Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Do you suffer with Irritable Bowel Syndrome?  (IBS)  If you do, here are some home rememdies you can try to help alleviate some of your symptoms.

Some IBS sufferers experience diarrhea.  In this case, it is important to drink plenty of fluids to keep from getting dehydrated.  Others suffer with constipation.  Fiber will help to get things moving if this is the case.  If adding fiber to your diet, do so gradually as otherwise it may cause gas and bloating until your body is used to it. 

Peppermint tea may help to calm a nervous stomach, but if you also have acid reflux, you will want to avoid peppermint.  It can make the reflux worse. 

Some things to avoid if you have IBS include milk products, caffeine, fried food, and spicy foods.  It may also help to eliminate sugar, or at least cut back on it.

Learn to control stress and other negative emotions.  Concentrate on your breathing.  Take deep, slow breaths.  After practicing this for a while, it will soon become second nature. 

Fennel and dill have both been known to help ease IBS symptoms.  Eating yogurt, too, is good for IBS.  Our digestive systems need the "good" kind of bacteria that is found in yogurt.  Make sure your yogurt contains live active cultures.  It will say so on the carton.  Not a big fan of yogurt or want to avoid the sugar that yogurt can contain?  Then buy a probiotic supplement such as acidopholus.   This contains the same "good" bacteria.

As always, check with your doctor before taking any herbal supplements.  Some can counteract certain medications.

Help for Acid Reflux

I know I've mentioned before that I have acid reflux.  I take prescription medication daily, which I wish I didn't have to do.  I am still believing that some day I will be able to discontinue it.  I have read all I can about home remedies and natural alternatives to treat this bothersome disease.  Here is what I have learned:

1.  Keep apple slices with you and eat one when you have a flare-up of heartburn.  For some reason,
     apples aid in stopping heartburn.

2.  Take 1 tablespoon of honey twice a day.  This aids in the regrowth of tissue, and is especially
     important in repairing damage to your esophogus.

3.  Watch what you eat.  Avoid spicy and acidic foods.  Avoid chocolate, citrus fruit and juices,
     peppermint, garlic, onions, and tomato-based foods.  Limit coffee.

4.  Drink a glass of water after every meal.  Water keeps the sphincter (the little thing that the acid
     leaks  out of )  clean, which seals the stomach, keeping acid and gas out of the esophogus.

5.  Apple cider vinegar is supposed to be wonderful for acid reflux sufferers.  Don't use the typical
     kind that you find in the grocery store.  Buy raw apple cider vinegar, which contains the "mother"
     of vinegar.  You will see little pieces of something floating in the vinegar.  This is the "mother"
     which has wonderful properties in it.  I can't explain it.  I usually buy the Bragg brand.  Read all
     about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar here.  Apple cider vinegar helps you digest food
     more quickly and keep stomach acid in your stomach.  Add 1 oz to a glass of water and drink daily.
    You can add a tablespoon of honey if you want to make it sweeter.  I really don't mind the taste,
    though, and actually find it refreshing.

6.  Wear loose-fitting clothes.

7.  Eat smaller meals.

8.  Don't lie down immediately after eating. 

9.  Elevate your head at night.

10. Chew gum for half an hour when you feel that burning sensation.  Chewing gets the saliva
      flowing and helps wash the acid away naturally.

11. Take gingerroot in capsule form just after you eat.

12. There are a class of herbs called "bitters."   Three of these are genetian root, wormwood, and
      goldenseal.  You can take this is capsule form or liquid extract just before eating.

13. Avoid tobacco smoke - your own or someone else's .  It relaxes the sphincter and increases acid
      production.

14. Avoid fizzy drinks.

15. Some medications aggrevate heartburn, including antideprssants and sedatives.


So there you have it.  I haven't tried all of these.  But I swear by the apple cider vinegar drink.  As always, before you take any herbs, please check with your doctor first.

Honey, Anyone?

If you want a home remedy that is truly good for a variety of ailments, reach for a jar of honey.  Be careful, though.  Don't buy just any honey from the grocery store.  For maximum results, use local, raw, unheated honey.  When it's raw, honey is in its purest form. 

Local honey is wonderful for people who suffer with allergies and allergy-related asthma.  Because it is produced locally, by local bees, your body can build an immunity from the pollen in your area.  I have recently begun eating one tablespoon a day of local, raw honey and hope to see a difference this spring and summer when allergy season is in full force. 

The reason I began my daily intake of honey is because I read that it is very helpful in the treatment of GERD, or acid reflux.  I suffer terribly from this and often can feel and taste acid in my mouth and esophagus.  I worry about the long-term effects of this as the acid can eat the lining of your esophagus over time.  Honey contains properties that acutally help to heal the esophogeal lining.  It has also been used to treat stomach ulcers, which I may have.  I had a very bad flare up of acid reflux about two months ago accompanied by stomach pain and burning, which may have been due to a stomach ulcer.  After starting a daily dose of honey, my symptoms were greatly reduced.  The stomach pain vanished.  I am hoping to eventually be able to discontinue my acid reflux medication.

There are a variety of other uses for honey.  Need an energy boost?  Mix one to three tablespoons of honey with a glass of water and drink.  Better for you than a store-bought energy drink, and less expensive.

Honey is also good for insomnia.  It helps to boost a chemical in the brain that calms you down, thus helping you to sleep.

Constipated?  Mix one to three tablespoons of honey in a glass of warm water and drink.

Honey also helps fight infection.  So reach for the honey the next time you have a minor cut or burn and apply it topically.  It will also help prevent scarring and swelling, and is great in the treatment of wounds.  Honey helps to kill bacteria and has antiseptic properties.  In fact, honey was often used by doctors until the 1940's when antibiotics were discovered. 

To sum up, honey is a healthy, sweet alternative remedy for several ailments.  It has many healing properties.  I would much rather reach for the honey jar than a prescription bottle.  Pass the honey, please.

"My son, eat honey because it is good...."  Proverbs 24:13

"....Look now how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey."  I Samuel 14:29

For a wonderful recipe using honey in brownies rather than sugar ,  check this out Bodacious Brownies

I am not a doctor, nurse, or any kind of health care professional.  I cannot treat, diagnose, or prescribe.

Home Remedies and Alternative Medicines

In trying to get back to basics and live more sustainably,  one of the things I've been doing is trying to depend on doctors and medicine less.  Don't misunderstand me - I'm NOT saying I don't think we should go to the doctor or take medicine.  I do think, however, that in general, people depend on them too much.  I have been doing a  lot of reading on home remedies, and have decided to occasionaly post some here. 
One of my favourite home remedies for headaches is lavender oil and peppermint oil.  You must make sure you buy the 100% pure, or Grade A.  It is best to buy these at a good health store.   When I get one of my bad headaches, I put a few drops of lavender oil on my forehead and temples.  Don't overdo it, because it may not work .   More isn't always better.  I also put peppermint oil on my neck and temples when I feel a tension headache coming on.  It really works!