How to Make a Kefir-Enhanced Herbal Tea

How to Make a Kefir-Enhanced Herbal Tea



The health benefits of herbal teas may be increased by fermentation with kefir grains--communities of microorganisms that produce enzymes and vitamins while feeding on nourishing liquids. Culturing herbal tea with kefir grains also releases substances that are insoluble in water, further enhancing the medicinal action of the herbs.







Things You'll Need:





Kefir grains




Herbal tea bags, loose dried herbs or fresh-picked herbs




Honey or raw sugar




Filtered or spring water




Wide-mouthed jar with lid




Square of cloth mesh, about 2 inches on each side (optional)




Clean cotton string (optional)









1


Brew a jar of herbal tea, cap and allow to cool. If using loose or fresh-picked herbs, strain out the plant matter when cool. If using tea bags, remove them when cool.





2


Add one tbsp. of honey or raw sugar per 2 cups of water, stirring thoroughly to dissolve. The sweetener is not for flavor but to feed the kefir microorganisms. It will be consumed, and the final product will not be sweet.





3


Put the kefir grains into the jar. If they are coming from a milk product fermentation, you may want to gently rinse them in filtered or spring water to remove the milk.





4


Cap the jar and allow to sit in a corner of the kitchen. Rock or gently shake the jar once in a while. Taste the ferment daily. The first time, it may take several days to develop a nice, sour flavor, since the microorganisms must adapt to the watery environment. Later, it will generally take only 24 to 48 hours.





5


Remove the kefir grains once the ferment has reached a flavor you like. Your fermented herbal tea is now ready to drink. Refrigerate the liquid and re-use the grains in a new culture.








Tips & Warnings










Also try the no-heat method, which preserves substances that would be destroyed by heating. Simply put the herbs or teabags into room-temperature water with the honey or sugar and add the kefir grains.








For the no-heat method, if you are using loose tea or fresh-picked herbs, put the kefir grains into a square of mesh cloth and tie it closed with string. Suspend this bag in the tea and close the cap with the string hanging out. When the ferment is done, simply pull out the mesh pouch to separate the grains from the plant matter.








Some herbal ferments will taste better than others. Here are my own favorites: yarrow, lemon balm, raspberry leaf, St. John's wort, assorted spring flowers (dandelion, cinquefoil, speedwell). Experiment with individual herbs and then try combinations.








Keep in mind that herbs have medicinal actions and tailor your choices to your own body's needs.








Reproduction in an herbal environment may change the structure of the kefir grains and alter their action when you return them to milk culture, changing the flavor of the finished kefir. Eventually, they may recover, but it is best to wait until your kefir colony has doubled, so you can use one half for culturing herbal tea and reserve the rest for milk product fermentation.








Certain herbs may contain substances that are not friendly to the kefir, resulting in death of the colony. The grains will harden and shrivel.








Very rarely, contamination may result in an off-taste or growth of brightly colored mold on the surface. In this case, discard the liquid and rinse the grains thoroughly before re-using them.








Tap water containing chlorine may kill or weaken the kefir microorganisms, so stick to filtered or spring water.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2171656_kefir-enhanced-herbal-tea.html

How to Make a Huge Blister Heal

How to Make a Huge Blister Heal



Prevention is the best medicine, but sometimes a huge blister pops up before you realize what's happening. Blisters happen for a reason, as the fluid filled sacs help to protect delicate skin. But that doesn't mean you have to sit back and do nothing as you wait for them to heal. There are many natural ways you can help to heal a blister.







Things You'll Need:





Straight pin or needle




Rubbing alcohol




Aloe vera plant




Echinacea tincture




Bandages or gauze and adhesive medical tape









1


Drain large blisters. Clean a straight pin or needle with rubbing alcohol and make one single hole in the blister. Gently press with clean fingers until all of the fluid has drained and then wash the blister with soap and warm water.





2


Always let the skin on the blister dry and fall off on its own, as it is your best protection against infection.





3


Squeeze a bit of aloe vera gel from a fresh leaf onto the blister three or four times daily. The gel not only coats and moisturizes the delicate skin, it is also a natural antibacterial agent which helps the blister to heal while preventing infection.





4


Apply a few drops of echinacea tincture to the blister before bed and upon awakening. Echinacea contains polysaccharides which help to speed healing. Purchase echinachea tinctures at your local health food store.





5


Cover the blister with a bandage after applying aloe vera gel or echinacea tincture. If the blister is too large for a standard bandage, place a gauze pad on top and then hold it in place with adhesive medical tape.








Tips & Warnings










Allow the blister to dry thoroughly after bathing and before applying aloe vera gel, echinacea tincture and a bandage. While it is best to keep the blister clean and covered, a bit of air will also help to speed healing.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2386299_make-huge-blister-heal.html

How to Learn About Shamanic Breathwork

How to Learn About Shamanic Breathwork



In many remote areas of the world today, shamans are healers who restore the balance to individuals suffering from illness caused by imbalance. Sometimes this healing involves prayers, songs or chants. The experience is thought to cleanse the recipients of harmful impurities. In some cultures, shamans are believed to be able to travel to other worlds with the help of power animals and spirit guides. Shamanic breathwork combines historic shamanic principles with contemporary breathing guidance to restore balance to the body and release stress. Follow these steps to learn more.







Things You'll Need:





Computer with Internet access









1


Know that shamanic breathwork doesn't necessarily require a shaman to perform the ceremony. Shamanic breathwork attempts to waken the inner shaman healer within the breather. This is a journey inward, where the shaman inside will attempt to release dysfunctional patterns and transform old wounds.





2


Feel safe knowing that your inward journey won't be alone. A facilitator oversees the ceremony. You'll have co-journeyers beside you to help you learn.





3


Be prepared for the physical sensations that accompany shamanic breathwork. During a session, you may be brushed with sage, cedar or sweet grass. Partake in the prayerful invocations and listen to the constant beat of the ceremony drums.





4


Understand the purpose of a shamanic breathwork session. The goal is to release your inner shaman as you learn to control your breathing and enter a dreamlike, altered state. The session will typically last between one and two hours. Sessions during multi-day retreats may last longer.





5


Get all of your questions answered by visiting Web sites like the Venus Rising of AIWP Institute for Shamanic Healing Arts site (see Resources below). They have a comprehensive history and event schedule available, as well as other resources to help you learn more about the techniques and purpose of shamanic breathwork.





6


Find a facilitator online by visiting breathwork directories like the Transformational Breathwork Directory (see Resources below). A Web site is typically listed for each practitioner. This is where you can look up fees and service descriptions.








Tips & Warnings










Shamanic breathwork sessions cost about the same as traditional breathwork sessions, which range from affordable to expensive, depending on the package you select. Some breathwork facilitators offer multi-day retreats that cost as much as a few nights at 4-star hotel. Check with your local facilitator for current rates.








As with all breathwork, there is a danger of hypoxia, or a lack of sufficient oxygen. This is due to the extreme and deliberate changes in breathing pattern that is required by this technique. Additionally, because of the psychotropic nature of breathwork, there have been reported instances of insanity. Make sure you are mentally healthy enough for shamanic breathwork before enrolling.








Before you start any alternative medical technique, be aware that many have not been scientifically evaluated. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about how alternative medicine practitioners can be professionally licensed. If you decide to visit one, choose one licensed by a recognized national organization. Consult your primary health care provider about your decision first. Keep your doctor informed about the alternative medical technique you undertake.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2031530_learn-shamanic-breathwork.html

How to Learn About Holotropic Breathwork

How to Learn About Holotropic Breathwork



Holotropic Breathwork is the process of using your own breath to induce a very deep state of consciousness. In this state of deep consciousness, proponents believe you're able to release your inner mechanism of healing. Holotropic Breathwork is based on the principle that we are our own best healer. Proponents use it to address a variety of symptoms and health issues, from physical to emotional to spiritual. Follow these steps to learn more about Holotropic Breathwork.







Things You'll Need:





A partner or a Holotropic Breathwork group




Computer with Internet access







Learn About Holotropic Breathwork on Your Own




1


Read books on Holotropic Breathwork. Start with Kylea Taylor's "The Breathwork Experience: Exploration and Healing in Nonordinary States of Consciousness" (see Resources below).





2


Visit the Web site of the Association for Holotropic Breathwork International (see Resources below). Here, you'll find lists of relevant publications, events and facilitators.





3


Visit the Web site of Stanislav and Christina Grof, the developers of Holotropic Breathwork (see Resources below). Their site has a plethora of information as well as links to other resources.



Learn About Holotropic Breathwork Through Others




1


Sign up for a learning class or training course on Holotropic Breathwork. The Grof Web site outlines a training program available for those with a more serious interest. If you simply want to learn, attend a lecture or workshop listed on the Web site.





2


Search your area for a Holotropic Breathwork organization. You can use the phone book or simply ask existing providers of alternative medicine in your area if they can recommend a practitioner or an organization. Call or email them and request any information they have on resources, classes and other people in the area. You may have an entire network of people and organizations available to you.








Tips & Warnings










Learning about Holotropic Breathwork is, overall, an inexpensive practice. You can purchase as many books on the topic as you feel you need. Most are inexpensively- to moderately-priced.








Serious or chronic medical conditions should be examined by a licensed medical physician. Holotropic Breathwork practitioners are not licensed medical professionals.








Before you start any alternative medical technique, be aware that many have not been scientifically evaluated. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about how alternative medicine practitioners can be professionally licensed. If you decide to visit one, choose one licensed by a recognized national organization. Consult your primary health care provider about your decision first. Keep your doctor informed about the alternative medical technique you undertake.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2031525_learn-holotropic-breathwork.html

How to Learn About Chinese Medicine

How to Learn About Chinese Medicine



Chinese medicine uses herbs, massage and acupuncture to treat and prevent a wide range of physical maladies, from insomnia to chronic pain. Its medicinal treatments come form theories of bodily and spiritual harmony and were China's best kept secret for centuries. Now, traditional Chinese medicine is enjoying ever increasing visibility in the West as a viable alternative to Western treatments. Follow these steps to learn more about Chinese medicine.







Things You'll Need:





Computer with Internet connection







Learn the Basics




1


Familiarize yourself with the Chinese cosmological theory of Yin and Yang. This basic theory forms the underbelly of Chinese medicine. An Internet search or a visit to your local library or New Age bookstore will yield a great deal of information.





2


Know that the so-called Five Elements in Chinese thought are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Many Chinese medical treatments make use of the Five Elements to varying degrees.





3


Learn about the vital energy centers in the human body, known in Chinese medicine as the "Meridian System." Many Chinese medical techniques rely upon improving the flow of energy through these centers.





4


Read up on Zang Fu organ theory, which relates the function of the various human organs to the concept of Yin and Yang.





5


Understand that many Chinese medicine treatments are moderately priced, but may not be covered by your medical insurance.



Find Out More About Chinese Medicine




1


Know the difference between Chinese and Western diagnostic techniques. Chinese medicine relies upon different principles of observation, including hearing, smelling and touching the affected area.





2


Understand the basic treatment methods. Today, herbal treatments and acupuncture are the most visible, but massage, meditation and
martial arts
techniques are also used to treat illnesses and physical conditions.





3


Recognize that there are differing schools of thought beneath the umbrella term of "Chinese Medicine." The Wenbing and Jingfang schools are the most prominent in the modern West.





4


Learn more about the unique diagnostic tools, treatments and history of Chinese medicine at the Los Angeles Chinese Learning Center Web site (see Resources below).








Tips & Warnings










Check with your regular physician before pursuing alternative treatment options. Under no circumstances should you ever self-diagnose and/or self-treat chronic or extreme illnesses.








Before you start any alternative medical technique, be aware that many have not been scientifically evaluated. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about how alternative medicine practitioners can be professionally licensed. If you decide to visit one, choose one licensed by a recognized national organization. Consult your primary health care provider about your decision first. Keep your doctor informed about the alternative medical technique you undertake.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2031536_learn-chinese-medicine.html

How to Know if Neuro Linguistic Programming is Working

How to Know if Neuro Linguistic Programming is Working



The true test of any self-improvement program is whether or not it works. Neuro linguistic programming, a series of procedures developed to help people make desired changes in their lives, is no exception. Do the powerful mental visualizations evoked in "The Swish" really help eliminate negative behavior, like smoking? Does "matching" the physical and vocal style of a stranger make him more disposed to buy something from you? There are ways to know whether or not your chosen method is working.







Things You'll Need:





Computer with Internet access







Introduce Yourself to Neuro Linguistic Programming




1


Search the Web for factual sites about NLP. Look for specific principles and methods, how they work and what the result is supposed to be. Richard Bander is one of the founders of NLP, making his NLP Frequently Asked Questions Web page a particularly good place to start your research (see Resources below).





2


Differentiate between techniques meant to work within a single person, such as re-framing, and those that have to do with interpersonal contact, like rapport. You may wish to hone in on one or the other.





3


Seek out case studies and stories from NLP practitioners or from personal blogs that show how the NLP process has benefited (or not benefited) specific people. You can read case studies at the National Federation of Neuro Linguistic Psychology Web site (see Resources below).



Discover What Works for You




1


Try one or two of the NLP exercises, like anchoring or mirroring, for yourself. Be sure you know what it is, how it works and what the end product is supposed to be. You can find a list of methods at the "Free NLP Tips, Techniques, Information & Articles" page of the Pegasus NLP Training Web site (see Resources below).





2


Follow the steps carefully.





3


Pay special attention to requirements for visualization. Be sure your mental pictures are clear and that you can change them as the exercise demands.





4


Notice specifics, especially for operations involving social contact, in which the measure of your success is the reaction of the other person. Look and listen attentively.





5


Jot down your reactions and feelings immediately after each attempt. Mention whether you believe the methods were really working for you.





6


Wait. The only real test of these methods is time.





7


Check your notes from the experience first a few days, then a few weeks, afterward. Is your perception of the experience still the same? If it has changed, in what way? If the changes you were aiming for are still in force, you know NLP is working for you.








Tips & Warnings










Neuro linguistic programming advocates often push the speed with which it works as a selling point, but every person is different. You may need a number of tries at a particular technique or several different techniques to get the results you want.








Working with a neuro linguistic programmer is considered the best way to achieve dramatic, lasting results, but these sessions can be expensive.








There is no accepted scientific research that confirms the effects of NLP. Positive results can be calculated only through the testimony of individuals.








NLP is not a medical or psychiatric procedure. If you have a serious physical or emotional complaint, from acute pain to clinical depression, check with a doctor.








Before you start any alternative medical technique, be aware that many have not been scientifically evaluated. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about how alternative medicine practitioners can be professionally licensed. If you decide to visit one, choose one licensed by a recognized national organization. Consult your primary health care provider about your decision first. Keep your doctor informed about the alternative medical technique you undertake.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2031479_neuro-linguistic-programming.html

How to Know If It's Safe to Mix Chinese Herbs and Pharmaceuticals

How to Know If It's Safe to Mix Chinese Herbs and Pharmaceuticals



The simultaneous treatment of multiple medical conditions frequently leads to questions about the safety of overlapping treatments. If your treatment regimen comes to include a mix of both pharmaceuticals and Chinese herbal remedies, don't worry. It's easy to find out how safe specific combinations of herbal and synthetic drugs are. Chinese medicine is an ancient discipline that relies on herbs to treat all types of ailments, from gastrointestinal disorders to infections. Follow these steps to find out if it's safe to mix the treatments you are taking.







Things You'll Need:





Computer with Internet access







Distinguish Herbal and Pharmaceutical Treatments




1


Know that manufactured pharmaceuticals are intended to replace a very specific chemical deficiency within your body. Substitution of the chemical, not the healing of the mechanism that produces it, is the end goal.





2


Understand that
Chinese herbs
are used with the end goal of correcting the malfunctioning bodily process that's causing your symptoms. It's generally considered gentler and more natural to treat the body using herbs, though their effects may not be immediately apparent.





3


Learn more about the different ways herbal treatments and manufactured pharmaceuticals act upon your body by visiting the Practice Longevity Web site (see Resources below).



Learn if it's Safe to Mix Your Herbal and Pharmaceutical Treatments




1


Consult a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) specialist to see if any of the conditions you're treating with pharmaceuticals can be treated with gentler, more natural Chinese herbs.





2


Double-check with a Chinese herbology expert. Tell him or her what pharmaceutical drugs you're taking. He or she will be able to tell you if there are any potential conflicts with the Chinese herbal treatments you've been recommended.





3


Educate yourself. Learn as much as you can about the pharmaceutical medications you're taking. The more you know, the better equipped you'll be to make decisions about what treatment options to pursue.





4


Talk to your pharmacist. She'll know a great deal about potentially dangerous drug combinations, and will certainly inform you if any of your herbal treatments could pose problems with your prescription medication.





5


Realize that some combinations of drugs are technically safe, but render one or more of the drugs ineffective. For instance, the mix of birth control pills and certain herbs can cause the contraceptives to stop working.








Tips & Warnings










Treating chronic conditions using Chinese herbal therapy tends to be less expensive than using prescription drugs. Talk to a qualified practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine to see if herbal remedies can help your condition. Consultation costs are generally inexpensive.








If you experience abdominal cramps, headache, nausea or vomiting as the result of drug treatments (herbal or synthetic), seek immediate medical attention. You could be having a potentially serious reaction to your medication(s).








Before you start any alternative medical technique, be aware that many have not been scientifically evaluated. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about how alternative medicine practitioners can be professionally licensed. If you decide to visit one, choose one licensed by a recognized national organization. Consult your primary health care provider about your decision first. Keep your doctor informed about the alternative medical technique you undertake.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2031549_its-safe-mix.html