A Self Improvement Guide to Natural Health
A natural health remedy is not exactly the first thing that comes to the average American’s mind when they’re sick. Face it—most of us go to the doctor or pop a pill for everything. I was included that “most of us category” until I found myself uninsured at the age of 25 with a small child and very few resources. I could’ve panicked—okay, I did panic momentarily; but this blessing in disguise led to my ever-expanding knowledge of natural cures.
You probably won’t hear it from your doctor (since he or she is trained to practice medicine), but there are natural remedies for high blood pressure, depression, asthma, infections, viruses, hormonal problems, and even cancer.
Learning to care for yourself through natural health remedies may be the most under-emphasized of all the self improvement techniques that I stumble upon. I suppose we sometimes forget that self improvement is about the total you—mind, body and soul. So, I’d like to share my favorite natural remedies in hopes of helping you to improve your health—the natural way.
Garlic – The Natural Health Remedy for Everything
I’d call garlic the ultimate wonder drug if it was actually a drug. But it’s not. It’s a natural health remedy that has been successfully used for ages to treat a variety of illnesses without the harmful side effects of medication. Garlic has more uses than I can name here, but let’s start with the fact that it is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, AND anti-viral.
Unlike prescribed antibiotics which destroy your good bacteria along with the bad ones, garlic eats the nasty bugs in your system while leaving the ones that you need intact. And that’s not the best part. Bacteria don’t seem to build a resistance to garlic as they do with antibiotics.
If that’s not enough to sell you on garlic as a life-saving natural health remedy, consider the fact that it helps to prevent and treat some of the most common causes of illness, embarrassment and death. High blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, ear infections, diabetes, stomach virus, acne, Athlete’s Foot, cancer, flu, bladder and kidney infections, herpes, blood clots—the uses for garlic go on and on. Garlic helps you to heal yourself by strengthening the immune system, which means you can hinder what’s trying to invade your body and fight off whatever makes its way inside.
Worried about the smell? There are garlic pills on the market now, but I’m not convinced that anything works wonders like chowing down on a fresh garlic clove. You can always enjoy a few slices of lemon after eating garlic. That way you still smell good as you’re working on feeling great.
Ginger – The Digestive System’s Natural Cure
If you’re anything like me, you have a fond childhood memory of being given Ginger Ale for a tummy ache. With all the added sugar in soda, it may not have been remarkably helpful; but your parents were on the right track.
Ginger is one of the best natural cures for gastrointestinal problems like upset stomach, indigestion, flatulence, nausea, morning sickness, bloating, motion sickness and poor digestion. But there’s more.
Ginger has been shown to improve circulation, destroy parasites, reduce the risk of heart attacks, balance glucose levels, lessen the symptoms of colds and flu, regulate high cholesterol, relieve arthritis pain and so much more.
The spicy taste of ginger tea may be off putting to some, but it’s not bad. Drinking warm water with ginger 2 – 3 times per day, along with other natural health remedies, has completely cured me of GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
Fish Oil – The Best Bet for a Healthy Heart
If you’re a fish lover, you may already know about Omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA, the fatty acids primarily found in fish, are the ultimate natural remedy for a healthy heart. Fish like herring, sardines, tuna, salmon, and mackerel are rich in these fatty acids.
Whether you go for eating a diet rich in fish or taking fish oil supplements, you will likely reduce your risk of heart disease and cardiac related death.
In addition to aiding heart health, the fatty acids found in fish have been shown to decrease the risks and effects of Alzheimer’s, reduce inflammation that results from serious illnesses, treat serious mental health issues (i.e. schizophrenia, depression), and even slow the body’s aging process.
If you eat a typical American diet or lead a typical American lifestyle, fish oil may be the perfect preventative natural health remedy for you.
Aloe Vera – The Natural Remedy That Puts the Fire Out
As a little girl, my minor burns were always treated with aloe vera. I remember my grandmother pinching off a piece of the plant and rubbing its gel-like inner substance onto my wound. The burning was soothed almost instantly. Little did I know, this miracle plant has many other uses.
Pure aloe vera juice is wonderful for boosting the immune system, destroying bacteria, reducing inflammation, aiding digestion, healing stomach ulcers, treating asthma, and general cleansing of the body’s organs. I’ll be honest with you, it is not the best tasting beverage in the world. In fact, the first time I tasted it, I recall stating that it tastes exactly the way I would imagine cold urine might taste. Nonetheless, I drink it almost daily now. Like anything else, it becomes second nature after a while and the taste doesn’t seem so bad. Even if it did, I’d still drink it because the health benefits are worth enduring a moment of discomfort on the taste buds.
So, does natural health play a role in your self improvement efforts? If so, what are some of your favorite natural remedies? Have you tried any of the ones listed above?
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Nea is a Transformational Life Coach whose mission is to help you love your life.
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{ 8 comments }
Hi there,
I agree I try to include these things into my life and they do help!
Thanks for sharing
Richard
Nea, wonderful article, this is very helpful and useful information, I like the fact that each paragraph was short, sweet and informative. I will now try my best to incorporate a healthier lifestyle after reading this!
Thank you dear Nea, I agree!!! I probably eat garlic and ginger everyday and have used the other two, but probably need to more often. I really believe our health is so much in our own hands, and much of our healing can be achieved through the foods we do or don’t eat.
I hope you are doing really well. I ALWAYS love seeing you around. Such beautiful energy my dear friend. Hugs to you, Robin
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed this post. My health is definitely better now that I’ve learned these, and many other, natural health remedies.
Hi Nea, I read this article today and thought of you/your blog. Although it is not inspiring by any means, I believe a wonderful transformation could take place by sharing it with anyone willing to open up that steel trap
Here is the link: http://www.naturalnews.com/029038_frozen_yogurt_health_food.html
I love all of these ideas! One thing I might change however, is your description of Aloe Vera Juice. I find it quite tasty! The only shock for me was the pulp that I did not expect (solid colored bottle…) They also sell many where they only add the fruit extract of pomegranate, mango, etc to alter the taste.
If you’re enjoying the taste of Aloe Vera juice, you’re my hero. I’m getting used to it but I’m a long way from saying that its tasty. I’ll take your suggestion and try the mango flavored if I can find it.
There is so much we can do to help ourselves stay healthy. The foundation being eating a healthy diet that includes a “technicolor” range of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices; taking moderate exercise and getting good sleep. Then top up with good quality nutritional supplements because as we age we do not get optimum nutrition from our food alone. The stats are that 60% of older boomers already suffer from chronic health problems (McKinsey Research), and I am a baby boomer and my intentions are stay healthy. There are other factors that come into play which I have included on my blog.
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