healthbank.inHealth Information Site

Diabetes has afflicted my life physically, emotionally and spiritually for the last sixteen years of my life. My wife of twelve years and daughter has had to live with an abnormal functioning husband and father. As the years went by as a diabetic, it became more and more difficult to control my blood sugar levels. My diet had to consist of a lot of calories because I have a fast metabolism and twenty pounds underweight. The increasing periods of uncontrolled blood sugar interfered with my thought processes at work and especially with my family.
The most detrimental effect of high blood sugar happened when I had to be hospitalized during the birth of my only daughter. My wife was hurt because it appeared that I purposely used the excuse of diabetes to not want to be with her for my daughter’s birth. It seemed I could never get close to anyone because I was living in a world of dysfunctional blood sugar all the time. I woke up in the morning with high blood sugar and grouchy. During the day it was a guessing game to keep my blood sugar at a normal level. I was always just getting by with life and never fully enjoying anything, not even a close relationship with God.
As the years went by, I became desperate and would buy a lot of products to help me try to manage my disease with no results. I could not afford health insurance and Doctor’s visits. This would always get me into trouble with my wife because we would fight about me not trusting God for the answer and wasting money. The people that would sell me products were out to take my money and take up too much of my personal time which took me away from my family.

Traditional medicines more often than not are expensive therefore; many people are now exploring the healing powers of herbal medicines.  In this website, you could be assured that all your questions could be answered. Here are some of the topics included in this website.
One of its most popular products is herbal supplements. What exactly are herbal supplements? Well, herbal supplements are mixtures of natural herbs, oils, and minerals that contribute a lot in the minimum nutrition requirements of a body. If they are taken correctly, they could help the body and sometimes, they could be used as efficient ways to lose weight. The main reason for taking these kinds of products is to provide the body the different nutrients that it needs for a productive day. They come in different forms like capsules, liquid, and powders. If you take them coupled with a healthy lifestyle and exercise, you could be on your way to living a healthy life.
One you hear the word herbal, the first thing that comes in people’s mind is herbal life. Where did that herbal life come from? It is a company that specializes in herbal products that has been established way back in the year 1980 by its founder, Mark Hughes. It was build with the intention of helping people to live and look better and it turned to a phenomenal success! After a few years of selling the products through the car of Hughes, it turned out to be a very successful business and even became an international company which proves that having a “herbal lifestyle” is truly beneficial for a person.
Drinking tea has been around for decades but did you know that herbal teas have also been around for decades? People nowadays are just discovering the benefits of this kind of tea but people that have been drinking this tea are reaping the benefits of herbal teas. This type of tea provides many benefits including soothing muscles, aiding in digestion, and balancing the body. There are different benefits in drinking tea like eliminating toxins and guide in the proper circulation of blood in the body. Instead of using coffee to stimulate your body, herbal teas would be a very good and safe alternative in boosting your body.
Different herbal remedies are also found in the site. Herbal remedies are beneficial to the body because it provides natural healing that not only heals the body but the spirit as well. Who says that healing only means physically? For every person, there are herbal remedies that are available for you. These are made from the finest quality of herbs and are less risky than the conventional medicines. Though that is the case, it provides a satisfying result that would make you say that going herbal is the best decision that you made.
Just be sure to keep an open mind when reading the facts and benefits of herbal products because it could be a way for you to live healthy and fit. That is what you call the herbal talk!

You are an avid animal lover. Dogs and cats are the most favoured animals. But at times they are not that attractive. They are responsible for more than a million bites the world over, with children suffering from half of them. Cats love to scratch their nails on your body.
Your other pet hamster has bitten your fingers. Your parrot has poked you with its beak. There are a variety of ways that animals can hurt you. Their bites should not be ignored.
Dogs and cats in particular contain bacteria in their saliva and can cause infection. Hence if you are bitten by any animal, even household ones, you should be treated by a doctor. But you can also follow the tips given below along with other medications to speed up healing:
• Wash the wound thoroughly: After you have controlled the bleeding by pressing firmly against the wound with your hand, clean the wound thoroughly with soap and warm water to remove any traces of saliva and any other contamination as soon as possible. Continue washing for full five minutes. You can also wash the wound with anti-bacterial liquid poured on a cotton ball and apply it to the infected area.
• Cover the wound: Cover the wound with a bandage to protect it from infection. The bandage should be applied loosely so that the wound does not fester due to lack of exposure to air. You can also cover the wound with a sterile gauze pad.
• Take a pain reliever: All bites are painful, even those that do not break the skin. Hence, take aspirin or acetaminophen to reduce the pain. Do not wait for the area to swell. Elevate the area if possible and apply ice or cold pack wrapped in a towel. But avoid giving aspirin to children.
If the bite is deep or if the wound bleeds continuously, you should visit the doctor immediately. If the bite is caused by a stray animal, you are better off visiting the doctor. You should also visit the doctor if there is any swelling, redness or pain around the wound.

The other day, I had a female customer bring in her bag of supplements. It was a rather large bag and we started to go through each bottle and what she was using it for. We came across one bottle that she wasn’t sure why she was taking it. I wasn’t really surprised when she said she didn’t know if it was doing her any good since the bottle was an herbal formula designed to support men’s prostate health. Without mentioning the purpose of the product, I asked why she decided to start taking it. She said it was because her uncle said how much good it was doing for him!
It can be difficult to wade through all the herbs that are out there. What ones are good for what and when are they beneficial. It becomes even more complex when we throw all the different herbal formulas and vitamins into the mix. If you are going to use more than one or two natural health products, it is important that you do your own research on each product and the individual ingredients or you consult a natural health coach that can guide you through the process of deciding what to take and how to take it. Of course, even if you do use the service of a trained guide, it is wise to never let anyone be your sole source of information. Whether herbs or drugs, be sure to have a clear understanding of why you are taking what you are and how it may help or hurt you.
For those that would like to learn more about the various natural health supplements, here is a beginner’s guide to herbs for women.
Bayberry – Bayberry may be beneficial to help ease excessive menstrual bleeding.
Black Cohosh – The estrogenic effects of black cohosh have given it a reputation as being beneficial for hot flashes and other pre-menopausal concerns. It may also be beneficial during childbirth to stimulate contractions, help control hemorrhaging and afterbirth pains. This herb should not be used except in the last 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy and only under the guidance of an experienced midwife or doctor as it may cause damage to the unborn fetus.
Blessed Thistle – This herb, similar to Milk Thistle, is generally used to strengthen the liver. However the benefits to women include balancing hormones, enriching breast milk, reducing breast inflammation and unclogging milk ducts.
Blue Cohosh – Blue Cohosh stimulates uterine contractions and relaxes muscle spasms making it beneficial during childbirth. This herb should not be used except in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy and only under the guidance of an experienced midwife or doctor as it may cause damage to the unborn fetus.
Dong Quai – This Chinese herb has been used extensively in Chinese medicine to treat female concerns. It is a general tonic, meaning that it is good for several different female conditions including PMS, regulation of menses and infertility.
False Unicorn – Historically, False Unicorn has been used to stop a pending miscarriage.
Ginger – This herb is commonly used for digestive disturbances and may be beneficial for morning sickness during pregnancy.
Maca – Beneficial for men and women, this herb has been used to increase sexual desire.
Parsley – When it is time to wean your little one from breast feeding, parsley can be used to dry up the breast milk.
Red Raspberry – Rich in manganese, this herb can be used to tone and strengthen the uterus and regulate the female organs. Extremely beneficial for teenage girls and their families during this rollercoaster phase of emotions.
Many of these herbs have been used for centuries to support female health. While there may not be scientific research to support their use, they are generally considered safe when used as directed. Due to the state of our health care system, it is now important to begin taking on the role of being our own.

“Natural” does not necessarily mean “Pure”. “Herbal based” does not necessarily mean it is 100 percent herbal in makeup. “Organic” does not necessarily mean it is truly, purely, organic. And something that is certified “98% Natural and Organic” is actually”2% corrupted material”. Let me ask this: If you take a 10 ounce glass of filtered water, guaranteed pure, pristine, non-harmful, and add 1/8th of an ounce of rat poison, how safe is that water to drink? Likewise, if you are using a product that is “98 percent pure”, just how pure is that 100 percent product – what is the other 2 percent of it contributing to the overall product?
People who are suspicious of traditional medicines often prefer to selfmedicate with herbal remedies in the belief that “natural” equals ’safe.” Although popularly considered innocuous, herbal remedies may contain powerful chemicals such as quinine from cinchona bark, digitalis (a heart drug) from foxgloves or Taxol (an anti-cancer remedy) from yew bark and some contain contaminants such as arsenic, lead and other metals. A herbal remedy taken for medicinal purposes is not an “over the-counter drug”, but it does deserve caution and respect.
Probably the major difference between “drugs” from one of the major drug manufacturers and the herbs you grow in your herb garden or collect growing wild in nature is that the “manufactured drug” is usually a specific extract from the whole and as such is more concentrated and eliminates all the other associated components found in the complete herb. Further, their possible dangers are often spelled out on the package insert. By contrast, the safety profile of most herbal products is not listed. And there is a general “unawareness” of the lack of regulations governing their use by the public as a whole. Most herbal concoctions are not legally permitted to be sold as medications in Canada or the USA but are classified as foods. Since they’re regarded as foods, warning labels are not required. Only a few herbal products bear federal Drug Identification Numbers (DIN) approving their sale as drugs.
After centuries of experience, the most highly toxic plants have been eliminated from the herbalist’s stock-in-trade. Lily-of-the-valley, daffodil, deadly nightshade, jimsonweed and hemlock are among substances banned by Health and Welfare Canada for sale as foods or in food. Reports about the adverse effects of some herbal remedies are surfacing, ranging from minor to serious, from lethal poisonings to allergic reactions. Many of the adverse effects reported from herbs are from mis-identification but include: severe allergic shock from camomile tea, heart problems from liquorice tonics, liver toxicity from comfrey and dizziness from oleander tea. In one recent case, a woman who mistook oleander for eucalyptus died after drinking the tea. In another an elderly couple died within 24 hours of overdosing on digitalis, mistaking poisonous foxgloves for comfrey. Plants containing pyrrolizidine (e.g., Golden senecio or ragwort) are of increasing concern owing to reports of liver d!
isease from consuming this substance. especially for long periods. Gordolobos tea containing this ingredient – widely consumed in the Southern U.S. – is no longer considered safe.
Harmful overdoses from herbals are most likely when they’re made into strong teas, steeped for 10-20 minutes or more. For example. liquorice contains chemicals that, taken in large quantities, can cause sodium and water retention, high blood pressure and even cardiac arrest. In addition, herbal remedies can interact with OTC drugs. Some plants such as tonka beans, melilot and woodruff, which increase bleeding, should not be consumed by those regularly taking Aspirin. Several herbs – such as hellebore and hawthorn – can exacerbate the effects of the heart medication digitalis. Others such as bayberry, juniper and St. John’s Wort, even coffee, are powerful diuretics that should not be taken if you are already taking prescription diuretics. In the final analysis, shopping for herbal products is a matter of “know your product” – or stay away!