Fiber which is insoluble has the capability of passing through the intestines intact and unchanged. Unlike fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, fiber does not give the body nutrients or fuel for energy, and has no caloric value. Dietary fiber can only be found in plant components including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Primarily, there are only two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble, with some foods containing both types.

Soluble fiber is eventually digested in the large intestine, causing it to have limited bulking power. Soluble fibers dissolve in water and have often been linked to helping prevent blood sugar highs and lows, helping to lower blood cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease, helping to control high blood pressure, and encouraging friendly bacteria growth. Soluble fiber can be found in pectin, lignin, gums, mucilages, and other sources such as psyllium, beans, apples, pears, and oat bran.

Soluble fiber doesn’t usually seem like fiber. It is digestible and, when broken down, it creates a gel as it absorbs water in the intestinal tract. It does not bulk the stool to the extent of insoluble fiber, but it does slow down the rate at which food is digested. Soluble fiber is found in vegetables, particularly onions, bulbs, leeks, and asparagus, and also fruits, including dried varieties.

Insoluble fiber remains undigested for the most part and promotes a faster stool transit time. Insoluble fiber can keep the bowel clean and operative and also help to bind dangerous toxins and hormones in order to promote better excretion. Insoluble fiber also fosters regularity in the body, contributes to better digestion, prevents constipation, and helps to lower the risk of bowel disease.

Insoluble fiber is primarily composed of cellulose and hemicelulose. Cellulose is a non-digestible form of fiber, found in outer portions of vegetables and fruits. Bran or seed covering of whole grains is another type of insoluble fiber. Hemicellulose fibers remain unchanged and absorb water as they travel the digestive tract. They increase stool bulk and transit time, preventing constipation and conditions like hemorrhoids. Stalks, stems, peels, and fruit and vegetable skins are all made up of insoluble fiber. However, the insoluble fiber content of fruits is actually found in its flesh and stringy membranes, rather than its peelings.

The average person needs a good variety of foods that contribute to at least 35 grams of dietary fiber in our diet daily. Most foods contain both types of fiber, but the ones that are most fiber rich are not usually the ones that we commonly eat. Whole grain cereal, raw fruits and vegetables, split peas, beans, lentils, millet, and barley are the best sources of fiber. Unfortunately, statistics have shown that most of us only get 9 grams of fiber each day, if we are lucky.

Finally, fiber has the ability to increase fecal bulk by retaining water, decrease stool transit time, keep blood sugar levels more stable, lower blood serum and liver cholesterol, help prevent weight gain by slowing the rate of digestion and absorption and controlling hunger, expediting the removal of dangerous toxins, binding with bile salts to help decrease the risk of gallbladder disease and certain types of cancer, and creating the presence of healthier intestinal bacteria.

More information on fiber for bowel health is available at VitaNet

Jeff had often sat on a marble bench in the hall outside a courtroom. But this time it was different. This time he slouched, head hanging down, bristled chin in hand, eyes closed waiting his turn to testify. His palms were as wet as his mouth was dry; his pallor merged seamlessly with his only rumpled white shirt, the one he reserved for court appearances. This time, there’d be no run-of-the-mill, roll-me-over-in–the-clover testimony.

Jeff was eyewitness to a horrifying homicide, called by the DA to testify for the People Versus Jimmy “Weasel” Ingra, the Godfather’s hit man from Detroit and the Godfather himself. The Godfather got word to Jeff promising a long and languishing death if he ratted. The DA swished Jeff into witness protection. Bodyguards chaperoned him everywhere. It made dates with Alice pretty clumsy.

Even in guarded witness protection a crooked cop had come to see him. “The mob has bruisers bad as bloodhounds at search and destroy,” the cop told him. “They can find a mite in a mile-high pile of muck and smash it into a droplet of dew on a dam. Everyone likes you, Sanders. Try to stay alive.” Jeff had swallowed hard.

The great oak courtroom door opened. A cherubic face with double chin and dark curly hair appeared. “You’re up next, Jeff. About 10 minutes,” the bailiff said.

“Thanks, Herby,” Jeff replied. “I’m about as ready as I’m ever going to be.” Jeff knew that wasn’t true.

The ten minutes that followed were the longest Jeff had ever known.

* * *

“The whole thing’s a fluke,” Jeff had told Alice at dinner last week. His petite blond girlfriend reached to take his hand in hers and squeezed it gently.

“Alice, I just want to get out of this alive and not hunted by hoods or wanted by the FBI. It’s a fluke! I thought it was an ordinary climb –the-fire-escape-and–get-pictures-of-the- dame-in-bed-with-a-lover and what do I see? The weasel was sitting on this DEA drug agent’s face while the Godfather walloped the guy’s ribs with a steel club ’til they’re turned to sand. Then he makes mince meat of the guy’s manhood. I got so scared I forgot to film it. The DA thinks I did take pictures and burned them. Honest, Alice, I didn’t do that. But I did see it pretty clearly. If I hadn’t lost my keys at the scene, the DA wouldn’t know I was there.” He squeezed her hand. “Aw, honey. I just want to get out alive and marry you.” Alice forced a scared smile. The uniformed cop standing over by the door chuckled.

* * *

Jeff’s heartbeat resonated rhythmically in his ears, a thumping metronome unable to distract him from his dreadful dilemma. He felt as vulnerable as a vulture on a weather vane.

Ten minutes to show time, Jeff told himself. I got to figure out what I’m gonna do. I’m not ready to die, but dammit, somebody’s got to stop the mob. I tell it like it is, the Godfather goes down and his lieutenants come after me. I can say maybe I didn’t see it all clearly. I was twenty-five yards away and the window was dirty. My glasses were smudged. How could I be sure beyond the shadow of a doubt? After all It was, night. It was cloudy. No moon. They were in a dark corner of a large room, from where I watched. I’d had a couple a beers before climbing that fire escape. I hadn’t slept for a couple a days. He could bend the testimony in favor of the Godfather.

Jeff thought about his father. He didn’t know why for sure, but he could see his father telling him, “When you lie, Jeff, you have to remember every detail or you’ll get caught up in it.” Jeff remembered his dad. In the dark he could still see himself sitting on his dad’s knee, twirling dad’s graying locks between the thumb and forefinger of one hand while sucking his thumb on the other. “Daddy, I don’t want to tell any lies.” He felt his throat choking, his eyes beginning to tear. He suppressed sobs..

Now he heard the screaming; the bones breaking; the explosive fart when the Godfather smashed the bat across the guy’s belly. He smelled the sickening smell and heard the last yelp of the victim. Surely he died with that blow, Jeff thought.

Daddy, where are you? I need you, daddy, he thought. What should I do daddy? Daddy, I’m scared.

Then Alice jumped into his mind’s eye. “I love you, Jeff,” he could hear her saying. He could hear her voice cracking; see her eyes searching his soul. He felt her warm breath on his chest.“I want you with me forever, Jeff.”

“You can be a real hero, Jeff.” Now it was the DA. “We got a good shot at putting these bastards so far away you’d need a space searching telescope to find them. Tell what you saw, Jeff. Just the truth.”

“You have to remember your lie or you get caught in it, Jeff. Better, don’t lie.” It was his dad. Jeff rolled his left thumb against his forefinger and put he his right thumb in his mouth.

* * *

The bailiff’s hand on his shoulder jolted Jeff back to reality. He looked up to see the policeman who guarded him unsnap the flap on his holster so the gun would come out easily. He rose. He pursed his lips, pulled down the back skirt of his jacket and then straightened his tie. “OK,” he said. “Let’s boogey.”

Flanked by the bailiff and the policeman, Jeff stood straight and tall walking down the aisle. The back rows of the courtroom were filled with mostly shabby looking spectators. Some whispered as he walked by. “Nail ‘em, Mr. Sanders. Give ‘em hell” and things like that. Jeff recognized a few mobsters scattered in the crowd. They looked at him and shook their heads slowly. One of them raised his forefinger to his lips and nodded. Jeff clenched his teeth.

The bailiff opened the gate in front of the spectators’ section and Jeff passed between two large desks covered with folders and files. The DA and his staff sat in wooden captain’s chairs behind the desk to the left. Their suits had “Men’s Warehouse” written all over them. The defense team sat on his right. Imported Italian duds, Jeff thought. The Godfather stared at Jeff and pursed his lips into an upside down smile. He looked like a fashion plate out of Gentlemen’s Quarterly.

Then he saw Alice. Second to the left in the third row. She put on her stoic face made up perfectly as if her cosmetics were painted by numbers. No smile. No tears. A little like the Mona Lisa, Jeff thought. She glows. She always glows. A giant glob of molasses seemed to have gotten caught between Jeff’s heavy heart and stiffened stomach.

At the witness stand Jeff stood. “Put your left hand on the bible, Mr. Sanders, and raise your right hand,” the bailiff said. Jeff forced a smiled and complied. The bailiff spoke slowly:

“Jeffery Sanders, do you solemnly swear . . .?”

Melvin M. Harter is a retired physician. He specialized in evaluation of the causes and extent of injury and disability. He has become a freelance writer and author of the novel, Some Kind of Angel. This sci-fi thriller explores the world of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and genocide. For more, visit Some Kind of Angel and view the video trailer.

If you are going to present a character that is unusual for any number of reasons, or provide circumstances that are different, you must be prepared to provide explanatory material. A tale involving a period of social upheaval will be little understood, if you do not offer some explanation why actions result in the reactions that occur. A story dealing with the period of the Industrial Revolution, for example, would be difficult in the extreme to tell without some recounting of the effect it had upon the gentry and their mores.

As another example, let us examine the introduction of a ‘different’ type of character. To do so, let me suggest a look at El Tigre.

Stories of immigrants to the United States have included those of Irish families escaping the potato famine, and Germans and French fleeing from religious persecution. They also have told of some English who came to America for the same reason, and of others to escape prison. The stories of Jewish, Chinese, and assorted others’ journey to this country have been set forth for numerous reasons, not the least of which was to discover gold. Stories of any of these characters, therefore, are not new and need no explanatory pages.

Johan Heinrich von Manfred, the man who becomes El Tigre, is different. He is of the Prussian Aristocratic class. Both his position and the circumstances of his entrance to school must be explained. An explanation of the weapons of the time also must be provided. It was an era when the sword and knife still were important weapons. Firearms were single shot muskets and pistols. When Johann finally obtains one of the first revolving weapons, a description of the unique difference is of great importance to the following episodes.

As the young man moves into Spain to fight in the 1st Carlist War, his activities are meaningless without an explanation of the political maneuvering that led up to the confrontation. Similarly, the story does not develop without the reasons being given for the precarious position of his mentor in Spain. When he moves on to America, an understanding of the often only alluded to basic problems leading to Texas’ fight for independence, adds immeasurably to the story line.

So, to reiterate, there are certain times when introduction of information drops are necessary to the story line, and with respect to this material “often being enjoyed enough to be favorably mentioned in reviews,” let me provide specific examples. I said that “it may not be totally compatible to a few readers.” An unsigned review for the Magazine of the Western Writers of America did not like the “huge information drops,” but admitted “the subject matter is intriguing” and that “(the book) is an interesting look at a type of immigrant not often written about.” However, all of the other reviewers either did not find the inclusion of the explanatory material in any way bothersome, or actually made a point of including favorable remarks about it. The review by the main book reviewer in the monthly Chronicle of the 80,000 member Single Action Shooting Society printed in its entirety on my web page, is a case in point. The 5 star review by Mel Kligman in Amazon, the review by the AC Peoples Media Co. Review Editor, Louise Harris, and the full review by the well-known Gun Columnist John Taffin provide similar endorsement of the inclusions.

The general consensus, therefore, certainly would seem to be in favor of including explanatory material if the author believes it is necessary to, or will enhance, the story line.

John H. Manhold is a retired professor and scientific journal editor. He is an author of several textbooks, a lexicon in four languages and now novels that often require extensive research. He provides coaching on various types and phases of writing. Please see John Manhold for more information, and an address.

The worst choices include diet pills and “crash diets” like the cabbage soup diet. Diet pills will do you far more harm than good in the long term. They are also very expensive. Starvation diets also do more harm than good. They will cause you to lose mostly muscle & water rather fat. They will also slow down your metabolism which will make it harder to lose fat and will make you much more likely to gain fat back when you lose it!

Instead of choosing diet pills or a crazy crash diet as your choice for losing weight fast, you will do far better with a diet that is suitable not only for short term fast weight loss but also long term health.

I do not recommend low calorie diets because they are impossible to stick with and they cause your metabolism to drop. You need to choose a diet that is easier to follow long term and that will keep your metabolism boosted.

I also do not recommend low carb diets as they are even harder to follow than low calorie diets. They never allow you to eat the foods you crave and that eventually causes you to give up on the diet. People who use Atkins style diets always eventually gain their weight back, even if they do lose it in the first place!

Instead of picking a low calorie diet plan like the Weight Watchers system or a low carb dieting plan like Atkins you should instead choose a diet that does not require you to count calories or carbs and that does allow you to occasionally satisfy your cravings and that does keep your metabolism boosted.

The only diet I know of that meets all of these qualifications is The Day Off Diet which is a new way of thinking about dieting. It includes special (very easy to follow) dieting guidelines for 6 days of the week and a required “day off” every 7th day. The day off is an important part of the plan because it allows you to regularly satisfy your cravings that usually get you off track with your diet and it also boosts your metabolism which makes you lose weight faster.

This is a diet that is suitable not only to lose weight fast but also for long term weight loss and keeping the weight off when you’ve lost it. It will help you break the dieting cycle of losing weight and just gaining it right back over and over again.

Whatever choice you make to lose weight fast please do not choose diet pills or a gimmick diet like the cabbage soup diet or the grapefruit diet. These are the absolute worst choices you make! They will hurt you far more than help. Don’t make that mistake.

Samantha I. Snare recommends The Day Off Diet To Lose Weight Fast and further reading on Losing Weight Fast.

The Day Off Diet is a sensational new diet that will help you lose weight for good.

Choosing Wedding Flowers is one of the most important decisions you will make. Considering that it will be the most important day of your life that decision needs to be one you can live with, happily, for the rest of your life. Before you start selecting flowers for your wedding there are lots of things you need to have planned such as your Wedding colors, do you have a theme, how large your wedding will be, will it be formal or more casual and at the beach or a Cathedral.

Whatever the theme, size or venue of your wedding, its best to choose flowers in season as out of season flowers can be very pricy. If your wedding will be outdoors try to choose fresh cut flowers that will hold up to the elements. Hardy varieties will hold up to the strain of the day better as well. You don’t want to have your flowers drooping and turning brown at the reception.

Choosing Your Bridal Bouquet.

Your Bridal Bouquet will be the most important accessory you will purchase for your Wedding day. Vibrant colors are becoming more popular in bridal flowers and bouquets. You are not limited to the pastel colors or solid white of days gone by unless that is what you prefer.

Bridal Bouquets come in several basic shapes such as;

Round which does not have to be perfectly round and the flowers can be tightly clustered or loose with a more airy look. Within the Round Shapes there is the Nosegay with is a smaller Victorian style cluster of flowers. The Beidermeier shape which consists of rings of flowers, with each ring representing a different type of flower.

Crescent shape bouquets can be symmetrical or asymmetrical with the sides flowing downward.

The Arm bouquet consists of long stem flowers cradled in your arm.

The Cascade or Teardrop Bouquets are round at the top and come to a point at the bottom usually with streamers of ribbon or flowers.

Single Stem arrangements are becoming more popular. They are typically long stem flowers decorated with streamers, ribbon or lace.

The most important question to ask yourself before you select your bouquet is, what will you do with it after the wedding? Will you put it on display in your home? Will you find a way to preserve it?

Since it is becoming more popular to use vibrant colors in weddings, this includes the flowers. More and more brides are choosing Silk Flowers. In most cases silk flowers are cheaper, they keep longer. A very popular idea is to mix silk flowers with fresh flowers, especially in center piece arrangements.

Popular Wedding Flower Meanings.

I have found some very interesting meanings for flowers most commonly used for Weddings. Flowers take on different meanings when combined with other types of flowers and when combined with other colors of the same type of flower. Here is a list of some of the more popular Wedding flowers for each of the four seasons and some of their meanings. The flower meanings I have listed come from a variety of sources and are by no means exact because nobody really knows.

Spring Wedding Flowers;

Amaryllis means Pride and Radiant Beauty.

Apple Blossom means Good Fortune and Better Things To Come.

Lily means Majesty, Innocence and Honor.

Peony means Bashful, Happy Marriage and Prosperity

Sweet Pea means Lasting Pleasure.

Tulip means Passion and Happy Years.

Summer Wedding Flowers;

Calla Lily means Magnificent Beauty.

Daisy means Innocence and Purity.

Hydrangea means Vanity.

Iris means Wisdom, Faith and Hope.

White Rose means Honor, Reverence, Purity.

Queen Annes Lace means Sanctuary or Haven.

Autumn Wedding Flowers;

Aster means Elegance, Daintiness and Patience.

Chrysanthemum means Cheerfulness, Optimism and Joy.

Gerbera Daisy means Purity and Cheerfulness.

Statice means Remembrance and Success.

Winter Wedding Flowers;

Camellia means Gratitude and Graciousness.

Gardenia means Joy, Sweet Love and Good Luck.

Jasmine means Amiability and Elegance.

Orchid means Rare Beauty, Long Life and Refinement.

Deby has been a writer for Christmas Decorations and Gifts for several years. Select to view Christmas Decorations Ideas. We also have a great selection of Wedding Table Decorations.

You can usually get samples in-house. This means that most cosmetic companies do have some products to try out and test to the customers. You must not get easily attracted to its effects on paper, you just need to use it and review it yourself so nothing can be biased in the course of time. You can get gratis or the ones called freebies on most cosmetic manufacturers for free. One of the places to get them is Wal-Mart.

There are many complimentary samples that you can easily obtain. Most of the time, they appeal to most age brackets. There may be specific ones that are geared for teens and ones for mature women. They are presented in different formats; all vary on the product showcased.

Once you readily obtain your samples, you can easily try it out. If it benefits you, you can purchase it eventually. But for any skin type, they also have various shades. You can usually find the right foundation for you depending on the skin tone and the skin type. There are popular brands that can give you samples with variety of formulas, just choose the best that can highlight your skin and won’t have any adverse reactions.

MASCARA

Mascaras are presented in small tubes. It is a nice and fantastic way to market new formulas. Giving it the classification of the most practical giveaway product around, its tubes can be easily stored on a purse and can last up to ten days of use. Usually, the teen market is the one dominating the sample testing; anybody can also assess what mascaras are up to their preference.

LIPSTICK

Lipsticks do play a major role in the makeup industry. You can easily obtain a sample from various manufacturers. Often presented on miniature tubes, they will usually last for some days. Postcard type samples do last for only two uses. You can also get them from beauty magazines.

EYE SHADOW

There can be endless eye shadow samples that you can sift through. Upon the promotion of a new kind of color hue, they are often giving away free samples. They might be a little rare in comparison to other cosmetic products such as foundations and lipsticks. Usually encased in a postcard style presentation for just a few uses, then on, you can also decide on what eye shadows are good for your skin.

As mentioned, you can find them all in magazines and malls. From then on, the first rule of the thumb is to check if there would be any adverse reactions to your skin. It may be good to look at but take into consideration the state of your skin after application, seeing to it that it will have no rashes and other harmful effects to your skin. With free makeup samples, you can easily select the best makeup products at your discretion.

Vivian Timson loves makeup and has been writing many makeup related articles to help women save money by avoiding costly mistakes.

Learn where to get the best deals for Colorescience Mineral Makeup, which is a popular website that provides tips and advice on where to go to save money on Mineral Foundation Makeup.

Illustrious careers are shortened within no time and the stars have no place to go. Therefore, it would be unfair to blame a star for undergoing plastic surgery to achieve perfect beauty artificially or even hide those years. Eventually, in Hollywood one only sees how attractive a film star is. A good personality or handsome face immediately boosts ones market value. However there are people who go in for other non surgical alternatives like strict exercise regimes, yoga, cardio vascular programs and aerobic activities. Then why only plastic surgery? A typical surgery takes about a month to settle and if in a month one can become young again then only a fool would waste his time exercising and dieting hopelessly.

For Marie Osmond, her plastic surgery was not that successful and made her look synthetic. The surgical procedure gave her a brow lift, to make her look younger. Apparently, her fake exterior at once made headlines and she, to some extent due to her fame received a lot of bad publicity. Moreover, these stories receive more than enough attention from the media. Most of the internet sites carry comments from people who hated her for this as no one likes to see natural beauty get distorted. Consequently, they start hating people who go in for such procedures and make a bad job of it. Some one even commented about her “egomaniacal presence” on Dancing with the stars. Comments like “Marie Osmond was behaving like a teenager with her ball-room instructor, and it was evident from the start that she would eventually end up like this” were quite common.

A surgeon also believed she had got a prominent brow lift and scores of his post operative patients had got a little more than the required elevation particularly the eye brows. but Marie’s eye job was an extreme case possibly done carelessly. He also reported that it was reasonably likely that the surgeon would release part of the elevation. However, this famous surgeon also expressed expectation wishing that she would be fine and in fine health over quite a short period of time.

Fortunately for Marie Osmond, her brow lift effects have reduced and she has become her natural, beautiful self again and as it is, her fans became happy with her again. It also comes into view that Marie Osmond was happy that the effects wore down as her facial appearance indeed looked much younger and fresher. With so much time having passed away and Marie Osmond’s plastic surgery becoming hearsay of the past, it is only people who have no work and sit at leisure at home have time to gossip over such unimportant issues.

Claire Goldstein specializes in writing cosmetic surgery related articles to help potential patients to save money by avoiding costly mistakes. Learn about the do’s and don’ts of plastic surgery, head on to Beverly Hills Cosmetic Surgery where you can also find shocking secrets on cosmetic surgery facelift surgeons.

For those women who have long curly hair they prefer their hair shorter, the reason they gave is not because they thought they will have more attractive appearance but due to the fact that shorter hair is much easier to manage and cheaper to maintain.

Wouldn’t you like to know long curly hair care tips?

Hair Moisture is Important

If you have long curly hair, do not apply too much strange substance on your hair, pull it too tight with your hair brush and you should refrain from using hot air to straightened it. What you should do is just let it naturally curly. This is because if you are spending too much time and effort you will be annoyed.

By applying quality shampoos as well as quality conditioners to your hair are parts of curly hair care. It’s vital to maintain the proper moisture level because curly hair needs more moisture.

Be Sure to Use Correct Shampoo

Curly hair care experts recommends not to use clarifying shampoos on curly hair for more than once a month. Another suggestion is that not to choose transparent shampoo because it is an indication that it contains detergents that will reduce your hair moisture and if smooth manageable long curly hair is what you want. When applying shampoo on your hair be sure to be gentle.

The next useful tip for curly hair care is before you comb your hair make sure it is wet and using a comb is a good idea if you want to take out any tangles that you might have and it is also to create a part in you hair. You should only apply a brush to your hair is before you are going to wash it. Deep conditioning is important for curly hair care which should be done twice a month. Purchase some hair masks or quality conditioners instead of hot oil.

Put sufficient amount of conditioner in your hair and place a shower cap over your hair and then put a hot towel around the shower cap and leave it there for about an hour and then wash it out of your hair. These process should be done after you have shampooed your hair.

Ensuring that you are only eating a healthy diet full of nutrients as well as vitamins and avoid junk food is another good curly hair care tip. The healthiness of your hair decreases if you don’t have the right amount of nutrients in your system. If you would like to maintain your hair healthy and attractive, knowing about curly hair care is very important

Before you considering buying some hair care products online, make sure you check Hazel Hughes’ excellent free report on curly-hair-care

Lavender essential oil is extracted by steam distillation from the fresh flowering tops of the Lavandula augustifolia plant and list of therapeutic uses is indeed vast. We will however discuss a few applications to get you started.

1. Lavender essential oil is considered a must have for various skin ailments including acne, dermatitis, rashes, sunburn, eczema and psoriasis. One of the many benefits of this oil is that is it one of the few that can be applied neat, therefore to use on skin issues simply apply a few drops to a cotton ball or cotton pad and apply directly to affected area. This application also works well in treating bee or wasp stings.

2. Lavender essential oil is believed to promote hair growth. To use mix two or three drops of the oil to your favorite unscented leave on conditioner and massage into your scalp.

3. If you are suffering from a bout with the flu try adding a few drops of Lavender essential oil to your diffuser or use a steam inhalation to alleviate symptoms.

4. Adding a satchel to a closet or drawer has been done for years however adding a couple of drops to a cotton ball and placing in a strategic position will not only provide a wonderful scent but will also keep moths away from your clothes or linens.

5. Massage a couple of drops directly into your temples, or make a cold or hot compress for your head if you are suffering from a headache or migraine.

6. Lavender essential oil is also believed to help relieve insomnia and can be used as a sleep aid. There are several different applications that can be implemented including using a diffuser with three drops of oil or adding a few drops to a cotton ball or cloth and placing it into your pillow case. Another application that can be utilized is adding eight drops of oil to your bath water. It is also said that adding Lavender essential oil to your bath can also guard against nightmares.

The applications mentioned above can also be used to alleviate anxiety, depression, nervous tension or stress and to balance mood swings.

7. For respiratory issues including asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever use two or three drops in a diffuser or as a steam inhalation. Other options are to use in a bath or by adding several drops to a carrier oil and massaging directly onto the chest. A hybrid of Lavender known as Lavandin is also a great choice for respiratory issues as it has very similar benefits but is considered to be more penetrating.

8. If you experience problems with Premenstrual Symptoms or irregular menstruation then try massaging your abdominal area with a mixture of five drops of Lavender essential oil and one ounce of your favorite carrier oil.

Lavender essential oil is a wonderfully easy oil to use. It can be used neat and also mixes well with all of your other aromatherapy oils. As a beginner it is a great essential oil to start with because it can safely be used and experimented with.

Everything you want to know about essential oils, aromatherapy and pheromones. http://www.essentialoiloutlets.com

The term “Aromatherapy” can be misleading as it suggests that it is a form of healing that works exclusively through the sense of smell. This is not the case, as each essential oil has an individual combination of constituents that interact with the body’s chemistry in a direct manner. It is important to recognize that essential oils have three distinct modes of action with regard to how they interrelate with the human body: pharmacological, physiological and psychological.

The pharmacological effect is concerned with the chemical changes that take place when an essential oil enters the blood stream and brain and reacts with hormones and enzymes etc.; the physiological mode is the way the essential oil affects the system of the body, that is, whether they are sedated or stimulated; the psychological effect takes place in response to the smell of the essential oil with the limbic (memory/emotion) part of the brain.

For Aromatherapy to be effective, essential oils need to enter the body in one of two ways; one, physically through the skin and secondly through the olfactory system. Once the essential oils come into contact with the skin they are immediately assimilated into the circulatory system where they are carried to the various systems and organs.

When essential oils are inhaled, their unique molecules penetrate the limbic system in the brain. The limbic system, sometimes referred to as our “old” brain, is responsible for our memories and emotions. The brain, in turn, releases certain neurochemicals, causing positive changes throughout the body. It is best to use essential oils as external remedies only. This is due to the high concentration of the essential oils and the potential irritation or damage they could cause to the mucous membranes and delicate stomach lining.

Essential oils are non-oily aromatic liquids occurring naturally in various parts of plants, herbs, flowers, fruits, woods and spices. They contain the life force of the plant and have the ability to strengthen our immune system and to stimulate our bodies’ natural healing abilities.

Like herbalism, Aromatherapy draws on the healing powers of the plant world. However, instead of using the whole plant, it employs only it’s essential oil.

This potent, aromatic substance is housed in the tiny glands on the outside or deep inside the roots, woods, leaves, fruits or flowers of the plant. Most plants contain essential oils, but often in such minimal amounts that extraction would not be worth the effort or the price of the essential oil would be too high.

Essential oils are highly concentrated and in most cases must be diluted prior to use. Such concentration has some advantages. For example, essential oils don’t take up much room and can be easily transported. They can be combined with each other in a variety of ways for many different purposes.

Essential Oils:

Essential oils should be labeled “Pure Essential Oils”. There is a temptation by distillers and suppliers of essential oils to extend or stretch the essential oil. This greatly reduces or negates the therapeutic value of the essential oil, depending on what it has been extended with.

Essential oils will vary in price, depending on the amount of plant material required, the extraction process and the availability of the plant from which the essential oil is extracted. They should always be kept in dark glass bottles as they are extremely sensitive to light. The shelf life of essential oils varies.

A citrus essential oil has the shortest shelf life of approximately one year, after which it will gradually lose its therapeutic actions. Some essential oils, such as rose, sandalwood, rosewood and patchouli actually get better with age, much like fine wine.

There are hundreds of essential oils, which between them constitute an extremely effective medical system. Many of these are the active ingredient in drugs prescribed by the orthodox Western system of medicine, or the inspiration for synthetic copies. These concentrated liquids are indispensable to medicine, and to the food and cosmetic industries.

Some examples of the disinfectant properties of essential oils:

• The essential oil of cinnamon kills the Typhus bacillus at a dilution of 1:300

• The essential oil of chamomile has considerable bacteriostatic properties due to the amount of azulene contained in it. Azulene is effective at a dilution of 1:2000 against the Staphylococcus and thehemolyticbeta streptococcus (causes scarlet fever and rheumatic fever).

• Infected wounds have been healed using a dilution of 1:17000.

• The essential oil of lemon neutralizes Meningococcus , Typhus bacillus , Pneumococcus and Staphylococcus within 5 - 20 minutes.

In order to kill bacteria in the air, Professor Griffon carried out the following experiment: Mixtures of various essential oils were sprayed as mists in a room. The development capacity of the germs suspended in the air was studied before and after spraying. Before the test there were 210 germs, of which 12 were molds and 8 staphylococci. Within 30 minutes, the essential oils had destroyed all the molds and staphylococci.

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