Aloe Vera has been used for centuries for its medicinal and healing properties. It’s a thick, short-stemmed plant that stores water in it’s leaves, and it is widely used in many beauty products. The water-filled tissue in the leaves is the gel that’s used in these products. It contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants…
If you find that your hands and feet are constantly cold, a quick internet search probably suggested that poor circulation is to blame. The truth is, that’s not completely inaccurate! The skin is kept at a comfortable temperature by the blood vessels. The blood vessels distribute blood throughout the body, which is essential to maintain…
We know the things that are bad for us, right? Smoking, drinking, eating processed foods… but what about not getting enough sunlight? That one has probably never crossed your mind, but according to a recently published study, sunlight deficiency may be as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. Published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, the study…
Leg cramps that happen during the night usually come in the form of a sudden spasm or tightening of the muscles in the calf, feet, or thighs. They often occur just as a person is falling asleep, or soon upon waking. The pain can be unbearable and can last from seconds to minutes. When the…
Indigenous cultures contain meaningful symbols for just about every animal you can think of. In the interest of keeping this article an article and not, y’know, a novel, I’ll stick to ‘birth animals,’ also known as the Native American zodiac. The concept is similar to that of a horoscope; the idea is that a person…
Few things reveal the power of the human mind more than the placebo effect. Put simply, a dud pill or treatment can have a powerful effect on everything from depression and pain to sleeping disorders. It largely depends on the patient’s perception. And it works even when you know you’re taking a placebo. So what’s really…
Honesty makes life so much easier. But unfortunately, honesty isn’t always what you get from people. And while lying is not instantly an indicator that someone’s a bad person (people lie for many, many reasons, including mental illness), sometimes you need to know what’s really going on. And that’s where these five obvious signs will come…
We’ve written about the power of honey in the past, so if you’re a frequent reader of this site, you’re familiar with the concept of honey being quite a marvelous thing. But still, this might just blow your mind. Australian scientists recently made a fascinating discovery about an obscure form of honey that kills even…
Awhile back, I wrote a piece about vestigial structures we all have — the physical traits that once served a very practical purpose but are now obsolete. On the list, I included the appendix. And indeed, for years medical professionals have agreed that the appendix is useless, the shrunken remainder of a large intestine of a…
Toothaches are a real pain! Literally! However, most of us can’t drop everything to go see the dentist, or our local holistic dentist. Also, kids commonly have tooth pain associated with teething. Well, luckily for us, toothaches have been around for a while and there are plenty of natural solutions available that will help relieve the severe…
Although the nuclear disaster at Fukushima happened 5 years ago, the impacts are still strongly felt by the people who live there today. There has been a significant increase in birth defects, stillbirths, and miscarriages since the disaster and the problem is persisting if not getting worse. The Japanese government and media have been covering…
Let’s face it. If the FDA is warning you about something, it’s probably serious. Remember, this is the organization that’s not really doing much about shampoo that’s known to have a cancer-causing ingredient in it. If you’ve got an infant, you’ll definitely want to listen to this. A recent FDA study found that rice cereal…
