People living in Russia about 20,000 years ago built a “bonehenge” – a circular structure made of mammoth bones that could have been used to store food
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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237336-bonehenge-stone-age-structure-of-mammoth-bones-discovered-in-russia/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home
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They say chicken soup is good for the soul, but what about the body?
Let’s take a look at chicken soup as a medicinal remedy for the common cold. Was Grandma right, if you eat chicken soup when you’re fighting the common cold, will it help?
The chicken soup folklore has been around as long as people have, handed down generation to generation, along with the favorite chicken soup family recipe. The medicinal claims have never been proven, but from the time of the ancient Greeks, it has been used religiously to lessen the affects of a cold or the flu.
The ingredients in chicken soup include chicken of course, carrots, celery, water or broth and spices, always including garlic. The soup is served steaming hot, which is where I believe one of the medicinal claims stems from. Let’s face it; whenever you’re feeling stuffy, drinking anything that is steaming hot helps to open up the sinuses, which immediately helps you to breathe better, thus you begin to feel better.
If we take a closer look at the ingredients of chicken soup, one in particular stands out for its antioxidant benefits. Garlic is considered by herbalists to be one of the most useful herbs for medicinal purposes. Many cultures have used garlic for centuries in medicines, as it is a known antioxidant, used to treat many respiratory ailments including hoarseness, coughs and the common cold. The main compound in garlic, allistatin has antibiotic qualities used in some cultures to treat whopping cough, flu and other viral and bacterial diseases.
Anyway you look at it, a steaming bowl of hot chicken soup when you’re feeling under the weather can’t hurt, and if you add garlic to your recipe, it may help.
The recipes below should be individualized, use the ingredients that you and your family like, don’t like carrots? Use turnips instead. If your family is partial to peas, add peas. Use rice instead of pasta, whatever suits your taste. Just be sure to add the garlic, as stated above, its medicinal attributes make it a great addition to any soup.
Basic Soup Recipe
Chicken broth
1 3 lb chicken, 3 quarts of water
3 large Carrots
3 stalks of Celery
Onion Salt and pepper to taste 1 bay leaf Fresh chopped basil.
Put all the ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer for 3 hours, skimming the surface often. Remove the chicken, remove meat from the bones, and put aside. Discard vegetables, and chill broth. After broth as chilled for a while, remove fat from the top. You are now ready to use broth in your soup.
chicken soup
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
8 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Carrots, chopped
Celery, coarsely chopped
Diced garlic to taste
Any small pasta
Simmer until carrots and celery are soft and pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
http://www.coolstuffforthekitchen.com
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Source by Julie E Lewis
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A large segment of the human population takes things way too seriously for their own good. The strange anomaly is that most people laugh at the wrong thing and fail to laugh at the right thing. This serious incongruity has robbed people of a healthy attitude towards life in general.
Those who take life too seriously are in danger of missing the great joys of living in a crazy world like ours. I am not sure about the scientific research but I would guess that for every sad moment it takes one hundred laughs to balance the books. Some people are about ninety-nine laughs short of a real sane moment.
I like the old English proverb that says, “Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.”
From my perspective, if you cannot laugh with someone you will not be able to cry with him or her and have it mean anything.
According to some medical advice, it takes more facial muscles and energy to frown than it does to smile. Of course, the only exercise some people have is frowning and who am I to take that away from them.
I am determined, no matter what, to exercise my right to smile and laugh and enjoy the world around me. I must confess that I get this attitude quite honestly.
My paternal grandfather was a Past Master in the area of practical jokes. No amount of time was too much to spend preparing for one of his famous practical jokes. His favorite holiday was April 1 and began preparing for this holiday right after Christmas.
The fact that his practical jokes at times got him into trouble did not seem to affect him at all.
Once while in the hospital for an extended period he had somebody smuggle in to him a can of snuff. For some reason he liked chewing snuff. It is the most disgusting habit I know of on earth.
He no sooner received his smuggled goods then he began chewing it. If you know anything about chewing snuff, you know it is accompanied by a lot of spitting. As usual, his timing was impeccable. Just as the head nurse passed his door and looked in, he leaned over and spit in to the garbage can he had next to his bed. The nurse, not knowing about the chewing snuff, thought he was spitting blood and immediately went into emergency mode. Immediately my grandfather was rushed into the operating room and the surgeon and medical team were assembled.
My grandfather was very sick at the time. Some did not think he would get out of the hospital.
Just as they got him situated in the operating room he pulled from under his sheet his can of chewing snuff and smiled at them. The only person in the room that thought this was in any way amusing was my grandfather. The doctors were so angry with him that they refused to see him for three days and confiscated his can of chewing snuff.
My aunt and uncle lived right next to my grandfather. My aunt was hyper clean when it came to her house. Dirt in any form was not welcome under her roof. She had a broom that was always within reach because she never knew when a piece of dirt would try to invade her domicile.
That year my grandfather found something new. I am not sure where he found it but he probably spent a lot of time looking for something like this. It was a rubber facsimile of a very nasty looking piece of vomit. To him it was a prized possession.
Most of his practical jokes were executed on April 1. Whenever we saw grandfather coming on this particular day we usually ran for cover.
He went over to visit my aunt and was sitting on the couch in the living room. They chatted for a little while and then my grandfather began to cough a little bit. He said to my aunt, “I haven’t been feeling good lately. I really don’t know what it is.” Then he started to cough a little more seriously, to which, my aunt got up and went to the kitchen to get him a glass of water thinking that might help him.
When she got back, she was shocked to see on her new coffee table a very horrible sight. My grandfather was bent over the coffee table hacking and coughing as though he was in the process of dying. On the coffee table was a very nasty looking piece of vomit.
My aunt went into hysterics. She whirled around and within a moment had grabbed her broom and started towards my grandfather. My grandfather was laughing but not for long.
Suddenly he realized that the flailing broom in my aunt’s hand was aimed at him. She chased him out of the house, down the driveway and for at least three blocks yelling obscenities at him that I dare not repeat in public society.
Laughter is the fresh air of the soul. Even the Bible thinks so.
“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken” (Proverbs 15:13). And, my favorite, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
I recommend a healthy dose of medicine for your soul.
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Source by James Snyder
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Hopefully you've been heeding my advice and you've gone to see your doctor about your hand pain. I'm going to guess that if he told you that he thinks you have carpal tunnel syndrome, he probably gave you a brace (or splint) and told you to come see him in a month. Hopefully he has referred you to a hand therapist or hand surgeon, and now you're just waiting to see what happens next. Don't panic. Once you understand what's involved, I think you'll feel a lot better.
So, let's talk about that. What IS next?
First of all, let's talk about what carpal tunnel syndrome really involves. Because if there is something that I've learned over the years, it's that people don't get a good explanation of what is really going on inside their hand. And as I always say, knowledge is power.
Your "carpal tunnel" is a space in the base of your palm that is formed by several wrist bones and a thick ligament. Imagine it like this: Make an "O" shape between your thumb and your index finger. Now, hold your arm in a way that forces your palm to be facing the ceiling. The bottom half of the circle is a group of bones. The top half of the circle is a ligament. You've just created a mock-up carpal tunnel.
Through that "tunnel", you have several tendons (that make your fingers bend) and one very important nerve that operates your thumb muscles and also gives you sensation to your thumb, index, middle, and part of your ring finger. Over time, if those tendons swell, they will crush the nerve against the wall (which is the ligament we talked about earlier) and that pinches the nerve, forcing it to stop working well. Usually, your first symptom is numbness or tingling, then hand pain at night, and eventually you start dropping things because your thumb is getting weaker (and you can't feel properly).
This information is good to have so that you understand WHY the doctor wants you to wear a splint. See, when you bend your wrist in either direction, you pinch the (already irritated) tunnel more, which cuts off the nerve supply and makes your symptoms worse. The purpose of the splint is to keep your wrist "straight" so that the tunnel is as open as possible. Sometimes a splint is all you need to completely recover. Problem solved!
Go ahead and make that "O" again with your thumb and index finger. Now leave a slight gap where your fingers should be touching. When a surgeon performs a carpal tunnel release, he is simply cutting that ligament in half so that it relieves the pressure that has been squishing the nerve. He does not remove anything. He just opens up the space so that your nerve can "breathe" again. Easy peasy! You will usually have to take it easy for a few weeks, and maybe spend another few in therapy, but after that, you are as good as new!
See? That's not so bad.
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Source by Aleks Dukinas
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The knee is one of our most crucial body parts. It plays an important part in our overall body fitness. That is the reason Knee injuries are usually of grave concern as knee injuries have the potential to significantly impair an individual’s mobility or put in plain words- ability to walk or run.
But, knee injuries are not only the culprit that makes the knee inactive or defective. There are various systemic conditions, specifically few bone diseases like arthritis(osteoarthritis) that also significantly affects the knee joint. However, irrespective of the reason causing knee defects/injuries, exercises play a vital role in the healing process. In fact, Exercises play much more important role than medications in fast recovery from the knee injuries and disorders. In this article, though, we will focus on few extremely helpful exercises that facilitates the fast recovery process from knee injuries. But, before diving further deep into the topic, let’s get ourselves acquainted with knee injuries, its types & causes in brief.
To start with, knee is made up of the following components- bone, ligaments, fluid & cartilage. Muscles & tendons present in the knee joint helps the part to stay mobile. Understandable, when one of these structures get injured/hurt or is affected due to any systemic conditions/diseases, knee defect/injuries occur.
Knee injuries are characterized by extreme localized or overall pain, swelling, redness and causes severe impairment in walking activities.
Knee injuries can be caused due to any accidents, sports activities or by simply awkward twisting of any one of the ligaments or tendons present in the knees. Treatment procedures for knee injuries usually contains a blend of medications & physical therapies( which mainly includes exercises), but in few cases surgical interventions ( such as knee replacement surgery) becomes necessary. In those cases, exercise becomes the only route to recover.
Some of the major knee injuries include but are not limited to-
a. Anterior cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries- Very common in people who are very active in sports such as- soccer, basketball. It usually occurs due to the drastic direction change of the knees which in turn injure the ACL which is one of the connecting ligaments between shinbone & thighbone.
b. Fractures- It is the second most common cause for knee injuries. Apart from injuries, fractures can also be caused due to osteoporosis which gradually weaken the bones.
c. Torn Meniscus
d. Knee bursitis
e. Patellar tendinitis usually affects the avid runners, skiers, cyclers, etc.
Knee injuries can also be caused by some other body conditions like- excessive body weight which puts pressure on the legs, to be precise on the knees, dislocated kneecap (which can be treated through a knee replacement surgery), gout, rheumatoid arthritis, due to relapse or getting hurt on a previous knee injury site, due to decrease strength and flexibility of the muscles (may be caused by any number of reasons) and last but not the least due to participation in any type of dangerous sports.
However, irrespective of signs, symptoms & causes, healing from knee exercises with relatively fast and naturally involve exercises. Types & sets of exercises depends on the nature, severity & type of knee injury and must be prescribed and authorized by the caregiver. Additionally, those exercises can only be done under guidance & supervision of a trainer. Here are few example of relatively simple knee exercises, that usually helps in healing knee injuries.
Exercise 1-Leg straightening & stretching.
Lie on your back preferably on a hard. Flat surface. Next, bend your one knee and place the foot on the flat surface. Then, straighten the other leg and raise it in air at the level of the bended knee. This makes the quadricep muscles of the thigh work and puts put very little or negligible strain on the knees. To get the best results, the exercise should be repeated daily 10-15 times in two-three sets. It is recommended to start with low frequency initially and gradually increase the frequency and number of sets gradually and slowly.
Exercise 2- Hamstring exercises
This exercise is relatively simpler than the other ones and can be done anywhere, anytime. This simple and easy exercise is known to benefit the knee joint b strengthening the hamstring muscles that are present in the back portion of the thigh and are important for proper knee joint functioning.First, stand on a flat surface, preferably on the floor. Then slowly raise heel of one let as close as possible to one’s butt and is required to stay/hold in that position for 25-30 seconds. Later, with practice the duration can be increased to even 1 minute. Then, repeat the same with the other leg. This exercise is also commonly known as “Hamstring curls”.
This exercise should be done minimum 15-20 times a set for 4-5 sets daily.
Exercise 3- Squats
Squat is known to be extremely beneficial exercise for knee injuries. The position required to perform this special exercise, work up the knee muscles and charge them up leading to fast healing from the injuries. This exercise is an advanced form of knee exercise.
First, one need to stand straight against a wall or a sturdy, flat and hard surface. Secondly, after standing, one needs to spread their legs apart in line with their shoulder-width. Next, bend very lowly keeping your back straight against the wall/surface. Hold on to that position for 15-20 seconds. But, if one feels uncomfortable, it is recommended to immediately stop doing the exercise.
It is usually good for the knees if done regularly 10-12 times in 3-4 sets/daily.
Exercise 4- Calf raising exercise
Stand with back facing to a chair / sturdy table. One can also stand in front of a wall. Get your hands on the wall surface if needed for supporting your body weight without straining the knees. Then, slowly raise your heels as high as possible by you. Hold on to the raised heel position for 10-15 seconds and then slowly, very slowly lower your heels in the normal position.
Repeat the exercise daily 10-15 times for at least 3 sets.This exercise helps the knee to get in better shape and help to recover fast from injuries.
Exercise 5- Step ups exercise
Very common and extremely helpful exercise for knee injuries.
One can use staircase for this one or can also use a raised but flat platform. Keeping one’s pelvic level steady, put one foot on the raised level and then slowly bend your knee and then raise your knee. Next, repeat this exercise with the other foot.
Recommended daily 10-15 times for 4 – 5 sets. Once comfortable and well-practiced, one can raise/increase the height of the platform gradually. The above mentioned are few very easy and simple exercises that are known to benefits knees recovering/healing from injuries. But, one should always remember that of doing any of knee exercises makes you uncomfortable or increases pain, swelling of the knees, then stop exercising immediately and consult your doctor/trainer/care provider without further delay. Staying alert and cautious are the keys.
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Source by Gagan Deep
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A family doctor is essential to all people who need health care. Doctors help people in a variety of different ways. They keep close records of their patient’s medical history and they are able to diagnose and treat people when they become ill or are injured. A family physician can even screen their clients to figure out if they have a disease or if they are developing some type of condition that could negatively impact their lives.
Most families must have insurance to receive help from a family doctor. A primary care physician wants their patients to have insurance because they receive payments from them. Most people cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for health care. Doctors know this and rely on insurance to receive payment. Without insurance, most doctors just could not afford to see patients.
Doctors are also trained to provide care in specific areas of medicine or for general health problems. Their training is important because it gives them the ability to help people to resolve basic medical issues. A doctor will be able to treat and diagnose patients for medical issues related to their body. They will also deal with infections, broken bones, physical and they should be able to detect when their patient is having a medical issue.
Many hospitals and health clinics often employ doctors and physicians. They can also work within private offices. These offices typically located in various locations within a city. Some doctors serve inner city neighborhoods and some medical professionals help people who are located suburban neighborhoods. Most doctors offices are located in areas that best serve specific communities where the population can pay or are in need.
Private practices are very lucrative for doctors and for their patients. This is because doctors can charge their own fees and set their own prices for visits and care. Many doctors no longer make house visits. However, they might perform this service in rural locations. Many doctors can also be found inside of hospital facilities where they are also needed to provide care.
Family doctors also help to ensure that children remain healthy and strong. They know that children face a lot of problems during the early developmental stages of life. Doctors ensure that children are receiving adequate check ups and physical and that they have safe environments to live. They also help to safeguard a child’s emotional and mental state.
In modern times, doctors have to closely monitor their patient’s mental health. No longer are they just concerned with the physical aspects of health care, they must make sure that their clients mental state is functioning normally. Doctors routinely diagnose their patients to determine if they are suffering from ailments such as depression or emotional instability.
They also focus on sport related problems such as concussions and broken limbs. These areas of sports related health issues are impacting people on a greater degree and is impacting people more than ever before. Athletes and sporting teams also have their personal family doctors that are designed to help them to prepare for sporting events and to stay in good condition during the season and when they have time off.
Having a personal doctor just makes sense. As people get older in life they typically need more medical care because their bodies break down. Since this is the case, doctors have a tendency to serve seniors within their communities. Older people also need more care and frequently visit the doctor more so than younger people.
A good family doctor will also endorse the benefits of good health care and stress its importance. As a matter of fact people with family doctors could live longer and healthy lives under normal circumstances. Some people could even extend their lives by at least 15 years with the proper care from a licensed and trained doctor. Family doctors are important to help families to live healthy and productive lives for many years to come.
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Source by Ryan A Buffington
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Chronic illness can be used as a tool of enlightenment to discover the lessons of soul journeys.
Often times, our physical bodies reflect the spiritual, psychological and biological imprints of our experiences.
When we engage a process of healing, often practitioners address the physical or biological aspects of health challenges, yet the psychological and emotional aspects are often neglected.
Thus, it is important to look at our emotional and spiritual patterns to discover the lessons in specific health conditions.
In the Chinese system of medicine, there is a mapping of personality archetypes that correlate with specific internal organ imbalances. These correlations can give insight to emotional and spiritual aspects of health challenges.
For example, someone with a kidney imbalance or adrenal fatigue or urinary bladder issues might lean toward excessive fears such that energy becomes stagnant to create kidney stones. We would call this personality type a “water” type. They might tend to be very introspective and inward, suppressing feelings as opposed to expressing them. Also, water personalities may be challenged with exhibiting discipline.
On a spiritual level, water aspects are about spiritual essence, so lessons that have to do with our jing-our spiritual DNA or heritage, cyclic patterns of energy that are associated with our spiritual ancestors and our spiritual blueprint.
So, when we have issues involving a kidney pattern, either in the form of weak kidneys (sluggish energy), kidney stones, weak bones, or cancer, we need to ask ourselves, “On a spiritual level, what energies am I holding around heritage and ancestors that may be depleting my kidney energy? What fears am I holding?”
On the other hand, a person with high blood pressure, dizziness, and tendency towards insomnia or anger might have more of a wood personality, manifesting imbalances with the liver. The partner of the liver is the gallbladder, another wood element organ. A personality archetype of a person with imbalances of the gallbladder would be one who has difficulty making decisions and defining themselves and their path in the world. There is often a sense of angst or wavering about what to do or who to be in the world.
Spiritually wood is about creativity and the most benevolent aspects of spirit. So, when we have health challenges that are more of a wood issue, we can ask, “What issues or energies am I holding around blooming compassion or dealing with suppressed anger?” How am I allowing my spirit and personality to manifest creativity?”
Metal personalities often are more prone to lung challenges, asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory and auto-immune issues that may express more on the skin or through the large intestine. Metal out of balance can represent a person who tends to be righteous in fighting injustices but perhaps at a level that depletes their energy such that the immunity and the lungs suffer. Irritable bowel syndrome can also be a tendency for people who have a strong metal element, as there may be issues with holding onto experience and feelings that no longer serve the body, creating inflammation in the organ itself that is responsible for elimination of toxins. Perfectionists often fit into this metal category as trying to achieve very lofty goals-part of the righteous aspect of the self that is trying to attain the highest level of achievement.
Spiritually, metal is associated with our “wei qi”, external immunity that protects spiritually. “Wei qi” can be compared to an energetic shield. So, we might ask ourselves, “What issues or energies am I holding around protection, perfection or the need to right injustices on a spirit level?”
Earth personalities tend to manifest spleen/stomach and digestive issues. They may also exhibit challenge with boundaries (setting appropriate boundaries so as to regulate activities and relationships such that one does not become overwhelmed). Thus, anxiety may arise. Also, the earth personality may tend to ruminate on thoughts and ideas which can also add to anxiety and the health challenges that may accompany stress, such as acid reflux, ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Earth personalities can be natural nurturers but may have a tendency to over-nurture and not make time for themselves. Thus, nourishing the self becomes an important healing tool for earth personalities. Challenges with grounding and centering energy may also emerge for earth personality person as often their energies are stretched in so many directions in the attempt to care-take others.
On a spirit level, earth represents the spiritual intelligence. So, we might introspect earth related health challenges by asking, “What energies or issues am I holding around allowing my intuitive and spiritual intelligence to guide my path versus my cognitive, intellectual self? In what ways am nourishing my ability to let spirit lead?”
Sometimes our spirit journeys may involve patterns or lessons around these elemental aspects of being such that we may carry the imbalance of earlier spirit journeys in our bodies as patterns that reflect our elemental patterns of those times.
This is often the case with health conditions that do not respond to traditional western or traditional eastern protocols. These conditions often reflect deeper rooted soul lessons that need to be resolved. Thus, the process for resolution often takes time. Yet sometimes people want a quick fix and only want to invest in their health with a few sessions or herbal formulations. Yet, the condition may have taken several lifetimes form-so the work of healing needs to be consistent, steady and regular to gain optimal resolution.
Understanding this longer cycle of healing and supporting the journey with self-empowerment tools such as self-acupressure, dietary and exercise guidance and spiritual mentoring is a hallmark of the type of Chinese medicine that I practice. Thus, clients are given a palette of tools from which they can pick and choose what resonates for them. Then, they can decide at which level that wish to implement strategies and tools in their lives. Thus, the client is the driver in the healing experience with the practitioner merely facilitating a deeper road on which to travel.
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Source by Kay Hutchinson
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