Beer is one of the most popular and fashionable drinks which contains a great amount of natural elements. Millions of people like beer, thousands of those drink it almost every day, and hundreds of those are sure that they are doing right! They are convinced that beer has a lot of minerals and vitamins, which are, undoubtedly, very useful for our body and can promote healthy life. Is it possible to call beer “a natural remedy”? I say, no! No way! Never! See the myths and facts about beer – and be the judge. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a special branch of today’s phytotherapy called diet herbal medicine, which can offer many potent solutions to those who struggle to shed some extra lbs. Diet herbal medicine uses various kinds of herbs, plants and their extracts in order to create effective mixtures, herbal teas and preparations, which can activate certain processes in your body and assist in combating weight problems. However, specialists emphasize on the fact that herbal remedies for weight loss should be used and expected to bring positive effects only in combination with other techniques of weight loss, such as physical exercises, eating a rich and healthy diet, avoiding junk food, and so on.

In other words, if you only drink your slimming herbal teas or use special herbal formulas for weight loss, it would be difficult to achieve the desired results. However, herbal remedies and mixtures can be very useful for losing weight in many ways. Some herbs can help to keep you appetite under control, some help with intensifying your metabolism and can be your allies in burning fat, some can lower your bad cholesterol level and some can assist in getting rid of food wastes. Read the rest of this entry »

Valerian extract is one of the most popular and safest herbal sleep aids, which has been used worldwide for many centuries. Valerian is the most valued for its sedative, relaxing and hypnotic effects, that is why it is considered an effective natural treatment for depression, stresses, insomnia, nervousness, anxiety disorders and other neurological problems. Traditionally, phytotherapistst used herbal preparations and mixtures of Valerian root with other sedative herbs (like Melissa offcicnalis, Anise seed, St. John’s wort or Chamomilla recucita) as herbal teas to promote sleep. Such teas used to be of a great aid in improving sleep patterns, decreasing the number of night wakings, reducing motor activity at night, and so on. Read the rest of this entry »

For many centuries, green tea has been known as a unique and inexhaustible natural source of health, beauty and longevity. Green tea has been used by Chinese and Japanese physicians for more than four thousand years, and still it is difficult to find any other drink or food, which would have more health benefits than this wonderful beverage. Modern scientific researches and studies are providing more and more evidence for numerous positive effects on our health connected with regular green tea consumption. Along with good taste and delicate aroma, green tea has over 300 various useful ingredients: minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, microelements, Vitamines B1, B2, B5, C1, K and P, as well as composites of magnesium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus and other chemical elements.

The list of known therapeutic properties of green tea is really huge, and there are only some of those:

•    Preventing cancer is the most valuable therapeutic property of green tea. Specialists underline that drinking 4-5 cups of green tea can protect you from stomach, pancreas, colon, esophageal, bladder and other types of cancer by about 60%. Green tea contains Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant, which is extremely effective for protecting your cells and DNA from any changes or damage, and this way preventing formation of tumors and cancerous tissues.
•    In addition, regular consumption of green tea can cause remission in patients who suffer from cancer. EGCG inhibits the growth of cancerous cells and creates favorable environment for developing healthy cells.
•    Another important property of green tea is its effectiveness in breaking down plaque on artery walls, preventing formation of blood clots, stabilizing free blood flow and normalizing blood pressure. This helps prevent thrombosis, which usually causes stroke and heart attack.
•    Green tea contains a high concentration of antioxidants, which can help increase your good cholesterol ratio and lower your bad cholesterol ratio.
•    Antioxidants in green tea assist with lowering and soothing the effects of such diseases as rheumatoid arthritis by reducing swelling and toxins in problematic areas of your body.
•    Antioxidants have excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, so they can kill bacteria and infection in your body, prevent cavities and improve your oral health, as well as stimulate and strengthen your immune system.
•    Polyphenols and polysaccharides that can be found in green tea assist in lowering blood sugar and preventing diabetes.
•    Antibacterial and antiviral properties of green tea constituents are effective when fighting with some skin problems, including acne.
•    Recent studies and clinical evidence suggest that green tea polyphenols have neuroprotectant properties and can help in preventing Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
•    Green tea has unprecedented properties as an aid to weight loss. Clinical researches of Swiss experts proved that regular consumption of green tea can help in boosting fat oxidation and metabolism, as well as increase thermogenesis and intensify overall expenditures of energy.
•    Green tea has outstanding properties for maintaining an optimal fluid balance in your body. This way it helps in fighting with stresses, depression and fatigue, and also in normalizing your sexual activity
•    Antioxidants and primary polyphenols of green tea have properties to slow down aging and promote longevity. Polyphones in green tea lower the amounts of free radicals in you body, that means better skin, fresher look and fewer wrinkles.

Thus, if properly used, green tea can be a real source of new healthy life for practically everyone! However, you must keep in mind that green tea contains great amounts of caffeine, a psychoactive stimulant, which can have negative effects on people with sensitive stomach, problems with kidneys or heart. Also, it is recommended to keep away from drinking a lot of green tea to those people, who suffer from excessive anxiety, panic attacks and other psychological disorders. But still for the majority of people the benefits of this refreshing therapeutic beverage greatly outweigh the effects of caffeine.

Do not forget that green tea must be consumed only when it is freshly brewed, otherwise a great deal of therapeutic properties and nutritional values of this miraculous drink will be lost. That is why bottled green tea is considered to have very little amount of natural therapeutic resources. Generally, green tea must be steeped for about 3-4 minutes, but in order to receive the best result, you can follow the instructions of the manufacturer for every specific variety of green tea. So, if you want to live a long and healthy life, drink your favorite green tea every day!

For many people, shiny white teeth and beautiful smile are the key elements of their image. But very frequently we are not happy with the color of our teeth. Such things as excessive amounts or coffee, tea and tobacco, as well as some antibiotics, various oral infections, metabolic imbalances or poor oral hygiene affect natural white color of our teeth to a great extent. That’s why nowadays various teeth whitening procedures are in great demand. Many people opt to go to dental clinics and have their teeth bleached by a professional. Some people use whitening toothpastes or tooth stripes. However, not everybody is always satisfied with the results of clinical teeth whitening, and a lot of people (especially young girls and women) choose to go on with natural treatments for tooth enamel darkening and discoloration.

The most known and popular way is to brush your teeth with salt, soda, wood ash, or a mixture of those. Abrasive elements of these materials help to clean the stains from your teeth and make your teeth look whiter. At the same time, this natural method is connected with several negative aspects: it can bring to physical damage of your teeth enamel, increased sensitivity of your gums, irritation of the tissues in your mouth, and so on. Another type of popular home remedies for teeth whitening is using acidic natural substances, like lemon juice, white vinegar, orange peels or strawberries. These materials are also harmful to your tooth enamel and gums, and you may end up with serious dental problems, especially if the procedures are not controlled by a professional.

If you want to use natural teeth whitening treatments with minimal negative effects, herbal medicine can offer you a number of solutions. You can rub your teeth with the leaves of sage (Salvia officinalis), or use green peals of walnuts. Also, you can brush your teeth with a mixture of turmeric powder (Curcuma longa), mustard oil (Brassica juncea and Brassica hirta) and a little bit of salt. Besides, dentists recommend using such foods as celery, broccoli, cucumbers and pineapple, which can be helpful for cleaning your teeth and removing teeth staining. In order to have healthy teeth and shiny smile, you need to add to your daily diet such products as carrots, almond, tomatoes, green and fibrous vegetables, mushrooms, dairy products, berries, and others.

As a rule, herbal and home remedies for teeth whitening can give very good results, and your bright white teeth and a gorgeous smile will be the best reward for all your efforts. But the important fact is that proper oral hygiene and good dental health are vital for maintaining white teeth. Brush your teeth 2 times a day, in the morning and before going to bed, floss your teeth regularly and visit your dentist for a check-up every 6 months. Treasure your dental health, and you will certainly be happier, more successful and achieve all of your most daring and challenging goals!