The Aloe Vera plant has been known and used as powerful healing plant for eons. There are many healing benefits which are provided by the Aloe Vera plant.

Every home should have an Aloe Vera plant first aid kit. By rubbing the aloe into burns and cuts the aloe acts like a tempory bandage speeding the healing process and preventing infection. This is achieved by using the jelly part of an aloe vera leaf.

For that reason these plants are grown by numerous people in their homes as houseplants particularly in temperate climates.

When Aloe is used topically it is great as a first aid for sunburns, eczema, burns, insect bites, wounds and treating fungal infections. Aloe is well known for preserving the skin against the harmful effects of the suns rays. It is helpful in speeding up the healing process of burns and other conditions.

Because of its moisturizing and healing benefits to the skin, the Aloe Vera plant is widely used by many cosmetic companies and/or added in their products. It has a soft sensation when applied giving shine to the skin and the face. This is why you will find Aloe Vera included in many of the best natural moisturizers, cosmetic and hair products.

The anti-fungal properties of Aloe Vera mean it is an excellent treatment for healing acne, tinnea, cankers and tonsillitis.

Aloe Vera gel, when taken internally is most effective for poor appetite, stimulating bile flow, bronchial congestion and is noted for its healing of a number of digestive disorders in particular chrons and ibs or irritable bowel syndrome.

The regular use of Aloe Vera gel and extract keeps the colon clean. Aloe vera not only provides healing effect to the person but it also returns the bowels to the normal position.

Other benefits are known to occur with disorders in the uterus, liver, ulcers, colon and hemorrhoid. Aloe is also used as an herbal remedy for detoxify and the reproductive system.

Humans have treasured essential oils for their medicinal and sensory properties for thousands of years. As concentrated, precious substances, the oils and resins from aromatic plants have played important roles in healing therapies and religious worship across the globe. The effort required to reduce large masses of plant matter into oils made these liquids extremely special commodities in early civilizations. Nowhere in literature is this more apparent than in the Bible. In both the Old and New Testaments, essential oils were prized as symbols of wealth, healing, generosity and faith. From the use of cedarwood and hyssop for physical healing in the book of Leviticus, to Mary of Bethany anointing of Jesus’s feet with her life savings of spikenard in the book of John, essential oils played, and continue to play, an important role in the spiritual lives of Jews and Christians.

Steam distilling essential oils is a modern process that necessitates sophisticated technology and access to large amounts of water, two things that were unavailable in Biblical times in the Middle East. The oils we read about in the Bible were probably herbal infusions, where an aromatic plant is soaked for a long time in a more abundant oil, such as olive oil. While the exact substances may differ between what we use today and what was available 2,000 years ago, these oils still held the same cultural importance we attribute to medicinal oils. Spikenard, cassia and the other herbs mentioned in the texts were valued because of their inherent healing qualities and because they were hard to find. No matter how these oils were created, obtaining essential oils was not an easy endeavor.

The Bible lists approximately one dozen oil-creating plants by name, including aloes (also known as sandalwood), cinnamon, cedarwood, cypress, frankincense, galbanum, juniper (broom tree), hyssop, myrrh, myrtle and spikenard. It is not clear whether these plants were all used as aromatic oils during Biblical times, or whether they were used in their raw herbal form, yet a strong tradition of using these plants for healing and anointing is apparent in the many references found in the Old and New Testaments. Different resources list various numbers of Bible passages related to using these plants, and there are many opinions on whether all of the plants mentioned are the same plants we know them as today. Regardless of the wide range of opinions on the exact historical uses of these plants, it is important to note that these oils continue to be highly valued in modern aromatherapy and herbal healing, even in light of modern science.

The plants found in the Bible thrive in a dry, desert climate with limited rainfall. This sparse landscape has provided some of our most revered essential oils. The essential oils of the Old and New Testaments are derived from a number of plants, ranging from barks to flowers and berries. Cinnamon, also known as cassia, is a pungent-smelling tree bark that rolls on itself when it is desiccated. Other trees, like cedar, juniper, cypress and aloes (sandalwood), were used for wood as well as healing and religious ritual. Another beloved aromatherapy plant that grew well in the Mediterranean was myrtle, a flowering shrub. The resins – galbanum, myrrh and frankincense- also came from trees. The sticky masses were included in incense and frequently lit directly for use in rituals. These valuable substances were prized for their heavy aromas and their ability to keep for many years. Just like in Biblical times, frankincense and myrrh are still employed in instances when heightened states of spiritual awareness are desired. At last, spikenard, sometimes seen as nard, is an herb found in Asia. Treasured for its unique scent, spikenard was brought to the Mediterranean and used in perfumery.

The Old Testament contains the most references to healing plants. One of the first of these plants to be mentioned in the Bible is cinnamon. In Exodus 30:23-29, God instructs Moses to create an anointing oil made from myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, cane and olive oil. He advises Moses to place the oil on all the implements used for worship in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, the portable alter created for worship during the Israelites’ 40-year journey in the desert. Through being anointed, the objects became transmuted into sacred vessels. The act of anointing objects and people with precious oils is carried throughout the Old Testament and can be found in the New Testament as well.

Jesus’s life history has a number of instances when essential oils were conferred on him as acts of faith and appreciation. The book of Matthew tells of the kings from the East that came to offer Jesus gifts at his birth, notably frankincense and myrrh. As we already learned, these two resins are often used in modern times to assist in spiritual work. Jesus also received gifts of spikenard from two women. The first woman cracked a jar of spikenard and poured it above Jesus’s head. The second gift-giver, Mary Magdalene, used her life savings of the same plant oil to anoint his feet. Using her hair, she then massaged the oil into his skin. These acts of faith and gratitude were seen as humble sacrifices as spikenard was a particularly expensive oil to obtain.

Biblical oils are now common features of the modern aromatherapy bouquet, helping us to heal, meditate and offer gifts in worship. Some of the oils, like myrrh and frankincense, have been used together for centuries. Our love and respect for these oils owe much to the early Jews and Christians, and Biblical references to these powerful plants continue to intrigue modern audiences. Aroma medicine as we know it today is a somewhat modern aspect of natural healing, yet the substances employed are as old as humankind. If we take the time to learn how these oils were used in centuries past, an illuminating connection can be made between plant medicine, human civilization and religious practice.

New wonder drugs and mind-boggling surgical advances usually make the top of the news. No matter how great may be the achievements of the medical profession, if you are concerned with maintaining your own personal health then you will probably get more immediate protection by following some simple steps towards a more healthy way of life rather than waiting to be saved by a new technique. In case you are not sure where to start, let me give your some suggestions.

1. Stay Physically Active. Our forefathers and ancestors had to work at jobs that were physically challenging, while we are more likely to be working behind a desk and staring at a computer all day long. The result of such a sedentary way of life is an epidemic of modern diseases including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many others. We don’t have to just give into this situation. Rather, we should do whatever we can to add exercise to our daily routine. You may not like jogging or going to the gym or sweating at weight lifting, but what about taking a thirty minute walk each evening after dinner, listening to your mp3 player as you stroll along. You can do it, and you should do it if you are not getting any other exercise.

2. Eat at the Urge of Appetite. What and how and even when you eat can have a big impact on your overall level of health. Listen to the demands of your body. If you are not hungry, then don’t eat. Eating at such times is not healthy. Go by your body and not the clock. Continuous eating at times when you are not hungry can lead to digestive problems. Conversely, when you are hungry, then go ahead and eat. Appetite is usually a sign of health so in most cases it is not wise to suppress it.

3. Observe a fast on a periodic basis. “What, are you telling me not to eat?” Look at it this way. You don’t work seven days a week and 52 weeks per year. You need rest periods from time to time in order to maintain your overall efficiency. The same is true for your digestive system. By fasting on a periodic basis you can give your digestive system a chance to rest, and also help eliminate toxins from your body. Try it and you will see how good it feels.

4. Are You Sleepy? If So, Go to Sleep! This is obvious no doubt. But many people take stimulants to stay awake and finish some kind of work. And many others just stay awake out of habit or because they can’t get their eyes off the TV screen or computer. Just like when you are eating, when it comes to sleep it is important to understand what your body is telling you. As soon as you feel drowsy in the evening, then you should get ready for bed. If you think that you are gaining an hour of work by staying up later, then you may be fooling yourself because you may lose this hour the next day with some mistake made while you are not alert or you may lose an entire day due to a preventable illness.

5. Rise at the Crack of Dawn. The old proverb, attributed to Ben Franklin, telling us about the virtues of “early to rise” is actually true. Getting up early each day may not necessarily make you wealthy or wise, as the proverb says, but it will contribute to your overall physical strength. The human body is best adapted to working during the day and sleeping at night. If you sleep during the daytime hours and remain up late at night, you are going against the body’s natural rhythm and you are asking for trouble later on.

6. Practice Yoga and Stress Relieving Exercises. Many diseases are psycho-somatic and they begin in the mind. Stress is linked to high blood pressure and cardiac disease particularly, but it also plays a role in other diseases as well. You don’t have to just give in to stress. There are exercises and techniques to help you relieve stress and to live a more peaceful life. Yoga, with its gentle physical exercises, deep relaxation and meditation exercises, is ideally suited to the task of reducing stress. Try it out. You will like it, and so will your body!

Practice any or all of these above-mentioned methods and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. Hopefully you will never have to try out the wonder drugs or undergo the latest types of surgery!

Homeopathy is the most popular form of alternative medicine. However, consumers know very little about homopathy. This article will help solve some misunderstandings with homeopathy.

1) Homeopathic remedies are sugar pills that have nothing in them.

Homeopathic medicines do have substance to them. Remedies such as 6X, 6X or 12X contain measurable amounts of the original elements. High potency homeopathic medicines such as 12C or 24X contain no traceable amount of the original element. High potency medicines are believe to have a memory of the original substance.

2) Homeopathy has never been successful in large scale well designed trials. Trials have only worked when homeopaths were doing the trials or poorly designed trials with quite a bit of author’s bias.

Trials in Homeopathy is a very mixed bag. Sometimes people are looking at the wrong information source. Many skeptics will take successful trials and point out that when looking at larger trials in the study, homeopathy does not seem to work. Although, the conclusions of the authors were that homeopathy seems to works better than a placebo.

Some homepathic studies that showed a positive result were pretty big. Oscillococcinum studies showed a positive result by lessening the recovery time of the flu. This study was reproduced by other researchers as well although the reproduced studies were not as large as the first initial study. The notion of homeopathic remedies have not showed a positive outcome in a properly designed study is false.

3) Diseases that can jeopardize a persons life should not be treated with homeopathy.

Homeopathy can treat life threatening diseases with the help of a well trained homeopathic physician. Also, the general medical doctor and other specialists involved in treating the disease should be included on the treatment plan. Medical doctors should always be seen if you have a life threatening illness. Homeopathy can not cure all life threatening diseases.

Homoepathy has help people with life threatening diseases. Homeopathy malaria trials suggest homeopathy remedies work as well as allopathic medicine in treating patients with malaria.

4) Homeopathy and Allopathy can not be used at the same time.

Allopathic medicines may some terrible side effects. Homeopathy can be used to help treat these adverse conditions. Trials with homeopathic medicine on chemotherapy suggest the side effects of this type of treatment can be reduced with homeopathy.

5) Herbal, Homeopathy and Ayurvedic medicine are the same thing.

Homeopathy, Herbal and Ayurvedic are forms of alternative medicine but these forms of medicine are not similar in any other way. Homeopathy use diluted substances to treat patients. Every medicine has been diluted in water or alcohol.

Herbal medicines are made from plants. Ayurvedics medicines are made from materials such as vegetable, animal and mineral origins. These system of medicine dates back to ancient India. Ayurvedic medicine believes that all materials of vegetable, animal and mineral origins have a value in treating people.

Ayurvedic use all the world materials to treat people. Ayurvedic and homeoapthic medicine are used frequently in India. This creates confusion. It also make people thing that these are similar products.

6) Homeopathy does not work for acute illness

Flu, colds, motion sickness and pain relief can provide fast relief using homeopathic remedies. Chronic conditions such as acne, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and other conditions will take longer to treat because they are completed.

7) Homeopathy is only for human use.

Homeopathic pet medicine is being extremely popular in homeopathy. Homeopathy offers a cost effective and safe way to help you pet with acute conditions such as allergies, anxiety and joint relief.
You can get a book on Homeopathy and treat yourself.

This may be the case in acute conditions such as cold and flu. However, more complicated and chronic cases will require you to see a homeopathic doctor. Chronic cases involve generally taking quite a few remedies in the course of a treatment. A book can not tell you which homeopathic remedies to take and how much to take when your condition starts to improve or worsen.

9) It is difficult to find homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathic medicines are found all over now. Many healthfood stores such as Whole Foods has there own section of popular homeopathic remedies. Larger retails are also carrying combination homeopathic remedies for conditions such as cold and flu and sleeplessness. Large retailers that currently carry homeopathic products are Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Target.

Homeopathic single remedies are not as commonly available as homeopathic combinations. These remedies can be located at speciality health food stores, natural pharmacies or on the Internet. Single remedies users generally have some knowlege of homeoapthy or a doctor as prescribe this medicine for them to use.

10) All homeopathic remedies work the same on all people.

Homeopathy works different on different people. Classical homeopathy treats different individuals with different remedies according to their personality type. One person may use one remedy to treat a illness, while another person would use a different remedy to treat the same illness.

Homeopathy assumes everyone is different so using the same remedy to treat everyone will not work according to Classical Homeopathy principals. Modern medicine generally gives everyone the same medicine for general conditions.