Why You Should Drink Warm Water & Lemon

The way you start each day is incredibly important. Whether you're a mom, a coach, a writer, a small business owner or a yoga teacher, what you do first thing in the morning matters.

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down. Ayurveda invites us to get a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature's rhythms, balance the doshas and foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline.

Your mind may say you have to check emails, take the dog out, get the kids out the door, that you can't be late for work or that you just don't have enough time to cultivate your own morning rituals.

But, if you can only make time for one ritual that will improve your health, let it be this.....

Start the day out with a mug of warm water and the juice of half a lemon.

It's so simple and the benefits are just too good to ignore. Warm water with lemon:

1. Boosts your immune system

Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain and nerve function and helps control blood pressure.

2. Balances pH

Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they're alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). As you wellness warriors know, an alkalinebody is really the key to good health.

3. Helps with weight loss

Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster. And, my experience is that when I start the day off right, it's easier to make the best choices for myself the rest of the day.

4. Aids digestion

The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving. Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.

5. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic

Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.

6. Clears skin

The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well.

7. Hydrates the lymph system

This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue. When your body is dehydrated, or deeply dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can't perform all of it's proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on. Your adrenals happen to be two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and along with your thyroid, create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by your adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in your body, helping you stay hydrated. Your adrenals are also responsible for regulating your stress response. So, the bottom line is that you really don't want to mess with a deep state of dehydration!

Adopting just this one practice of drinking a cup of warm water with lemon in the morning for a month can radically alter your experience of the day. Don't be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a new light.

Like I said, the recipe is really simple—a cup of warm (not hot) water and the juice from half a lemon.

Ref:  http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4769/Why-You-Should-Drink-Warm-Water-Lemon.html

Everyday Remedies for Eczema: natural ways to stop the itch and discomfort

Topics: 

 Eczema

Of all the subjects I’ve tackled on Mommy’s ER, I’ve been reluctant to blog about eczema, in spite of the fact that eczema sufferers, especially young ones, have always made up a large portion of my practice. It saddens me that it is so debilitating, for everyone in the family, and many times the solutions are multi-pronged, and very personal, making it a big subject to tackle.

Still, there are some natural remedies for eczema that most sufferers agree eases the itching, scaling and oozing, so I start there with most children and grownups who enter my clinic. I’ll share these with you now, in hopes that if you or your child has eczema, that it brings relief, and hope.

1) Use a food/activity log. Start logging your food and activities each day. At the end of the day, rank your eczema on a scale of 1-10 (1 being nonexistent, 10 being the worst, itchiest, reddest, it has ever been). I start here with every client, even mamas of breastfeeding clients, because here is where personal patterns emerge. For one young client, dairy products increased the inflammation significantly. For another little boy, days he went swimming in a chlorinated pool made it worse. Finally for a third, the days he spent rolling around on the floor with grandma and grandpa’s dogs had an effect. Allergens - environmental especially, but sometimes food as well, can play a role in the severity of eczema. The log can help parents and children to start making connections that allow for informed choices. In the food arena, watch especially for correlations with highly allergenic foods such as citrus, chocolate, dairy, eggs and wheat.

2) Vitamin C may be good for nearly everything, but in particular, its natural anti-inflammatory and antihistamine effects make it beneficial for eczema. In children over 2 years old, try 250mg at least twice a day. (In children under two, start with 50-100mg and work up if digestion is not impacted). (Note: be careful to not give vitamin C in the form of citrus, unless you are certain your child has no sensitivities).

3) Get a good probiotic. Probiotics have been proven to be clinically effective at preventing eczema in infants and children who may be predisposed genetically. Probiotics have also been shown to reduce symptoms of eczema in infants and children with sensitivities to food allergens. Lactobacillus GG, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, and Bifidobacterium Lactis are all varieties that have appeared effective in the studies. A good broad-spectrum brand especially formulated for children should help. You can even try dropping an open capsule or two in your child’s bathwater (especially with young children). This is not, however, a good solution for children with auto-immune disorders or pancreatitis, except under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.

4) Burdock root, either ground into a paste and applied topically, or taken as a tincture or tea, is known among western and eastern herbalists for it’s blood-purifying capabilities. A natural antiseptic, it can help to both detoxify and heal the skin. In children under 10 years old, I recommend it topically. In children over 10, take it internally as well, 1-2 times a day as directed for at least a month. Herbalists often combine burdock with red clover and nettle (nettle can cause a stomach upset in some children, if this happens, you can either add ginger, or remove it entirely from your child’s eczema ‘tea’.) Burdock root can also be cut thinly and steamed or sauteed with carrots, at any age, once your child is eating solid foods. The beta-carotene in the carrots is also great for skin conditions.

5) If your child has dry eczema, try a natural lotion with calendula, or make your own with olive oil or hypoallergenic lotion and calendula essential oil (up to 7 drops per cup of oil or lotion). Rescue Remedy in ointment form can also be applied directly to patches of dry eczema. Herbal creams made with licorice have also been shown to have a positive effect on eczema.

6) Bathe your child -- in warm, not hot water, and with alternatives to soap. Lots of people report diluted bleach baths reduce eczema. To me, the toxic detriments of bleach would make this a very last resort. Instead, try mineral sea salt baths. These salts are full of beneficial minerals, moisturize, and act antiseptically to cleanse the sensitive wounds and fragile skin at eczema sites. This is even safe for infants. You can also try oatmeal baths -- 1 cup of oatmeal wrapped in cheesecloth can be placed in bathwater, and even placed on eczema patches as a compress for quick relief.

7) Rooibos tea is a caffeine-free tea that is chalk full of antioxidants, flavonoids and phenolic acids, all beneficial. In particular, rooibos contains aspalathin, an antioxidant that, to my knowledge is unique to rooibos. Anecdotal reports of success have come by placing 2-3 rooibos tea bags in the bath to reduce eczema symptoms. Or take it internally as a tea.

8) Check in with a qualified Chinese herbalist. I know -- this is my first love -- but it also can be incredibly effective. Two studies out of Great Britain showed a Chinese formula known as Luo’s Mixture to be effective even in cases of severe, resistant eczema. It is suspected that herbs suppress inflammatory responses and mildly suppress inappropriate immune response. The beauty of Chinese herbs is that they are customizable for your child’s particular condition. The bad news is -- they can taste pretty unpleasant. It’s worth persisting, my son will now take them easily -- more easily in fact than any over-the-counter remedy we’ve ever resorted to giving him.

9) Finally, and this is especially difficult and especially important in small children -- do whatever you can to help your little one avoid scratching. Keep their nails short, and, in infants, it is even worth it to invest in pajamas with hand covers (to keep baby from scratching at night). As relieving as it is in the moment, scratching can cause skin cells to produce more quickly, and patches of eczema to widen. Encourage compresses instead - such as oatmeal in cheesecloth, rooibos tea bags, or just a wet washcloth - to provide immediate relief.

All of these are results from which clients and friends have reported success (and my clients eczema has tended to be quite severe). I am very open to other possibilities and your own success stories in this arena. And please, if you choose to journal, share what you find! Lets keep this a forum where we can share our successes with this condition. My hope is that we can find a way to take eczema from difficult and debilitating to, at worst, a minor inconvenience.

Ref:  http://www.mommyser.com/myblog/everyday-remedies-eczema-natural-ways-stop-itch-and-discomfort