Aloe Vera

Properties and Benefits

Cholagogue:
Increases the flow of bile from the gall-bladder.

Laxative:
Promotes the evacuation of the bowels. Relieves constipation.

Skin:
Use topically to prevent wrinkles and maintain healthy skin.

Vulnerary:
These are applied externally to the skin to heal and repair wounds and cuts.

Yin Tonic:
Nourishes and builds the yin energy.



Cautions:

• Avoid long term use.
• Long term use leads to losses of electrolytes, in particular potassium.
• Do not use while pregnant or nursing.
• Stimulates uterine contractions, do not use during pregnancy or breastfeeding as it may have purgative effects for the baby.

Symptoms Relieved

Abrasions:
A scrape or cut to the skin.

Constipation:
Delayed or infrequent passage of usually dry hardened feces.

Skin irritations:
Skin & mucus membrane irritations

Sunburn:
Inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation especially sunlight.


Parts of the Plant Used

Juice:
The dried and fresh juice of the leaves and the gel from the leaves.



Methods and Usage

Eaten / Juiced:
The leaves or fruit may be eaten. The effect of the herb is very mild when taken this way. Think of it as a way to gently support the body rather than the heal an acute ailment.
Aloe gel or liquid can be taken internally.

Externally:
Ointments, bath additives.
Aloe gel can be used for sunburn, burns, healing skin, wrinkles.


Types of Energies

Neutral:
May be slightly warm or cool. Can be used to treat both hot or cold symptoms.

Sweet:
Nourishes and builds the whole body. Yang, warm.

Cancer Prevention

Believe it or not, diet and lifesyle choices are thoughtto contribute to about 60% of all cancer cases. Tobacco smoke, excessive exposure to radiation, some industrial chemicals, certain virusses and hormones are factors that increase to your chances of getting cancer. Also excessive amount of fat, alcohol, pickled and smoked food may also contribute to cancer. Fibres, certain nutrients, fruits and vegetables could help to protect you against it. For some people, although not exposed to the cancer-causing agent, may also get affected by the disease. A major factor in the development of cancer seems to be the immune system's ability to detect and destroy unstable oxygen molecules that cause cell damage.

Therefore, other than going for regular screening for cancer, you could also boost up your intake of cancer-fighting antioxidants which helps to inactivate the unstable oxygen molecules and aid the immune system in eradicatingearly cancer cells.

Vitamin C with flavanoids plays role in preventing many type of cancer, such as lung, oesophagus, stomach, bladder, cervix and colon cancer. Meanwhile Vitamin E may reduce the risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Enyone who is concerned about preventing cancer is strongly advised to take all these supplements together along with mineral selenium regularly.

For extra protection, green tea extract and grape seed extract may help to prevent lung, breast, colon, stomach prostate and skin cancer.

Overall, you should eat more fruit, vegetables and fibre. And cutting down on fat, salt and sugar may help wonder too. By all means, this spell one thing, balanced diet. You should also be careful regarding going out in the sun and it is better to stay away from smoking too. Last but not least, don't forget to exercise.

Clinical Ecology

Also known as environmental medicine, clinical ecology attempts to heal illnesses that result from our surroundings. Clinical ecologists treat people who suffer from different allergies to foods and those who are adversely affected by chemicals in the environment, such as pesticides and petrol fumes.

A range of disorders may be caused by allergies and similar reactions. Clinical ecologists claim to be able to help people who suffer from asthma, headaches, psoriasis and eczema, repeated stomach upsets, long-standing fatigue, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Professional Consultation
The therapist may order tests of blood, urine and hair to detect your responses to different substances. For food allergies the simplest method of diagnosis is an exclusion diet, in which you eat only a small umber of different foods, gradually adding others until you find one that causes an adverse reaction. With the information from the various methods of analysis, the clinical ecologist recommends a diet or lifestyle that helps you avoid foods or substances that make you ill.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic is a manipulative therapy, primarily designed to treat disorders of the muscles and bones, especially the joints. The therapy began as a way of treating diseases by manipulating the bones of the spine, but modern chiropractors treat a wide range of musculoskeletal problems. People with joint problems, especially back pain, often report good results from chiropractic treatment. Other conditions - such as arthritis, rheumatism, migraine, and asthma - have also responded well to this form of therapy.

Professional Consultation
When you first visit a chiropractor, he or she examines you thoroughly, feels your spine and tests the mobility of your joints. The practitioner may also decide to take X-rays of your spine and check your blood pressure. He or she may then use gentle manipulative techniques on your joints and may also massage your muscles. The chiropractor may give you advice about exercises to help the mobility of your joints.

Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese doctors use herbs along with such techniques such as acupuncture, diet and exercise to provide a complete system of medical treatment. The goal is to regulate the flow through the body of vital energy called qi. The therapist examines you as a whole person, taking into account the health of your mind, body and spirit. He or she will examine your hair, eyes, skin and tongue, and also check your pulse.

The practitioner will recommend a treatment program to suit your particular symptoms rather than to cure a specific ailment. Chinese doctors prescribe from a wide variety of herbs, including some, such as ginseng and ginkgo, which are now well known in the West. The herbs are selected for such properties such as their ability to warm, cool, affect specific organs of the body, and regulate the flow of qi. For example, cooling herbs might be prescribed if you have a high temperature. You will usually be asked to make several return visits so the therapist can review the treatment. As Chinese herbalism is part of a complete medical system, practitioners claim to be able to treat a wide range of disorders.

Qi Gong

The term qi gong means "internal energy exercise". An ancient Chinese system of exercises, qi gong aims to stimulate the flow of energy, which Chinese doctors believe travels around the body along channels known as meridians. Qi gong therapy concentrates on your posture and breathing and teaches you how to focus your mind. There are also qi gong healers who try to use the energy to cure illnesses.

Many different forms of qi gong exist, but, in contrast to some Western exercise regimes, they're all gentle. Tai chi chuan is one well-known form of qi gong.

Buteyko Breathing

Konstantin Buteyko

This therapy is based on the work of a Russian scientist named Konstantin Buteyko. Its reasoning is that breathing too rapidly can cause chemical changes in the body that result in various health problems, including anxiety, muscle tension, headaches, dizziness and asthma. When you attend a Buteyko breathing course, you perform exercises in breathing slowly and holding your breath. Some asthma sufferers have been able to reduce their need for drug treatment after learning Buteyko breathing, but the therapy should be undertaken only in consultation with your doctor. People with asthma should not adjust their medication except on the advice of a medical practitioner.

Biorhythms

The theory behind biorhythms is that there are three fixed-length cycles that affect your health and performance in different areas of life. The physical cycle lasts 23 days and governs such areas as vitality, the immune system, confidence and sex drive. The emotional cycle lasts 28 days and affects creativity and moods. The intellectual cycle lasts 33 days and influences mental function.

Advocates of this theory believe it is possible to plot the biorhythms for your entire life, starting with your birth, as a series of graphs. Special computer programs are available to do this. When a particular cycle is at its peak, your performance and energy in that area are said to be at their highest; troughs indicate passive periods. You can use biorhythms to plan events in your life, scheduling important events that require high performance on days when one or more of your rhythms are high.

Biofeedback

This technique provides a way of measuring changes in the body, such as skin temperature and muscle tension. It is possible to use the power of thought to alter some of these changes, and this becomes easier when you can see the results on a meter or screen. Since many physical changes are related to illness, it is sometimes possible to treat the disease as well. For example, some people have been able to ease the pain of migraine by imagining the head getting cooler. Biofeedback can also be effective for stress-related problems suck as asthma, insomnia, anxiety and high blood pressure.

Professional Consultation
After instructing you in a specific relaxation technique, such as focusing on your breath, the therapist shows you how to read the meters and how to recognize the changes in your nervous system. The objective is to help you to bring on a state of relaxation by yourself.

Bioenergetics

This therapy relies on the idea that a "life force" flows through the human body and mind. If the flow is interrupted, it can result in illness. Therapies aim to unblock the flow of life energy, relieving tension and bringing emotional release. Practitioners claim success with anxiety and depression and with those affected by Down's syndrome and autism.

Professional Consultation
Bioenergetics begins with a one-to-one consultation with your practitioner. He assesses your problem and recommends a series of exercises designed to unblock your energy. Later, you may join a group session in which you can practice the exercises.