Common Colds and congestion can really put a damper on an otherwise perfectly fine and productive day, don't you agree? While regular consumption of mangosteen can certainly better your chances of this not occurring, sometimes we get it anyways.

What I'm about to share here is a real gem, and I and many others have found very effective. I learned this from a business client of mine and am truly grateful. My lovely and very health conscious girlfriend added the last piece of the puzzle, and a fine and helpful addition it is. The trick to this to get the most benefit is to consume right at the onset of the common cold and or congestion.

So here's the secret formula: It starts with pineapple juice. If you don't drink it regularly, I would suggest buying the 5.5 ounce cans, they come in either 6 or 8 packs. Pour 1 can in a microwaveable glass or a coffee mug works fine as well.  The next ingredient is fresh ginger, it has to be fresh. I use a chuck about half the size of my thumb, peeled and finely chopped. Add it to the pineapple juice. Next is Vitamin C. It's easiest if you can find powdered buffered Vitamin C, readily available at your local health food store and some grocery stores. If that seems "out of the way", a Vitamin C tablet will work, at least 500 mg, or you can use 1000 mg. You'll need to grind it into a powder, either with a mortar and pestle, or just lay the tablet on a cutting board and smash it with the flat side a heavy knife, then chop to a powder as needed. Add to the pineapple juice.

Microwave the mixture until good and hot and drink it down. I personally eat/chew the ginger as well,  (it's good for you!). You can repeat this twice a day, say morning and late afternoon or evening, anything more would just be overkill. If you are congested, you'll be amazed, usually within 20 minutes or so, you'll actually feel your chest begin to open up! This really works! Lastly, and some of you may not like this, but do it anyway (this part is from my girlfriend), take a large clove of fresh garlic, or a couple medium or  a few small ones and cut the garlic into slivers or chunks you can easily swallow.  Be careful here, you know what you are capable of swallowing, I don't want anyone to choke or get the garlic stuck in their throat.

There are many health benefits, from the above ingredients, some obvious, some not. I won't bore you with all of that other than to say there is a particular enzyme when mixed and heated with chemical compounds in the pineapple juice that provide the majority of the health benefit. Myself and others have been using this trick for years and it works great. Anyone who follows this site or even if you are new here, I avoid pharmaceutical drugs at all costs unless absolutely necessary.

Next time you feel a common cold and or congestion coming on, try this. I would love to receive any feedback on this. Thanks and may God Bless.

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Are There Any Natural Cures For Depression?

This is a subject to great interest to me. I have a family member, my mother who has suffered from chronic depression for almost 60 years, yes, almost 60 years. If you haven’t witnessed something like this first hand, you can’t even begin to imagine. I have seen this woman treated with everything from shock treatments, to every powerful drug known to man. Psych hospitals and long lines of every type of therapist. The results have been marginal and fleeting at best.

I believe hers to be of a biochemical nature for the most part , some psychosocial and some physical.  A bad marriage for over 20 years surely didn’t help, now long over. Her depression was diagnosed before that. She just turned 81 last month and the current medical treatment is Buspar and Remeron barely making a dent. She did well on Ativan, but became addicted and psychotic, it is no longer an option. I have never seen anything so sad, talk about being robbed of quality of life! There is much not known about depression.

Anyways, so what in the natural supplementation arena has shown results. I don’t believe anything for severe and or chronic depression, but promising for light to moderate depression. Here are some things I have found:

St. John’s Wart – has worked for some – shown to raise melatonin levels in the brain –  may reduce effects of other medications – consult a physician first, especially with issues of pregnancy and/or contraceptives

Diet:

Folic acid -  patients have been found to have a deficiency – foods rich in folic acid are lentils, and other dried beans or legumes (if you don’t live in the southern part of the U.S., you probably don’t consume enough of these – also high in protein) leafy green vegetables, and seeds

Vitamins B6 or B12 – patient may be deficient – good sources of B6 are spinach, bell peppers, and turnip greens. Good sources of B12 are calves liver and Red Snapper (fish)

Omega 3 Fats – again a deficiency - salmon is a good source, other oily fish,  flax seed, canola, sunflower, eggs, walnuts or a high quality Omega3 supplement

I good friend of mine said she modified her diet and removed negative media (network news) and over a period of time ( a couple of years) beat her depression, no more prescription drugs

Acetyl L-Carnitine – an amino acid –  some have had success with 2-4 grams daily

Coconut oil – if you can get it down

magnesium glycinate – 400 to 1000 milligrams – depending on the person

Mangosteen – shown effective in some mild and moderate cases – many claim mild euphoria with consumption of the whole fruit puree juice - I would agree from experience, however I don’t suffer from depression.

Please treat the people in your life who suffer from depression with kindness, spend time with them talk to them, remember, it’s not all about you!

I would be open to all comments and feedback on this one please! With the family member mentioned above, I’m open to suggestions.

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Heartburn and Acid Reflux – Natural Remedies

Heartburn remedies – beware! Here’s one I have had a lot of experience with, mostly unpleasant until recently, more on that later. I have to share this one, I can’t help it. I’m sure many of you are familiar with Kevin Trudeau’s “Natural Cures” Thankfully, I never purchased his book, but on one of his famous infomercials he recommended consuming cider vinegar for curing heartburn / acid reflux. Oh my God, was that a mistake! I thought I was going to die! My error for being dumb enough to try it. I can honestly tell you that one does not earn a “thumbs up”.

The proper medical term for heartburn or acid reflux is GERD, or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. The following is how how the physical mechanisms of the body work. When we consume food or liquid, it travels in the body along with saliva down toward the stomach through the esophagus. A mechanism called the  lower esophageal sphincter or LES, which is  located at the junction of the esophagus and stomach, opens up to allow the food and/or liquid and saliva to pass into the stomach. The LES then restricts so as to close the barrier between the esophagus and stomach. As a matter of normal course, some of the stomach contents may periodically “reflux” back up into the esophagus. For most people this does not cause a problem, other than some temporary uncomfortableness. However when this happens often and for an extended period, damage to the esophagus can occur, even severe damage if left untreated.

So what causes heartburn and acid reflux? The foods and liquids we consume can play a big part. Known agitators may include, tomatoes and tomato based products, alcohol, caffeine drinks, chocolate, fatty and fried foods, mints,  onions and garlic, citrus fruits,   and spicy foods. Being overweight and smoking can also trigger GERD. Stress is another factor. In some people there is a physical defect that causes it, the LES can be weak and not functioning properly, poor esophageal clearance, or delays in gastric emptying.

I know for myself, certain other foods seem to trigger it, peanuts and peanut butter, canned tuna, bananas, cooked green peppers, (but never raw – can’t explain that). Eating late at night, especially large quantities of food has also been known to trigger it.

If your heartburn is serious and persistent, please consult your physician immediately, testing like an upper G.I. is probably in order. You need to know if there is a physical defect causing the GERD and also to find out if you have any esophageal damage which can in more extreme cases can lead to esophageal cancer.

I have heard of a number of natural cures for this, including, aloe vera juice, papaya, a number of herbs including chewable DGL, a form of licorice herb, slippery elm, marshmallow, the latter 2 containing mucilage which is thought to coat the throat and soothe the esophagus lining. I have not tried any of these. I did however live on Nexium and Prilosec OTC for years. I had also read that antioxidants may help this which made some sense to me as we know that free radical damage is present in so many health conditions.

I am now free from acid reflux and heartburn. Mangosteen juice has my issue under control. This I did not expect,  mangosteen  has however been known to help with a number of digestive issues, not only in folk medicine but in these modern times as well. This was an unexpected bonus in my situation. I will say the relief was not immediate, and actually seemed elevated at first. It took a little over a month for the mangosteen capsules to completely alleviate my acid reflux.

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Diabetes and Natural Remedies – One That Shows Great Promise

Is there a natural remedy for diabetes? None that I know of, but some things may help. There are two types of Diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Diabetics have high blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes in an absolute insulin deficiency. It is estimated that between 1 and 2 million Americans suffer from type 1, and this type is prevalent in children and usually peaks in adolescence , but can affect anyone. In type 1, the body’s islet cells are destroyed, usually by the bodies own immune system. In this type, the person is dependent on insulin for life. This type is a leading chronic disease in the young. This is the type that requires testing (finger pricking) and regular insulin shots multiple times daily, usually 4 or more times.

Type 2 diabetes is much more common, usually in older adults, and is estimated to affect 18 to 20 million Americans. Type 2 sufferers are typically older, overweight, and people who get little or no exercise. This type is found more in ethnic backgrounds but in caucasians as well. In the case of type 2, the patient will usually need insulin, but is not life dependent on it, and be prescribed various medications for it. In type 2, they body creates some insulin, but sometimes not enough, and the body cannot always recognize it, so additional may me need to compensate. In type 2, patients are referred to as insulin resistant.

Both types of diabetes if untreated, can lead to serious health problems such as blindness, kidney damage, potential loss of a limb, heart attack or stroke, and numbness in the limb’s extremities. Both types of diabetes are on the rise in the U.S., we have an obvious problem with obesity here in America. In both types diabetes, the person may have symptoms of weight loss, but always hungry, more thirst than would be normal, and increased urination. In type 2, there may be no noticeable symptoms and would only be found by hospital testing.

I don’t know if there any natural cures for diabetes, I have seen a ton of claims, but nothing that has seemed substantial. The most obvious things not to become diabetic would begin with a healthy lifestyle that includes smart food choices, and plenty of exercise. It would  be wise to monitor one’s intake of sugar and the types of sugar one consumes. Myself, I have suffered from the opposite of diabetes periodically over the years which is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.

I have heard a number of doctors and other healthcare professionals talk about the mangosteen fruit helping to regulate blood sugar and I have heard a number of testimonials from individuals. This might make sense as the xanthones and other phytonutrients in the mangosteen fruit seem to have inherent properties that work on the whole digestive system, and the fact that mangosteen appears to modulate the body’s immune system. I would have to suggest that if trying this stategy, try the mangosteen capsules  made from nothing but pure mangosteen rind. I would not recommend stopping any current treatment and replacing it with mangosteen , but rather in addition to to current treatment. After a period of min 60 to 90 days, the regular diabetes testing will show if there is an improvement. If the juice is the only change in diet and treatment, the control is built into the equation. I can honestly say that the  mangosteen has helped my hypoglycemia tremendously, as I rarely get low blood sugar attacks now, but it took a couple of months of drinking the juice daily. I have also heard many testimonials stating regular use of the supplement has help stabilize their blood sugar in diabetes.

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