Motherhealth Caregivers Bay Area In-Home Care Hollistic

Not getting enough sleep, by Jane Brody

I regret that for most of my adult life, I treated sleep as more a luxury than a necessity. There was always something more to do before I crawled under the covers and turned out the light. I realize belatedly that I might have been more productive — and a lot nicer to live with — if I had given sleep its proper due.

By failing to acknowledge chronic sleep deprivation, I dozed during countless cultural events, and on two occasions I fell asleep while driving, barely escaping disaster. I have since reordered my priorities and learned to avoid distractions and activities that can keep me from getting the sleep my body and mind really need.

About 70 million Americans sleep poorly or not nearly long enough to achieve the full physical, emotional and cognitive benefits sleep can bestow. There are myriad reasons, ranging from self-inflicted disruptions to those that are seemingly unavoidable. But there are also potential solutions to most of the factors that can interfere with sleep. For the sake of your health and longevity, I urge you to give them a try.

How much sleep do you need? Sleep requirements depend on age. Newborns sleep 16 to 18 hours a day, preschoolers need 11 to 12 hours, and elementary school children need 10 hours. Adolescents should get 9 to 10 hours, though most teenagers sleep only about seven hours.

Given the opportunity to sleep as long as they want, most adults average about eight hours a night. There are individual differences, of course, but the usual range is between seven and nine hours. Getting less than the amount of sleep you need during the school or workweek builds up a sleep debt that cannot be fully erased by “sleeping in” on the weekend. This pattern can also mess up your biological clock, making it hard to get up on Monday morning.

It was long ago shown that a midafternoon nap of about 20 minutes can improve alertness and productivity and reduce mistakes among sleep-deprived workers, yet few employers offer a midday lie-down or provide a place for one.

Age also affects the quality of sleep and the amount of time spent in the various stages of sleep. These include REM, or rapid-eye-movement sleep (often called dream sleep), and three types of non-REM sleep: the light sleep of Stage 1, followed by the more relaxed sleep of Stage 2 and the most restorative deep sleep of Stage 3.

Young children spend most of the night in deep sleep, which is why they can often sleep through loud noise, bright light and being carried from car to bed.

But with age, the time spent in deep sleep diminishes and any number of disturbances can cause awakenings. For women going through menopause, for example, sleep is often interrupted by hot flashes. Even if there are no external disturbances, elderly people may be awakened many times during the night by the discomforts of illness or pain, the side effects of medication or the need to urinate.

Poor sleep among the elderly may in part account for problems with memory and concentration, depressed mood and daytime sleepiness. I often see gray heads nodding off at events, even during matinees.

If noise or light disturbs your sleep, you can counter them with a white-noise machine and light-blocking shades. Keep the room cool and avoid weighty covers. Two years ago, I summarized factors that commonly interfere with a good night’s sleep, but a quick review, followed by some valuable new tips that have helped me, may help you too.

EXERCISE Physical activity leaves you tired, but if you do your workout within two or three hours of bedtime, you may be too revved up to fall asleep easily.

MEDICATION Many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, contain stimulating chemicals like pseudoephedrine and caffeine, commonly found in decongestants and painkillers. Beta-blockers, used to treat certain heart conditions and high blood pressure, may be disruptive as well. Ask your doctor if you can use an alternative drug.

FOOD AND DRINK Eating a big meal close to bedtime can be a problem, especially if you are prone to indigestion. Drinking a caffeinated beverage late in the day can disturb the sleep of anyone who has not developed a tolerance to caffeine by drinking too much of it. Caffeine’s stimulating effects can last for six to eight hours and make it hard to fall asleep or cause middle-of-the-night wakefulness.

Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but when its effects wear off hours later, you may wake up and be unable to get back to sleep. (I and others I know find wine especially problematic and avoid drinking it with dinner.)

STRESS Anxiety, excessive stress and difficulty shutting out worries trigger the release of body chemicals that act as stimulants. Try a relaxing bedtime ritual like a hot bath, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation, starting at the toes and working up to your head. Or, odd though it may seem, try reading something dull.

If things you must remember or do the next day keep popping into your head, put a pad and pen next to the bed, write them down and then do your best to forget about them until morning.

OTHER TIPS Years ago I mentioned that leg cramps were waking me up well before the alarm, and readers responded with myriad solutions, from bedtime stretches to magnesium supplements. What has worked best: drinking about eight ounces of tonic water (diet version) every day. Tonic water contains modest amounts of quinine, which used to be sold over-the-counter to reduce leg cramps.

Another innocuous sleep aid that has proved miraculous for me is a nightly supplement of melatonin, which the body naturally produces after dark. The pineal gland in the brain is inactive during the day, but after sundown it starts spewing melatonin into the bloodstream.

With a supplement on board, I fall asleep quickly, and if I awaken during the night, I return to sleep easily. A three-milligram supplement near bedtime is considered harmless and may help you as well, though it should not be given to children without consulting a doctor.

Connie’s comments: I take the following to help me sleep and keep my immune system strong: melatonin, calcium, magnesium, Vit Bs, evening primrose oil, Vit D, Vit C, valerian tincture and protein rich diet during the day (turkey, fish, nuts).

As we age our melatonin decreases and we need to nap more during the day. A 30-min nap during the day, recharges our brain. I cover my eyes, lights off and pray repeatedly like counting sheep, it takes away the worries of the day and shuts down your brain to rest.
Shower and comfortable clothing and bed help your skin. In the morning, your skin would look fresh and young. Losing weight is much easier since sleep and intake of calcium and magnesium affects your cortisol (stress) hormone.
Let fresh air enter your bedroom or have a cooler room temperature. And no more coffee past 12noon.

It would be hard on your liver if you sleep past 11pm. This I tell my 2 teens since they busy themselves with high-tech gadgets common in this century.

There is one more trick, massage your face as you shower and take deep breaths when stretching or doing yoga or walk before bedtime.

For face wash, check out http://www.clubalthea.myrandf.com , anti-aging skin care that would help make your skin glow and young again. See you all every Sat at 6pm-7pm, for Facials and Fun at 1708 Hallmark lane San Jose , CA 95124. 408-854-1883
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Beauty tips: 5min to remove 5Million dead cells with redefine macroexfoliator. 2 months to erase dark spots, more affordable with Reverse regimen at http://www.clubalthea.myrandf.com, without the many healing days needed from a chemical peel.

2 min to care for your face before a shower in the morning and same in the evening. A beautiful face is important, wear it well even when we age. Vit C, A, D and E are important for your skin.

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Now hiring all ambitious and coachable college grads as financial consultants and trainers , USA, 408-854-1883 ; motherhealth@gmail.com

Carcinogens in corn and other products where Roundup weedkiller is used

An alarming new study finds that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller, is estrogenic and drives breast cancer cell proliferation in the parts-per-trillion range. Does this help explain the massive mammary tumors that the only long term animal feeding study on Roundup and GM corn ever performed recently found?
by Sayer Ji/GreenMedInfo

An alarming new study, accepted for publication in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology last month, indicates that glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide due to its widespread use in genetically engineered agriculture, is capable of driving estrogen receptor mediated breast cancer cell proliferation within the infinitesimal parts per trillion concentration range.[i]
The study, titled, “Glyphosate induces human breast cancer cells growth via estrogen receptors,” compared the effect of glyphosate on hormone-dependent and hormone-independent breast cancer cell lines, finding that glyphosate stimulates hormone-dependent cancer cell lines in what the study authors describe as “low and environmentally relevant concentrations.”
The results were broken down by the researchers as follows:
• Glyphosate induces T47D, hormone dependent breast cancer cell growth.
• The proliferative effect of glyphosate is mediated via estrogen receptors.
• Glyphosate induces ERE [Estrogen Response Element]-transcription activity via estrogen receptors.
• Glyphosate modulates the expression of E[strogen] R[eceptor] α and E[estrogen] R[eceptor]β in human breast cancer cells.

These effects indicate that glyphosate is a ‘xenoestrogen,’ capable of inducing Estrogen Response Elements (EREs) in a manner, slightly weaker but functionally similar to the most potent human estrogen Estradiol (E2).

More concerning is the discovery that infinitesimal glyphosate concentrations in the parts-per-trillion rage (10 to the minus 12) had proliferative (carcinogenic) effects on the studied T47D breast cancer cells line:

“In this study, we found that glyphosate at a log interval concentration ranging from 10-12 to 10-6 M increased the cell proliferation of a hormorne dependent breast cancer T47D cell…”
The researchers also discovered that the naturally occurring phytoestrogen in soybean known as genistein, produced “an additive estrogenic effect” when combined with glyphosate, raising the serious question as to whether GMO soybeans are contributing to the epidemic levels of breast cancer within countries like the US where they are consumed in relatively high quantities.
It should be noted that the concentrations used to determine the interactive effects of glyphosate and phytoestrogen genistein in this study were modeled “as in a real world situation” by using information obtained from studies that assayed the respective levels of genistein and glyphosate in GM soybeans, as well as human plasma and urine concentrations following their consumption and/or exposure. For instance, glyphosate concentrations have been detected within human urine within the 0.1 – 233 parts per billion range on the lowest end, and an estimated systemic dose of 0.004 mg/kg on the high end.

The authors stated:
This finding should raise concern about the existence of more than one xenoestrogen such as phytoestrogen and contaminants in plant derived food which may be beneficial or harmful depending on the hormonal and pathological status of consumers. This study implied that the additive effect of glyphosate and genistein in postmenopausal woman may induce cancer cell growth. In this present in vitro study, we showed an estrogenicity of pure glyphosate. In summary, we found that glyphosate exhibited a weaker estrogenic activity than estradiol. Furthermore, this study demonstrated the additive estrogenic effects of glyphosate and genistein which implied that the use of glyphosate-contaminated soybean products as dietary supplements may pose a risk of breast cancer because of their potential additive estrogenicity.” [emphasis added]

This finding is relevant to virtually anyone who consumes genetically modified food today. GM crops, which are designed to survive glyphosate poisoning by being genetically engineered with ‘glyphosate-resistance” (i.e. RoundUp Ready), are universally contaminated with glyphosate and its toxic metabolite AMPA. Furthermore, glyphosate pollution and exposure is now omnipresent, with one 2011 study finding glyphosate in 60-100% of all US air and rain samples tested, and another 2012 study finding that glyphosate widely contaminates groundwater, which is the water located beneath the ground surface, that supplies aquifers, wells and springs. It is therefore virtually impossible to hermetically seal yourself off from the growing global environmental threat by only consuming “certified organic” food. The time has come to face the fact that unless there is a systemic change in the way our GM, petrochemically-driven monocultured food production system operates, we will all experience a great deal of harm.

GM Food/Roundup Breast Cancer Link Already Firmly Established
This latest study is not the only compelling evidence that there is a Roundup-Breast Cancer link. In a previous article titled, “Will the GMO-Breast Cancer Link Be Pinkwashed Away?“, we addressed the disturbing implications of the first long-term GM and Roundup animal feeding study produced by Gilles-Éric Séralini’s research team last November, and which found that after 90 days (the temporal threshold beneath which all previous biotech industry funded GM food safety studies end) the animals began to show disturbing signs of systemic organ damage, failure and cancer. More pointedly, Séralini’s team observed that the animals developed massive, estrogen-dependent mammary tumors:
“Suffering inducing euthanasia and deaths corresponded mostly in females to the development of large mammary tumors. These appeared to be clearly related to the various treatments when compared to the control groups. These tumors are generally known to be mostly estrogen-dependent (Harvell et al., 2000). We observed a strikingly marked induction of mammary tumors by R[roundup] alone, a major formulated pesticide, even at the very lowest dose administered. R[oundup] has been shown to disrupt aromatase which synthesizes estrogens (Richard et al., 2005)… [pg. 9]“
Could the results of this latest study help explain the molecular mechanism behind this finding?
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[i] Siriporn Thongprakaisang, Apinya Thiantanawat, Nuchanart Rangkadilok, Tawit Suriyo, Jutamaad Satayavivad. Glyphosate induces human breast cancer cells growth via estrogen receptors.Food Chem Toxicol. 2013 Jun 8. Epub 2013 Jun 8. PMID: 23756170

Sayer Ji is an author, researcher, lecturer, and advisory board member of the National Health Federation.
He founded Greenmedinfo.com in 2008 in order to provide the world an open access, evidence-based resource supporting natural and integrative modalities. It is internationally recognized as the largest and most widely referenced health resource of its kind.

Connie’s comments: Birth control pills can also cause cancer since it alters the hormone levels in our body. Wash your produce with salt and or diluted water with vinegar. Cabbage and tomatoes help in canceling the effect of preservatives and unwanted chemicals in our food. Our skin will show allergic reactions to the toxic food or drugs we have taken. Take care of your body, your skin will show your health.

For anti-aging skin care, call Connie 408-854-1883 http://www.clubalthea.myrandf.com for free recommendation from dermatologists for skin care solutions based on your skin needs. Join us this Thursday at 6pm, 6/27 in San Jose (1708 Hallmark lane) for tips on skin care and facials.

Be an independent consultant of a global anti-aging skin care. email connie if you wanted an extra income , part time, motherhealth@gmail.com

Choose organic whole foods and for organic nutritional supplements go to http://www.clubalthea.myshaklee.com to be dropped ship to your house.

Baby Boomers Reveal Their Deepest Financial Regrets, by Tim Sprinkle

Over 50, underfunded, and ill-prepared for retirement. Unfortunately, that’s an all-too-common scenario for the Baby Boomer generation – those born between 1946 and 1964 — many of whom are still smarting from the economic downturn and are now looking back at their earlier financial choices with regret.

Should they have bought that house at the height of the housing bubble? Should they have taken out that student loan? Should they have pursued a higher-paying career field?

But doubts like these are just part of the new reality for today’s Boomers, says Stan Hinden, author of “How to Retire Happy” and a widely published columnist on retirement issues.

“I think Boomers are somewhat disappointed in the way things have turned out in recent years,” he says, “and I think they have a right to feel that something unfair has taken place. You can’t any longer buy a CD or invest in a money market fund and get any kind of respectable return, because interest rates are so low and have been so low and will continue to be so low that people have lost some years of investment potential and income. People can hope that that the situation improves but I don’t think it will very quickly, and people have a right to be disappointed in that.”

But all isn’t lost, Hinden says. Boomers looking to salvage a financial future from this mess will need to adjust their plans, possibly pushing back their retirement date by a few years, and start saving aggressively to make up for lost interest income.

“Once people are aware of their situation they’re going to have to find ways to cope as they can,” Hinden explains. “I don’t think there’s any immediate help coming, except maybe for housing, but the interest rate problem is very real. Hopefully by being active and alert and careful in their spending, people will, when they set up their retirement budgets, leave themselves as much leeway as possible, figuring that the amount of growth in their assets going forward is going to be pretty small.”

We reached out to the Baby Boomers in our Yahoo! Contributor Network community to hear about their own personal financial regrets. Several of their stories are below.

Why Didn’t I Save for Retirement?

“I entered into adulthood and even had a family without ever hearing terms such as ‘401(k)’ and had no idea how to plan for my future financially. Worse yet is that I am college educated but still had no financial knowledge. I did not know which way to turn to find out anything about financially preparing for later life, so I didn’t.

“As some Baby Boomers settle into an enjoyable retirement, I am one of the other Baby Boomers. There is no retirement for me, not even a burial plan. For Baby Boomers like myself who followed that popular song of the mid-1960s, ‘Let’s Live for Today’ by the Grass Roots, what a mistake it may have been to let the title be a motto, only living for ‘today.’ I learned all too late that if you do not take the necessary steps to learn about financial planning as early as possible, it can be a disaster that will undoubtedly be regretted.” — Donna Hicks

I Squandered My Intellectual Capital

“In 1989, my husband and I became parents. In my typical, all-or-nothing fashion, I embraced motherhood with gusto. My husband became the breadwinner while I cared for our children at home. By 2001, we had six children. For all those years, I did nothing to maintain my contact with the business world. I took no classes to update my programming skills or to maintain my other technical skills. I enjoyed nursing babies, teaching preschoolers to read, sewing clothes for the family, and even canning all summer long. I was living my ‘Little House on the Prairie’ dream. I gave no thought to what I would do after the children were grown.

“When our youngest child entered school, I had to build a new resume from scratch. I earned a master’s degree in library science, hoping to land a position as an academic librarian at one of the many colleges in my city. I would have been better off if I had invested some time and money in continuing to take actuarial exams after I left the workforce or in pursuing an MBA in the evenings while I worked in Chicago. Instead, I waited too long to earn a low-value degree in a declining job market.” — Kimberly Schimmel

I Should Never Have Taken That Early Withdrawal From My Pension Fund

“As is common for so many women, I was trapped in an abusive relationship. Abusive types tend to control significant others by restricting how much they can earn and save. I was no exception. By the time I left, I only had what I could carry. Adding to the drama, I was finishing a degree program with college bills attached. Consequently, I chose the only option I could fathom at the time, which was early withdrawal of the public pension I had earned as a teacher.

“To say I regret this decision is an understatement. Withdrawing funds from a pension is a taxable event, which results in reducing the payout amount significantly. Yes, withdrawing the funds helped me jump over my financial hurdle at the time. Nevertheless, considering the reduced amount I received and the loss of those retirement funds compared with what I had to do to replace them, it was a financial setback. Twenty-five years later, I still kick myself.” — Rebecca Black

Credit Card Debt Nearly Ruined My Retirement

“For over a year recently, I lived off an unemployment check and my credit cards. I maxed them out trying to maintain my standard of living, started paying the minimum payments, and eventually could not afford to pay them at all. Creditors were calling daily and my good credit rating took a nosedive. All I wanted to do was ignore the situation and hope it would go away, but I eventually had to face the fact that I had brought this on myself with my careless money management. I knew I had to do something, but curbing my spending and following a budget was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

“Today I consider myself lucky because I did eventually find another job. Although it was not a high paying one, at least it was an income and I was able to start digging my way out of the financial pit I had created. By sticking to a budget, I have managed to pay off over half of my credit card debt. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting a little brighter now, but I regret that the money I thought I would be putting away in my 50s to enjoy my golden years is now going toward making sure that I have enough to survive them. “ — Karlene Trudell

We Should Have Never Sold Our Dream Home

“Fifteen years ago, I was offered a job of a lifetime. It required uprooting our newly started family and moving from Seattle to Cleveland. As hard as it was to make the decision to accept the job, the harder choice came later. My husband and I had saved for years and had designed and built our dream house. We were enjoying an up economy and our home’s value skyrocketed.

“With the power of hindsight, do I regret the decisions of youth? Absolutely. I wish we would have recognized the uncertainty of a long-distance move and opted to become landlords and renters. It would have given us time to determine if our new city was a keeper, and it would have given us a beloved landing place when we decided to return. If we had listened to our hearts and understood the difference of the Seattle vs. Cleveland markets we would have retained our equity, and our retirement accounts.” — Kelly Tweeddale

Health, Money and First Impressions

“Being 59 years old and not having a steady paycheck for over two years, I wish back in my young, accounting executive days I had paid more attention to my health than making money. Now, I can’t make money because of my health. Currently, I’m managing my health, but money is tight. As far as first impressions go, that cane I walk with doesn’t affect my mind and that accounting work I’m so good at isn’t done with my feet. I think these are the first impressions that really should matter the most. “ — Larry Gross

I Regret Our Fixer-Upper House Purchase

“My Baby Boomer husband and I, the quintessential tightwads, spent the first half of our marriage, through four kids, in a mobile home. We bought our first house in 2000 for $54,000. It was old, damaged and one step from getting condemned. Arguably, that’s why it was a good deal. We both regret cutting ourselves too short on this home purchase.

“And funny, what was ostensibly a ‘cheap’ house, hasn’t been that inexpensive. For all the headaches, we still have a $650 a month house payment. We’ve barely touched the principal, the first 13 years of payments going primarily to interest. We have just paid off our other debt and can now think about refinancing. But I’m tempted to skip it, sell and get a nice little apartment with all the conveniences I don’t have now. This ‘investment’ hasn’t proved to be all it was cracked up to be.” — Marilisa Sachteleben

It Seemed Like the Rise of the Stock Market Was Never Going to End

“I was keeping almost all my assets in stocks. Then the crash came and I had no plan to implement limits for my losses. My 401(k) lost 75 percent of its value. Then the market tanked and I had no safe haven for my hard earned money. Added to these financial disasters, the value of our home plummeted, denying refinancing to try and save on our mortgage.

“My biggest mistake was not being more conservative and saving for emergencies. The tenet that you should have at least six months of emergency funds was sorely inaccurate. The latest economic downturn lasted longer for most of us. I needed a stable vehicle in tandem with my stock investments.” — Hector Quiambao

Connie’s Comments: To the young generation, learn from the folks before you, choose your career well, spend more time with your young children, find your passion, live healthy, know the power of compound interest and index universal life insurance, live simply and be practical by not overspending, build your home, choose your partner wisely and be happy (positive intentions, giving, acceptance, forgiving, loving, accomplishments).

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Now hiring 5000 baby boomers in the USA, work part time in the financial service business contact Connie

at 408-854-1883 motherhealth@gmail.com

Why women between ages 40-60 wanted to look young

Women between the ages of 40-60 yr old wanted to look young. It is also during this time that they experience pre and post menopausal years. Menopause years is between 48-52 yrs old , plus or minus 4 yrs depending on the woman’s health and stress levels. During this time, 40-60 yr old women experience loss of love one, caring for their parents, divorced, raising teens, in menopause and doing volunteer work or working more than 2 jobs if they live in the bayarea or other third world countries.

It is not a joke that many women do more during these years because their hormones are experiencing the high and low of hormonal changes. The brain is also in high overdrive, especially when bombarded with medications, diet, stress, lack of sleep and brain chemicals that changes as we age. Our levels of melatonin, sleep hormone, is also lower.

We try to please everyone, accomplish at lot of things in a short amount of time and getting another college education or going after a new career. Our children are also demanding more of our time and energy.

With all these factors affecting the aging women of today, many women flock to spa and salon for facial, skin detox, weight loss, and other ways to feel good.

So, if you feel like looking young, here are some of the things that other women does:

1. anti-aging skin care for face

2. shark liver oil, sesame oil , calendular oil and avocado for skin

3. body and foot massage

4. hours in the gym, yoga, bellydance, ballroom and pilates

5.green juices, fasting, detox with veggies only and dieting

6. and many more

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Connie Dello Buono, anti-aging skin care independent consultant

http://www.clubalthea.myrandf.com

408-854-1883

motherhealth@gmail.com

PS. Women put their emotion in most things they do. Giving and positive intention provide happiness for them. Women believe that life without emotion (love and hate) is dull and boring and not worth living for.

Tips for sleep: valerian tincture, melatonin, calcium and magnesium with Vit D and C
for hormonal balance: evening primrose oil, multi-vitamin, green juice with beets, cherries and colored fruits and veggies
for brain: coconut, nuts, olive oil and fish
for skin: Vit E, D, A and C
for hair: biotin and protein
for sexual energy: protein, nuts (pine, pistaccio, pecans and peanuts), cassava, amino acids, probiotics
for bones: zyflamend, yellow foods, lemon grass, herbs, MSM and glucosamine , Vit D and C
for heart: garlic, yellow and sulfur containing foods, fish oil, red and colorful foods, lemon, Vit C and D, calcium and magnesium, greens

To reduce stress:
Vow to think only happy thoughts and make yourself happy each day.
Simplify your life, avoid clutter, lessen responsibilities and tasks, delegate and live in practical and simple ways.
Be debt-free, spend less, save more and be with people who are practical and happy.

New skin: 64 yr old female with kidney transplant from 36 yr old male

Her skin is glowing and young looking after the kidney transplant a year ago from a 34-yr old male. She looks younger by 10 yrs, although she is 64 yr old.

Our kidneys clean our blood and body from toxic wastes. During stressful situations, our kidney are more burdened. Our skin looks older if our kidneys are older and burdended by toxic wastes. In the morning, we can drink warm water with added lemon to help clean our kidneys. Eat lightly cooked foods, less alcohol and sugar and more on whole foods.

Be well.

Connie

For those men and women who wanted to have a young looking skin, try
the anti-aging skin care products from a global player and dermatologists, maker of Proactiv, Rodan and Fields

http://www.clubalthea.myrandf.com

Call me 408-854-1883 to order and try the 60-day money back guarantee solution for two months skin care.
See you all for product intro Mon, Thurs and Sat , email Connie in San Jose CAlifornia , motherhealth@gmail.com

I’m also looking for those who wanted to work part time as independent consultant for Rodan and Fields in the USA, which will be in Canada this Jan 2014.

Walk after eating

For many people, the food-induced stupor that often follows a big meal is a good excuse for a nap. But for some, a brief walk shortly after eating is a quick way to burn some calories and aid digestion.

Over the years, researchers have found that a post-meal walk, as short as 15 minutes, can in fact help with digestion and improve blood sugar levels. In one study in 2008, German researchers looked at what happened when people ate a large meal and then consumed either an espresso or an alcoholic digestif — like brandy or flavored liqueur — or walked at a slow pace on a treadmill. Walking, they found, sped the rate at which food moved through the stomach. The beverages had no effect.

In other studies, researchers have found that walking has a significant effect on blood sugar after meals. Blood sugar typically rises and then falls after eating, but large spikes and variations can raise cardiovascular risk and potentially signal diabetes.

In a study published in 2009, researchers found that a 20-minute walk about 15 minutes after dinner led to lower post-meal blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes than either a walk before dinner or no walking at all. Another study, published recently in Diabetes Care, found that in older adults who were overweight and sedentary, walking for 15 minutes shortly after each meal improved daily blood sugar levels to a greater extent than a single 45-minute walk in the morning.

Researchers say that a post-meal stroll helps clear glucose from the bloodstream in part because more of it is taken up by the muscles.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Heading for a brief walk, instead of the couch, about 15 minutes after a meal may improve digestion and blood sugar control.

Connie’s comments: Constipation in senior care homes or nursing homes is common among the elderly with more than 5 meds and not mobile. It is also common among meat and dairy eaters. Lack of fiber and lack of exercise exacerbate constipation which causes more disease condition as the colon is clogged with toxic byproducts. Walk after a meal to aid in digestion and prevent constipation.

Don’t call obesity a disease, a comment by Dr David Katz

There is a certain irony in the nearly immediate juxtaposition of the rare introduction of a new FDA-approved drug for weight loss (Belviq) to the marketplace, and the recognition of obesity as a “disease” by the AMA. A line from the movie Jerry MaGuire comes to mind: “you complete me!” Drugs need diseases; diseases need drugs.

And that’s part of what has me completely worried. The notion that obesity is a disease will inevitably invite a reliance on pharmacotherapy and surgery to fix what is best addressed through improvements in the use of our feet and forks, and in our Farm Bill.

Why is the medicalization of obesity concerning? Cost is an obvious factor. If obesity is a disease, some 80% of adults in the US have it or its precursor, overweight. Legions of kids have it as well. Do we all need pharmacotherapy, and if so, for life? We might be inclined to say no, but wouldn’t we then be leaving a “disease” untreated? Is that even ethical?

On the other hand, if we are thinking lifelong pharmacotherapy for all, is that really the solution to such problems as food deserts? We know that poverty, and limited access to high quality food, are associated with increased obesity rates. So, do we skip right past concerns about access to produce and just make sure everyone has access to a pharmacy? Instead of helping people on SNAP find and afford broccoli, do we just pay for their Belviq and bariatric surgery?

If so, this, presumably, requires that everyone also have access to someone qualified to write a prescription or wield a scalpel in the first place, and insurance coverage to pay for it. We can’t expect people who can’t afford broccoli to buy their own Belviq, clearly.

There is, of course, some potential upside to the recognition of obesity as a disease. Diseases get respect in our society, unlike syndromes, which are all-too-readily blamed on the quirks of any given patient, and other conditions attributed to aspects of character. Historically, obesity has been in that latter character, inviting castigation of willpower and personal responsibility, and invocation of gluttony, sloth, or the combination. Respecting obesity as a disease is much better.

And, as a disease, obesity will warrant more consistent attention by health professionals, including doctors. This, in turn, may motivate more doctors to learn how to address this challenge constructively, and compassionately.

But overall, I see more liabilities than benefits in designating obesity a disease. For starters, there is the simple fact that obesity, per se, isn’t a disease. Some people are healthy at almost any given BMI. BMI correlates with disease, certainly, but far from perfectly.

The urge to label obesity a disease, and embrace the liabilities attached to doing so, seems to be a price the medical profession is willing to pay to legitimize the condition. It may also be an attempt to own it (and the profits that come along with treating it), whereas that right and responsibility should really redound to our entire culture. Is it necessary for obesity to be a disease for it to be medically legitimate? I think not.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is medically legitimate, but it is not a disease- and there’s a good reason for that. It is poisoning, so the fault lies not with our lungs, but with what is being drawn into them. Your lungs can be working just fine, and carbon monoxide can kill you just the same. Perfectly healthy, disease-free bodies can be poisoned.

None would contest the medical legitimacy of drowning. If you drown, assuming you are found in time, you will receive urgent medical care-no matter your ability to pay for it. If you have insurance, your insurance will certainly pay for that care.

But drowning is not a disease. Perfectly healthy bodies can drown. Drowning is a result of a human body spending a bit too much time in an environment- under water- to which it is poorly adapted.

And so is obesity. Our bodies, physiologies, and genes are much the same as they ever were. Certainly these have not changed much in the decades over which obesity went from rare to pandemic. What has changed is the environment.

We are awash in highly processed, hyper-palatable, glow-in-the-dark foods. We are afloat in constant currents of aggressive food marketing. We are deluged with ever more labor-saving technological advances, while opportunities for daily physical activity dry up.

We are drowning in calories. And that’s how, in my opinion, we should make obesity medically legitimate: as a form of drowning, not as a disease.

With drowning, we don’t rely on advances from pharmaceutical companies. No one is expecting a drug to ‘fix’ our capacity to drown. Our capacity to drown is part of the normal physiology of terrestrial species.

Our capacity to get fat is also part of normal physiology. Obesity begins with the accumulation of body fat, and that in turn begins with the conversion of a surplus of daily calories into an energy reserve. That’s exactly what a healthy body is supposed to do with today’s surplus calories: store them against the advent of a rainy (i.e., hungry) day tomorrow. The problem that leads to obesity is that the surplus of calories extends to every day, and tomorrow never comes.

Thinking of obesity as a form of drowning offers valuable analogies for treatment. We don’t wait for people to drown and devote our focus to resuscitation; we do everything we can to prevent drowning in the first place. We put fences around pools; station lifeguards at the beaches; get our kids to swimming lessons at the first opportunity; and keep a close eye on one another. People still do drown, and so we need medical intervention as well. But that is a last resort, far less good than prevention, and applied far less commonly.

There is an exact, corresponding array of approaches to obesity prevention and control; I have spelled them out before.

Disease is when the body malfunctions. Bodies functioning normally asphyxiate when breathing carbon monoxide, drown when under water for too long, and convert surplus daily calories into body fat. Perfectly healthy bodies can get obese. They may not remain healthy when they do so, but that is a tale of effects, not causes.

The most important reasons for rampant obesity are dysfunction not within our individual bodies, but at the level of the body politic. We do need medicine to treat obesity, but more often than not, it is lifestyle medicine. Lifestyle is the best medicine we’ve got- but it is cultural medicine, not clinical.

That’s where our attention and corrective actions should be directed. If calling obesity a disease makes us treat the condition with more respect, and those who have it with more compassion, and if it directs more resources to the provision of skill-power to adults and kids alike- it’s all for the good. But if, as I predict, it causes us to think more about pharmacotherapy, and less about opportunities to make better use of our feet and our forks, it will do net harm. If we look more to clinics and less to culture for definitive remedies, it will do net harm. If we fail to consider the power we each have over our own medical destiny, and wait for salvation at the cutting edge of biomedical advance-it will do net harm.

Long before labeling obesity a disease, the AMA lent the full measure of its support to the Hippocratic Oath and medicine’s prime directive: first, do no harm. Obesity is much more like drowning than a disease. Calling it a disease has potential in my opinion to do harm. And so it is that I vote: no.

-fin

Dr. David L. Katz; http://www.davidkatzmd.com/

www.turnthetidefoundation.org

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-David-L-Katz/114690721876253
http://twitter.com/DrDavidKatz
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-l-katz-md-mph/7/866/479/

Connie: Let us start our fight against obesity with our own bodies and share what we have learned along the way:
1. with a colon cleanse of fiber rich foods, alkaline water, enzymes from fruit such as fresh papaya and pineapple, probiotics, seeds, senna tea.
2. And then, we add nutrients from whole foods such as brown rice, greens, beans, nuts, fish, eggs with no hormones.
3. We can all do it, start an organic garden, use olive oil and balsamic vinegar as your salad dressing, make more soups with herbs and spices,
4. and love your body.

Work and Family, stress and laughter

In the reunion of former Philippine Intel employees, each one was given a chance to bring back memories of their life at Intel. Each time we hear their experiences, we laugh because we always find happy ways to share our memories and the way Intel had impacted our lives here in the USA.

Because of Intel, many of us were able to go through life’s many challenges and have built relationships along the way. In the Philippines, we worked with the fast pace at the manufacturing facility of Intel and even working more hours as demanded of us.

But we always meet and eat together exchanging jokes and laughter. Many of the foreigners who visited our facility noticed the happiness and laughter that are common among our ways. The one common thread that binds us is that we worked supporting each other and our families.

And many years later, we again see each other with our own families but we still connect to remember the memories we shared during the years that we worked at Intel. We love Intel because it shaped our character and work ethics and helped us face more challenges in the future.

We have learned so many things at Intel University that can be equated to a college education.

As Tony and Boy have said, we are thankful for getting together again, still alive and love Intel.

Thank you Cely and Carl King for hosting the party and for Alma for coordinating. See you again next year. Let us take care of our health, we have many more lives to touch.

Half of the americans wanted to be enterpreneurs, take action now

Despite all the challenges small businesses have faced in the past five years, seven out of 10 entrepreneurs would start their businesses all over again. Not only that, almost half of all Americans are harboring entrepreneurial dreams of their own.

That data comes in spite of the fact that the same new research to reveal those stats has also found that most small business owners say running their business has become more challenging in the past half-decade.

Overall, 59% of business owners said running a business is harder today, mainly because of the economy, new technologies and increased competition. Business owners also said they face new challenges in finding new customers, retaining existing customers and finding the time needed to finish tasks.

Part of the challenge for business owners is that new technologies have both helped and hurt several aspects of their businesses. According to 30% of business owners, it is now easier to find new customers, mostly because it’s easier to market their businesses and customers are more responsive to marketing efforts. However, 35% of respondents said their ability to find customers has been hurt by competition and customers’ indifference to businesses’ marketing efforts.

Despite those challenges, respondents said they expect revenues this year to outperform those from last year. An increased customer interest in “shopping small” has become a saving grace for small business owners, the researchers found.

“Supporting local [businesses] is a growing consumer trend,” said Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact, which conducted the research of more than 900 respondents. “The national discussion about the importance of small business to our economic recovery has raised awareness, as have shop-local movements like Small Business Saturday. Local and mobile search is also making it easier for small businesses to reach consumers.”

Not only are customers looking to support local businesses — everyday people are also taking an idealistic view of launching their own businesses. Additional research by UPS found 48% of Americans said they dream about starting a small business, and 71% of small business owners said they would choose to open their business all over again.

Those people didn’t say that on a whim, either. Of small business owners, 51% said they have been thinking about starting a business for more than two years, while 31% said they’ve been thinking about it for five or more years.

The research of more than 1,700 consumers and small business owners also offers those aspiring small business owners a bit of advice: 36% of small business owners said they must have faith in themselves if they hope to be successful.

—————

Take action now. Technology puts your thoughts into action and into the global marketplace.
I’m looking for ambitious and enterpreneural people to partner up with low cost of entry and high profit potential businessess (finance, travel, anti-aging skin care).
What is your plan B and goals in 5 years? Connie Dello Buono 408-854-1883, motherhealth@gmail.com

Memories, happiness

Lighting up your face as I walk in the corner of a room
Stepping in together and dancing to one tune
Hearts beating as one, in close embrace and eyes closed
Both knows the direction we are both threading

For in creating memories, one has not to stand still
But in motion, create something new and beautiful
For nothing is created from nothing
And so life is spending moments
And creating memories
Memories to last a lifetime

Making each other laugh like children playing in the rain
Living like there is no tomorrow
For regrets is never known
And saying sorry for not trying is a fools game

To create memories is like living and loving and letting go
Of thinking only of happy thoughts
Of what beautiful things can make out when
A kiss is not just a kiss
But a promise to be there when we need each other

Each moment of weaving a beautiful song
Makes life worth living for
And to grow with each other for the rest of our lives
We see our fruit from what we have created
Memories to last a lifetime

Each moment counts
Memories are created by two hearts beating as one
Spending each moment as if they were the last
Knowing that tomorrow is another time
To create more memories to last a lifetime

by Connie Dello Buono
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Happiness is acceptance, forgiving, giving, faith, courage, fullfillment, sharing and embracing yourself to grow in love, knowledge and skills

——————

from anonymous:

The sounds of waves on a sandy beach
Make the Romantic’s mind venture put and reach..
What treasures will the waves gradually uncover?
Will there be shells, or the footprints of a past lover?
Like sails of a ship, the fog and mist glide towards the shore
The heart of a lighthouse beams out and searches for more….

Aging cat and healthier cat who was massaged when young

The male, healthier cat behind the cat with longer hair was massaged at an early age when he moved to our place on his first night. I took him on my lap and we both slept on the sofa the whole night since he just arrived and cannot be calmed. I massaged him early on and he is used to be on the lap of my son during the day when he can find an opportune moment. While the female cat, grew sickly as she aged, her skin and hair show dullness compared to the shiny hair of the male cat who received more massage. Both cats are of the same age.

Summer is here, take care of your skin, it should glow

Call Connie 408-854-1883 for those who wanted to partner with a global anti-skin care or visit http://www.clubalthea.myrandf.com
Click Customize your skin care ->Solution Tool to get recommendation from the dermatologists. motherhealth@gmail.com for more info. Ask for the once a week Vitamin D gel and more.

From the makers of Proactiv, a global player in the anti-aging skin care, please try for your skin.

Connie’s Comments: Aside from helping men and women have beautiful skin, this company will also help me financially in supporting the college education of my two teens and the surgery of my sister in the Philippines who had a heart attack. She had been a mentor to many young students in the Philippines who supported many scholarships for the poor.
Rodan and Fields was honored 4 times/4yrs for winning 4 ETHOS Awards from http://www.directselling411.com
Please forward this site to others to help more students finish their education here in the USA and in the Philippines.

New:
Email Connie , motherhealth@gmail.com , 408-854-1883, your address and tel to receive a sample of macrodermabrasion scrub face paste (with Vit C and E) from http://www.clubalthea.myrandf.com and a short ebook on Skin Health by Connie from http://www.clubalthea.com for US and Canada only since Canada anti-aging skin care business will open this Jan 2014.

Cell Salt Therapy

Dr. William H. Schuessler of Oldenburg, Germany published Shortened Therapeutics in 1873. This eminently practical work concentrated on just 12 simple mineral combinations, or salts, which he believed to be crucial to the health of the body. Schuessler’s students included major homeopathic figures such as H. C. G. Luyties of St. Louis, and Dr. Constantine Hering of Philadelphia, author of Hering’s Law of Cure (“Cure occurs from the head down, from within out, and in the reverse order in which the symptoms first appeared.”)

Efficient use of Schuessler’s biochemistry requires three things: a working understanding of homeopathy, a recognition that LOCALIZED tissue mineral deficiencies may exist, and practical experience. The safety of homeopathic preparations is so extremely good that practically anyone may learn about and try these “cell salts” at home for themselves and their immediate family. More information on the salts and their specific health applications will be found in Dr. Schuessler’s Biochemistry by J.B. Chapman, M.D. (London: New Era Labs, 1973). Dr. Chapman’s excellent book indicates some keynote symptoms for the cell salts, of which the following is a summary:

The Twelve Salts and Some of Their Keynote Symptoms
(The most commonly-used abbreviation is followed by its traditional and chemical names.)

1. KALI PHOS (Kali Phosphoricum; Potassium Phosphate)
a. mental/emotional symptoms predominate
b. Feel as if “I’m too tired to rest.”
c. Anxiety, brain fatigue, irritability, temper-tantrums, sleeplessness, dizziness,
nervous asthma
d. easily bleeding gums

2. KALI MUR (Kali Muriaticum; Potassium Chloride)
a. white mucus, swollen glands
b. white or gray coated tongue, glandular swellings, discharge of white, thick
mucus from nose or eyes
c. indigestion from rich food

3. KALI SULPH (Kali Sulphuricum; Potassium Sulphate)
a. yellow mucus, later stages of illness, congestion and cough worse in evening
b. dandruff, yellow coated tongue, yellow crusts on eyelids
c. gas, poor digestion

4. CALC PHOS (Calcarea Phosphorica; Calcium Phosphate)
a. teething remedy
b. upset stomach, post-nasal drip, chronic cold feet, poor dentition

5. CALC SULPH (Calcarea Sulphurica; Calcium Sulphate)
a. sores that heal poorly, herpes blisters
b. pain in forehead, vertigo, pimples on the face

6. CALC FLUOR (Calcarea Fluorica; Calcium Fluoride)
a. poor tooth enamel, cracks in palms of hands, lips
b. hemorrhoids

7. NAT MUR (Natrum Muriate; Sodium Chloride)
a. dryness of body openings, clear thin mucus
b. effects of excess overheating; itching of hair at nape of neck
c. early stage of common colds with clear, running discharge
d. insect bites (applied locally)

8. NAT SULPH (Natrum Sulphuricum; Sodium Sulphate)
a. rarely needed
b. green stools and other excess bile symptoms
c. Sensitive scalp, greenish-gray or greenish-brown coating on tongue, influenza

9. NAT PHOS (Natrum Phosphoricum; Sodium Phosphate)
a. simple morning sickness; acid rising in throat
b. Headache on crown of head, eyelids glued together in morning,
c. grinding of teeth in sleep; pain and sour risings from stomach after eating

10. MAG PHOS (Magnesia Phosphorica; Magnesium Phosphate)
a. Muscle spasms, cramps and menstrual cramps, if always better with heat
b. hiccups; trembling of hands
c. teeth sensitive to cold

11. FERRUM PHOS ( Ferrum Phosphate; Ferrum Phosphate)
a. first stages of inflammation, redness, swelling, early fever
b. congestive headache, earache, sore throat
c. loss of voice from overuse

12. SILICEA (Silica)
a. white pus forming conditions, boils (“homeopathic lancet”), stony-hard glands
b. Sty in eye area, tonsillitis, brittle nails

Although I think that J. B. Chapman’s DR. SCHUESSLER’S BIOCHEMISTRY (London: New Era, 1973) is the easiest and best book on the subject, The Biochemic Handbook (St. Louis: Formur) is another readily available paperback guide to specific uses of the Schuessler cell salts. Either this book or Dr. Chapman’s will serve you well. Homeopathic pharmacies, suppliers and websites may carry them, along with other standard works on homeopathy.

MORE ON THE SCHUESSLER CELL SALTS
Twelve cell salts were recognized and categorized by a German biochemist William H. Schuessler in 1873. He found that there are certain essential minerals that the body requires, in proper balance, in all of its cells. An imbalance or a lack of any of these minerals may lead to disease in the tissues so lacking. Providing the missing minerals to the tissues corrects that imbalance, and so eliminates the illness. This seemingly simple system of cure has great practical application in health. Using only a small number of harmless combinations (or “salts”) of these minerals, it is possible for any individual to treat him- or herself simply and effectively for a great variety of everyday minor ailments. It is significant that such cell-salt treatment is replenishing something the body lacks and wants, as opposed to merely suppressing illness with drugs and other chemicals. Drugs do not provide missing cell nutrients, but drugs do add harmful chemicals to the body which ultimately compound the problem. The Schuessler cell salts may be seen as special raw materials for the body, which you need more of if you run out of what you normally have.

A “salt” is any type of readily dissolvable mineral combination, not just table salt. Many people take dietary iron supplements, but few would chew on a rusty nail for an iron source. The same is true with the Schuessler minerals: the potassium, silicon, iron, phosphate or other substance must be in a special potentiation to be most useable to the body. Most Schuessler cell salts are in a homeopathic potency, which uses minute quantities of a substance with great effect. The potentiation process multiplies the essential energy of a substance while at the same time decreasing the dosage amount. The subtlety, harmlessness and effectiveness of such preparations have been clinically proven for well over two hundred years, since the beginnings of homeopathic treatment in the 18th century.

Schuessler cell salts (also called “biochemic cell salts”) are a non-prescription item and are available directly from any homeopathic pharmacy. Because of the medical profession’s long-standing opposition to homeopathic remedies, it is not certain that your local drug store will even know what “cell salts” are, let alone stock them. Most health food stores do carry them. Schuessler remedies are commonly in a “6X” homeopathic potency. The “X” refers to the Roman numeral 10; 6x is one part in ten, repeated six times. The cost of the mineral tablets is very moderate, usually $5 to $8 per bottle of 250 or more. Addresses of homeopathic pharmacists may be obtained by using any an internet search engine.

Watercress, a healthy tonic salad greens, skin health

Watercress (botanical name Nasturtium officinale) grows perennially and flourishes in clear and cold water. This herb is found growing naturally in streams, ditches, ponds and all the places where there is water. In effect, watercress is grown for the plant’s leaves that are mainly used in the form of salad greens or dressings. The plant has a hollow branching stem that is connected to a crawling rootstock, about one foot to two feet in length, and usually pulls out along with the leaves above the surface of the water. The leaves of watercress are smooth and slightly plump having one to four pairs of little oblong or disk-shaped leaflets. The leaves have a deep green color and are oddly pinnate (resembling feathers).

A special soup prepared with watercress is among the most popular medications among the Chinese who inhabit Hong Kong and Canton in China. This watercress soup is used to cure swollen gums, foul breath, canker sores (an ulceration of the mucus membranes in the mouth) on the lips or tongue and bad teeth. Although the amount of watercress needed to prepare this remedial soup is not specified, usually approximately half a pound of cut watercress and sliced carrots are steamed in two quarters of water is used for an individual. The entire liquid is slowly concentrated to approximately one-third or one-fourth of the original volume of the fluid and subsequently it is eaten together with the vegetables. Apart from the health conditions mentioned above, when cold, this soup is also useful for curing hot flashes.

It is worth mentioning here that watercress is the source of a wonderful medicine to treat headaches caused by some type of ailment or usual anxiety. Take some watercress and rinse it meticulously. Put them in a hygienic quart fruit jar and add two cups (500 ml) of steaming apple cider vinegar to it. Several hours afterwards, when the solution becomes cold, strain the liquid and store it in bottles for use when needed later. When you have a headache, take an unsullied handkerchief or a wash cloth and immerse it in the vinegar solution. Wring out the excess liquid and place the cloth or handkerchief over your forehead and eyebrows.

An infusion prepared from watercress is also a proven traditional as well as an effectual remedy for dermatitis and eczema. To prepare this infusion, meticulously rinse a big pan full of watercress and put it into a saucepan made from stainless steel. Add a sufficient amount of cold water to the watercress, enough to cover the herb in the saucepan. Boil the water along with watercress and subsequently lower the heat and seethe slowly till the herb becomes soft. Next, filter the liquid using a muslin cloth or many layers of gauze fabric and store the liquid in a refrigerator for use when needed.

The affected parts of the body ought to be cleansed very frequently using this watercress infusion. It is advisable that you make use of a piece of supple linen for washing the affected parts. In effect, this infusion prepared from watercress is extremely effective for treating the coarseness of the skin owing to recurrent exposure to the sun, wind as well as cold conditions.

Drinking the juice of watercress or the tea prepared from this herb is also effective in getting rid of the excessive fluids that have built up in the body tissue, like in the case of gout, as well as dispelling the congestion of mucus from the lungs. In order to prepare the tea from watercress, take one tablespoon of sliced fresh watercress and add it to one cup (250 ml) of steaming water and allow it to steep for about 20 minutes. Subsequently, filter the liquid and drink it. You may also obtain fresh watercress juice by using an electric juicer to extract the juice from the herb. Mix some tomato or carrot juice to it for flavour prior to drinking.

It is interesting to note that watercress as well as several other herbs were elevated to a new esteem only following the introduction of the new-approach cuisine in America. Initially, watercress was one herb that was seldom consumed in the form of a garnish by people. From this modest position it rose to the star position of being a part of further sophisticated culinary preparations. Hence, there is little doubt that watercress has actually recovered its well-merited standing by means of a form of cookery that has as much regard for your appetite as for your health.

Chefs in America currently employ watercress in several methods. Watercress may be present in garnishes and salads, sandwiches, butters and spreads, casseroles and soups and it adds a fast and spicy flavour to all these preparations. Although chefs hold watercress in high esteem for its flavour, herbalists give importance to the herb for its rich content of nutrients. Chemical analysis of watercress has revealed that it encloses a considerable amount of vitamins as well as vital minerals, counting vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen, and sulfur.

To reiterate, it needs to be said that watercress is a succulent, bright green aquatic plant that was introduced into America from Europe. This herb is found growing naturally in ditches, ponds, brooks, lakes, shallow creeks and the length of the banks of rivers that move sluggishly in all the states of America as well as all over Canada. Usually, watercress is found growing where the water is cold, clear and neither fast-moving or stagnant. In addition, places were the depth of water is anything between two inches to six inches is ideal for the plant to thrive. Often, you may find large watercress beds in the country streams – the leaves of the plants sticking out of the water surface.

It is not at all difficult to cultivate watercress in your garden provided it is not already being grown there. In case you do not have a stream or pool in your garden, make an effort to dig a small pool, or just plant watercress in a container filled with water and sand. In addition, it is also possible to grow this plant in pots made from clay and placed in a tray containing water. The only thing you need to ensure is to change the water daily in order to maintain its clarity and freshness.

Watercress is a plant which can be propagated without any difficultly. This herb has a preference for a soil which is a combination of alluvial soil, broken up rocks like limestone or river sand and humus or peat. Watercress actually extends numerous fine roots under the surface of the water. It is important to note that any part of the plant’s stem having roots on it will start growing as a new plant when it sets up in an appropriate environment. This is the manner in which watercress continues to exist in nature, since the beds of streams or creeks are continuously being changed owing to floods as well as droughts. This is also the manner in which watercress multiplies so rapidly once it has been introduced into a new place, usually moving faster than the advancement of civilization on its route down an unfledged river.

Healers make use of the whole watercress plant. They usually harvest watercress while it is in bloom and dehydrate it. Watercress has a spicy and peppery flavour and it may just be included in your diet on a regular basis. For further therapeutic purposes, you may take an infusion prepared from the dried up plant. As watercress encloses numerous nutrients, herbalists have been employing the plant to prepare an herbal tea which helps to regularize the functioning of the liver as well as purify the blood. Watercress also possesses diuretic properties and is believed to facilitate in disintegrating the kidney stones, in addition to bladder stones. The juice extracted from the fresh watercress leaves has been traditionally employed to cure skin complaints like eczema, rashes, skin irritations, ringworms and acne, in addition to skin contagions.

Similar to the implication of the Latin expressions ‘nasus tortus’ denoting ‘twisted nose’, the watercress plant exudes a pungent smell that makes one wrinkle his/ her nose. The leaves as well as the fit to be eaten seedpods of this plant possess a sharp and fiery flavour, which explains why watercress has been a favourite salad green for most people for a long time now.

Since very old times, watercress is familiar for its therapeutic attributes. The Romans as well as the Greeks believed that consuming this plant enhance the functioning of the brain, while afterward, during medieval Europe, watercress was used as an active ingredient in a salve that was used to heal wounds caused by swords. The early European settlers carried this herb with them to North America mainly owing to its usefulness in putting off scurvy – this is attributed to the plant’s rich vitamin C content. Even the native Indian took on the plant in the form of a food and also employed it to cure liver and kidney disorders.

Watercress contains numerous nutrients, including rich amounts of mineral salts and several vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E. In earlier times, people did not employ watercress only to keep off as well as treat scurvy, but also in the form of a springtime tonic as well as a refreshing drink to improve appetite. In addition, watercress has been employed by people in several parts of the world for different other purposes, including a laxative, aphrodisiac, asthma medication, a cough remedy, to make the complexion lighter and also as a contraceptive.

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