Neem Leaves

The neem tree (Azadirachta indica), has been attracting worldwide attention due to its wide range of medicinal properties. Neem has been extensively used in Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathic medicine and has become a cynosure of modern medicine.

I had five neem leaves washed and boiled and I drank it as tea.  It was bitter so I added about three teaspoons of Muscovado sugar.  A couple of stevia leaves would have been much preferable as sweetener but there wasn't any available.

The bitterness of the leaves, as with ampalaya and andrographis paniculata, is indicative of the neem's ability as a powerful blood purifier and detoxifier.  And that was the main reason for my drinking a mug of neem leaf tea, but only once a week because I do not want my blood to get too thinned out.

Neem elaborates a vast array of biologically active compounds that are chemically diverse and structurally complex. More than 140 compounds have been isolated from different parts of neem.  All parts of the neem tree-- leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, roots and bark have been used traditionally for the treatment of inflammation, infections, fever, skin diseases and dental disorders.

And according to livestrong.com, using neem leaves can help to treat a wide variety of ailments and diseases, due to the tree's ability to kill or inhibit bacteria, fungi and viruses.  Also, that you can take neem to treat skin infections, stomach ulcers, fevers and respiratory ailments, as well as prevent or treat periodontal disease and tooth decay.

Hence, many studies support the claims that neem leaf and its constituents indeed exhibit immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycaemic, antiulcer, antimalarial, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties. 

In 2005 scientists published a research report, Medicinal Properties of Neem Leaves: a review. It is a compilation of existing scientific studies and clinical trials. It shows very impressively just how versatile the leaves are. 

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Suggested read: 

Philippine Daily Inquirer - Neem the most medically useful tree of all time

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Pathway to wisdom

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. 

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

                                                               Proverbs 19:20-21  

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David's lamentation

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

    or discipline me in your wrath.

Your arrows have pierced me,

    and your hand has come down on me.

Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;

    there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.

My guilt has overwhelmed me

    like a burden too heavy to bear.

My wounds fester and are loathsome

    because of my sinful folly.

I am bowed down and brought very low;

    all day long I go about mourning.

My back is filled with searing pain;

    there is no health in my body.

I am feeble and utterly crushed;

    I groan in anguish of heart.

All my longings lie open before you, Lord;

    my sighing is not hidden from you.

My heart pounds, my strength fails me;

    even the light has gone from my eyes.

My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;

    my neighbors stay far away.

Those who want to kill me set their traps,

    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;

    all day long they scheme and lie.

I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,

    like the mute, who cannot speak;

I have become like one who does not hear,

    whose mouth can offer no reply.

Lord, I wait for you;

    you will answer, Lord my God.

For I said, “Do not let them gloat

    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”

For I am about to fall,

    and my pain is ever with me.

I confess my iniquity;

    I am troubled by my sin.

Many have become my enemies without cause;

    those who hate me without reason are numerous.

Those who repay my good with evil

    lodge accusations against me,

    though I seek only to do what is good.

Lord, do not forsake me;

    do not be far from me, my God.

Come quickly to help me,

    my Lord and my Savior.

                                                Psalm 38:1-22

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Sharing with Your Sunday Best, The Sunday Community, Fresh Brewed Sunday, 
Project 52 

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As A Man Thinketh

What makes life difficult for man throughout history is that he was born without a manual; all alone to fend for himself, it seems.

And as he strives to follow his bliss to fulfill his inner longings -- that will consequently shape his life -- he finds himself struggling at every crossroad; that is, whether or not to transcend his comfort zone and leave his family and culture that once nurtured him. Thus, begins what Joseph Campbell would refer to as the “hero’s journey.”

From teenage angst to mid-life reevaluations, we cope with personal issues.  And for the most part, on our own. Regardless of our basic support system that may be comprised of family and friends; despite of their well-meaning intentions, suggestions and recommendations, we often base our decisions on the set of thoughts and core beliefs that we alone ascertain for ourselves.

As a Man Thinketh tells us that although we are powerless to change any condition that comes our way, we do, however, have the power to provide its meaning, as well as how and to what extent we will allow this particular condition to affect us. 

But then again, this book argues, most people and conditions that we attract into our life are equivalent experiences of the thoughts we harbor in our mind.

Long before the publication of this book, many had already attested to the power of thoughts to manifest themselves; that our every uttered word and every action taken was preceded by our having thought about it first. Henceforth, everything around us – from our cellphones to the cars we drive — all came from thought.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Emperor of Rome, A.D. 161-180, said, “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts, therefore guard accordingly; and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue, and reasonable nature.”

James Allen, in this book, also underscores our innate power to fill our minds with thoughts of what we want to experience in our life, as well as our power to filter out those we do not wish to experience.

He asserts, “Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this – that man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.”

In essence, we actively participate in creating our destiny through the thoughts we often find ourselves thinking a lot about.

This is a wonderful book that reminds us about a simple truth: We are what we think.

As A Man Thinketh
By James Allen

free downloadable ebook

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Vitamin D and Sunlight

Vitamin D provides a wide range of health benefits, especially in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis.  However, according to this article, it's estimated that 30-50% of Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiency. 

The human body produces vitamin D, which is actually a hormone, when exposed to sunlight. However, in the United States, during winter, it is impossible to get enough exposure anywhere north of San Francisco or Philadelphia. People in southern states who slather on sun block or who stay indoors most of the time may not be getting enough either. The same goes for people who are housebound due to illness or whose work keeps them inside all day.

Vitamin D, in the form of calciferol (vitamin D3) is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is found in food, but also can be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Vitamin D exists in several forms, each with a different function. Some forms are relatively inactive in the body, and have limited ability to function as a vitamin.

The liver and kidneys help convert vitamin D to its active hormone form known as calcitriol; so, in actual fact, vitamin D technically is sunlight derived pro-hormone calcitriol. Vitamin D in its active pro-hormone form of calcitriol is important in determining how our cells express themselves and is vital in the production of various hormones and neurotransmitters (messengers in the brain). For the purpose of more clarity and understanding we will refer to calcitriol as vitamin D.

The major biological function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium, and thus helps to form and maintain strong bones and teeth. It regulates bone mineralization in unison with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones. In short, without vitamin D, bones start to become thin, brittle, soft, or misshapen. Vitamin D prevents rickets in children, osteoporosis and osteomalacia in adults.

The bottom line is that if you take good-quality calcium supplements (for better health avoid pasteurized milk) and get adequate natural sunlight exposure or supplement with a good source of vitamin D (such as high quality cod liver oil), you could easily improve on the 60 percent reductions recorded in this study... but why is it better to get vitamin D from the sun?

The ultraviolet rays of the sun (UV) are the only ones that actually trigger the synthesis of vitamin D in our body. So if you rely on solariums or sun tan beds to get your natural sunlight, check if they radiate some ultraviolet rays.

Deficiency or insufficiency of natural sunlight and vitamin D has been associated with the following conditions:  adrenal insufficiency, Alzheimer's, allergies, auto-immune disorders including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, cancers of the colon, breast, skin and prostate, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), diabetes, Type 1 and 2, gluten intolerance, lectin intolerance, heart disease, hypertension, Syndrome X, infertility, sexual dysfunction, learning and behavior disorders, misaligned teeth and cavities, obesity, osteopenia, osteoporosis, osteomalacia (adult rickets), Parkinson's, psoriasis,  and PMS.

The question we might ask is why do we not hear as much about the importance of vitamin D as we hear about calcium? The reasons for this, as most would already know, there are no profits in promoting natural sunlight, not for the cancer council or for the pharmaceuticals industry.

In conclusion of the safest way of ensuring adequate vitamin D, getting at least some early morning direct sunlight is very beneficial for all of us. The best sun exposure would be 30 minutes approximately of early morning sun before 9:00 am.

Exposing the back to the early morning sun

Related links:

The Healing Benefits of Sunlight and Vitamin D

sunlight.org

Tour the human body in 3D

Skywatch

Sunday Roundup

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Crystals

What are crystals?

Crystals are natural solids made from minerals.  Each type of crystal has a unique and precise atomic structure.  They are commonly identified by their color and degree of hardness by using Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness.

            

Some crystals like Quartz come from the center of the earth’s fiery gases and molten minerals.  Intensely heated, they are catapulted to the surface by the planet’s tectonic plate movements.  As the fiery gases break through the Earth’s crust and meet solid rock, they cool and solidify.  This process may take eons or may be fast and furious.  

Other crystals, however, are not formed under such intense pressure.  There are those that develop in deep underground chambers, growing in layers, or dripping into existence.  Nonetheless, whatever their origins and the eventual shape and sizes they transform into, their crystalline properties can absorb, conserve, focus, and emit energy on the electromagnetic waveband.

The wondrous powers of crystals: fact or myth?

            

The growing interest in crystals – for their captivating colors, shapes and forms, including their holistic healing effects – is not at all some leftover influence of the New Age Movement of the 1980s.  

Actually, medicine men and shamen of ancient civilizations have been using crystals and gemstones as sacred tools for healing and protection.  Their recorded use dates back thousands of years, from the annals of the Chinese traditional medicine to the Ayuverdic texts of India.  

The Bible also contains hundreds of references to crystals and their powers and connections.  The Greek philosopher Theophrastus (372 - 287 BC), a student and collaborator of Aristotle (384 – 322 BC), wrote the book Peri Lithon (On Stones), which presented a taxonomy of known gems, their origins, physical properties, and healing and magical powers.  It is regarded as the first systematic mineralogy book in the world.  To date, it serves as a basis of modern scientific classification of gemstones.

            

Moreover, since ancient times, various schools of thought – mystical, magical, scientific and pseudo-scientific – strived to offer valid explanations for the wondrous effects of crystals.  Through it all came some remarkable discoveries, such as the ability of crystals to generate a voltage in response to mechanical stress (piezoelectric effect) and the ability of crystals to generate an electrical potential in response to temperature change (pyroelectric effect).  The other explanations for the beneficial effects of crystals involved heat, electricity, “focused energy,” the placebo effect, and magic.

            

Although concrete evidence remains elusive to modern science to prove the many other wondrous powers of crystal – such as the direct effects of crystals on the human condition and his environment – previous significant discoveries eventually produced many practical applications.  Crystal quartz is now commonly used in watches, computers, cell phones, and radio transmissions, as well as in the development of laser technology in the fields of medicine and space explorations.  

Notwithstanding, the scientific community, with the quantum physicists at the forefront, continues its research into the properties of crystals and their potential uses to enhance our life.  Thus, for now, the belief that crystals work by magic becomes valid, if magic is defined as “that which is beyond our understanding at this point in time.”

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Suggested read:

The Healing Power of Crystals


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Saturday Sareenity

Shadow Shot Sunday

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Café Aficionado: Coffee, its pros and cons

Whenever asked how I’d like my coffee, I always say light, no sugar.  I love sweets, but when it comes to coffee, I prefer it without any sugar – with only milk or cream –  and decaffeinated if available.  I usually drink about two mugs a day, but the other foodstuffs I consume throughout the day may contain caffeine as well so, they all add up.  Thus, despite the preferred decaf coffee, I have no idea how much caffeine I actually end up consuming each day.

Supposedly, caffeine is good because of the burst of energy that we get from it – at least for a couple of hours. That is because caffeine blocks adenosine, which is a chemical in the body that tells it to shut down when tired.

However, keeping the adenosine in the body continuously blocked is not something to be desired. After the initial caffeine high, the bad things that caffeine is known for sets in such as:

1. Panic attacks. Caffeine keeps us up because it triggers the fight-or-flight mechanism in our bodies. But it may lead to panic attacks. Hands become shaky, the skin gets sweaty, and paranoia sets in.

2. Caffeine can become addictive. Once we get into the habit of getting our usual dose, our body begins to crave and expect it. Failing to get that "fix" may make us irritable, tired, and even depressed.

3. One would think that since coffee is liquid, it’s hydrating. Actually, the caffeine in coffee and any other foodstuffs is linked with dehydration, because of its diuretic properties.

4. Women who drink a lot of coffee and eat a lot of chocolates tend to experience a more intense pre-menstrual syndrome than those who do not. The headaches, the bloated feeling and the belly cramps become more debilitating due to the added consumption of caffeine.

5. Caffeine can boost our energy, but it doesn’t know how to tell our body when it should stop moving and simply rest. The body can get physically exhausted, as well as experience emotional fatigue when it doesn’t get any rest.

Read more about caffeine’s side effects here. 

image: OpenWalls.com

But now come the startling results of new studies on caffeine:

1. The study from the Harvard School of Public Health, published last month in the Archives of Internal Medicine reveals that women who regularly drink fully caffeinated coffee have a 20% lower risk of depression than non-coffee drinkers. The study, which followed a group of women for 10 years, found that as more coffee was consumed (up to six cups per day), the likelihood of depression decreased.

2. According to David Levitsky, PhD, professor of nutritional science at Cornell University, "Caffeine decreases the rate at which the stomach dumps its contents into the duodenum – part of the small intestine where digestion takes place and also increases metabolic rate." Keep in mind, though, that java isn't a miracle brew: Downing it after dinner won't make the pounds melt away; rather, sipping a cup post-meal could, in small part, help promote a healthy weight.

3. "Studies have shown that caffeine has a positive effect on sperm motility – the ability of sperm to move toward an egg – and could increase your chances of getting pregnant," says John Wilcox, MD, FACOG, managing partner and reproductive endocrinologist at HRC Fertility in California. In fact, a study conducted at the University of Sao Paulo found that sperm motility was markedly higher in coffee drinkers versus non coffee-drinkers. And it turns out that it doesn't matter whether you drink one or ten cups a day: The only detectable difference was found between coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers.

4. Caffeine is not truly addictive according to Liz Applegate, PhD, faculty member and director of sports nutrition at the University of California at Davis.  SHE explains that caffeine is not addictive. "Caffeine is a mild stimulant, and the World Health Organization states that it is wrong to compare caffeine intake to drug addiction, since people can reduce or eliminate caffeine from their diet without the serious psychological or physical problems that result from a true addiction." However, serious coffee drinkers may experience symptoms such as fatigue and irritability if they reduce their intake. According to Dr. Applegate, caffeine is not addictive. "Caffeine is a mild stimulant, and the World Health people who consume 600 milligrams of caffeine (about six small cups of coffee) daily are most likely to experience these symptoms, but they will usually resolve themselves after a few days.

5. According to Lauren Gerson, MD, MSc, associate professor of medicine and gastroenterology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, "There is no evidence from reviewed studies that coffee causes ulcers or more pain in patients with documented ulcers." She also notes that there is no evidence that coffee could be the cause of stomach pain in patients with indigestion. However, there is one type of digestive issue that coffee can aggravate; Dr. Gerson explains that drinking coffee may worsen heartburn.  

Read about the other surprising health facts about coffee here.

Finally, one mistake that people make is when they assume that decaffeinated means that there is no caffeine in the food or beverage.

Decaffeinating happens through a process. According to the site Coffeeresearch.org, decaffeinating coffee usually consists of soaking the beans in water to dissolve the caffeine, extracting the caffeine with a solvent or activated carbon, and then re-soaking the beans in the decaffeinated water to reabsorb the flavor compounds that were lost in the initial extract.

A study published by the Journal of Analytical Toxicology found that nine out of 10 tested cups of decaf coffee from coffee from shops and restaurants contained 8.6 mg-13.9 mg of caffeine. It also found that decaffeinated espresso shots contained 3 mg-16 mg of caffeine per shot.

Another study done by Consumer Reports tested 36 cups of small decaf coffees from six locations. They found that more than half had less than 5 mg of caffeine while the rest had a range from 20 mg-32 mg per cup. Depending on how much you consume in a day, you can end up consuming more caffeine from decaffeinated drinks than you would in one cup of coffee.

Read more here.

Related links:

Best-rated cheap coffee

Madge Cafe at La Paz, Iloilo

Swilling coffee may protect men against prostate cancer

The good news about coffee

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