People with chronic health problems quickly learn one thing about the medical industry — nobody has all the answers or all the solutions. You could spend millions of dollars visiting specialists and experts trying to find out how to get relief from your pain and discomfort.

Another thing people with chronic health problems realize is that medical science doesn’t have all the answers. People end up doing a lot of research and investigation themselves and what happens is they are often overwhelmed. With the advent of the internet, there is more information than you could possibly hope for on any medical condition. It is too much. It becomes confusing and it is difficult to know whom to trust.

The best advice in this area is to first seek an opinion from medical experts and then when experimenting with treatments outside the medical realm, make them as close to natural as possible. Be wary o anything that contains chemicals or manufactured ingredients made in a lab. Then ask your doctor if the product is harmful. If not, then go for it.

Nopalea juice is one of those products that is all natural. Using the nopal cactus and its flesh and juice for both food and medical properties can be traced back to the Aztecs. It is comforting to try to find relief for medical conditions by something that is actually safe enough to be ingested as food. The flesh of the Nopal (also called the Prickly Pear) Cactus is even sold in grocery stores.

Nopalea is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties. It is said that inflammation is the root cause of many diseases and chronic discomforts. It is also believed that Nopalea juice is chock full of antioxidants and a property called betalains which contains many of the B vitamins and minerals.

Many people who suffer from inflammatory based diseases such as fibromyalgia, arthritis and asthma have found relief from something as simple as the juice.

Other inflammatory-based diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obstructive pulmonary lung disease, osteoarthritis and psoriasis.

Only recently, as attested to in a Time magazine article, doctors have discovered the link between inflammation and disease. You see inflammation is the body’s response to germs. According to the Time article, inflammation is the body’s first line of defense. When you get a cut, inflammation is the body’s response to the bacteria trying to get in your body. The area is swarmed with white blood cells fighting infection. Apparently, when plaque in arteries builds up, the body responds in the exact same way, but the plaque can burst, which can lead to a heart attack.

Therefore, inflammation is the silent killer we are just discovering. The body responds to allergies and asthma with inflammation as well. Inflammation is the response to so many different medical issues. By ingesting a substance to reduce inflammation, we can prevent some of the symptoms of allergies, without taking away the body’s natural response and fight against them. Therefore, we get the benefits without the symptoms.

It happens to everybody-feeling run-down, unmotivated, tired and just sluggish. Maybe you don’t like the feeling that goes along with drinking coffee or caffeine in general or maybe it just doesn’t work for you. There are tons of pills and drinks on the market that claim to rev you up for 5-8 hours, but the problem with these are the ingredients as well as the crash afterwards.

The drinks are usually chock-full of sugar and some supplements may have other synthetic ingredients that you just don’t want to put in your body. But, you can take a natural herbal energy supplement that is gentle to your body and gives you an expected boost to get through the day. Here are some of the herbs you may find in a supplement:

* Cordyceps-This is a variety of mushroom that has long been a part of the Chinese diet. Its boosting property is believed to be improving the oxygenation of the blood and brain cells. It is often used as an ingredient in a natural herbal energy supplement.

* B Vitamins-B6 and B5 are important to the health and normal functioning of the nervous system and helps control stress responses in the body. They are also good for warding off illnesses by supporting the immune system. B12 is simply the energy vitamin. So, just taking a B Complex, you should feel your power or stamina improve.

* Ginseng-This is another plant popular in China for its endurance enhancing properties as well as improved concentration and mental acuity. It also battles the effects of stress.

* Golden Root-Rhodiola is a plant that is known for its overall boosting power and is very popular in extremely cold regions. It is believed to enhance mood, memory and endurance.

* Ashwaghanda-A variety of pepper, this herb is supposed to increase your stamina and improve adrenal functioning. Peppers are often used as a stimulant because of the natural heat they promote and the ingredient capsaicin, depending on the variety.

* Vitamin C-This is a natural anti-oxidant and great for overall better health. It helps raise the body ability to fight off illness. When you are fatigued, your immune system is compromised and you become more susceptible to illness. Adding vitamin C to an herbal power supplement helps keep you in good health and gives you a power-boost.

Even though these are natural ingredients, it is still important to talk to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure nothing will interact with your prescription medications. Also, there may be an underlying health issue causing your fatigue. Have a check-up if the problem is chronic or starts really affecting your normal daily activity.

The combinations of these herbs and vitamins or just adding one to your daily regimen can give you just the boost you need without the side-effects associated with many other power supplements. Using a non synthetic herbal energy supplement means that you won’t have the jitters, feel nauseous, over-stimulated which affects your concentration or have that sudden crash in energy when it wears off.

Consumed by millions, found everywhere, rice has been underestimated by some as a prime health food. The health and medicinal qualities of rice are very impressive, especially so for the least processed varieties.

- anti-carcinogenic qualities

- good for weight loss

- source of B vitamins

- natural fiber source

There some reports suggesting that rice is even able to reverse the effects of thickening of the arteries or arteriosclerosis. Like many of the foods we have talked about, rice can be served on it’s own as well as being part of a multitude of vegetarian or even non-vegetarian recipes. I have had boiled rice with just light soy sauce as an example.

You can of course, add the seasoning of your choice. Just try to use low fat and low salt flavorings. This is one of the easy foodstuffs to keep your portion serves under control. In other words, rice can be very filling. Of late, I have been substituting parboiled rice which has most of the powerful nutrients and fiber of brown rice, but does not take anywhere near as long to prepare. I would tend to discount white rice, as the process involved strips much of the vitamins and the fiber that brown rice has. Think how white bread compares to wholemeal varieties and you get the picture. In a future article we will explore other grains that will even match rice as a healthy staple food, to both maintain healthy body-weight and help with weight loss programs.

Be wise when making changes to your diet. Do your research and ask your doctor’s opinion.

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