For those of you that have mild constipation, here is a morning smoothie that will help activate your colon. This smoothie is packed with nutrients that your body will use to regenerate your colon and body.

I have been making this smoothie for a few years. I make enough to drink right away and to put into my thermos to drink around 10am.

When I make this drink I just start putting things in the blender without measuring. You can do the same and make adjustments as you go.

one peeled banana
4-5 strawberries or other type of berries, or fruits
one tablespoon of lecithin granules
one – two teaspoons of flax seed oil
half and half almond milk and apple juice
in a coffee grinder, grind up around a teaspoon or less of the following:
brown sesame seeds – are high in lecithin, vitamin C, E, and Calcium. They improve liver function and help in constipation
sunflower seeds – are high protein, Calcium, and iron. They are one of the best natural foods which feeds the entire body
flax seeds – are high in fiber and provide bulk for your stools
almonds – use around 6-7 or more. They are high in Calcium, Phosphorus and have some B-vitamins. Only eat a few. They are high in calories
After grinding the seeds, place them in the blender and blender everything for about 3-4 minutes. If you need a little sweetness, you can add a small amount of honey. I find this drink plenty sweet without any honey.

Sometimes I will add the powder of a few acidophilus capsules.

If I don’t add the almonds, I just put all the tiny seed into the blender without grinding them up. The blender will break them up.

This is a powerful smoothie to give you morning power and to activate your colon to get moving.

While supplements of vitamin C, D and zinc will shorten the lifespan of a common cold, a hot lemon drink is also extremely good. Cool lemon juice and honey are a great soother for a sore throat and gives the body much-needed vitamin C at the same time The juice of one lemon in a glass of water is sufficient.

When you have the cold or flu the constant rubbing of tissue on your nose and lips can cause chaffing and soreness. Try a smear of vaseline or petroleum jelly on those sore lips and nose.

A ‘streaming cold’ where the nose and eyes water profusely, can be inconvenient and even embarrassing but believe it or not, you can help alleviate these runny symptoms with an onion. Simply dip a slice of onion into a glass of hot water for two seconds, then sip the cooled water throughout the day. In fact, onion is a good thing to have around when you have a cold and putting half an onion on the bedside table at night can get rid of your cold symptoms because its odor is inhaled while you sleep.

For those unpleasant times when you suffer from diarrhea, two tablespoons of brown vinegar will usually fix the problem.

In addition to common kitchen products, many herbs can be used to treat ailments instead of expensive drugs. For example, if you suffer from headaches dizziness or tinnitus, you might try feverfew leaves.

The Tea Tree and Eucalyptus oils are useful for treating a variety of respiratory ailments. These are excellent for the treatment of colds and coughs. They can be massaged into the chest or burned in an oil burner to help clear the airways and prevent congestion. Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic and can be dabbed on cuts, bites and stings. It is often used to treat spots and pimples and when diluted with water, acts as a mouth gargle (keep in-mind it should never be swallowed).

The herb black cohosh is a powerful relaxant as well and is extremely effective in easing painful menstrual cramps. Ovarian cramps will be relieved as well as bringing on a delayed menstrual cycle. It is also effective in the treatment of arthritis, osteo-arthritis, rheumatic pain and neurological pan. In small doses, appetite and digestion are greatly improved and is very beneficial for the nervous system in general.

The price for treatments varies depending on the type and amount of treatments as well as the severity of your problem. Generally, this type of treatment is not overly expensive compared to modern medical treatments but there are a few very important questions that need to be answered before you venture into the world of alternative medical treatments.

How can alternative treatments be paid for?

Most people pay for their treatments out of their own pocket. These treatments are not overly expensive. It can become more expensive the more frequently that you use these treatments. Ask the practitioner what type of payments he or she accepts, if you can get a line of credit or some sort of discount for frequent use if it is the type of treatment that is ongoing like chiropractic. Also, try to find out what types of insurance coverage might pay for these treatments from their experience with past customers.

How Can I Find Out If My Insurance Covers This?

Finding out if your insurance covers these alternative treatments is a good idea and eas easy as a phone call your insurance company. When you talk to them, ask specific questions related to the treatments you want to use and how they can be covered.

If your insurance does cover these types of treatments, there is a good chance that there is a limit on the sessions that will be covered. Ask about this as well as any other stipulations to coverage they might have.

You might find that you are only covered if it is medically necessary by their terms or there may be special requirements for you to be covered. Find out the specifics and see if you can work with your practitioner to get yourself covered.

Questions To Ask Your Practitioner

You will want to ask your practitioner if they even accept your health insurance, and if not what forms of payment they accept. Also find out if there will be any additional cost (or discount) depending on the method with which you pay. Find out if you can get a free or reduced “trial period” treatment. This way you do not have to spend any money trying to find out if these forms of treatment are right for you. You will find that there are many practitioners out there who will be more than happy to give you a small trial treatment. They want you to be happy with your treatment.

With the popularity of alternative treatments on the rise and more and more medical establishments accepting them, it is only a matter of time before your insurance covers most of what you need. For now, however, don’t forgo treatments that could make your life more pleasant without having to resort to harmful drugs or surgery – you may find it is well worth the money spent.

Conventional doctors will tell you to take aspirin and may offer water pills or hormonal therapy but alternatives to these forms of comfort can be more relaxing and have fewer side effects.

Acupuncture can relieve pain and stress for any ailment so it is worth a try for PMS. Same goes for massage, and your massage therapist can show you self massage to do on your lower abdomen any time you need to relax cramps. No medicine is involved, and both of these alternative therapies are non-invasive. Plus, they leave you so relaxed that having them can turn a bad PMS day into a happy one.

There are a couple of medicinal herbs that are used in making teas and poultices for the relief of PMS symptoms. These include Kava Kava Chai and ginseng. To relive cramping, swelling and irritability, try Viburnum.

If you have trouble with swollen breasts and muscle spasms or tend to get PMS acne, the answer to these symptoms could be right in your front yard – dandelion! As a herbalist to recommend the appropriate combination of herbs for your individual symptoms.

Many people use crystal healing energy to increase blood flow which lessens the headache and tension you can get with PMS. But if you want something more mainstream you might try yoga. In fact, exercise, and yoga in particular is a great way to relieve symptoms and lessen fatigue. The slow stretching movements and low impact cardio of yoga is very good for menstrual symptoms.

One method of treating PMS that is becoming more and more popular is hypnosis. Hypnosis is geared toward finding out the causes and conditions of symptoms, therefore relieving the pain holistically. In the case of PMS, that would mean removing the root cause of irritability and stress. While these are obviously caused by hormones, the mood swings of PMS can be brought under control with light hypnosis that focuses on teaching the patient that the moodiness is temporary, and not to be taken to heart.

If you suffer from PMS and don’t feel that hormone therapy is safe and aspirin just doesn’t do the trick, why not try one of these alternative treatmenst? What have you got to lose besides cramps, bloating, irritability and mood swings.

Alternative or holistic medicine, on the other hand, takes many different factors into consideration before prescribing a cure. This type of healing has been in use for thousands of years and can be very effective. It concerns itself not only with the physical problem, but with the problems of the “whole” self.

Alternative medicine includes massage, therapy, herbal tea, herbal medicine and millions of people today still use these types of treatments instead of or in addition to modern medicine.

Different cultures have had their own specific types of alternative medicine and many different types of treatments. Many of these treatments have survived and are still effective today. In fact, massage, which many people swear by in the modern world is actually one of the oldest forms of alternative medicine and records of massage therapy date back to ancient Egypt.

In ancient Europe there were two types of healers, the professional physicians and the folk healers. The folk healers lived in the lower class and healed the people of each village who could not afford the expensive physicians. These people believed in the folk treatment and it worked for them. This type of situation also occurred in many other cultures.

In Western culture, philosophy was frequently used to assist the folk healers in their quest for a holistic treatment. Philosophy was important because it told the stories of their lives. With a twist of philosophy and religion as well as belief, they easily found the best treatment available for whatever it was that was ailing the villagers of this time.

We now have a more advanced or instantaneous form of medical treatment, but alternative medicine can still be very effective. Massage, aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbal, humor therapy, meditation, and many other forms of holistic healing are used every day. In fact some of these treatments have become so popular that they are no longer considered alternative medicine and they are now supported by modern physicians.

Although the theory of alternative medicine has been ridiculed throughout the centuries , it has survived for one reason – It works. Alternative treatments may not work as fast as the treatments that we have today, but these natural types of treatments can be better for you overall, if you just give them a chance.