7 Natural Remedies for Arthritis

photo credit: dvanhorn

Tens of millions of people in the U.S. suffer from arthritis. This disease comes in two basic categories. Osteoarthritis is a condition described as a simple wearing out of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition which affects the immune system.

Osteoarthritis is a good news, bad news condition. While it typically gets worse with time, it does not progress as rapidly or painfully as rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, there are no pharmaceutical treatments. All your doctor can do is prescribe a pain killer. On the other hand, there are medications available for rheumatoid arthritis that can slow progress of the disease, as well as pain killers to ease those painful joints.

In both cases, conventional medicine does not offer much, besides some relief of pain. However, you can make use of time-tested natural remedies for arthritis that can actually improve your condition and reduce the need for pain medications. It’s also easy to integrate these foods and herbs into your daily routine.

Bing cherries are a terrific anti-inflammatory. Fresh cherries in season work best, but canned cherries will still offer significant help.

Capsaicin creams are one of the most useful of the natural remedies for arthritis when used as a topical on the affected areas. During cold and damp weather, you’ll find substantial relief from pain and inflammation. The effect can be enhanced by wearing nylon gloves and socks, which help hold the heat.

Turmeric, taken in capsules or prepared in curry dishes is a marvelous addition to your natural remedies for arthritis, that is found to be as effective as cortisone in alleviating symptoms of both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Additional benefits include improvements in digestion, reduction of cholesterol and lowers blood sugar, a boon for diabetics.

Alfalfa is another inexpensive and time tested of the natural remedies for arthritis. The best form is the dried powdered leaves. You can buy this at health food stores in capsules. Alfalfa is packed with nutrients and is good for respiratory problems too.

Next in our lineup of natural remedies for arthritis is the Omega-3 fatty acids, a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, found in fish. Sardines, salmon, tuna and herring contain high quantities of the Omega-3′s. Alternatively, you can take gel caps from the health food store. As a bonus, taking this supplement reduces your risk of heart problems, reduces bad cholesterol while raising the good cholesterol.

One especially tasty spice in your repertoire of natural remedies for arthritis is ginger. Ginger is anti-inflammatory. Make a habit of drinking ginger tea three times a day. Ginger is also beneficial to your heart health.

You’ve probably heard of Evening Primrose oil, but did you know that this plant oil is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory agents discovered to date? Several double-blind studies have demonstrated that the pain experienced by arthritis sufferers was typically reduced by 50%!

If you put all of these natural remedies for arthritis to work for you, you’ll be feeling better soon.

For more information on arthritis treatments, contact Dr. Hans Freericks at 510-797-4796 for Fremont residents. For Union City, contact Dr. Hans at 510-324-0100.

5 Reasons to Take Your Child to the Chiropractor

Are you a parent? No parent wants to see their children in pain, but it does happen from time to time. Children occasionally get headaches, suffer from allergies, get earaches, and have back pain. Basically, the list is endless. As a parent, you know that children are like magnets to injuries, pain, and illness. Although most are minor, care should be sought, but where should you turn? Instead of heading to your child’s primary care physician, head to a local children chiropractor. Why? Here are 5 reasons.

1 – It Is Safe

Chiropractic care is natural medicine. For that reason, it is safe. If your child experiences pain and discomfort, their primary care physician is likely to suggest over-the-counter pain relievers or prescribe prescription medication. This may work, but the pain usually returns. Why? They only mask the problem. Yes, some forms of pain and discomfort may disappear on their own with time and self-care, but there may be a more serious underlying issue. You will not know unless you turn to a chiropractor. Their job is to treat the pain by going directly to the source and fixing the problem.

Chiropractic care involves manual, hands on, therapy. Since medications are not prescribed and the hands provide treatment, it is safe for individuals of all ages, including children.

2 – Most Treatment is Covered by Health Insurance

It is no secret that raising kids is expensive. Add in the cost of medical care, and the overall cost soars. Luckily, many insurance providers extend coverage for chiropractic care. Some will offer discounts for opting for an in-network provider, but you can seek care anywhere your insurance is accepted.

If your family is not covered by medical insurance, there are still benefits to seeking care. Just look for a chiropractor with affordable rates or one who is willing to set up a flexible payment plan.

3 – They Treat a Wide Range of Problems

Many adults mistakenly believe that chiropractors only treat spinal, back, and neck problems. Yes, this is their specialty, but more is offered. For example, did you know that a chiropractor can treat and lessen the onset of earaches and ear infections? They can. Blocked draining pathways cause most ear infections. Chiropractic adjustments and therapeutic massages are used to open up those pathways and promote the proper flow of fluid. Basically, if your child is experiencing pain, no matter how often or severe, a chiropractor can provide relief and that relief is usually long-lasting.

4 – It Is Easy to Find a Chiropractor

If you are unfamiliar with chiropractic care, you may have not given any thought to the offices in your area. You may have driven past one each day on the way to work. Turn to your local phonebook, a standard internet search, online business directories, or your insurance company to find a local chiropractor. If you are in the SF Bay Area, give our chiropractors in Fremont or Union City a call and schedule an appointment for your child. It really is as easy as that!

5 – The Benefits

Last, but not least, there are many benefits to chiropractic care. As previously stated, medications are not prescribed. Treatment is natural and safe. It is also long-lasting, as chiropractors do not mask the pain, they treat it. As a parent, this should be very important. Successful chiropractic care can allow your child to return to their happy normal self. Reduced pain and increased mobility means more fun and less suffering.

TMJ Fremont

“TMJ,” Fremont Chiropractor Dr. Hans Freericks explains, “can absolutely be treated with chiropractic care.” If you are unfamiliar with TMJ or Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction, here is a brief explanation. When the disk in your jaw gets displaced, it causes TMJ. This condition makes opening and closing your mouth difficult. If left untreated, this will lead to severe problems like headaches and pain in the ears.

You can tell if you have TMJ by a grinding or crunching sound when you open or close your mouth. Primarily, TMJ is caused by activities that strain the jaw. Regardless of the cause, though, people who suffer from the pain of this condition want a cure. So they ask how a chiropractor can fix TMJ and relieve me of this pain?

The short answer is yes … TMJ can be fixed as stated by Fremont Chiropractor, Dr. Freericks. In fact, in many cases, patients have observed that chiropractic treatment was more effective than allopathic treatment. A chiropractor will recommend certain pain relieving exercises which will relax the patient’s jaw muscles. The chiropractor will also focus the patient on exercise, nutrition and lifestyle improvements which will not only help you get rid of the pain, but will take care that the pain does not return.

Stress on the Job … Here Are Some Tips

There is never going to be a time in your life when you are not dealing with some sort of stress. Even when you go on vacation you are still dealing with a little of it. What you may not know is that there is good stress and bad stress. The problem with this is that most of us have way too much of the bad type and the good type seems to be just as bad. If you deal with stress on the job each day, there are some things you can do to help yourself get through it without damaging your health or your relationships.

Good stress is the type that keeps us alive and helps us make good decisions. If you have this type of stress on the job, it helps you do the best that you can and can even stop you from making mistakes. Stress makes us think, and that is something that everyone should do before they being their daily activities. There is also bad stress on the job, and that is the kind that you want to find ways to avoid for your own well being.

There are many sources of stress on the job that can bring you down and keep you down all of the time if you let it. You can carry that stress home and take things out on the ones that you love the most. They may think that you are moody and worked up all of the time, and are perhaps wound a little too tight. If that is the case, you are not going to have a happy home life. You have to learn to lessen your stress on the job, and then learn to leave what is left of it at the office when you go home at night. Everyone will be happier for it.

You can first identify what things bring about the most stress on the job for you. It could be something like getting little or no help from coworkers when they are supposed to be contributing to projects. This can get to you if it goes on indefinitely. You may not get many brownie points, but you should talk with a superior about it. Don’t complain, just explain that you are getting a little overwhelmed because you could use more help. You may also be hearing more about people’s personal lives than you want to hear, and that means you can get involved in idle gossip. Do what you can to avoid it and you can take away from your stress on the job.

Other stress on the job is not so easy to get away from. You may not have a good relationship with your boss for whatever reason. That means you have a bad feeling before you even get to your job. You may also find that you are not happy with your work because it is far below where you should be in your career. That makes stress on the job even harder to handle. In those cases, you should strongly consider looking for work elsewhere so you can bring some sanity back into your life.

Natural Vitamins and Herbs for Common Health Conditions?

Natural vitamins and herbs are good, inexpensive medicine for many common health conditions. It seems that every time we visit the doctor for treatment of a health condition, we’re handed a prescription that creates wallet shock when you go to pay for it. A few of these and you find yourself wondering how you’ll meet other necessary household expenses. In many cases, you can get the same or even better results with a vitamin supplement and herbs, without the side effects of the pharmaceutical product. Using vitamins and herbs appropriately, you can, in many cases, save hundreds of dollars which can be put to better use elsewhere!

It’s true that there are a number of pharmaceutical drugs which will do a better job, depending on the condition. However, there are so many cases in which vitamins and herbs can correct and treat common health conditions, it’s certainly worth taking a look.

Modern science has a pharmaceutical remedy for virtually every health condition. Allopathic physicians are not generally conversant in natural remedies or nutrition. As a result, we’re being steered away from inexpensive natural remedies, which have been used for thousands of years to relieve and correct conditions, from indigestion to menopause. Let’s take a look at just a few of the ways you can put vitamins and herbs to work for you, safely and effectively.

Naturopathic medicine treats health conditions from a holistic perspective. Let’s say you suffer from heartburn and indigestion. Perhaps you’re eating the wrong foods. Do you have a vitamin deficiency causing the problem? Might the solution to your indigestion be as simple as preparing foods with herbs that counter indigestion? Turmeric, scotch broom and ginger tea have been used for centuries to effectively ease indigestion and heartburn. These herbs go a step further, helping to correct the cause, rather than just temporarily allaying the symptoms.

How about cholesterol and cardiac problems? Garlic has been demonstrated to be equally effective in reducing the LDL (bad) levels, while boosting HDL (good) levels, when compared with expensive pharmaceuticals. The common culinary herb, rosemary, is a proven tonic for the heart, as is Motherwort. Hawthorne berry also has a tonic effect on the entire cardiovascular system. Cayenne pepper greatly improves circulation. Beta carotene and vitamin E, taken as supplements, or in foods, are of terrific benefit to heart patients. Omega-3 supplements, found in substantial quantities in cold water fish, are excellent in protecting the heart against disease. There are many other vitamins and herbs that help prevent and in some cases, can even reverse damage.

Nervous tension and anxiety are common health problems these days. Try some vitamins and herbs before you fill expensive prescriptions which typically are potentially addictive. Passion flower, St. John’s wort, valerian and skullcap are all effective natural remedies. Calcium and magnesium supplements, in a balanced ratio, are valuable in treating these conditions.

If you suffer from osteoarthritis, supplements of magnesium may bring considerable relief. Most Americans consume way too much calcium, creating a magnesium deficiency. As with heart conditions, Omega 3 supplements are good medicine for the osteoarthritis patient. Capsaicin cream, available in tubes at the health food shop, may be used topically for potent pain relief at affected sites. It works by reducing perception of pain, triggering endorphins, our brain’s natural response to pain.

There are literally dozens of common health problems that may be effectively treated with a vitamin and herb program. Consulting with qualified nutritionists and herbalists is a good first step. At little expense, you can find relief for your condition and your wallet.

A Natural Arthritis Therapy Includes This Type of Exercise

At last count, some 70 million people in the U.S., or almost 1 in 4 of us, are afflicted with arthritis. Whether you have osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, it’s generally a painful deal. It’s no wonder many sufferers look for arthritis therapy. Most people with arthritis find that the cold months are most painful. Stiff, painful and swollen joints are the norm, which isn’t conducive to most forms of exercise. While exercise can actually improve the patient’s condition, it’s somewhat of a catch-22. Most exercise programs are simply too painful, resulting in – you guessed it – the patient dropping out of the program. There are medications available for people with rheumatoid arthritis which can slow down the progression of the disease. Osteoarthritis sufferers may be prescribed anti-inflammatory meds or pain killers, but that’s about the extent of what can be done in treating arthritis medically.

If you suffer from either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, consider taking a yoga class for your exercise regimen. As many arthritis patients can attest, you’ll realize effective, long term benefits. Using yoga as an arthritis therapy can help prevent and treat some of the accompanying conditions, such as fibromyalgia and loss of muscle tone and strength, while increasing your energy level.

Formal investigations of the benefits of using yoga exercises to treat arthritis are fairly recent, but the studies which have been conducted are most promising. Patients report significant improvement in joint structure and mobility, as well as feeling more vigorous with an improved sense of well being in general.

Unlike more traditional forms of exercise, such as walking, jogging or a simple workout, yoga does not place stress on the joints, doesn’t tax your strength, or result in more pain. In fact, yoga does just the opposite. In addition, yoga offers psychological benefits, as a stress management tool, which perhaps explains the reports of an improved sense of general well being. Stress management is an especially important bonus. When you use yoga therapy in treating arthritis, you reduce stress in a number of ways which serve to reduce pain. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, yoga alone can slow progression of your condition. So it’s no wonder that arthritis patients find this a fun and enjoyable activity they want to continue.

Yoga classes typically begin in a seated position, with slow breathing exercises designed to bring your body to a relaxed state. These exercises are followed up with slow, easy stretching movements, which improves circulation. Your yoga instructor will probably include some balancing exercises, as well as standing or lying poses, all of which improves mobility and muscle tone. Mantras, or short chants of certain sounds, are additional techniques of yoga, which are employed throughout the session, helping you to fully relax and focus. Short periods of meditation are also interspersed during each class period. By the time class ends, you’ll have tossed your worries aside and have a newly acquired calm, all without pain!

Weight management is important in treating arthritis, and yoga can help. Within three months of starting a yoga class, meeting just a few times each week, you’ll feel like a new person, shedding a few pounds along the way. You’ll have markedly better muscle tone and suppleness, in terms of joint mobility, while enjoying a significant reduction in pain.

Choosing yoga for the exercise portion of treating arthritis is perhaps the perfect solution. With the evidence mounting in its favor, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

If you would like more information on natural arthritis therapy and even how chiropractic can help, please contact our Fremont chiropractic health office.

Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors

Knowing the type 2 diabetes risk factors may prevent you from ever developing this devastating disease!

Type 2 diabetes is now so common in this country, that you probably know several people with this condition. The type 2 diabetes risk factors come down to two basic categories: genetic disposition and diet. Knowing what these risk factors are can prevent you or other family members from ever developing this disease. Once diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it’s far more difficult to manage and avoid the many complications of this progressive and painful disease.

It’s irrefutable that there is a genetic factor involved. Native Americans, Eskimos and African Americans have the highest rate of type 2 diabetes. This is probably due to the fact that both these ethnic groups have adopted a Westernized diet in a relatively short period of time. Their native diets did not include the highly refined and sugar laden diets most Americans eat today. While other ethnic groups may have a genetic advantage of centuries of the Western diet, gradually adapting over hundreds of years, no one is exempt. It may just take longer to develop.

Obesity is no longer confined to older folks. Due to poor dietary habits, we now find children who are both obese and afflicted with diabetes. This makes the connection to the effects of poor food choices and diabetes clear. It’s the food you eat, as well as the amount, that made you overweight in the first place. No matter what your age, if you’re overweight, lose it!

Genetics and obesity are clearly two important type 2 diabetes risk factors.

With poor dietary habits, you’re a sitting duck! It’s time to change your diet to more healthful foods. Knowledge is power. Knowing the specific type 2 diabetes risk factors in food choices can literally save your life.

Insulin resistance develops when you overload your pancreas with large meals of refined, high carb foods and lots of sugar, leading to compromised pancreatic function, reducing your body’s ability to metabolize sugar. Pancreatic exhaustion is unequivocally, a type 2 diabetes risk factor. If, instead of eating the traditional three squares a day, you divide your food intake into several smaller meals a day, reduces the load on your pancreas, keeping it in good shape.

In addition to eating several small meals, make sure they are low in refined sugar, high in fiber and include complex carbohydrates, which slowly break down into sugars your pancreas can deal with at a moderate pace. A can of soda provides an instant rush of sugar into your bloodstream, whereas a plate of fruits or veggies is broken down over time.

Most fruits and veggies are also high in fiber, which flushes toxins from your body and keeps your digestive system healthy. People with type 2 diabetes are always told to include plenty of fiber in their diet, as one way to manage their condition and avoid complications. It stands to reason that a lack of fiber is another type 2 diabetes risk factor.

You’ve heard it said that drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day is essential to a healthy diet. Water flushes a variety of toxins from your kidneys, keeping them fit and healthy. Patients with type 2 diabetes usually suffer a deterioration of the kidneys, so help yours stay healthy with a daily intake of as much water as possible.

To top off your healthy eating program, stay active and get sufficient exercise. Your heart will thank you. A lack of exercise is also a type 2 diabetes risk factor, as cardiovascular problems go hand in hand with diabetes.

Understanding these risk factors and implementing a good anti-diabetic lifestyle puts you ahead of the curve!

Prevention of Obesity and How To Stay Motivated

Gaining weight? Make prevention of obesity your target! Get motivated now!

Obesity is now epidemic in the U.S. While there are some medical conditions which can cause uncontrolled weight gain, the vast majority of overweight and obese people simply eat too much, with poor food choices making up the majority of their diet. No one would say obesity is attractive, nor healthy. Prevention of obesity is really a straightforward proposition. If you’ll forgive the pun, prevention of obesity is truly worth many pounds of cure.

People of normal, stable weight may gain a few pounds over the holidays, partaking of all that holiday cheer. Cookies, fudge, delicious gravies and a few glasses of eggnog are all it takes to get you there. However, most people shed those pounds within a couple of months, once they return to normal eating habits. It all comes down to a reduction of calories.

Prevention of obesity should become your target when you find you’ve gained ten pounds or more and it doesn’t come off. An alarm should sound off in your head when weight starts creeping on and you seem unable to lose weight. Now is the time to take action! It’s far easier to lose ten or twenty pounds than a hundred!

Other signals that indicate a prevention program is necessary include finding that your clothes are too snug. Many people have sections in their closet, one their ‘fat’ clothes, with another for their ‘skinny’ clothes. Not only is this an unnecessary expense, but a psychological trick you’re playing on yourself. It goes something like this. “Well, I guess I just have to accept it – people do tend to gain weight as they get older. What’s one dress size anyway? I still look OK.”

The trouble with this attitude is that you’re putting yourself in denial. This means you’ll not be motivated to prevent obesity, because you don’t think it’s possible. You might make a token attempt to diet, but you won’t stick with the program. This is how that weight eventually balloons to an unmanageable problem.

So, the real core issue in the prevention of obesity begins in your mind. You must be motivated. Do you want to wait until the day when some little child in the grocery tells her Mom, “Look how fat that woman is!”? That’s when it’s useless to deny the fact. Prevention of obesity involves an early start.

If you need help in getting motivated, here are a few tips. Go online and calculate your BMI. Read up on the many health problems you may well face. Heart disease, poor circulation, diabetes and joint stress damage are just a few. Dig through old photo albums to find pictures of you when you were of normal weight. Tape that photo on the frig, at eye level, along with a picture of you now. Try on one of your ‘skinny’ clothes.

OK. Now you’ve got the motivation. You should first check with your doctor to be sure you don’t have a medical condition, like a thyroid imbalance. If that’s not the case, get ready to diet. Don’t cut yourself any slack. Remember, prevention of obesity is your goal.

Losing weight always boils down to calories. How do you know how many calories you normally eat? Keep a food journal for one week. Write down every last cracker and soda that passes your lips. Get a calorie counter book. Ask your doctor to help plan a diet that’s healthy and right for you.

Motivation is the key to prevention of obesity. With a radical dose of motivation, you’ll lose that extra weight for good!

Work Related Stress and What to Do About It

Combatting work related stress: a formula for a happier, healthier you!

Americans work more hours than in almost any other developed country. Job security is fast becoming the number one concern of many workers, so employees are far more likely to work extra hours in hopes of making their employment status more secure, as well as, in the case of hourly workers, bringing in a little extra income. The term, work related stress, is now a common term in everyone’s vocabulary. With the dismal economic statistics we hear on the news every day, the work related stress syndrome is something that concerns us all.

It’s well known that stress affects our health and family life. At the very least, you may become irritable, snapping at your spouse and kids. You may suffer from more frequent minor illnesses, from headaches to colds and flus, due to a lowered immune system response. Stress can have more serious effects, leading to high blood pressure, depression, or digestive problems. However, the work related stress syndrome seems to be unavoidable these days. The question is, what can you do to combat this condition?

Some employers are now offering flex time schedules, which benefits both the employee and employer. While a 4-day, 40 hour week makes for a longer day, on the plus side, you’ve got 3 days off and you save on driving time and gas as well. If your employer is putting such a program in place, taking advantage of this option can help ease your stress levels.

Making time for yourself is the most important component in combatting work related stress. You may well say, “I don’t have enough time as it is, how am I supposed to make more hours in a day?” The short answer is, you can and should. If you get up just an hour earlier, before your regular activities begin, this can be a life saver. This quiet time of day, spent on something you enjoy, can be just as restful as that extra hour of sleep. Even if all you do is take a cup of coffee or tea and sit by a window, enjoying the quiet and a beautiful sunrise, before beginning the hustle and bustle routine, you’ll feel more relaxed for the rest of the day.

Relaxation techniques, such as meditation, prayer, yoga and tai-chi, can go a long way to reducing your work related stress. Any of these methods will reduce anxiety, bring a feeling of well-being and counter elevated blood pressure, all of which results in better health over time.

After work, instead of plopping down in front of the television, try listening to music or reading. If you must watch TV, watch a comedy instead of the news. Laughter is, indeed, good medicine. Play a game of chess with a family member, or enjoy a game of cards. The idea is to engage in some activity which stimulates your mind and which does not have any relationship to work. Take a long, relaxing bath and pamper yourself a bit. While work related stress is a fact of life, this period of play time effectively makes this syndrome a smaller problem.

You say, “How am I to find the time? I barely have time for a shower!” Which brings us to delegating. If you’ve got kids, shift some of the daily chores to a new area of responsibility for them. Making lunches, cleaning up after dinner, changing their own sheets and laundering them are chores which are good for them! Sooner or later, they’ll need to take responsibility for themselves. This strategy helps them develop responsibility and prepares them for real life. Meanwhile, you gain a little time to relax. You’ll also probably be nicer about asking them to pick up their room!

Worry over finances is another bugaboo we can lay at the door of the work related stress syndrome. Organizing your budget on a spreadsheet, planning menus and having a calendar to keep track of doctor appointments, school events and the like helps promote a sense of control of your life. It doesn’t make the bills go away, but knowing where you stand reduces stress. Disorganized finances creates anxiety and increased stress.

Get some regular exercise. Engage in some exercise you enjoy, every day. Exercise releases endorphins, that naturally produced chemical that creates a feeling of well being.

Last, an occasional getaway helps you forget about your worries, work and gives you a new and fresh perspective on life.

If you use all of these suggestions, you may not eliminate work related stress, but you’ll surely minimize it. You will be happier and more relaxed, I promise you!

Five Natural Treatments for Stress

Stressed out has become part of our everyday language. Fifty years ago, had you told someone you were stressed out, they wouldn’t have known what you were talking about and might even have questioned your knowledge of grammar! Rare is the individual today who doesn’t get stressed out at least once a day. Stress can lead to severe health problems, particularly with the ‘type A’ personality. Besides, stress produces unpleasant feelings in the body, headaches, as well as causing us to snap at others without reason. While your doctor might prescribe a medication to calm you down, it’s always best to avoid prescription medicines if you can. Here we offer five natural treatments for stress. They all work, so you can pick and choose as the mood strikes you. Of course, if you’re really stressed out, do all five!

1. Physical exercise of any kind is one of the great treatments for stress. If it’s raining, get out the vacuum and give that rug the old one-two. Go over and over that rug until it’s sparkling clean and you’ve taken that stress factor out on it, not the kids or your spouse. Surely there’s a spot in the yard that needs to be weeded within an inch of it’s life. Other physical tasks, like cleaning out the hall closet, can prove sufficiently distracting so that you’ll be automatically diverted from whatever got you stressed. You also get satisfaction from how clean it is.

 

2. Journal writing is another of the time-honored treatments for stress. No, you don’t need to be a writer to take advantage of this treatment. Maybe it’s your boss or spouse who jumped on your case about whatever. Biting your tongue is what caused this stress, so now is the time to express yourself! Give that so-and-so all of your thoughts on the topic in your (private) journal. Works like a charm!

 

3. Lavender is an old time treatment for stress and is especially effective with stress headaches. For this remedy, there are several avenues. You can take a nap, lying on a lavender filled pillow, or you can make or buy a lavender filled eye cover. You can also take a few whiffs of essential oil of lavender and/or dab a drop on each of your temples.

 

4. Some treatments for stress should be interactive. Here’s a variation on the journal writing entries. Write an email to a good friend and vent. Tell your friend up front to take it with a grain of salt. After all, we shouldn’t take life too seriously too often. Have your venting. By the time you’re done, you’ll probably feel better already. You can send it or not, as your mood dictates. Ask for a funny joke or cartoon in their response. This way, you get a laugh too. Good for the soul.

 

5. Here’s the be all and end all of natural treatments for stress: every time you feel yourself getting stressed out, make a note, in your journal, of what triggered the event. After just a few weeks, you’ll see a pattern. Do you constantly worry about money? Your weight? Does someone at work drive you crazy? Not enough hours in the day? Once you’ve discovered your common stress triggers, implement a plan to eliminate these stress factors. Make a strict budget. Lose weight. Ignore, or make friends with that work mate. Whatever works.

 

These five natural treatments for stress do work. Try them, you’ll like them!

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