7 keys to Success on Amazon

 General
Oct 222017
 

By BloggerKhan

My profession is Management and Marketing and it revolves around outsourcing, ecommerce and marketing on the internet. Wise men say identify what you are passionate about and then see if …

Amazon is a great marketplace and many loyalists start their search on Amazon, not on Google. If you are into ecommerce or planning to get into, consider selling on Amazon. It is a huge marketplace and growing. You benefit from the crowds already on the marketplace looking for products – just like opening a shop in a busy mall. You get in front of people who are already there, shopping with credit card in hand.

Here are 7 tips that will help you succeed on amazon.

  1. Have a Great product. Be unique. Sell your own product so you don’t have to compete with others for the same product. If you are trying to sell something from another manufacturer, you may end up competing with scores of others who are also selling the same. That forces a severe margin crunch and you may make sales but not much profit.
  2. Set your listings correctly. Make sure the Title accurately reflects what you are selling. Select the correct category. Use keywords that customers are likely to use when searching for such a product.
  3. Pictures: Upload as many pictures as make sense. Remember people can’t physically touch your products online so make it easy for them to evaluate your products through pictures and text.
  4. Post FAQ on products. If you anticipate people will have quite a few questions, answer them beforehand in the product descriptions so prospects don’t have to wait for you to answer questions through the Amazon messaging system.
  5. Talk about reviews. Amazon forbids merchants from asking customers to write reviews. However; if you encourage people to read reviews, your customers may start leaving their own reviews.
  6. Don’t ignore international. A good bit of ecommerce sales are from overseas customers. Make sure you have shipping charges setup for international. Welcome them and make it easy for them to buy from you.
  7. Start slow. Everything has a learning curve. Start with one or two products, see how the response is and then add other products if you can manage the additional sales.
  8. Bonus Tip: If you have thousands of products or you sell on multiple marketplaces, it becomes very difficult to synchronize inventory manually across multiple marketplaces. If that is your situation, use a service like UMP ( short for UploadMyProducts.com). They pull inventory from your ecommerce database and pushes it to Amazon, eBay, Walmart etc. several times a day.

If you don’t have the time to do all that, outsource it to companies like InterloperInc to do it for you.

Marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Rakuten and Walmart.com are big players. Make good use of them. They all have their loyal customer bases who frequent them and do your best to get in front of them. The more people see your products, the better your chances of making a sale.

Help with Amazon listings, SEO, setup and automation

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Building Protective Qi with TCM

 Acupuncture
Oct 162017
 
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Everybody gets sick at some point in their life. For some, it’s just a quick weekend thing. For others, it can last for several days and even weeks. Why do some people always get sick whenever there is a bug going around and others don’t? It all comes down to immunity. People who have a stronger immune system, tend to be sick less often. Those with compromised or weak immune systems, seem to get sick at the drop of a hat. There are many things that can be done to strengthen the immune system though. And Traditional Chinese Medicine is probably one of the best and least invasive ways to boost the immune system, not just during the winter months, but all year long.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the immune system is called Wei Qi (pronounced “way chee”). The Wei Qi is closely associated with the internal organs, specifically the lungs. When the energy of the lungs is well-balanced, Wei Qi is strong and can easily fight off any external attacks. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs dominate the skin and breathing. If lung function is deficient or compromised in any way, then the body is more open to external pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Common symptoms of decreased Wei Qi or immunity include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat, headaches, fever and/or chills.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a medical system that has been around for nearly 4,000 years. There are many tools in the kit of a TCM practitioner. Probably the most commonly used tools for building Wei Qi are acupuncture and herbal formulas. Acupuncture uses hair-thin stainless steel, single-use needles that are placed on specific acupressure points that can boost immunity and balance hormones. When the hormones are stressed and unbalanced, illness can occur. Acupuncture points associated with Wei Qi can strengthen the circulation of energy and blood, which will then boost the body’s defense mechanisms, thus helping to prevent illness. Regular acupuncture treatments can also cause the brain to increase T-cells in the body. T-cells destroy bacteria and viruses. Acupuncture needles provoke the body’s immune response by sending T-cells and white cells to the needle sites to fight off the invaders. These effects can last for several days, which keeps immunity higher than normal.

Chinese botanicals are another great way to build up Wei Qi. Any herb or herb combination that boosts or enhances the immune system will keep the body functioning at its optimal level. In TCM, there are many individual herbs that boost the Qi and some specifically boost the Wei Qi. Astragalus (huang qi) is one of the more frequently used Chinese herbs. It is used to tonify the Wei Qi, fortify the lungs and protect against pathogens. Studies show huang qi increases white blood cells, which can help fight off infection and pathogenic invasions.

Cordyceps (dong chong xia cao) is another immune-boosting herb. Cordyceps enhances immunity by increasing white blood cells, T-cells and interferon. It also can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. While cordyceps works very well by itself, it works even better when used as part of a formula, as do most Chinese herbs. When looking to use Chinese herbs, be sure to seek out a qualified herbalist and TCM practitioner to insure overall safety of the herb or formula.

TCM and all of its modalities can be very helpful in staying well and healthy. When added to the practices of proper sleep and nutrition, drinking lots of water and mild exercise, TCM will help keep the body’s immune system healthy. And hopefully if illness does occur, it will only be mild. Here’s to your health!

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Preventing and Treating Ear Infections Naturally

 Naturopathy
Oct 162017
 

Ear infections (otitis media) are one of the most common childhood ailments. Around 90% of all children will suffer from ear infections at some stage before they start school. Before you start asking for antibiotics, find out how you can prevent and treat ear infections naturally.

Ear infections can be a random occurrence or can be chronic for may children. Most ear infections stem from a bout of the common cold. Mucous from the upper respiratory tracts travels to the narrow Eustachian tubes creates the perfect environment for an infection to take hold.

For those with children that have chronic ear infections, then further investigation into why this is occurring is warranted. For these kids, we would look into diet, lifestyle and immune health. While sometimes it can be due to structural issues making the ears more prone to infection, it most often is due to immune systems inability to fight infection.

Ear infections have been on the rise in the past decade, in line with the rise of allergies and asthma. We have to question why this is occurring, and most likely it is due to environmental exposures, poor nutrition, depleted microbiome and stress.

So is it a problem that children are getting recurrent ear infections? Well, yes it is. Recurrent ear infections can lead to scarring on the eardrums, poor achievements in school due to a lack of hearing, and for those using antibiotics, altered gut microbiota and reduced immune health. In addition to this, the use of antibiotics in the first two years of life is linked to an increase in the incidences of asthma.

Antibiotics and Ear Infections.

Studies have confirmed that the use of antibiotics to treat ear infections is usually unnecessary and is contributing to the worldwide crisis of antibiotic resistance. Firstly, most ear infections are a viral infection, rendering antibiotics pointless. Doctors will often prescribe antibiotics in the hope of preventing a secondary bacterial infection. Antibiotics should never be used as preventative medicine. Most doctors agree that a standard ear infection will clear on its own over the course of several days.

However, if the infection stems from swimming in contaminated water, or there is discharge coming from the ear, please consult with our doctor as antibiotics may be warranted in these cases.

Preventing Ear Infections

Boost your child’s immune system

Building up your child’s immune system is the best way to prevent any type of infection from taking hold. The best way to do this is through a diet that is robust in nutrients and is void of foods that deplete the immune system.

Ensuring that your child eats a diet that has 4-6 serves of vegetable per day and 1-2 pieces of fruit will set them on the right path. A child’s serve is considered to be around ½ cup or 1 piece of fruit or vegetable. Include a piece of good quality protein at each meal, this can be animal or plant-based. Adding in high-quality fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, oily fish, grass-fed butter or avocado at least twice a day. Healthy carbohydrates should be included at every meal to support their high energy lifestyle. This includes oats, quinoa, rice, sweet potato, white potato, corn, spelt, millet to name a few.

In addition to what you include in your child’s diet, it is important to look at what you DON’T include. Avoiding processed foods, fizzy drinks, refined grain products such as white bread, cakes, muffins and pastries all support the immune system. The reason is that these foods contain virtually no nutrients. In fact, they will often rob the body of nutrients to metabolise them and they fill your child up so that they are less likely to eat a healthy meal. I understand that this can be very hard to do, especially with the pester-power of children. A great way to encourage a healthy diet is to have a ‘healthy home’. This means that all the food you have at home is healthy and high in nutrients. When the kids are out, or at birthday parties, then you can relax the rules a little and let them enjoy some of these foods. Complete avoidance of ‘treat-like’ foods can create an unhealthy relationship with food leading to secretive eating or binge eating.

If you feel that you can’t quite get enough of the right type of foods into your child diet, then consider supplementing them with these nutrients that have a proven benefit for children’s health.

  • Vitamin D (400-800UI of D3). Cod liver oil supplements can be a great source of vitamin D, plus you will get the added benefit of vitamin A and essential fatty acids.
  • Multi strain probiotic (around 8 different strains at 109strength)
  • Multivitamin with zinc.

 Treat a cold at the first sign

Ear infections often occur from catching a cold. AT the first sign of a sniffy nose remove WHEAT, DAIRY, SUGAR and JUICE from their diet. Sugar is known to suppress the immune system, reducing the bodies ability to fight the infection. Wheat and dairy products may contribute to mucus production in some children, enhancing the breeding ground for pathogens. Adding in some Elderberry syrup or Echinacea drops will help to boost the immune system. You can find these supplements at most health food stores, however, it is best to consult your naturopath or herbalist to ensure that the product you are using contains the therapeutically active parts of the plant.

Avoid exposure to second-hand smoke

This point doesn’t need too much explanation. Just as smoke exposure is dangerous to adults, it is even more so for children. As a parent or caregiver, it is your responsibility to avoid this exposure to your children.

Manage stress

You might be surprised just how stressed our children can get. Today they are living in a busy and hectic environment and are more likely to be away from the family home for longer periods of time. School-aged children can begin to feel the pressure from bullies and academic expectations. Taking the time help your child recognise when they are feeling stressed and giving them tools to manage this is setting them up with practical life long skills. Teaching them some breathing exercises, mediation and yoga/stretching techniques will be very supportive. Please don’t underestimate the effect that stress has on both our own health and our children’s health.

Breastfeeding

Breastfed babies are half as likely to develop ear infections compared to formula-fed babies. Exclusively breastfeeding until 6 months of age, and ideally, up the 12 months of age can dramatically reduce the chance of infection. It is also good to remember when feeding baby, to hold her at an upright 45-degree angle, rather than lying flat. This reduces the chance of milk getting into the back of the throat up into the immature Eustachian tubes. 

Treating Ear Infections

So the ear infection has set in…what to do now.

  • As mentioned above, stop wheat, dairy, sugar and juice.
  • Continue with the Echinacea and elderberry
  • Take 250mg vitamin C, 3-5 times per day
  • Mullein ear drops. This is a wonderful traditional remedy for ear infections. It will help to treat the infection and will soothe any associated discomfort. You can find this extract of the herb mullein in your local health food store.

Lastly, if your child does appear to have an ear infection, please take to your chosen health professional to get a correct diagnosis. Understand that you have the right to express to them that you are happy to take the ‘wait and watch’ approach before considering antibiotics. It is your child, and ultimately your choice as to how you manage their healthcare.

A note on chronic ear infections and glue ear…

These conditions need a thorough consultation with your naturopath to establish the root cause of the problem. With a little time and dedication, you can restore your child’s ear health.

Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/adorable-blur-child-close-up-573293/

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Homeopathy for Autoimmune Disorders

 Homeopathic
Oct 142017
 

Autoimmune diseases are a class of diseases where a person’s own immune system starts working against him. In most cases, the disorder is based on a miss-classification by the immune system of healthy cells as something foreign, resulting in the body’s defense mechanisms attacking those healthy cells. Some examples of auto-immune conditions are Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Celiac Disease, Sarcoidosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Sarcoidosis, Type 1 Diabetes, Psoriasis and Alopecia Areata. Western medication typically tackles the symptoms of these diseases by prescribing a class of drugs which are called immunosuppressants (named so for their suppressive action on the immune response which is attacking the healthy cells). This often results in lowered vitality, poor energy, a compromised lifestyle, and a host of side effects that come from taking substances that are designed to fight against one’s own immune system.

Homeopathy on the other hand works in harmony with the body’s own defense mechanisms, and hence is a very effective system of healing for such conditions. It works by correcting the subtle energetic imbalance which has resulted in the immune system having a deranged view towards healthy tissues/cells. Once the deep seated energetic imbalance has been corrected by the indicated homeopathic remedy, the immune response reaches a state of homeostasis, and a healthy state follows. 

This topic happens to be very close to my heart because of my own journey out of auto-immune disease in 2006 through the use of homeopathy. That miraculous recovery is what inspired me to pursue this beautiful system of healing as a passion. When I was diagnosed after months of fevers, coughs, weight-loss, and serious eye inflammations, I was given a lifelong dependence on corticosteroids as the only viable option by western medicine. Thankfully, I had access to an excellent homeopath at that time, who was able to achieve a complete resolution of my disease in a few months without any dependence on western medication. Today, 11 years on, I have not had a single relapse of that auto-immune condition. Subsequently, I have helped numerous patients with auto-immune conditions through homeopathy, and the results from the precise use of the indicated homeopathic remedy have always been quite profound in my own experience.

Getting into the technicalities a bit, the remedies indicated for auto-immune conditions usually belong to the deep acting family with strong anti-miasmatic properties. In particular, sycotic, syphilitic and tubercular remedies shine in such conditions. In the cases I have successfully handled, an auto-immune condition has always co-incided with the presence of something more than just a psoric miasm in my experience. The exact remedy choice will as always depend on the active miasm (the root cause of the chronic derangement of the immune system), as well as the totality of symptoms being portrayed by the patient. It needs a high degree of skill on the part of the homeooath to treat such cases, as often, there can be a series of remedies needed to reach complete cure.

To conclude,  I cannot recommend homeopathy highly enough for auto-immune conditions, as it can provide not only symptomatic relief in a gentle, natural and non-toxic manner, but also a permanent resolution of the condition without a life-long dependence on strong medications.

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Foods to fuel your brain

 Naturopathy
Oct 082017
 

It is well known that nutrition plays a big role in our ability to maintain concentration, learn and recall information, however having a well-balanced diet is often low on the list of priorities when studying for exams. Whilst making the effort to eat properly may take you away from the books for a few extra minutes, it will certainly reward you with greater concentration and improved memory.

Preparing meals that are well balanced in protein, essential fatty acids and complex carbohydrates can help fuel your brain and provide you with the sustained energy needed to commit information to memory and recall that information when required. Try make the most of your exam preparation by indulging in these quick and easy meal ideas.

Breakfast and lunch options:

  • Overnight oats; this recipe has been included on the Total Balance blog.
  • Eggs with avocado on grainy or sourdough toast.
  • Omelette; include olives, feta cheese and whatever vegetables you like.
  • Smoked salmon with cottage or ricotta cheese on grainy or sourdough toast.

Snacking options:

  • Avocado on rice cakes or sourdough/grainy bread. To boost the protein content, add tinned fish such as mackerel, tuna or salmon, cottage cheese or feta cheese.
  • Peanut butter with banana or strawberries on rice cakes. To improve your energy balance, add a sprinkle of cinnamon which can help with blood sugar regulation.
  • Mixed berries, plus a serve of your favourite nuts (preferably raw and unsalted). To bulk up this snack, add yoghurt or coconut yoghurt.

If all of this snacking has made you thirsty but you’re not in the mood for water, select a “brainy beverage” such as green tea. Consumption of green tea has been known to increase the production and growth of brain cells, providing benefits for memory and spatial learning.

Written by Julia D’Angelo, Naturopath

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Homeopathy for Infertility

 Homeopathic
Oct 062017
 

In today’s stressful times, infertility (an inability to conceive successfully) is becoming more and more prevalent. On top of it, because of the stigma associated with it, despite of the paramount importance in parents trying to conceive, it usually is a taboo topic where people find it difficult to seek help. The cause is often extremely difficult to determine and western medication tends to throw the kitchen sink at this problem through hormonal treatments, fertility drugs and a lot of assisted reproduction techniques designed to fertilize the egg in some way. The results are often mixed bag from these methods and the side effects of these treatments are sometimes very severe for the parents and the potential fetus.

How does homeopathy view this topic? To be fertile and having a healthy ability to reproduce is an important function of every living organism. The problem can be on father’s side or the mother’s side but an inability to reproduce according to homeopathy is indicative of a subtle energetic disturbance in the person’s vital energy which results in the reproductive functions getting disturbed thereby resulting in improper results in the efforts to conceive. Often, I see patients in my practice where the patient comes and sees me for some other chronic complaint, and it gets revealed that the patient along with his/her partner has also been unsuccessfully trying to conceive for an year or two. I have seen very often that under the right homeopathic remedy, not only does the chief complaint resolve, but a successful conception/pregnancy is also achieved. Again, due to the taboo nature of infertility in our society, most of these cases are where I accidentally come up against the infertility problem while I am seeing patients for other complaints. Many of these cases also have some other deep seated problem on the mental or physical planes, thereby confirming the homeopathic view of infertility being a systemic problem requiring a holistic view rather than through a tunnel vision of reproductive health alone.

Let us hope that more and more people are able to seek help for this tough problem, and as a society we rise above our social prejudices, removing the stigma associated with this problem, and are able to view it just like any other chronic systemic complaint. Homeopathic remedies can be a very powerful tool for parents who are not able to conceive successfully as these remedies correct the subtle energetic disturbances which are at the root cause of the problem, and at the same time also correcting any mental stress/anxiety around this problem, leading to healthier relationships between couples, paving the way for healthy functioning of hormonal and reproductive systems.

There are a lot of remedies which can be indicated for this condition, and the choice depends on a lot of factors. It need a careful analysis by a competent homeopath.

The best illustration of this in an 1881 case by HC Allen (the case below taken from reference [1])

A case of infertility cured by homeopathy in 1881 in the words of HC Allen. My annotations are in green below.
============================================================================================================
G. R., aged forty-five, light brunette, married ten years, general appearance healthy.
For six years has had no discharge of semen during coitus (Coitus means sexual intercourse). Occasionally nocturnal emissions.
Erections usually weak, give out during coitus.
Burning in perineum, worse after going to bed, and when thinking of it. Drawing pains in testicles, with sensation of weakness of genitals. Occasionally itching, dry eruptions in crotch and inner upper surface of thighs and anus.
With the sensation of weakness of genitals his eyes feel weak. Very sensitive to cold and changes of atmosphere.
Takes cold easily, usually affecting nose and throat first with dryness, then with watery catarrh and sneezing, or he has aching pains in different parts of the body and limbs, changing location frequently.
Twenty years ago had African fever.
Never had gonorrhea, syphilis, or other eruptions than those mentioned above.
All other functions normal.
While on a visit to Philadelphia he applied to Dr. Lippe, (Read more about Adolph Lippe) at my advice Dr. Lippe wrote me the following letter :
“I find that your patient had diphtheria about ten years ago, and was treated with inappropriate mercurials and gargles by Dr. -.
The character of the attack was that it went from one side to the other and finally back again to the original side. Great weakness, almost paralytic, followed the attack, and he thinks he has never regained his full vigor and usual strength since this illness. His acute cold has always the character of shifting pains and change of location. I have given him a dose of Lac can. Cm.., (This means a remedy named Lac Caninum in 100M potency; Lac Caninum is potentized milk of dog) which may be required to be followed by a dose of Pulsatilla.”
Suffice it to say that my patient never needed the suggested dose of Pulsatilla. (The patient got better on the single dose of Lac Caninum, and never needed the second medicine)
In three months after his visit to Philadelphia his wife was pregnant. She has since borne two remarkably healthy children.
As far as we know Lac can. has no sexual weakness. That fact disturbed Dr. Lippe very little in his selection. He looked deeper and found the cause and the remedy. This is true homeopathic pathology. All the knowledge in the world of the special pathology of this case could not have revealed the remedy to any one. To the homeopathic artist, however, it was revealed, and a man regained his manhood and became the father of two children, after ten years of impotence.

[1] http://www.homeoint.org/seror/nosodes/laccaninum.htm

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Building Baby’s Microbiome

 Naturopathy
Oct 032017
 

The development of a robust microbiota in the early stages of life will impact our overall health status for the rest of our life. Our microbiota has many vital functions to perform that are essential to human health. This includes digestion, immune function, mood, how efficiently calories and nutrients are metabolised, gut lining and the synthesis of amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins such as vitamin K, B12 and B3.

It has been well established that babies born via C-section have lower long-term health outcomes than those born vaginally. Much of this is now being put down to the development of the microbiome in newborns. Those born vaginally get exposed to the microbiota of their mother as they pass down the birth canal, which allows the development of their own microbiota. Of course, the quality of babies developing microbiota is reflective on the quality of mum’s microbiota at birth.

Babies born via C-section don’t get exposed to their mother’s vaginal flora and may struggle to develop their own microbiota. Instead, they are exposed to the bacteria from the hospital environment and health-care workers. An altered microbiota has been linked to many conditions such as obesity, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, allergies and eczema. While this might sound frightening for mothers giving birth via C-section, there are ways that you can support the establishment of your newborn’s microbiome.

How to enhance your microbiota prior to delivery –

  • Eat a diet rich in fermented foods (probiotics) such as sauerkraut, miso, kefir, kimchi and kombucha.
  • Include plenty of prebiotics in the diet to feed your microbiota. This includes sweet potato, oats, banana, onion, garlic and chicory.
  • Avoid any unnecessary antibiotics.
  • Manage stress levels, this includes anxiety leading up to the birth
  • Research has shown that mothers who take probiotics in the 3rd trimester have babies with a lower incidence of atopic conditions such as eczema and allergies. For this reason, I recommend that all my clients take a probiotic supplement in their 3rd trimester if they are not already doing so. Take a broad spectrum probiotic that contains at least eight different species.

 

Breastfeeding for Bugs

Breastfeeding is literally seeding your baby’s gut. Baby’s get nearly 30% of their gut bacteria from breast milk and another 10% from suckling on the skin of the breast.

Breast milk contains a specific sugar called human milk oligosaccharides (0ver 200 different types of HMO’s) that selectively feed many of the microbes that are setting up residence in our baby’s gut, in particular, the dominant Bifidobacterium infantis. B. infantis is known to support brain development, folate production, immune support, and most importantly feed an infant’s gut cells to begin the process of sealing their naturally ‘leaky gut’. In the presence of HMO’s, B.infantis flourishes and outcompetes other gut bacteria.

From this, we can see that it is not only the actual probiotics in the breast milk that make it essential for baby’s health, but it’s the HMO’s that truly allow breast milk to be the only true ‘superfood’. Whilst probiotic supplementation is beneficial, at this stage, it can not replicate the collective benefit that breast milk provides.

How to support your newborn’s microbiota –

  • Have as much skin to skin contact straight after delivery to encourage the transfer of beneficial microbes.
  • Delay bathing baby until at least 24 hours. Only use natural based soap.
  • Breastfeeding enhances the colonisation of beneficial bacteria in the baby’s gut by providing both pre and probiotics. If possible, exclusive breastfeeding for a minimum of six months, and continued until twelve months plus.
  • Support baby with an infant probiotic. This is essential for those who had a C-section or for those not breastfeeding.
  • Avoid the use of anti-bacterial skin products and household cleaners.

Is it too late?

For those reading this, wishing that they had this information when their child was a newborn. Don’t despair, you can encourage a rich microbiota to develop in your child’s gut, regardless of age. Follow the points in the ‘microbiota prior to delivery section’ above and your child’s gut should start to flourish.

  • Babies born via C-section should be given newborn specific probiotics for the first 6 months.
  • When baby starts to eat solid food, include many of the above mention pre and probiotic-richh foods.
  • Let your child play in the dirt, this is a way to get exposure to good bugs and to develop the immune system.
  • Avoid antibacterial wipes and cleansers. These products strip the body of good bugs that are needed as a part of our natural defence system.
  • Supplement your child with an age appropriate probiotic.

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Five Ways to Increase White Blood Cell Count with TCM

 Acupuncture
Oct 022017
 
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Leukopenia is a term used when there are less than adequate white blood cells in the bloodstream. This condition may make those suffering from it susceptible to infections. Leukopenia is often seen in diseases such as AIDS, cancer and lupus, as well as in common occurrences like the flu or a cold. Leukopenia can also be medically induced, as is often the case for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. While there are several prescription medications available to battle this condition, most of them also have multiple adverse side effects. But there are alternative natural methods that can increase white blood cell count without the side effects. One of these is Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a medical system that has been around for thousands of years and incorporates multiple modalities to treat the body holistically. Acupuncture is one of the modalities utilized by TCM practitioners that can help increase white blood cell count. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends and endorses acupuncture for treating leukopenia. Research has demonstrated acupuncture can increase immunity, while improving both red and white blood cell counts.

Traditional Chinese Medicine considers the spleen to be a very important component of immune function in the body. In TCM, the spleen is responsible for removing nutrients from food and then using those nutrients to build up blood. Patients with low blood cell count tend to suffer from fatigue. This can be countered by receiving regular acupuncture treatments that not only increase immunity, but also boost the production of blood cells.

One very important modality of TCM is herbs and herbal formulas. Specific herbs and formulas can actually increase white blood cell count and improve immune function in the body. The peony root, for example, is used in at least three different forms to boost or tonify the blood. In single herb form, peony root is known as Bai Shao, Chi Shao and Shao Yao. All of these forms are known to tonify blood, which ultimately increases immunity.

Tai chi and qi gong are not technically part of TCM, but they are ingrained in Asian history and used by millions of people worldwide. Studies have shown these forms of low-impact exercise can be very beneficial to those suffering from leukopenia. In fact, the studies confirm blood cell count can be increased by practicing tai chi or qi gong on a regular basis. There have even been cases where tumors have completely disappeared after the patient began practicing these ancient martial arts.

Diet and nutrition are other important areas when battling leukopenia. In TCM, nutrition is vital for overall health. One of the superfoods in TCM is Shiitake mushrooms. These mushrooms are recommended because they are known to enhance immunity. Shiitake mushrooms contain lentinan, which is an antiviral substance that has strong immune-stimulating properties. This mushroom is used as a meat substitute in TCM nutrition. And when combined with other immune-boosting foods, this in itself can make for a very healthy meal.

Lastly, a practice known as meditation should be considered when low white blood cell count is present. While meditation is not specific to TCM, it is frequently prescribed and used by TCM practitioners. Mediation is a practice that helps calm the mind and the nervous system. When the nervous system is overstimulated, it creates metabolic stress within the body. Metabolic stress causes the immune system to become weakened, thus decreasing the number of white blood cells in the body. Meditation can help reverse this problem.

While Western medicine may be the current line of defense in fighting leukopenia, it is very feasible that alternative medicine may offer more without harmful side effects. The two forms of medicine can be used in conjunction, allowing the patient to have more options and more control over their treatment regimen.

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Acupuncture for Stress and Stress-Related Health Conditions

 Acupuncture
Sep 282017
 

Many health conditions can crop up as a result of chronic stress and/or worsen due to stress.  Some examples are indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); weakened immune function (i.e. frequent colds); hypertension (high blood pressure); headaches and migraines; menstrual irregularities, menstrual cramps, PMS and PMDD; anxiety, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression; insomnia; fatigue; low libido; and muscle tension and pain.  Stress is often a factor in these conditions and others because it affects the nervous system and various hormones that are released in times of stress, affecting various systems of the body.

Acupuncture is helpful for stress and stress-related ailments because it helps to regulate the nervous system and hormones.  There are also acupuncture points used for particular health conditions and symptoms, whether those symptoms are related to stress or not.  The holistic approach of acupuncture takes into account both the “root,” meaning issues underlying one’s health condition(s), and the “branch,” or symptoms one experiences stemming from the root.  With each treatment points are selected to treat both the roots and branches.

What can you do about ongoing stress, particularly when it’s situational (work-related, family-related, caretaking, etc.)?  Take care of yourself as best as possible and find outlets for stress relief when you can.  Exercise, deep breathing, time outside and talking with loved ones are all healthy ways to manage stress on a day to day basis.   Acupuncture once every week or two is a great way to de-stress and stay healthy.  If you have a health condition that is linked to stress, it’s helpful to obtain acupuncture regularly depending on the severity: once a week when mild, twice a week when moderate, and 3 or more times if severe.  You can always ask an acupuncturist for a recommended course of treatment, and feel free to experiment with frequency for yourself to obtain an outcome that feels helpful for you.

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Homeopathy and ADHD

 Homeopathic
Sep 232017
 

​Wikipedia[1] says that Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly studied and diagnosed mental disorder in children and adolescents. According to western medication, the cause of this disorder is unknown despite of the high amount of research studies on it. Typically, the symptoms appear in young children (<12 years of age) and are characterized by an inability to pay attention in certain situations hampering proper functioning/performance, excessive activity or restlessness, and also a difficulty in controlling one’s behavior according to expected social norms. Stimulant medications (e.g., Ritalin) which are the choice of western medication for this condition come with a long list of proven and sometimes unknown side effects. 

According to homeopathy though, the cause of ADHD is well understood, and it lies in the genetic taint or the ‘miasm’ in the organism which has been acquired over generations giving rise to the predisposition to develop this condition. Since homeopathy always attempts to remove that root cause which is at the heart of such disorders, it offers a great way to have a profoundly positive impact on the state of children and adults with ADHD in a gentle and natural way. 

Some of the commonly used remedies for ADHD include Tuberculinum, Tarentula, Phosphorus, Veratrum Album, Medorrhinum, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Sulphur, Carcinosin, Agaricus, Stramonium and Hyoscyamus. In some cases, other remedies may also be required. The exact choice among these depends on the totality of symptoms being portrayed by the patient. Of key importance as always are strange, rare and peculiar symptoms (symptoms which are not typical of every ADHD case, but are strange enough to characterize that particular case of ADHD to give us a clue about the remedy choice). Self-prescribing for this condition is however not recommended, as it requires careful case management, dosing plans and often a series of remedies  prescribed by a competent homeopath to find a path to full recovery.

In my homeopathy practice, I often see children with ADHD make giant leaps towards healthy functioning and achieving freedom from all the limitations that it can often bring. I cannot recommend homeopathy strongly enough for children with such a condition as the treatment can often have such long-term benefits, that it can alter the life trajectory of such children in a very positive direction, doing so in a completely non-toxic way.

To conclude, I would like to say that homeopathy can be a great boon to parents who have children with ADHD, and can offer long term resolution of this deep-seated complaint in a gentle, permanent and often rapid manner.

[1] ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder

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Hatha Yoga, mindfulness meditation, boosts brain functioning

 Ayurvedic
Sep 222017
 

Hatha yoga is a combination of asanas, pranayams and meditation. Practise of Hatha Yoga for a minimum of 25 minutes daily, coupled with mindfulness meditation, boosts brain functioning and energy levels significantly, as per latest study.

The study showed that Hatha Yoga, together with mindfulness meditation improved the brain’s executive functions, cognitive abilities linked to goal-directed behaviour and the ability to control knee-jerk emotional responses, habitual thinking patterns and actions.

Hatha Yoga and mindfulness meditation, both focus the brain’s conscious processing power on a limited number of targets like breathing, and also reduces processing of nonessential information, said Peter Hall, the Associate Professor at Canadian University. These two functions help people to focus better on what they choose to attend in daily life.

Hatha Yoga is one of the most common styles of yoga practised in the west, which involves physical postures and breathing exercises, combined with meditation.

Mindfulness meditation, on the other hand, involves focusing on thoughts, emotions and body sensations with openness and acceptance.

In the study, the participants completed 25 minutes of Hatha Yoga, mindfulness meditation and quiet reading in randomised order. It was found that Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation considerable improved their energy levels. However, Hatha Yoga significantly had more powerful effects than meditation alone.

Ayurvedic herbs to boost brain functioning

‘Shankapushpi’ is considered one of the best herbs for supporting brain and mental functioning. It improves memory, calms the mind and is believed to improve tolerance to mental stress. Therefore, this herb is often considered to be the giver of great mental power and bliss.

‘Brahmi’ helps in keeping the mind calm and balanced. Several scientific studies have shown that Brahmi can improve learning and memory, while also providing antioxidant support for the brain.

‘Gotu Kola’ is considered one of the best herbs in improving memory. Likewise, Gotu Kola also contains an acid that is a potent inhibitor for formation of amyloid plaques, otherwise seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

Some foods to boost brain functioning:

A handful of seeds and nuts, eaten daily increases brain power considerably. The pumpkin seeds, for instance, are loaded with zinc that play a vital role in sharpening your memory. Walnuts, which are a rich source of omega-3 also has essential nutrients for brain functioning and improving memory skills.

Black currants, citrus fruits, leafy vegetables, sesame seeds, peanuts, and all foods rich in vitamin C and B can boost your brain power.

It is said that berries when eaten regularly helps in delaying age-related memory decline. On consuming wholegrains, energy is released in the body in the form of sugar, which helps our brain to function properly.

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Prediabetes and Nature Cure Management

 Naturopathy
Sep 192017
 

Prediabetes is a serious health condition which, however, offers a great opportunity to prevent type 2 diabetes or at least defer the disease of type 2 diabetes. Elevated sugar levels in the blood put you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes but you can take the steps to prevent it.

This stage is a precursor of diabetes. In this condition blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not quite enough to diagnose as type 2 diabetes. This precursor condition is also known as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, which we can diagnose with simple blood test. We should consider this condition seriously without using any medication or treatment. We can reverse or post pone the diabetes by making simple changes in lifestyle.

Science of prediabetes

Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas and released into the bloodstream. When the body breaks down carbohydrates from the food we eat into glucose, also known as blood sugar, insulin helps the body’s cells to absorb the glucose and use it for energy. If the cells have developed a condition called insulin resistance where in they have lost the sensitivity to insulin, although the body still produces insulin, it is not used effectively, causing glucose to build up in the blood instead of being absorbed by cells. This increase in blood glucose leads to prediabetes, and eventually type 2 diabetes, if left untreated. 

Who is at risk?

Many are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. This is partially because prediabetes usually has no symptoms. It’s important to know the risk factors. 

You may have pre-diabetes if you:

  • Are overweight.
  • Are age 45 or older.
  • Have a family history of pre – diabetes or type 2 diabetes
  • Are African American, Alaska Native, Hispanic / Latino, or Pacific Islander American,
  • Have hypertension (high blood pressure) or high cholesterol,
  • Participate in physical activity fewer than three times per week,
  • Have had gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant) or have given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds. 

Causes

Although family history and genetics appear to play an important role, especially abdominal fat – and inactivity also seem to be important factors in the development of pre -diabetes.

Diagnosis based on Hbalc

According to American diabetic association A1C less than 5.7 is normal, 5.7–6.4 is prediabetes, 6.5 and above is diabetes.

Naturopathic approach

Nature cure is lifestyle modification science. It strongly believes in prevention. In nature cure we are not treating the disease; we are supporting the body by following the fundamentals of nature. By that body can overcome the disease. As a part of it we have to follow a modified lifestyle. It includes intake of natural & nutritious food, at least 3-4 liters of clean and purified water, regular exercise and adequate sleep.

Naturopathic treatments will enhance the functions of all internal organs and improve the secretions of endocrinal glands in quality and quantity and reduce the insulin resistance. Taking to naturopathic way of life will bring down the weight reducing the unnecessary fat mass from the body to achieve the healthy BMI which will contribute to prevent diabetes.

A study on pre diabetics

  • Group 1: Lifestyle changes. Participants in this group exercised for 30 minutes a day and lowered their caloric and fat intake.
  • Group 2: Diabetes education. This group received information about diet and exercise and took a placebo-a pill without any active medication in it.

The study found that those in lifestyle group had the best benefits, averaging 6kg of weight loss, cutting the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%over 3years.

  • In addition to lifestyle changes such as achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity and eating a healthy diet, talk to your healthcare provider about what prevention methods are right for you.

It is time for you to take your health seriously at the first sight of symptoms of pre diabetes, lest you will suffer irrevocably.

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Acupuncture for Hair Loss

 Acupuncture
Sep 182017
 

Acupuncture for Hair Loss

This month’s post is by guest blogger and Vice President of Hair Loss Revolution, Sarah Hawyard.  Sarah explores the benefits and acupuncture especially its positive effect on hair loss. 

www.hairlossrevolution.com/acupuncture-benefits-for-hair

To learn more about how to treat your own hair loss, check out her website to learn more at www.hairlossrevolution.com

Photo credit by: Hair Loss Revolution

 

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Acupuncture and Alcohol Detoxification

 Acupuncture
Sep 182017
 
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Alcoholism affects nearly 16 million adults in the United States, yet only approximately 1.5 million Americans actually seek and get help to deal with their addiction. According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, nearly 88,000 people die from alcohol-related deaths every year, which makes alcohol the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States. After all the research that has been done on alcohol, people in the United States are still dying from something completely legal. And ultimately, we are paying for it, not just with our lives, but also with our tax dollars.

There are approximately 15,000 rehabilitation facilities in the United States. With that many rehab centers, one would think there wouldn’t be such a huge alcoholism problem in the United States. But unfortunately, 80 percent of those facilities are outpatient only and they accounted for about 90 percent if the total number of people served (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). This means most of the people who are admitted to these rehab centers are released very shortly after they enter. This leads to higher numbers of repeat offenders and unsuccessful alcohol rehabilitation.

One of the ways to help insure that alcoholics truly succeed when they enter rehab is to offer them more than just a quick fix. Traditional Chinese Medicine can provide a very useful tool when trying to overcome alcohol addiction. Alcoholics have to first detox and then learn how to deal with their addictions, so as to avoid relapsing. But detoxing is usually the hardest part. This is why so many people who enter into the aforementioned outpatient rehab centers, usually don’t stay sober. The cravings and the lack of willpower often become overbearing and the person once again succumbs. But many inpatient rehab centers are starting to offer acupuncture in conjunction with their programs.

The benefits of acupuncture during alcohol rehabilitation are numerable. Regular acupuncture treatments can decrease cravings, decrease depression and anxiety, decrease anger and irritability associated with detoxing, decrease headaches, increase concentration and also improve and increase sleep quality.

The NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol is frequently used when treating addicts. This protocol specifically uses auricular or ear acupuncture points to help people deal with and recover from substance abuse. These detoxification protocols, in contrast to much of TCM, do not involve a traditional diagnosis and they do not need to be modified in any way. The protocol is generally administered on its own without the addition of other auricular or body acupuncture points.

The NADA protocol uses only five points in the outer ear. These points include Lung 2, Shen Men, the Autonomic Point, Liver and Kidney. Each point has its own set of properties that make it unique, but when used in conjunction, these points can be an effective adjunctive therapy for treating nearly any form of addiction.

To find out more about this protocol, contact us today.

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The benefits of outsourcing for small businesses

 General
Sep 172017
 

The practice of outsourcing certain tasks or processes to outside firms is becoming more common to small businesses but it’s not a new concept to big businesses. Big businesses have been outsourcing complete departments to third party providers, some overseas, some local. Let’s examine some of the key benefits of outsourcing for small businesses…

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Hootsuite FAQ

 General
Sep 122017
 

Many of you are using Hootsuite for managing your social media presence. Hootsuite is a good tool and can help you bring some order to your social life. Many of you have questions that are hard to figure out beforehand and sometimes prevent you from upgrading your account. Hopefully these answers will help you make your decision.

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Infographic: Treating Fevers using Homeopathy

 Homeopathic
Sep 122017
 

9/12/2017

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​I gets calls from several people when they develop fevers. Since homeopathy is individualized, the question always on the mind of the patient is “Which remedy to take in the fever?”. While the list is not exhaustive by any means, I have tried here to list the 6 most commonly used homeopathic remedies for fevers, and their key indications. You can use this infographic to self-treat minor fevers at home. As always, if it is something more complicated talk to your homeopath.
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Infographic: How to chose a homeopath?

 Homeopathic
Sep 122017
 

9/12/2017

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I have been asked by many people as to what are the key ingredients that make up a good homeopath. There are a lot of skills and other qualities that are needed, but if I were to focus on the 3 main skills that are essential for good homeopathic prescribing, this infographic explains it very nicely. You can chose this as a good guide when looking for a homeopath.
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