Not all subjects make for polite conversation, but if you’re serious about your health you have to discuss it. Every body system gives signs when it’s overloaded with toxins and congestion. I’m talking about the solid waste management organ of the body—your colon.

The colon is also called the large intestine, even though the large intestine is only one portion of the colon. In either case, it’s an essential part of your health. When the colon is compromised, waste backs up, becomes toxic, and releases toxins from the bowel into the bloodstream. Cleansing your colon lightens the toxic load your organs have to process.

Your colon is the solid waste management organ for the body, but it doesn’t work alone. Working in conjunction with your lungs, skin and kidneys, the colon eliminates toxins that are found throughout your body including the intestines, blood and your lymph system. Many health problems such as arthritis, migraines, and hypertension.

The physical appearance of this organ is quite different from other organs as the kidneys or the liver. It’s approximately five feet long and is, in fact, the last quarter of the digestive tract that’s nearly 28 feet long. The colon, moreover, is not a single organ, but rather a collection of three separate organs—the large intestine, rectum and the anus. The main tasks of the colon are water and nutrient absorption and the formation and elimination of feces.

This organ contains a whole host of bacteria, both of the good and the bad variety. With nearly 60 varieties of microflora or bacteria to aid digestion, the colon is vital to the digestion and processing of nutrient production. Good bacteria, the majority of which are bacillus coli and acidophilus are essential in the processing of the B-complex vitamins and folic acid. In fact, it’s in this area of the body that the B vitamins combine with bacteria that then carries these vitamins, important for energy production, throughout the blood stream and ultimately to all the organs.

The entire process of elimination—in a healthy body normally takes between 12 to 24 hours from the time the food is ingested to the time it’s eliminated. Experts claim that if your colon is healthy, you should experience two to three bowel movements daily, one after each meal is eaten. Elimination, ideally, should be complete and easy. And it shouldn’t hurt!

All healthy stool has common characteristics—no matter your age or sex. The stool in a healthy elimination is light brown in color and it should be long, large and round. Contrary to popular opinion, stools should not have an offensive odor. Another characteristic of a healthy stool is that as it’s flushed down the toilet, it should break apart.

Reference: How I Cured Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Naturally!

Even though antibiotics cure urinary tract infections (UTI)in the majority of cases, a recurrence of UTI is a universal problem. Today, there are many sexually active young women who have no symptoms but have a high number of bacteria in the urine. The question is what is the best treatment for these individuals? With the increasing number of resistant bacterial strains and the benign nature of a UTI, there are many in the health community who do not recommend routine antibiotic treatment.

A variety of antibiotics are available for UTIs. The type of antibiotic depends on many factors, including whether the infection is simple or complicated, primary or recurrent. Treatment decisions are not always based on the presence of bacteria in the urine. If a female has symptoms and the bacterial count is low or normal, a UTI is probably present and antibiotic treatment should be considered.

The treatment of UTIs with pharmaceuticals has become fairly standardized. There are numerous antibiotics which are used to treat UTIs. For those females who are sick and have evidence of kidney infection following a UTI, hospital admission is generally required and IV antibiotics administered. For the majority of females, an oral antibiotic taken for a few days is sufficient to treat the infection.

After antibiotic treatment, most patients are free of infection. If the symptoms do not clear up within the first few days after treatment, the physician will generally recommend discontinuing the antibiotic and ask the female to provide a urine sample for culture in order to identify the specific organism causing the UTI.

There are some agents like Phenazopyridine that can relieve the pain and burning associated with a UTI. This drug is only taken for 1-2 days and immediately provides relief. It does turn the urine reddish-orange but it is not something to worry about. The drug does not cure the UTI but only relieves the symptoms; and must be taken in combination with an antibiotic or some other treatment. In some rare cases, this drug may be associated with shortness of breath and kidney failure.

The rampant use of antibiotics for the past 50 years has now led to the development of bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics. The presence of resistant bacteria is growing at epidemic proportions all over the world. Almost all bacteria today are resistant to penicillin and the percentage of bacteria resistant to other antibiotics is increasing annually. Today, numerous hospitals in the US are struggling to treat antibiotic-resistant pneumonias and soon the treatment of UTIs will most likely follow the same path.

There is no drug that is without side effects and the same applies to the drugs used to treat UTIs. Allergies and skin rashes are common with drugs and with prolonged use, organ damage may occur. So in the long run, the less frequently antibiotics are used, the safer it is for humans as a whole.

Emotions are deeply linked to the body’s immunity. Medical texts are being rewritten as more is discovered about this facet of health. Joy and happiness are potent immune protection. Loving relationships and the power of prayer cannot be understated for health. Do not dismiss the power of prayer or laughter. The human immune system/nervous system is hardwired to our emotional health.

From personal experience I can tell you that I cannot exercise regularly and be depressed. Moderate exercise can boost your body’s immune system naturally, but you do have to be careful not to over do things. If you exercise too much, or for too long, you can actually lower your body’s natural immunity for short periods of time.

When you exercise, your body’s blood starts pumping through your veins faster and stronger. This exercises the heart, and carries nutrition to all the areas of your body. This increased blood flow also helps pick up toxins, wastes, germs and other harmful bacteria from your muscles and organs. And the body’s immune cells circulate more freely through the blood system too, which helps them kill the potentially harmful bacteria.

If you exercise too much though, your body’s immune cells will leave the blood stream and go into the muscles to work on repairing them. Muscles are built by first damaging them with tiny micro tears as they’re used. These tears are then repaired, and they become stronger each time the cycle is repeated. Exercising too hard can create many more tears and damage than normal, and this causes your body’s immune cells to have to go into the muscles to help repair them. This leaves the body weaker than normal for about 8-12 hours after an intense workout.

Exercising for long periods of time can cause the same problem. When the body exercises for too long at once, there is evidence which shows it reduces massive amounts of a hormone called Cortisol. This hormone is also released during severe periods of stress too, and this hormone lowers the body’s immune levels.

People who have an already weakened immune system can also create more problems if they exercise too much, so they should consult with their doctors first, and start exercise programs slowly.

For healthy people though, moderate exercise can help boost the body’s immune system nicely. The primary reasons this works is thought to be because of the increased overall fitness levels. Most people who get moderate exercise also tend to try and eat a bit better than more sendentary people, but the increased blood flow and circulation of immune cells mentioned earlier are part of the overall effect too.

Good forms of moderate exercise which can help boost the immune system include walking, bicycling, gardening and swimming for about a half hour on most days. Interval exercising is fine too though, where you work in the garden for instance for about ten minutes, then break and come back again later.

Whether you call it by its colloquial name, sawing logs, or its medical name, stertor, snoring is very common. So what truly cause snoring? Simply put, you snore when something blocks the flow of air through your mouth and nose; however, there are many basic contributors that all funnel into the greater source of the problem.

A bigger question is why do we only experience snoring during restful moments? Well, while we breathe 24/7, only relaxed muscles can cause us to snore. During sleep, all our voluntary muscles are relaxed. The throat, in the same way as the triceps are relaxed is also resting while we sleep. The fact that tissues in the throat are soft, adds to the eventual output of vibrating sounds.

Once this tissue eases out, the passage of air will turn into a narrower passage. As you can see, narrowed passages causes louder noise because there is more room for friction, thus the vibration.

These same factors are also pointed as the reasons why there are differences in the loudness, pitch and tone of snores.

The loudness of snore is affected by the force of the wind that comes through the air passages. Therefore, when the speed of wind is faster, the snore, in general, is louder and more resonant. This answers why babies are capable of snoring too. However, theirs is not typically considered as snoring but only as mild noises created by the respiratory tract. This must never be ignored though since it may be the early sign that something is jammed in your child’s respiration tunnel.

But while it may appear to both genders at any age, men are more often affected by this condition than women and middle-aged men are most likely to be the victims.

This is due to the reason that men have more fleshy necks since theirs are a bit wider than women’s. This factor combined with the speed of air, the result is most likely to be snoring.

Meanwhile, women by nature produce progesterone hormones. This is known to inhibit snoring, thus they are less susceptible towards the irritable sounds. Because this actual hormone helps in relieving a person from this nighttime dilemma, some anti-snoring devices are known to use progesterone as their basic ingredient.

Lifestyle and health factors are also thought of as culprits of snoring. These include:

• Allergies that cause clogs in the air paths.
• Drying of the nasal cavities due to several elements including allergy medications.
• Cold and flu, this explains why some people only experience snoring when they are sick.
• Excessive intake of alcohol.
• Thickening of the tissues along the nasal passage. Often, surgeries done on conditions not directly related to snoring can also contribute to the frequency and intensity of the snores.
• Abnormally large belly or guts.
• Irritation of the air passages due to overuse of nasal sprays.
• Abnormal enlargement of the tonsils or the adenoids.
• Smoking which causes inflammation in the air passages.
• Swelling of the thyroid gland or goiter.
• Blockage of the airflow due to large tongue.
• Medications that initiate relaxation
• Obesity
• Inefficient neural control on the nasal membranes.

Take snoring seriously — it disturbs sleeping patterns and deprives the snorer of  rest. When snoring is severe, it can cause serious, long-term health problems, including obstructive sleep apnea.

Reference: Natural Snoring Remedy

We all know that pregnancy places great nutritional demand on a woman’s body, but your diet isn’t the only thing that affects your baby. Paying special attention to your health will reduce the likelihood of problems for your child, and it will make you more comfortable during this physically taxing time.

Getting Proper Nutrition

Pregnant women need about 300 more calories per day than they did before they were expecting. These extra calories provide the fuel for your baby to grow. If you don’t eat enough, however, the baby will usually get what he needs anyway. You will be the one who is left with less energy.

Specifically, your diet should consist of these foods:

• High quality protein (grass-fed meats, eggs from cage free grass-fed chickens)
• High quality dairy (raw grass-fed: cheese, cream, milk and butter)
• Soaked grains and nuts
• Stocks (bone broths)
• Organic or locally grown fruits and veggies
• High quality fat
• Lacto-fermented foods
• High potency fish oil
• Filtered water

It is very important to get in enough nutrients for yourself and your baby. Some of the most important are calcium, iron and folic acid. These aid in the development of baby’s bones, blood, and brain and spine, respectively. Eating foods rich in these nutrients is the best way to get them, but it may be difficult to get as much of them as you need. That’s why it is important to take your prenatal vitamins.

Things to Avoid

There are a number of things that we need to avoid during pregnancy. Your doctor has probably told you to quit smoking and drinking alcohol if you do those things. And drugs, of course, are strictly off limits. But there are some other things that are bad for your baby that might surprise you.

Nail polish may seem relatively harmless, but the Environmental Working Group study, Beauty Secrets: Does A Common Chemical In Nail Polish Pose Risks to Human Health?, names 37 brands of nail products including polishes, enamels, hardeners, and colors, that contain dibutyl phthalate (DBP) — a chemical known to cause birth defects of testicular atrophy, reduced sperm count, and defects in the structure of the penis.

Caffeine is one habit that many an expecting mother has trouble kicking. But it can increase the risk of miscarriage, so it is wise to avoid it. If you can’t just drop your favorite caffeine-filled beverages, cut down significantly or switch to decaf. Chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine, but you don’t have to give it up completely. Moderation is the key.

Pregnant women should avoid certain types of fish. These include shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. These often contain high levels of mercury, which can cause brain damage in your baby. Other foods that should not be included in your diet include unpasteurized cheese, milk, and juice, foods containing raw eggs, and undercooked meat.

It is important not to take any medications during pregnancy without first consulting with your doctor. Even herbs and over-the-counter medicines can present a danger to your baby. Ideally, the only medication a pregnant woman should take is a good prenatal vitamin. But if you feel that you need treatment for pain or other conditions, talk to your doctor. He may be able to recommend an alternative treatment or a safe medication.

Pregnant women should also avoid contact with cat feces. If they don’t, they put themselves at risk of contracting toxoplasmosis. This usually causes no symptoms in the mother, but it can have devastating effects on her developing baby. These may include prematurity, brain damage, and other problems.

Staying healthy should be a priority at all times, but it becomes much more important when you’re pregnant. Keeping yourself in good health and avoiding certain foods and substances will help your baby grow strong and healthy.

Reference: The Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide

Many people know the benefits of Chinese herbs and practices like acupuncture, but Qigong remains something of a mystery to most people in the West. In China, Qigong is a common practice. It gives you the same results as meditation but with the benefit of physical exercise.

Qigong literally has thousands of different forms and styles, and the exercises are meant to attract active and vital sources of energy for your body and mind. Qigong is not only taking part in physical exercises but it has more to do with understanding your inner body and thoughts. The practice seeks to make a connection between body and soul.

Qigong is becoming so popular in the last few years that you can now teach yourself the techniques from your own home. You can do this with the many video tapes and books that are on the market today. Just like everything else, research is required before you purchase a self teaching type of this kind. You want to ensure that you are buying something that is authentic and can teach you the proper techniques.

Of course, learning something like Qigong is something that is better learned in person. This way you can learn how to act out these techniques flawlessly and learn from a Qigong expert in person. This makes your learning experience that much easier and enjoyable. Sometimes trying to learn on your own can be more difficult than learning with a qualified instructor. Depending on your learning trends, either is effective for you.

Qigong is the art of healing by using the power of your peace of mind. Qigong can be used for many different reasons, the most popular being the healing and reducing of stress and illness. So many people do not realize that just by understanding yourself and relieving your mind of all the troubles that it has can in fact have a lot to do with the disease that you are suffering from.

Qigong is the absolute best method for self healing — meaning that you will experience less diseases in the future and need less medical care. Qigong is about healing your body, mind and spirit. This type of holistic healing is something that can last forever and effect the rest of your life in the most positive way possible.

You may have already practiced a form of Qigong and not been aware of it. For instance one of the most basic levels is something that most people do at least once a day. Just by sitting up straight in your chair, taking a deep breath and clearing your mind is the first step in a self healing process.

Having a clear mind is the best way to begin any self healing process. The more advanced levels of course include meditation, stretching and much concentration. Anyone can take part in this amazing alternative method to self healing. Just by starting with clearing your mind, you are on the right track.

Before beginning your new adventure with Qigong, it is important to do as much research as you can so that you are familiar with the self healing ways that are used with this alternative method of healing. Whether you plan to teach yourself these self healing methods or you are going to find a great instructor, it is still important to do your research. Try out Qigong and you will discover the amazing results that you will experience.