Creative Healings: cancer

This awesome post was written by Elisha of My Health Maven. She is deeply passionate about educating people and empowering them to lead healthier lives. I encourage you to check out her blog.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a flowering plant that originated in China and is also related to turmeric and cardamom. The rhizome (root) is the part that is used for spice, as a preservative, a tea and for medicinal purposes. Ginger is one of the healthiest spices known. It is packed full of nutrients and bioactive compounds that offer tremendous benefits to your body.

So why should you add ginger to your diet? Take a look at some of the amazing health benefits:
Antibiotic- The effects of ginger and antibiotics on Staphylococcus aureus and S. pyreus infections shows that ginger extract may be superior. (1)

Anti-Fungal– Ginger has anti-fungal properties. (2)
Cancer-Several studies have shown the ability of ginger to defeat numerous types of cancer cells, including breast, colon, pancreatic, prostate and skin cancer. (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Diabetes Prevention– Studies show that diabetes can be prevented and treated along with lowering blood sugar levels. (11)

Gastric Distress– Ginger inhibits H. pylori, which helps prevent ulcers. (12)
Inflammation– Inflammation goes hand in hand with many chronic conditions. Ginger inhibits nitrous oxide production and inflammatory cytokines. It is very effective in dealing with arthritis and other general inflammatory illnesses. (13)
Menstrual Pain– A double blind study showed powdered ginger capsules to be as effective in treating menstrual pain as non-steroidal anti inflammatories and placebos. (14)
Nausea– Gingers ability to relieve nausea has long been known. It is useful for morning sickness, sea sickness and nausea of all sorts. (15, 16)
Periodontal– Ginger has wonderful antibacterial effects on periodontal disease. (17)
Toxicity- Ginger helps prevent the toxic effects of numerous substances including MSG, pesticides, and cancer drugs. (18, 19)

Possible Interactions:

Ginger does have a few negative side effects. Allergic reactions usually result in a rash, although some individuals experience heartburn, bloating, gas, burping or nausea. These symptoms are more common when consuming ginger in a powdered form.
According to Drugs.com ginger interacts with prescription drugs such as heart medication, diabetes medication, warfarin, aspirin, NSAIDs and blood thinners.
Please discuss any concerns with your health care practitioner.

Make Your Own Ginger Honey Syrup

Ingredients
Ginger root
Honey

Directions
Peel a large piece of ginger, grate it and place in pan.
Pour in enough honey to cover the ginger.
Simmer 10-15 minutes, or until ginger is mushy, allow to cool slightly. (You can strain the ginger out of the honey if you like. I leave mine with the honey).
Pour into jar, label and date.
Refrigerate and it will last for several weeks.
Enjoy this in smoothies, milk, tea, on ice cream, pancakes, hot oatmeal, or on a fruit salad. You can also add 2-3 Tablespoons to a cup of hot water for tea.
References:
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/ginger

Image Source:
http://baconhound.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/IMG_4642.jpg

Known as the “Immortal Health Elixir” by the Chinese and originating in the Far East around 2,000 years ago, kombucha is a beverage with tremendous health benefits.
Kombucha is a fermented beverage of black tea and sugar (from various sources including cane sugar, fruit or honey) that’s used as a functional food. It contains a colony of bacteria and yeast that are responsible for initiating the fermentation process once combined with sugar. After being fermented, kombucha becomes carbonated and contains vinegar, b-vitamins, enzymes, probiotics and a high concentration of acid (acetic, gluconic and lactic), which are tied with the following effects:

Improved Digestion
Weight Loss
Increased Energy
Cleansing and Detoxification
Immune Support
Reduced Joint Pain
Cancer Prevention

The sugar-tea solution is fermented by bacteria and yeast commonly known as a “SCOBY” (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). Although it’s usually made with black tea, kombucha can also be made with green tea too.
You can make kombucha yourself at home or buy it for $3–$5 a bottle at most health food stores and some coffee shops.

Beneficial Probiotics in Kombucha

An article published in the journal Food Microbiology established that the following probiotics make up this health elixir:

Gluconacetobacter (>85 percent in most samples)
Acetobacter (<2 percent)
Lactobacillus (up to 30 percent in some samples)
Zygosaccharomyces (>95 percent)

Ultimately, this cocktail of good bacteria interact together in a unique way to produce some unbelievable health benefits for those who drink it.

7 Kombucha Health Benefits

In research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food 2014, researchers from the University of Latvia say the following about the health benefits of kombucha:
It is shown that [kombucha] can efficiently act in health preservation and recovery due to four main properties: detoxification, anti-oxidation, energizing potencies, and promotion of boosting immunity.
We agree! In fact, according to research there are five main health benefits of kombucha.
1. Detoxification
The detoxifying capacity of kombucha is immense. A perfect example is in its ability to counteract liver cell toxicity.
In one study, the liver cells were protected from oxidative injury and actually maintained their normal physiology, in spite of being exposed to a toxin! According to researchers, this was “probably due to its antioxidant activity and could be beneficial against liver diseases, where oxidative stress is known to play a crucial role.”
2. Digestion
Naturally, the antioxidant prowess of this ancient tea counteracts free radicals that create mayhem in the digestive system. However, the greatest reason kombucha supports digestion is because of its high levels of beneficial acid, probiotics and enzymes.
Some research has shown kombucha’s ability to prevent and heal leaky gut and stomach ulcers. No surprise to us, in some instances it’s even proven to be as effective as drugs like Prilosec, which are commonly prescribed for heartburn, GERD and ulcers.
Kombucha can also help heal candida yeast from overpopulating within the gut because it helps restore balance to the digestive system. Kombucha is a great way to fight candida because it contains live probiotic cultures that help the gut to repopulate with good bacteria while crowding out the candida yeast. Kombucha does have bacteria, but these are not harmful pathogen bacteria, instead they are the beneficial kind (called “apathogens”) that compete with “bad” pathogen bacteria in the gut and digestive tract.
One thing to mention here is that candida or other digestive problems can sometimes be complicated issues to fix and symptoms might actually get worse before getting better. This doesn’t mean that kombucha isn’t effective or is exacerbating the problem, just that gut problems aren’t always a straight path to healing and at times some patience or trial and error is needed.
3. Energy
Kombucha’s ability to invigorate people is credited to the formation of iron that is released from the black tea during the fermentation process. It also contains some caffeine (although in very small amounts) and b-vitamins, which can energize the body.
Through a special process known as chelation, the iron released helps boost blood hemoglobin, improving oxygen supply to tissues and stimulating the energy-producing process at the cellular level. In other words, by helping the body create more energy (ATP), the ancient tea can help those who regularly drink it stay energized.
4. Immune Health
The overall effect that kombucha has to modulate the immune system is best seen in its ability to control free radicals through antioxidant measures.
Clinically proven to decrease oxidative stress and related immuno-suppression, a powerful antioxidant known as D-saccharic acid-1, 4-lactone (DSL) was discovered during the kombucha fermentation process that’s not found in black tea alone.
Scientists suspect that DSL and the vitamin C present in kombucha are its main secrets in protecting against cell damage, inflammatory diseases, tumors and overall depression of the immune system. Also, we know the probiotics found in kombucha support the immune system.
5. Joint Care
Kombucha can help heal, repair and prevent joint damage in a number of ways. Kombucha is loaded with glucosamines, which increase synovial hyaluronic acid production. This supports the preservation of collagen and prevents arthritic pain. In the same way it supports joint collagen, it also supports collagen of the entire body and reduces the appearance of wrinkles on the skin.
6. Cancer Prevention
Kombucha is also beneficial for cancer prevention and recovery. A study published in Cancer Letters found that consuming glucaric acid found in kombucha reduced the risk of cancer in humans.
President Reagan even reportedly drank kombucha daily as part of his regimen to battle stomach cancer.
7. Weight Loss
Data from a study in 2005 showed evidence that kombucha improves metabolism and limits fat accumulation. Though we need to see more studies before we can confirm these results, it makes sense that kombucha supports weight loss since it’s high in acetic acid (just like apple cider vinegar is) and polyphenols, which are proven to help increase weight loss.

Taken from: http://draxe.com/7-reasons-drink-kombucha-everyday/

Creative Healings

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Why You Should Have Ginger Every Day!

Possible Interactions:

Make Your Own Ginger Honey Syrup

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Benefits to Drinking Kombucha

Beneficial Probiotics in Kombucha

7 Kombucha Health Benefits