Happy Easter!

One of the treats of spring is dyeing eggs. Most of us probably remember hunkering over the stovetop, preparing a pot of boiling eggs for their dunk in the bowls of rainbow-colored vinegar water. The results were gorgeous, gaudy Easter eggs in neon green, fluorescent pink and sky blue.
Dyeing eggs with natural dyes is equally as memorable as dyeing with chemical dyes, however natural dyes give eggs a much more subtle, but nonetheless gorgeous, coloring. Dyeing with natural dyes may be even more memorable for children because the warm colors come from materials they're familiar with in their day-to-day lives; red and yellow onion skins, beets, turmeric, red cabbage, and coffee to name a few.
There are two approaches: the cold method and the boiled method. Both yield beautiful results, though the eggs prepared with the cold method are colored pale and subtle pastels, and the boiled method, more intense pastels.

Sorry about this but.... a word of caution.....

Easter is a time of celebration, with large family dinners and egg hunts. But with all those eggs, there's also the potential for sickness.
Fresh eggs must be handled carefully. Even eggs with clean, uncracked shells may occasionally contain Salmonella bacteria, which can cause an intestinal infection.
The most effective way to prevent egg-related illness is by knowing how to buy, store, handle and cook eggs -- or foods that contain them -- safely.

Here are some tips on egg safety from the Food and Drug Administration:

Buy Right. Buy eggs only if they're sold from a refrigerator or refrigerated case, and open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked.

Refrigerate Promptly. Store eggs in their original carton and use them within three weeks for best quality.

Keep Everything Clean. Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with eggs and egg-containing foods.

Cook Thoroughly. Cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a food thermometer to be sure.

Chill Properly. Cooked eggs, including hard-boiled eggs, and egg-containing foods should not sit out for more than two hours. Within two hours, either reheat or refrigerate. Use hard-cooked eggs (in the shell or peeled) within one week after cooking.

Okay I'm done....Have a beautiful Easter!

Bronchitis 101.....

You thought you were finally shaking that cold, but this morning your cough is worse than ever. You're coughing up phlegm by the cupful, and it feels as if someone spent the night tap-dancing on your chest. You've probably developed acute bronchitis, an often painful infection in the major bronchial tubes (airways) leading to the lungs. Acute bronchitis is most often caused by a virus, frequently the same one that causes colds, although the flu virus is a common culprit as well. (While acute bronchitis can also be caused by a bacteria or even a fungus, they are only rarely to blame.) Acute bronchitis often follows a cold or the flu, when resistance is down and the lungs may already be slightly irritated. Likewise, anyone whose resistance is low or who has any other type of chronic lung irritation or injury, especially from exposure to cigarette smoke or other toxic gases, is at increased risk of developing bronchitis. And the viruses that cause bronchitis can be passed to others much the same way cold and flu viruses are: An infected person coughs, spraying viral particles either into the air, where they can be breathed in by others, or onto their own hands, where they can be picked up when the person shakes hands with others.
The virus attacks the inner walls of the bronchial tubes, which then swell and produce greatly increased amounts of thick, yellow or green mucus (the airways normally produce about an ounce a day of thin, clear or white mucus, which helps trap and remove foreign particles). The lung irritation and mucus trigger a throaty, persistent, productive hacking that is the hallmark of acute bronchitis.There can be an irritated throat (from the coughing), burning or aching pain just beneath the breastbone, a feeling of tightness in the chest, wheezing or shortness of breath, and/or a "rattling" sensation in the lungs and chest. A low-grade fever, chills, and achiness may also occur. The irritation caused by the virus in turn leaves the respiratory tract vulnerable to other complications, such as pneumonia.If you have an underlying chronic disease or suffer from asthma, allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or any other serious respiratory or heart problem, you need to contact your doctor if you develop symptoms of acute bronchitis. Bronchitis symptoms in infants, the elderly, or anyone else with a weak immune system should be treated by a physician. If you're otherwise healthy, however, you will likely have to allow the infection to simply run its course. Antibiotics, after all, are useless against viral infections. Fortunately, acute bronchitis generally goes away on its own within a few days or a week, although the cough can sometimes linger for weeks or even months.This doesn't mean you have to lie in bed, suffering, and wait for your body to defeat the virus.

Humidify your environment. Believe it or not, coughing is actually good for you. It's the body's way of eliminating the infection that causes bronchitis. So instead of stifling a cough with an over-the-counter suppressant, help it along by using a warm- or cool-mist humidifier to add moisture to the air. (Take care to use and clean the humidifier according to the manufacturer's instructions.) The added humidity will help bring the sputum (matter that is coughed out of the body) up and out of the body. Standing in a steamy shower with the bathroom door closed, keeping a pan of water at a slow boil on the stove (never leave it unattended!), and using a tea kettle to shoot out warm, moist air can also help loosen and bring up phlegm. And if you have a few drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil to add to the water, these can be quite soothing.

Use a cough remedy as a last resort. Remember, coughing is your body's way of driving out the infection and keeping your breathing passages clear. The best cough remedies for bronchitis contain guaifenesin, which helps bring up sputum. But if you're at the end of your rope and can't bear another minute of hacking, especially if it's been keeping you from getting the sleep you need to recover, you can try a medicine that contains the cough suppressant dextromethorphan. Take it only as often as absolutely needed. Check with your doctor if you are unsure. Combination products should generally be avoided; decongestants, antihistamines, and alcohol (common ingredients in combination products) have no role in the treatment of coughs and may even increase discomfort by causing side effects. Most of the candy-type cough drops act as demulcents on the throat; in other words, their soothing properties are due largely to their sugar content.

Keep an eye out for complications. While letting nature take its course is generally the best treatment for acute bronchitis, complications can sometimes occur, so you'll need to stay alert for signs that it's time to see your doctor. The most worrisome complications include pneumonia, sinus infection, and ear infection, all of which need to be treated with prescription antibiotics. Signs that one or more of these complications may be present include a persistent high fever (not a typical characteristic of bronchitis), severe shortness of breath, prolonged coughing spells or a cough that lasts more than four to six weeks, severe chest pain, pain behind the eyes, or ear pain. Be on the lookout for blood in your sputum or sputum that changes dramatically in color or consistency, and report it to your doctor. In addition, tell your doctor if you suffer frequent bouts of bronchitis, since you may be suffering from a more serious respiratory problem that requires medical treatment.

"P" is for Prostate.....

With prostate problems affecting roughly 12% of men, chances are you, or someone you care about, will eventually have to deal with this problem. The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut, which sits just below the bladder in men and is an integral part of the male reproductive system. The prostate goes through 2 main periods of growth: the first period of growth occurs early in puberty, when the prostate doubles in size.

At about the age of 25, the prostate begins to grow again. This second phase of growth often results in what constitutes an enlarged prostate. As the prostate becomes larger, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the prostate to press against the urethra.
While the studies do not all concur, it is generally believed that most men over the age of 45 experience some amount of prostate enlargement, but may live free of symptoms. This prostate enlargement is usually harmless, but it often causes problems urinating later on in life.

By age 60, it is believed that over 80% of all men experience some sort of problem with urinating due to prostate enlargement. Prostate enlargement is not a malignant condition, but it does put pressure on the urethra and can create a number of urinary problems such as frequent urination, urinary urgency, the need to get up at night to urinate, difficulty starting, a reduction to the force of the urine stream, terminal dribbling, incomplete emptying of the bladder and even the inability to urinate at all.

If left unchecked, benign prostate enlargement can cause serious health problems over time, including urinary tract infections, kidney or bladder damage, bladder stones, incontinence. It is important to take care of your prostate as you would any other organ and address any prostate problems you may be having.
"Enlarged prostate", the medical term for which is BPH - short for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy - has historically been treated surgically - by removing all or part of the prostate. While this will result in most people experiencing a relief of their symptoms, it may also leave them impotent. For men who want to maintain their vitality, surgery should only be used as a last resort.

Saw Palmetto For An Enlarged Prostate:

Saw palmetto is the ripe berry of a low, scrubby palm tree that grows wild in the. southeastern United States. During the first half of this century, it was widely used for urinary and genital ailments, according to herb expert Varro Tyler.

Three good studies in France and Italy looked at a total of 280 men who were waking up to go to the bathroom an average of about four times a night. The 140 of them who took 320 mg of saw palmetto a day for one to three months averaged one less nightly trip to the bathroom than the 140 men who were given a placebo. The saw-palmetto-takers also said that urinating wasn't as painful or difficult as before, and they were able to empty more of their bladders.

Drugs are now commonly prescribed first, one of the more popular being "Proscar", manufactured by the Merck company. Proscar is actually a somewhat dangerous substitute for a classic herb, as a great number of pharmaceutical drugs are. The herbal remedy pirated in this case is the saw palmetto berry.

For men who suffer from prostate enlargement, saw palmetto is the place to start. Saw palmetto has a long history of diminishing inflammation and enlargement of the prostate as well as inhibiting the hormones which causes prostate enlargement.

Saw palmetto is a shrub which grows in Georgia and Florida along the ocean. Saw palmetto causes no side effects at the recommended dosage. This is in sharp contrast with the drug Proscar. Proscar has many serious side effects, which are listed on the package insert, published in advertisements for the drug, and they are also listed in the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR).

Ginger Does a Body Good.....

Detoxification is the road to good health that everyone can follow at their own pace simply, easily. Many natural foods help the body clean up. Raw apple cider vinegar is one of the best for this purpose. Raw honey is another great agent in helping the body heal and cleanse. Ginger is the common name for the monocotyledonous perennial plant zingiber officinale, which is another great natural detoxification agent that can be used alone or combined with other detoxification aids. A great healing ginger root tea can be made by boiling ginger root with lemon. Pour this in a coffee cup, then add honey to taste. Raw honey is the best to use in detoxification drinks. Other honey may be used though. Creamed honey is better than golden honey. The creamed honey is whipped which oxygenates it. Add powdered ginger to another detoxification drink, the herb apple cider vinegar and honey detoxification tea. One to three shakes of ginger powder is good to add to many herb drinks. The herb apple cider vinegar and honey detoxification tea can be made from any herb tea you can find at the store. Brew the herb tea in a coffee maker or in the coffee cup with hot water. After removing the tea bag, add 1-3 teaspoons of raw apple cider vinegar. Stir in honey to taste.

Powdered ginger is also good to add to the tub and take a soak in. Many fevers have been broken using this method. Get the best ginger you can. Use organic grown ginger for the root tea. Buy the ginger powder at the health food store instead of the store if you can. Taking back control of health by following these natural remedies is a great rewarding venture.

We all have just one body. The better we take care of it, the better it takes care of us.

This Stinks!

As I sit at my desk today pondering what article to publish this week for all of our wonderful readers, I am appalled by the heaps of tissue that scatter my desk! Yes it's that time of year my friends. Let's talk about snot. Have you ever wondered what's going on iside your nose, and where does all of that snot come from anyway?

To understand why your nose runs, you need to know what mucus is. This is the gooey, sticky, slimy material that's made inside your nose (also known as snot). Believe it or not, your nose and sinuses make about a quart of snot every day! A runny or stuffy nose can be due to colds, allergies, sinus infections or the flu. When there is an excess of mucus secretions the nose is runny. The additional secretions drain from the front of the nose, or down the back (post-nasal drip). The sensation of a stuffy nose occurs when the membranes that line the nose become swollen from inflamed blood vessels. Are anitbiotics the cure for a sinus infection we ask? A recent British study shows that neither antibiotics or steroid sprays offer much help to adults with sinus infections.

One of the most common complications of the common cold or flu is a sinus infection. The symptoms: a stuffy nose; a thick, dark-colored nasal discharge; and head pain.
You've very likely had such an infection. And if, like 25 million other Americans, you went to a U.S. doctor, there's a 90% chance you got a prescription for antibiotics. You very likely had some side effects from that antibiotic. But it's extremely unlikely the antibiotics you took were much help, according to a study by Ian G. Williamson, MD, senior lecturer at the University of Southampton, England.
"We are confident that if there is an effect of antibiotics on acute sinus infections, it is not very big -- certainly not as big as people have been led to believe," Williamson tells WebMD.
Williamson and colleagues studied 240 patients ages 16 and older whose symptoms suggested that they had a sinus infection caused by bacteria. Viruses also cause sinus infections, but antibiotics do not help viral infections.
Study patients received antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin, an antibiotic often used for bacterial sinus infections, with or without nasal steroid sprays. A fourth of the patients received no treatment at all, but just got inactive placebo pills and placebo sprays.
Ten days later, patients who got no active treatment were just as likely to be cured as those treated with antibiotics. Steroid nasal sprays made little difference, although they seemed to help people with very mild nasal congestion and seemed to make things a little worse for those with very intense nasal congestion. Williamson says the study does not definitively rule out some small effect of antibiotics. But that effect would be very small.

By Daniel J. DeNoon

Here's our recommendation for sinus infections... TEA TREE (Melalueca Alternifolia) Essential Oil. Tea Tree is an Australian tree that has extremely effective anti-microbial properties. Tea Tree is a very potent germ-killer, yet gentle enough to use directly on the skin of an adult.

How does Tea Tree work?

Used topically, Tea Tree works in the following ways:• Anti-microbial - kills microbes, bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites• Antiseptic - Prevents infection• Astringent - Contracts, firms, and strengthens skin and other tissues; reduces secretions• Immuno-stimulant - boosts immune system• Venous decongestant - encourages circulation and detoxification through the veins.

For sinus infection give this recipe a try...

Add 1 drop tea tree, 1 Eucalyptus, 1 drop rosemary, and 1 drop peppermint into 1 TBSP olive oil. Mix. Take a Q-tip and soak Q-tip in mixture. Then rub mixture into both nostrils.