bacterial blight. University of Nebraska plant pathologist Anne Vidaver leads the efforts to control the bacterial blight, and Michael Boosalis, also a plant pathologist at the University of Nebraska, is attempting to find ways to minimize black spot. Chemical controls have not been successful; thus, variety selection may be the best recourse.

As a step in this direction, Zeller and Paul D. Nordquist have established a germplasm nursery in Ogallala. Seed from vibrant wild plants is being evaluated for yield, resistance to disease, and cultural needs such as water and fertility requirements. Test plots have been established at an experiment station in Garden City, KS. Other test plots exist at Nebraska sites near Beatrice and Scottsbluff. Average test-plot yields for the past 5 years from all varieties and hybrids have been about 252 pounds of floss per acre.

In spite of disease and hail, Natural Fibers Corp. was able to produce 1,000 pounds of floss in 1990 and 1,500 pounds in 1991 from production fields and supplemental wild collections. While this is far short of the 500,000 pounds of floss needed to penetrate the nonwovens market, it is enough to encourage those involved to continue the effort.

Harvesting and Processing

Green milkweed pods are harvested with a modified New Idea Uni-System ear corn picker, at about 70 percent moisture, before they open to release the floss and seeds. The pods are cracked open in a roller mill and dried to about 30 percent moisture in portable tanks on the farm. The partially dried pods are transported to the Ogallala processing plant and dried to 10 percent moisture. At this moisture level, they can be safely stored and processed. The harvester was designed by Kenneth Von Bargen and the drying system was designed by David D. Jones, both of the Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Nebraska.

Once the pods are dried, they are pneumatically conveyed from the drying bins to the floss processing line. The processing line consists of a modified 1940 model combine, a cleaning apparatus, and a hopper. Floss is vacuum-bagged from the hopper. Milkweed floss and goose down are air-blended to produce Ogallala Down, which is manufactured into comforters or pillows using standard loose-fill processing equipment.

Commercialization

Penetrating a well-established market with a new product is not an easy task. Understanding the properties of your product, as well as the perceived needs of the end user and of the distributors with whom you will work, is essential. As milkweed floss was assessed, the following features were found to be important factors for the down market:

A nonallergenic cellulose fiber, Fill-power comparable to high-quality goose down, White color, More durable than down, and 20 percent warmer per unit of weight than down.

In addition, as milkweed floss absorbs moisture, it continues to allow more air to move through the fibers compared to down, making it more “breathable.”

End-user acceptance and promotional support were important to distributors. Promotion is a paramount concern for most startup ventures because the image created is important not only in selling the product but also in attracting investors and farmers. Natural Fibers Corp. based its 1989 promotions both on the Ogallala Sioux legend of an Indian maiden named Flame and on the Monarch butterflies. The result was sales of $20,000.

Touting comforters with milkweed floss did not create sufficient consumer demand. An attractive product name was needed. Hence, “Ogallala Down” was adopted to describe a blend of 60 percent milkweed floss and 40 percent goose down, and the slogan “Nothing Warms You Up Like Ogallala Down” was coined. Attractive, high-quality brochures, labels, and product inserts were developed. Many customers have a special interest in environmental issues. To address such issues it was pointed out that milkweed floss is a vegetable fiber produced in low-input agriculture and that use of the comforters allows the user to turn down the thermostat in the winter to save energy. (University of Nebraska and Kansas State University researchers determined that milkweed floss possesses 25 percent more insulating power than goose down.)

Selecting and recruiting wholesale distributors was also a key issue. Early sales were the result of word-of-mouth and direct marketing campaigns. To penetrate the wholesale distribution channel, it was important to convince wholesale customers to risk carrying this “new” product. Therefore, a strategy of demonstrated acceptance of Ogallala Down products by retail customers was needed. It was also important to find a wholesaler whose volume requirements fell within available floss resources. Using both direct marketing and wholesale distribution, Natural Fibers Corp. achieved a fivefold increase in sales in 1990, with nearly two-thirds of the sales in the wholesale trade.

Conclusion

In spite of the myriad obstacles, tangible, useful results have been achieved with milkweed. Many challenges remain to be conquered, but our current successes lay a strong foundation for future development of this new crop. The cooperative effort including USDA-CSRS funding resources, university research capabilities, and the entrepreneurial spirit is a model for new crop development.

How many other weeds are potentially valuable crops for use as industrial raw materials? Fewer than 300 of the estimated 300,000 plant species are used in organized agriculture; the possibilities for new discoveries, knowledge, and uses seem extraordinary.

Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/517/Edward-Madigan
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/8053/1/Milkweed-The-Worth-of-a-Weed.html

Lithium and its benefits July 12, 2009

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Lithium and Its BenefitsAuthor: Darrell Miller

Lithium aspartate is commonly used in the natural treatment of hyperthyroidism and other thyroid diseases because it helps in the spreading of iodine evenly throughout the body. Lithium may increase the gray matter nerve cells of the brain by three percent. This mineral is supposedly good for dementia, Alzheimer’s etc. People treated with Lithium have improved memory and reduced rage/anger and salting the water supply with Lithium Aspartate might be an added approach to our community violence prevention programs.

Lithium has long been known to be an effective therapy for Bipolar Disorder (manic depression) when taken in high doses. Lithium ions are believed to act only at particular sites on the membranes of intracellular structures like mitochondria and lysosomes. Lithium in the elemental form has never been shown to have major side effects. Lithium has been helpful in reducing aggressive behavior in children and helps to prevent and control symptoms of mania such as hyperactivity, rushed speech, poor judgment, and reduced need for sleep, aggression, and anger. Lithium aspartate is a health supplement and is much more bioavailable than the forms of lithium used for the treatment of clinical depression.

In the brain however, recent research has shown that low doses of lithium preserve and renew brain cells. Eight out of ten persons given lithium showed an increase in brain grey matter of 3 % after only 4 weeks. Lithium also accomplishes the following benefit for brain cells: it enhances DNA replication which is the first step to formation of new cells. Lithium may protect against adverse effects from mood altering drugs, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, uppers and downers, and marihuana all of which cause brain damage with long term use.

Lithium carbonate was discovered by John Cade MD in 1949 as a treatment for the violence that is often seen in Manic-Depressive Disorder and in preventing the violence of suicide, sometimes seen in Recurrent Unipolar Depression. Lithium carbonate is a salt that was first approved in the United States in 1970 to treat manic depression (bipolar disorder). Lithium is famous for its affects on neurological disorders such as depression. Lithium orotate and aspartate is generally marketed as a dietary supplement used in small doses to treat conditions including stress, manic depression, alcoholism, ADHD and ADD, aggression, PTSD, Alzheimer’s and to improve memory.

Bipolar disorder is a severe mood disorder characterized by manic or depressive episodes that usually cycle back and forth between depression and mania. Lithium, however, is the treatment of choice for recurring bipolar (manic/depressive) illness, serving as an effective mood enhancer in 70-80 percent of bipolar patients. Clinical Context Lithium is one of the most commonly prescribed agents for bipolar affective disorder despite its well-known risk of toxicity. I guess it’s gotten a bad rap over the years because of toxic levels from a salt substitute and the fact that many bipolar people take it for mood stabilization (which comes off sounding more like an anti-psychotic) but very high doses are needed.

In conclusion, lithium aspartate may help increase brain function when taken daily. It is used in the treatment of chronic alcoholic patients. it may also affect the important brain chemical and increase their concentration. Lithium aspartate is a natural treatment for hyperthyroidism and other thyroid diseases. And finally, lithium orotate or lithium aspartate can help with mood swings, depression, and alzheimer’s as well as ADHD and ADD. Have you had your lithium today?

About the Author:
More information on aspartate is available at VitaNet , LLC Health Food Store.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lithium-and-its-benefits-521365.html

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lithium-and-its-benefits-521365.html