View allAll Photos Tagged constipation.
My weekend won't be complete if I don't go out and shoot something. While my wife was busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen, I sneaked out capturing the morning scene in the nearby area.
Thought of calling a neighbor Apai to join me, but on second thought, I knew he wouldn't wake up that early on weekend. Then Azrul came across my mind but I quickly canceled him off knowing he has to spend time "entertaining" his constipation every morning.
After a couple of minutes drive, I settled at the gateway in the back entrance of our housing estate in Saujana Utama (SU) that leads to Puncak Alam and Shah Alam.
The early morning sun hidden behind the houses on the slope was very kind to light up the sky for me – just nice for my capture.
After a few shots, I then packed up and head home. The whole affair took me about 15 minutes or so, even my wife hardly noticed I went missing in those short minutes. If the trend is such, my wife is not aware of my missing, next time I'll try to have a short date with a girl and come back in flash pretending nothing happened. Wahahaha!!!
_______________________________________________________________________________
I would like to make special mention here on my neighbors from SU with flickr accounts that I know of. They are:-
1. Dr Zul
2. Apai
3. Jemay
4. Dbins
5. Azrul
6. Lan Rambai
7. Lanz
8. Kudin
Spinach 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
Written by Kris Gunnars, BSc — Updated on February 14, 2023
Nutrients
Vitamins & minerals
Plant compounds
Benefits
Downsides
Bottom line
Eating spinach may benefit eye health, reduce oxidative stress, help prevent cancer, and reduce blood pressure levels.
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green vegetable that originated in Persia.
It belongs to the amaranth family and is related to beets and quinoa. What’s more, it’s considered very healthy, as it’s loaded with nutrients and antioxidants.
There are many ways to prepare spinach. You can buy it canned or fresh and eat it cooked or raw. It’s delicious either on its own or in other dishes.
This article explains everything you need to know about spinach and its health benefits.
Claudia Lommel/Stocksy United
Nutrition facts
The nutrition facts for 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of raw spinach are (1Trusted Source):
Calories: 23
Water: 91%
Protein: 2.9 grams
Carbs: 3.6 grams
Sugar: 0.4 grams
Fiber: 2.2 grams
Fat: 0.4 grams
Carbs
Most of the carbs in spinach consist of fiber, which is incredibly healthy.
Spinach also contains small amounts of sugar, mostly in the form of glucose and fructose (1Trusted Source).
Fiber
Spinach is high in insoluble fiber, which may boost your health in several ways (2Trusted Source).
It adds bulk to stool as food passes through your digestive system. This may help prevent constipation.
SUMMARY
Spinach is low in carbs but high in insoluble fiber. This type of fiber may benefit your digestion.
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Vitamins and minerals
Spinach is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, including (3):
Vitamin A. Spinach is high in carotenoids, which your body can turn into vitamin A.
Vitamin C. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant that promotes skin health and immune function.
Vitamin K1. This vitamin is essential for blood clotting. Notably, one spinach leaf contains over half of your daily needs.
Folic acid. Also known as folate or vitamin B9, this compound is vital for pregnant women and essential for normal cellular function and tissue growth.
Iron. Spinach is an excellent source of this essential mineral. Iron helps create hemoglobin, which brings oxygen to your body’s tissues.
Calcium. This mineral is essential for bone health and a crucial signaling molecule for your nervous system, heart, and muscles.
Spinach also contains several other vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6, B9, and E.
SUMMARY
Spinach is an extremely nutrient-rich vegetable. It packs high amounts of carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, and calcium.
Plant compounds
Spinach contains several important plant compounds, including (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source):
Lutein. This compound is linked to improved eye health.
Kaempferol. This antioxidant may decrease your risk of cancer and chronic diseases.
Nitrates. Spinach contains high amounts of nitrates, which may promote heart health.
Quercetin. This antioxidant may ward off infection and inflammation. Spinach is one of the richest dietary sources of quercetin.
Zeaxanthin. Like lutein, zeaxanthin can also improve eye health.
SUMMARY
Spinach boasts many plant compounds that can improve health, such as lutein, kaempferol, nitrates, quercetin, and zeaxanthin.
I made an oriental plum sauce last night with these wild plums. Garlic, ginger, cayenne.... yum!
Health Benefits From Plums
Plums have a low glycemic index, making them a good choice for those with blood sugar problems. Plums contain special phytonutrients called chloregenic acid and neochlorogenic acid, which are powerful antioxidants. These compounds are capable of assisting in the prevention of damage to the beneficial fats that protect brain cells and that make up cell membranes. Plums are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins, boron, and two pigments called lutein and zeaxanthin, which are particualry helpful for protecting vision and preventing macular degeneration of the eyes, which can lead to blindness. Plums are also a better economic value than blueberries. One relatively inexpensive plum has about the same amount of antioxidants as a handful of more costly blueberries and offers many of the similar health benefits. There are loads of health benefits from eating a single raw plum once a day.
Plums contain enzymes that help your body absorb more iron, which increases circulation and gives you more energy. Plums will also help to cleanse your blood of damaging free radicals, keeping your blood pressure from climbing too high, and protecting your arteries. People who eat a plum every single day are less likely to develop heart disease than people who only eat plums once in a while. The vitamin C content of plums helps your joints and lungs. Several studies have concluded that prunes, because of their boron and polyphenol content, have a beneficial effect on bone mineral density. The high fiber and sorbitol content of plums and prunes, in particular, make them perfect for softening the stool and promoting bowel movements. One word of caution, plums contain oxalates. If you have a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones, you might want to consider to eat plums sparingly.
Studies have shown that plums can help:
* Relieve Constipation
* Reduce Vision Problems
* Protect Joints
* Prevent Osteoporosis
* Improve Lung Function
* Improve Blood Quality
* Prevent Infections
* Promote Healthy Cholesterol Levels
Until next time, don't forget to grow and eat your plums!
EXPLORED! Rank #444, August 29, 2009
Moa nahele, Flat-stemmed whiskfern
Psilotaceae (Whiskfern family)
Indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands (Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island)
Photo: Hawaiʻiloa Ridge Trail, Oʻahu
The Hawaiian name Moa nahele literally means "forest chicken." Moa is chicken, referring to a chickens' comb, and reference to the fronds. Nahele is forest.
It is less common than Psilotum nudus in the islands, but still easy to find in the right environment.
Early Hawaiian children would play a simple game of moa nahele (lit., chicken vegetation). Plants in Hawaiian Culture explains how this game was played: “Two children sat or stood facing one another, each holding a branched stem of moa. These they interlocked and then slowly pulled apart until the branches of one broke. The other child, without broken branches, was the winner and announced his victory by crowing like a rooster (moa).” One of the names ʻoʻō moa in fact means "cock's crow."
Moa was also used in lei making by early Hawaiians.
Moa (Psilotum spp.) was used for kūkae paʻa (constipation) in newborn babies and elderly men and women. It was also mixed with other plants to treat akepau (tuberculosis, consumption), and various respiratory conditions. Additionally, extracts from moa were used as laxatives. The yellow spores were used for diarrhea in infants and used like talcum powder to prevent chafing from loincloths.
Etymology
The generic name is from the Greek psilos, naked or smooth, alluding to the smooth aerial stems without leaves.
The specific epithet complanatum is from the Latin complanatus, flattened, in reference to flattened stems of this species.
Our sweet daughter-in-law Lucy recently died of ovarian cancer at only 34 years old. Over 300 people turned up at her funeral to show respect to an ordinary loving, caring girl and over £2000 was donated to the UK charity 'Ovarian Cancer Action' (update - around £7000 has been raised in her memory at this time) Lucy’s illness was consistently mis-diagnosed as constipation, bloating, or latterly as a water infection by her family doctors’ practice. This was despite Lucy pointing out on more than one occasion that her mother had died of ovarian cancer only twelve years previous to this. Lucy’s condition was eventually detected after our son had taken her directly to the hospital accident and emergency department. Here they actually took the time to physically examine a young lady who was in pain and a simple blood test detected her condition. A similar degree of medical ignorance of text-book ovarian cancer symptoms, led to one of our friends being similarly mis-diagnosed too late for treatment, about a year previous to Lucy. I don’t mean to be alarmist, but I urge any of you who may have reason to suspect a genetic disposition to any cancer, not to be fobbed-off by a ‘trust us, we doctors know better than you' attitude. If you have any doubts at all, then please check on ovarian cancer, or other cancer symptoms on the internet and seek further medical advice. www.everywomanshouldremember.co.uk/
Dys
Michael Leans to Rock -
Indisputably, timberland is the greatest place to find magical bits and pieces. Examining in extreme an oddity I found on a leafy platter… hmm, there are three individual desserts at least from the same factory. I twiddle my thumbs idly, trying to look away from the sweet galore staring at me. “Leave us all alone,” the jiggling jellies screamed in unison. “We won’t melt in the hot weather.” What can I say? Temptation can gouge your palms more than sharp nails. Their pleas fueled my weakness until I can no longer stand. Hastily I reached out with left hand... the first spoon of mango pudding glided smooth like tofu into my tummy. Ooohhh, the pleasure they provide send me straight to paradise. The second ladle of banana custard with high-fiber prunes, my constipation in build up is loose. The third mouthful of banana cream with sliced peaches, their flavor so rich my sweet tooth grew into wisdom tooth. In a flash, every single one is gone. As soon as the madness of impulse subsides, self-reproach kicked in. Yes, I‘ve done some stupid act but no, wolfing down little egg cups of insect origin it isn’t an inhuman thing. Twenty five minutes too late, somebody in front took my pie away. That empty capsule I couldn’t get my hands on filled me with immense curiosity. What flavor was it? The remorse of slowness stains like mud on shoes and materialized behind as footprints following wherever I go.
Species information
Scientific name:
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson
Common name:
elephant yam, elephant foot yam, whitespot giant arum, stink lily, telinga potato (English); suram, jimmikand (India); buk (Thailand); suweg, walur, eles (Indonesia)
Conservation status:
Not considered to be threatened.
Habitat:
Secondary forest or highly disturbed areas.
Key Uses:
Food, fodder, medicine.
Known hazards:
Tubers of wild plants are highly acrid and can irritate the mouth and throat on ingestion due to the presence of calcium oxalate crystals.
About this species
Elephant yam is a striking aroid with a flower spike crowned with a bulbous maroon knob and encircled by a fleshy maroon and green-blotched bract. The solitary leaf, which emerges after the flowering parts, resembles a small tree.
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius has been in cultivation throughout tropical Asia for centuries. The tubers are the third most important carbohydrate source after rice and maize in Indonesia. They are also consumed widely in India and Sri Lanka, although elsewhere they are seen as a famine crop, to be used when more popular staples, such as rice, are in short supply.
Elephant yam belongs to the same genus as the crowd-pulling titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum). It should not be confused with Dioscorea species, which are also known by the common name yam, but belong to a different plant family (Dioscoreaceae). In particular it should not be confused with elephant’s foot yam (Dioscorea elephantipes) from South Africa.
Medicinal Uses
Elephant yam has medicinal properties and is used in many Ayurvedic (traditional Hindu) preparations. The tubers are considered to have pain-killing, anti-inflammatory, anti-flatulence, digestive, aphrodisiac, rejuvenating and tonic properties. They are traditionally used in the treatment of a wide range of conditions including parasitic worms, inflammation, coughs, flatulence, constipation, anaemia, haemorrhoids and fatigue.
( www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/amorphophal... )
Moa or Upright whiskfern
Psilotaceae (Whiskfern family)
Indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands (All the main islands and Midway Atoll)
Photo: Honolulu, Oʻahu
Medicinally, moa (Psilotum spp.) was used by the early Hawaiians for kūkae paʻa (constipation) in newborn babies and elderly men and women. It was also mixed with other plants to treat akepau (tuberculosis, consumption), and various respiratory conditions. Additionally, extracts from moa were used as laxatives. The spores were used for diarrhea in infants and used like talcum powder to prevent chafing from loincloths called malo.
Moa was also used in lei making by early Hawaiians.
Early Hawaiian children would play a simple game of moa nahele (lit., chicken vegetation). "Plants in Hawaiian Culture" explains how this game was played: “Two children sat or stood facing one another, each holding a branched stem of moa. These they interlocked and then slowly pulled apart until the branches of one broke. The other child, without broken branches, was the winner and announced his victory by crowing like a rooster (moa).” One of the names ʻoʻō moa in fact means "cock's crow."
Etymology
The generic name is from the Greek psilos, naked or smooth, alluding to the smooth aerial stems without leaves.
The specific epithet is from the Latin nudus, bare or naked, in reference to the naked nature of the stems.
Custard apples contain anti-oxidants like Vitamin C, which helps to fight free radicals in our body. It is also high in potassium and magnesium that protects our heart from cardiac disease.
Not only that, it also controls our blood pressure. Custard apples contain Vitamin A, which keeps your skin and hair healthy. This fruit is also known to be great for eyes, and cures indigestion problems. It's important to include this fruit in your diet, as the copper content helps to cure constipation, and helps to treat diarrhoea and dysentery.
As they are high in magnesium, they equalise the water balance in our body, which helps in removing acids from the joints and reduces the symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis. If you feel tired and weak more often than usual, then have this fruit in your daily diet, as the potassium present in it will help to fight muscle weakness.
It is also good for people suffering from anemia, as it this fruit is high in calorie. And if you want to put on some weight, include this in your daily diet chart. Custard apple contains natural sugar, and hence make great nutritious snacks and even desserts.
Source~ The Times of India.
(Explore #374: Oct 08, 2008)
From high up in the Similkameen Mountains, near Tulameen, BC, Canada
The rose hip and rose haw, is the pomaceous fruit of the rose plant, that typically is red-to-orange, but might be dark purple-to-black in some species.
Rose hips of some species, especially Rosa canina (Dog Rose) and R. majalis, have been used as a source of Vitamin C. Rose hips are commonly used as an herbal tea, often blended with hibiscus and as an oil. They can also be used to make jam, jelly, marmalade and wine. Rose hip soup, "nyponsoppa," is especially popular in Sweden. Rhodomel, a type of mead, is made with rose hips.
[edit] Health benefits
Particularly high in Vitamin C, with about 1700–2000 mg per 100 g in the dried product, one of the richest plant sources.[1]
Rose hips contain vitamins A, D and E, essential fatty acids and antioxidant flavonoids.
Rose hip powder is a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis.[2]
Rose hips from the dog rose have antioxidant values that far exceed other berries such as blueberries
As an herbal remedy, rose hips are attributed with the ability to prevent urinary bladder infections, and assist in treating dizziness and headaches[citation needed]. Rose hips are also commonly used externally in oil form to restore firmness to skin by nourishing and astringing tissue.[citation needed]
Brewed into a decoction, can also be used to treat constipation.[citation needed]
Rose hips contain a lot of iron, so some women brew rose hip tea during menstruation to make up for the iron that they lose with menses.[citation needed]
Usage
Rose hips are used for the creation of herbal tea, jam, jelly, syrup, beverages, pies, bread and marmalade, amongst others. [...]
The fine hairs found inside rose hips can be used as itching powder. [...]
[edit] By indigenous people
Rose hips were used in many food preparations by the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Rose hips are used for colds and influenza. The Latin binomial for this herb is Rosa laevigata.
"No Man Loves a Tired Nervous Woman! Nor does a woman love a pepless man. How to get friends (page 9). How to hold your husband's love (page 12)."
Are you tired, nervous, or--ahem!--pepless? If so, then you would surely benefit from reading this small 1930s advertising booklet. It extols the virtues of Vinol, a patent medicine that contained ingredients such as cod liver oil and beef peptones, plus alcohol (as much as 15 percent).
Do you suffer from other unpleasant afflictions instead? Then you merely need to flip over this reversible booklet (similar to an upside-down book or a tête-bêche binding) to read about the wonders of Adlerika (see the cover on the other side below).
Dedicated to everyone who has Crohn's
This is my favourite picture of the Year so far. (April 8th, 2018)
Had an idea, went for it.
For my father.
"Suffering in the now for the excesses of the then. A political statement." - Jason Boisvert
"Au bout du rouleau" - Hugo Caron
"Thoughts and Prayers."
"Just make another controversial photo. ... I don't care, the theme doesn't matter, just get people talking about the title or something"
Advertising card courtesy of the Brockville Museum, Ontario.
Scanned by John Mack.
-----------------------
Wikipedia:
Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills were first made in 1854 in Buffalo, New York.
The company moved from Buffalo to plants in both Brockville, Ontario, and Morristown, New York.
The ingredients were identified as natural herbs and roots used by the Indians.
W.H. Comstock said these pills cured:
Biliousness,
Dyspepsia,
Constipation,
Sick Headache,
Scrofula,
Kidney Disease,
Liver Complaint,
Jaundice,
Piles,
Dysentery,
Colds,
Boils,
Malarial Fever,
Flatulency,
Foul Breath,
Eczema,
Gravel,
Worms,
Female Complaints,
Rheumatism,
Neuralgia,
La Grippe,
Palpitation,
and
Nervousness
----------------------
W. H. Comstock's Indian Root Pills continued to be made in Australia until 1959
folkloric:
Saluyot being rich in vitamins and minerals generally promotes good health and well-being.
It is said to prevent wrinkles and promote youthful looking skin. treat inflammation and pain such as arthritis , headache, stomach ache and others. being rich in fiber helps to control blood pressure, cholesterol build-up, diabetes and prevents heart disease.
Saluyot leaves are rich in fiber and its slimy consistency when cooked is used to treat various digestive problems such as diarrhea, stomach ache, dysentery, constipation and ulcers.
It is also claimed that together with other herbs it can cure cancer.
source: medicalhealthguide
...except for the free food the queen provided the poorest quarters in the city, she would also once a year gifts of gold and food to the one that was singled out as the poorest citizen within the town and its outskirts...
This recipient would be new every year since they got so much gold that they could support themselves for years...
For singling out of this person the queen had assembled a small board consisting of Her, Prince Albert, the town mage and also every city guilds chairman as well as some official minority groups leaders such as from the middle-esterling refugee population living in the capital...
Every year would start the same, the Wizard would say that he was the poorest citizen, anyhow as he argued, compared to the cost of running experiments that his budget would go on a big negative value every year, after this queen would grant him some gold to keep quiet for the rest of the meeting...
...then Prince Albert would complain about that his consumption of alcohol made him have large tabs on every pub and then stated that if he would pay every tavern what he owed them he would be on a minus so huge that even the states entire annual budget couldn´t stuff his holes in the budget, then the queen would given him a gold coin and he would excuse himself and vanish with the speed of drunk-light!!!
Then the meeting could start for real... this year an old miner living in an abandoned mine close to town was the one the board agreed on was the poorest person and should be granted the award, but the members of the board warned the queen, that he was a nutter, so she would better bring a whole army to keep safe...
The queen settled for three soldiers and Puffy iff her favorite dog...
...later that day a horse-drawn chart loaded with food and gold arrived to the abandoned mine...
the queen jumped off her horse, there was no one to be seen, when she peeked inside the main building, there was just a big abyss of a hole, she called down the hole:
- Is there anyone home, it is you majesty Queen Esmeralda, with a surprise...
then it just echoed for ever and ever, then she heard a faint voice:
- I will just be a jiffy, I am here digging, will be up quite soon...
...after a while a dirty old bearded man climbed the walls of the abyss like a mountain goat... very agile despite his ancient age...
- Hello Madam, I am...
oh what is my name now again?
yes nap, nappy, Napoleon, yes that is my name, Napoleon and some number I can´t remember!
Who are you my fair lady?
- Hi, Napoleon I am Esmeralda also with a number, Actually Esmeralda the first...
- Yes, first, one, one that is my number and one more number that is higher than the first, yes one plus three, I am four, no wait I am 1 and three that is 13, oh wait I am, oh I forgot what my first name was...
- Napoleon, the queen replied!
- Yes that is the guy, Napoleon number 13, who are you?
- I am ruling queen of t his queendom, eh I mean kingdom!
Step outside I have a small surprise for you!
- No you can´t be ruling this kingdom, because I am King, from here to the land of the forestmen, the barbarian, the middle-asterling emirates, I own it all...
- Oh (*giggle*)! You Majesty would you please step outside and look at the surprise I have brought you...
- ok, ok, ah it is daylight my poor eyes... oh I see now, your brought your King and Emperor three men and two horse to help me dig, I am very pleased my loyal subject... You will be rewarded later, or now, I will award the title: Earl of the eastern wall of my hole between 30 feet and 45 feet...
- Eh Well, your Majesty actually my gift isn´t my henchmen or beast of burden but what we have brought you on the chart over there, one chest of gold, a box of food, a chicken and a sack of cereal seeds...
- My subject, are you trying to make mockery out of me? I have gold, I am the richest man in the world, down my hole I have lumps of gold so huge that a dragon couldn´t lift a grain of them... you really disappoint me citizen, I hope the crate with food is fresh earthworms? since that is the only thing I eat, all other food just gives me constipation or was it the other way around, anyhow I eat only fresh squiggly earthworms...
- Eh, Well you majesty, no I have failed you, I have brought you nothing of value and as a self-punishment for the shame I have brought up on my self, will leave you to your work and retreat to my "prison-like" palace and no longer bother you your majesty...
I am so sorry!
- Well Subject citizen, I Napoleon the 14th forgive you, no need for you to punish your self, but, now leave me alone and get your stuff out of my property... Now I have more important things to do than to squabble and gossip with puny subject...
- Yes your majesty...!
the queen slowly backed away while bowing and kneeling respectfully, she picked up Spotty iff and she and her men mounted a rode away to the farm next door and gave the random family the gifts perhaps they were not the poorest but they surely needed the gifts more than Napoleon!
DSC09660
Dandelions are demonised as one of the most pernicious weeds, but hold back on the mowing and you’ll find a whole range of garden wildlife depends on them for food, writes Kate Bradbury.
Wildlife: while in flower for most of the year, the dandelion’s peak flowering time is from late March to May, when many bees and other pollinators emerge from hibernation. Each flower in fact consists of up to 100 florets, each one packed with nectar and pollen. This early, easily available source of food is a lifesaver for pollinators in spring.
Bumblebees, solitary bees and honeybees all visit dandelions for food, along with hoverflies, beetles, and butterflies such as the peacock and holly blue. Goldfinches and house sparrows eat the seed. Yet most of us gardeners miss out on the spectacle of watching wildlife feast on our dandelions, because we wage such a war against them as weeds.
The young leaves are edible and loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, the roots can be ground into a (quite tasty) coffee substitute, and the flowers can be made into wine (just leave some for the wildlife). Historically, its sap was said to cure warts, while a tea made using its leaves was supposed to help calm stomach aches. Herbalists apparently still use dandelions to treat skin conditions, asthma, low blood pressure, poor circulation, ulcers, constipation, colds and hot flushes.
I know I live in my own little world but after all the woes I've had to suffer over the last few days something brought a smile back to my face. Behind me are some flowers which I bought as my little post-op 'Cancer Garden' to tend and enjoy whilst I did my chemo. That was 2017 and the pots here I left out in winter died but I still have one flowering away as I take it inside. At the same time I had my concrete pond repaired so I could keep some fish again. Most of the first eight just died but I had more success with the next six. But I was a little perplexed as having eight goldfish swimming around all day and night with nothing else on their minds apart from food and sex I was hoping for some little ones too but nothing. But this-afternoon when I looked in the pond there was a tiny fish darting around and too quick for the hungry mouths. I have to say I'm delighted for any fool can go to the pet shop and buy some more but it's much more satisfying to have my own especially as it replaces one of the eight that the heron killed through the netting last Autumn. No I haven't had a single baby fish or as they should be called fry since the 1990's so it is quite an occasion. Maybe my luck is changing the next thing I've got to get sorted is the post-tumble constipation lol.
OK, marriage and celibacy are individual's choice and I made it a caption for this just because it contains thorns like this Aloe vera plant, LOL !! My aim is to say something about the goodness of Aloe vera. Its gel is one of the most potential natural medicines. The following is a list of good things it can do.
• Halts the growth of cancer tumors.
• Lowers high cholesterol.
• Repairs “sludge blood” and reverses “sticky blood”.
• Boosts the oxygenation of your blood.
• Eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain.
• Protects the body from oxidative stress.
• Prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea.
• Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.
• Cures ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease and other digestive disorders.
• Reduces high blood pressure natural, by treating the cause, not just the symptoms.
• Nourishes the body with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients.
• Accelerates healing from physical burns and radiation burns.
• Halts colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract.
• Ends constipation.
• Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics.
• Prevents and treats candida infections.
• Protects the kidneys from disease.
• Functions as nature’s own “sports drink” for electrolyte balance.
• Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance.
• Speeds recovery from injury or physical exertion.
• Hydrates the skin, accelerates skin repair.
ஒன்றே பலவே உருவே அருவேயோ
என்றே அழைப்பதுன்னை என்றோ பராபரமே !!!
தாயுமானவர் பராபரக்கண்ணி
© All Rights Reserved - Black Diamond Images
More images of Morpeth HERE
Restoration of this sign by an Australian group of artisans associated with The Letterheads organization commenced on the weekend of the 29th and 30th of April 2000 When a ......... "couple of dozen talented tradespeople descended on an old corrugated iron barn in the Hunter Valley, near the small historical township of Morpeth New South Wales.
This site was owned by Mr Ray Mudd who at 74 years of age assured 'the group that' the structure hadn't seen a coat of paint in his lifetime. Mr Mudd was an enthusiastic participant in this sign restoration project from the very first mention of it...as were the local heritage committee of Morpeth."
More on the Letterheads Restoration Project HERE
Some History of Dr Morse's Indian Root Pills.
"Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills have their genesis in William Henry Comstock's father, Edwin P. Comstock, who founded a drug company in New York City in 1833.
The Indian Root Pills were first formulated and manufactured in 1854 by Andrew B. Moore, who was then operating under the name A.B. Moore in Buffalo, New York. Rights to the pills were then transferred through a number of different business partnerships under the control of Moore, Andrew J. White, Baldwin L. Judson, George Wells Comstock and his nephew, William Henry Comstock.
Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills 'became' one of the most successful and enduring products to be manufactured and marketed in North America as part of the lucrative patent medicine industry, which thrived during most of the 19th and 20th centuries. Its manufacturer claimed the pills contained herbal ingredients that would help "cleanse the blood," as "impurity of the blood" was believed to be the cause of all disease. WIKIPEDIA
Stories suggesting that the origin of the medications formula lay in native American folklore were first disseminated as early as the late 1850's, but in fact were entirely fabrication. There never was a Dr. Morse. The originator of these pills was Andrew B. Moore.
Prescription of Dr Morse's Root Pills continued until at least the 1940's but mostly declined soon after World War 1.
The Root Pills were "recommended as a cure for biliousness, dyspepsia, constipation, sick headache, scofula, kidney disease, liver complaint, jaundice, piles, dysentery, colds, boils, malarial fever, flatulence, foul breath, eczema, gravel, worms, female complaints, rheumatism, neuralgia, la grippe, palpitation, and nervousness..."
Originally the formula was of course a closely guarded secret but by the 1930's it was revealed to be a concoction of "Aloes, Mandrake, Gambage, Jalap and Cayenne Pepper." REFERENCE
In 1885 the first Dr Morse's Root Pills advertisement appeared in Australia. It was in the form of a hand painted sign able to be viewed along the Melbourne to Ballarat railway journey.
midcoaststories.com/2020/07/dr-morses-Indian-root-pills/
is the miracle fruit...!
professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:
This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking.. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal..
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack..
Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'
I grew up believing it was peanut butter and pills
That drove Elvis to his final destination.
Now, I've learned there are worse things in this universe that kill---
And the truth is he died from constipation.
His lower intestines, an illustration revealed,
Were twice as big as normal size.
And as such, packed more than a double normal yield.
A difficult situation to visualize.
Apparently, his colon was so abundantly packed,
It evolved into a substance much like clay.
God gives us only so much spare room-- that's a fact--
That it's best to empty the garbage every day .
So, for four or five months, as his autopsy showed--
No gastroenterologist in sight--
The King of Rock and Roll held on to his load.
As his 'Fecal Express' remained stopped at the light.
Officially, the record, says it was too many pills,
And a diet embarrassingly poor.
It wasn't, as some said, that "Rock and Roll" kills,
But a heart attack-- from straining, for sure.
The other morning, I had my own 'Elvis moment':
A "Jailhouse Rock" in my colon, sang: "Return to Sender".
When the situation was resolved, what I saw with my eyes,
Must have been, I was convinced, "The Devil in Disguise".
In any case, I'm sure most of you have "Suspicious Minds",
But I "Won't Be Cruel", and with a "Little Less Conversation"
about celebrity behinds...
I Think, this poem, I'll end here.
B. Kite -- 4/9/2023
This orange is on a tree in front of my house in Tucson, Arizona.
From Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_orange
Seville orange (or bigarade) is a widely known, particularly tart orange which is now grown throughout the Mediterranean region. It has a thick, dimpled skin, and is prized for making marmalade, being higher in pectin than the sweet orange, and therefore giving a better set and a higher yield. It is also used in compotes and for orange-flavored liqueurs.
Once a year, oranges of this variety are collected from trees in Seville and shipped to Britain to be used in marmalade. However, the fruit is rarely consumed locally in Andalusia
I can no longer eat anything made with Seville oranges:
Bitter orange may have serious drug interactions with drugs such as statins in a similar way to grapefruit.
Since I am not allowed to eat grapefruit, I assume that is also the case for Seville oranges!!!
2016 Update:
I am not longer on statins, so I can eat tart citrus fruit and berries, such as cranberries. Yea!!
_____________________________.
Seen on www.ask.com
Q:
When are Seville oranges in season?
A:Seville oranges have a very brief winter season from December to February.
Seville oranges are a variety of sour oranges that are most commonly used for orange marmalade.
Seville oranges taste sour, tart and sometimes bitter. When the bitter flavor of Seville oranges is combined with sugar, the predominant flavor is oranges with a sharp, tangy taste. The bitterness of the Seville oranges eliminates the over-sweetness of most fruit preserves and contributes to an intensity of flavor in the marmalade. Seville oranges can be refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen.
Seville orange plants are used more as a rootstock for other types of citrus than for cultivating its own fruits.
_____________________________________
Seasons/Availability
Seville oranges have a brief winter season.
Current Facts
The Seville orange, botanically classified as Citrus aurantium, is a sour orange variety commonly used for its oil extract. The Seville orange, also commonly known as bitter orange or sour orange has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat nausea, indigestion and constipation. The crushed fruit and macerated leaves will lather when mixed with water and is used as a soap substitute in the Pacific Islands. The Seville orange peel, when dried and concentrated, contains a chemical similar to ephedra and has been used in many modern weight-loss products.
Description/Taste
Although the Seville orange smells like a true orange, it does not have many other obvious award winning virtues. Its rough, thick and bumpy deep orange colored peel clings tightly to its pale orange translucent flesh, making it hard to peel. It is sour, tart, sometimes bitter and laden with seeds. It has two primary attributes: the peel contains fragrant essential oils and its flesh, when ripe is extremely juicy. The most common usage for the Seville orange is for the production of marmalade where it can use its peel and juice to its advantage; any sour and bitter flavors can be developed and enriched into elements of depth.
Applications
Seville oranges are most commonly used for orange marmalade. Use the zest and juice in flavored sugars or salts, syrups, cocktails, vinaigrette or marinades. Pair with fennel, bitter greens, chicories, olives, other citrus, fresh herbs, aged cheeses, seafood, rice, and Spanish spices. Seville oranges will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.
Geography/History
Sour oranges are native to China. Trade routes brought them to Africa and the Mediterranean in the 10th Century. Cultivation of sour orange varieties led to the Seville orange of Seville, Spain in the 12th Century, where it would accrue its name. The Seville orange was the only orange variety in Europe for the next 500 years. It was also one of the first citrus varieties brought to the New World where it was naturalized in the Caribbean, South, Central and North America. When sweet oranges were introduced to America, sour orange trees would begin to shift their role as edible fruit to rootstock. Cross pollination of the sour and sweet orange trees also proved to create bitter fruits in sweet orange varieties which forced farmers to reduce production of sour orange trees.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Seville Oranges. One is easiest, three is harder.
Dressing for Dinner Seville Orange Cupcakes with Seville Buttercream Icing
Simply RecipesSeville Orangeade
The Cottage SmallholderGilbert’s Seville Orange Gin
The British LarderRaw Salad of Fennel, Seville Orange, Chicory and Kohlrabi
HerbivoraciousPaella Cakes with Manchego and Candied Seville Orange Peel
The Cottage SmallholderEasy Seville Orange Marmalade
Eat Locally, Blog Globally Lavender Jelly with Orange-pith Pectin
Everybody Likes Sandwiches Bitter Orange Ice Cream
The British LarderRaw Salad of Fennel, Seville Orange, Chicory and Kohlrabi
The British Larder Seville Orange and Vanilla Bean Marmalade
Hide the other 2...
Arctic Garden StudioVin d’Orange
Hunter Angler Gardener CookCretan Olives with Seville Oranges
Recently Spotted
People have spotted Seville Oranges using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Spotting allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
IMG_7681 - Version 2
Moa nahele, Flat-stemmed whiskfern
Psilotaceae (Whiskfern family)
Indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands (Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island)
Photo: Hawaiʻiloa Ridge Trail, Oʻahu
The Hawaiian name Moa nahele literally means "forest chicken." Moa is chicken, referring to a chickens' comb, and reference to the fronds. Nahele is forest.
It is less common than Psilotum nudus in the islands, but still easy to find in the right environment.
Early Hawaiian children would play a simple game of moa nahele (lit., chicken vegetation). Plants in Hawaiian Culture explains how this game was played: “Two children sat or stood facing one another, each holding a branched stem of moa. These they interlocked and then slowly pulled apart until the branches of one broke. The other child, without broken branches, was the winner and announced his victory by crowing like a rooster (moa).” One of the names ʻoʻō moa in fact means "cock's crow."
Moa was also used in lei making by early Hawaiians.
Moa (Psilotum spp.) was used for kūkae paʻa (constipation) in newborn babies and elderly men and women. It was also mixed with other plants to treat akepau (tuberculosis, consumption), and various respiratory conditions. Additionally, extracts from moa were used as laxatives. The yellow spores (seen in photo) were used for diarrhea in infants and used like talcum powder to prevent chafing from loincloths.
Etymology
The generic name is from the Greek psilos, naked or smooth, alluding to the smooth aerial stems without leaves.
The specific epithet complanatum is from the Latin complanatus, flattened, in reference to flattened stems of this species.
Chmurka has tumor.
I am shocked, I feel nauseaus, I can't believe it, I...
On Friday I sensed something in Chmurka's tummy... I didn't know what it was, it was growing bigger. Yesterday something happened, and Chmurka had all the sympotms of constipation. Today I took her to the vet to heal it.
And then it turned out she has tumor.
Right in her stomach.
Like a small stone...
She will have surgery on Wednesday, noon.
The chances are 50 / 50.
It all depends what actually is inside her.
Chmurka is
the biggest love of my life
the most amazing hamster
the most wonderful person.
I can't live without her.
She is very tired now...
She was given injections, lots of water, glucose, painkillers, other medicine...
She was totally paralysed at the vet. She had to stay there for many hours.
She is sleeeping now...
Please please please pray for Her...
Yuba last night at Naomi's rental house in Yubari. Recently, Yuba had a bought of bloody coughing which resulted in a trip to the vet. The vet wasn't concerned and thinks it may be related to constipation (the body is just a very complex hydraulic system) and gave Yuba more laxative and some medicine to heal the bleeding. Yuba really doesn't like taking medicine and it appears he and Naomi struggled a bit because you can see some dried medicine on his fur.
Of greater concern is Yuba's heart. Right now, it's fine but at his age, and more importantly weight, the vet was concerned he may develop heart disease. She recommended Yuba take some medicine to help prevent that. She also recommended Yuba loose weight. His weight a few years ago was 11kg and is now down to 8.5kg (and he lost 100g over the past month). At his age (he's over 15 now), we take his health very seriously and so will start him on his heart medicine.
The oil produced from star anise contains thymol, terpineol and anethole, which is used for treating coughs and flu. Anise also helps improve digestion, alleviate cramps and reduce nausea. Consuming star anise tea after meals helps treat digestive ailments such as bloating, gas, indigestion and constipation.
Drinking one glass of water infused with the crushed seeds of star anise at night can increase one's sex drive!
Below the knee amputation is surgery to remove all or part of your foot or your leg below the knee cap. It is also called BKA. You may need a BKA for a health problem that causes poor blood flow, such as diabetes. You may have a severe infection or a blood clot. You may have been in an accident that injured your leg beyond repair. You may also need a BKA if you have cancer, or were born with a deformed leg. Amputations are either planned or done in an emergency. Caregivers will only remove as much of your foot or leg as is absolutely necessary. After a BKA, you may be fitted for a prosthesis (artificial leg) for your residual (remaining) limb.
You and your caregiver will work together to decide if other treatments should be included in your treatment plan. You may need hyperbaric oxygen treatment to help heal infections. You may need surgery to provide new blood vessels to your leg if you have blood flow problems. If you have cancer, you may need surgery to remove the tumor and graft a donor bone in its place.
AFTER YOU LEAVE:
Medicines:
Keep a written list of the medicines you take, the amounts, and when and why you take them. Bring the list of your medicines or the pill bottles when you see your caregivers. Learn why you take each medicine. Ask your caregiver for information about your medicine. Do not use any medicines, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, herbs, or food supplements without first talking to caregivers.
Always take your medicine as directed by caregivers. Call your caregiver if you think your medicines are not helping or if you feel you are having side effects. Do not quit taking your medicines until you discuss it with your caregiver. If you are taking medicine that makes you drowsy, do not drive or use heavy equipment.
Ask your caregiver when to return for a follow-up visit.
Keep all appointments. Write down any questions you may have. This way you will remember to ask these questions during your next visit.
Activity guidelines:
You may feel like resting more after surgery. Slowly start to do more each day. Rest when you feel it is needed, but try to exercise two to three times each day. Do not put weight on the residual limb until caregivers tell you it is OK.
Change your position often to move fluids in your lungs, decreasing your chances of getting pneumonia. This also decreases the chance of pressure sores on your skin, and keeps your muscles and tendons from tightening.
Avoid lifting heavy objects.
Ask your caregiver when you can shower, bathe and swim.
Talk to your caregiver if you have questions or concerns.
Exercises to improve your balance and increase your strength:
The center of gravity in your body has changed because you suddenly weigh less after an amputation. You will have to learn your new center of gravity so that you can keep your balance.
The following exercises will help to strengthen your muscles and improve your balance. Do these exercises while holding onto a chair. Be careful not to hit your residual limb on the chair while doing these exercises.
Stand on your toes.
Do knee bends.
Hop on your foot.
Practice standing without holding on to the chair.
Constipation:
If you are constipated, you may have a hard time having a bowel movement (BM) Do not try to push the BM out if it is too hard. Walking is the best way to get your bowels moving. Eat foods high in fiber to make it easier to have a BM. Good examples are high fiber cereals, beans, vegetables, and whole grain breads. Prune juice may help make the BM softer. Caregivers may give you fiber medicine or a stool softener to help make your BMs softer and more regular. You can also buy these medicines at a grocery or drug store.
Eat a healthy diet:
Eat healthy foods from all of the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, breads, dairy products, meat and fish. A healthy diet may help you feel better and have more energy. It may also help you heal faster.
Your caregiver may want you to eat a diet high in calcium. Foods high in calcium are milk, cheese, ice cream, fish, and dark green vegetables like spinach. Eating high calcium foods helps prevent bone loss.
Caregivers may also want you to eat high protein and high iron foods. Foods high in protein are meat, eggs, fish, beans, and nuts. Foods high in iron are dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage, or lettuce.
It can take time getting used to a new diet. Special cook books may help the cook in your family find new recipes.
Drinking liquids:
Men 19 years old and older should drink about 3 liters of liquid each day (about 13 eight-ounce cups). Women 19 years old and older should drink about 2 liters of liquid each day (about 9 eight-ounce cups). Good choices for most people to drink include water, juice, and milk. If you are used to drinking liquids that contain caffeine, such as coffee, these can also be counted in your daily liquid amount. Some food items, such as soup and fruit, also add liquid to your diet. Ask your caregiver how much liquid you should have each day.
Home care nurse:
You may want or need to have a home health nurse visit you after you go home. Ask your caregiver about having home visits from a health care nurse. This caregiver will look at your home to be sure it is safe for you. They can also help you solve problems that you may have after an amputation.
Occupational therapy:
Having had your leg amputated changes many things about your life. It may also affect the type of work you do or how you do it. An occupational therapist (OT) is a caregiver who helps you learn to live with a BKA. This caregiver can teach you how to use tools to make up for only having one leg.
This caregiver can also go to where you work and do a job site evaluation. An OT can make suggestions about how you may continue doing the same work. If you cannot return to your previous job, call your state's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. They may be able to help you learn a new job.
Managing pain:
Treating post-amputation pain can be very difficult. Many types of caregivers will work with you to try to treat it. Some people continue to feel the part of their leg that has been amputated. These feelings are called phantom (FAN-tum) feelings. These feelings are normal and may or may not be painful. It is called phantom pain when the sensation they are feeling is pain in the missing limb. You may need one or more of the following kinds of care or treatment:
Acupuncture: This treatment is based on a belief that our bodies have channels through which fluids flow. Caregivers will insert very thin needles just under your skin. This is believed to open the channels allowing fluids to flow better. This treatment may decrease pain and improve healing. Always see a caregiver for this treatment. Do not try to give this treatment to yourself.
Biofeedback: This training teaches your body to respond in a different way to stress. Teaching your body to relax can help you feel more in control. Caregivers may use a biofeedback machine so that you know right away when your body is relaxed. You can learn to do this without a machine. If you learn to take your pulse, you can make it slow down by thinking hard about it. This can work with breathing, temperature, and blood pressure too.
Cognitive Therapy: This therapy helps to make you aware of how you see things. You may have trouble seeing the good in things around you. Then you are more likely to feel depressed, sad or angry. Cognitive therapy teaches you how to see things in a more positive way.
Medicines:
Anticonvulsant medicine: Anticonvulsants are given to control seizures.
Antidepressants: This medicine is given to decrease or stop the symptoms of depression. It can also be used to treat other behavior problems.
Muscle relaxers: This is medicine to help your muscles relax. When your muscles relax, you may move more easily and have less pain.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine: This family of medicine is also called NSAIDs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine may help decrease pain and inflammation (swelling). Some NSAIDs may also be used to decrease a high body temperature (fever). This medicine can be bought with or without a doctor's order. This medicine can cause stomach bleeding or kidney problems in certain people. Always read the medicine label and follow the directions on it before using this medicine.
Pain medicine: Caregivers may give you medicine to take away or decrease your pain. Medicine may be given regularly, or may only be given if you ask caregivers for it. Tell caregivers if your pain does not decrease enough for you to feel better. Do not wait until the pain is very bad to ask for your pain medicine. The medicine may not work as well at controlling your pain if you wait too long to take it. Ask your caregiver for help getting out of bed if you feel tired or dizzy.
:
Nerve blocks: This is a procedure where an anesthetic is injected through a needle. An anesthetic is a medicine that makes you lose feeling in an area. This procedure may used to help control pain after a BKA.
Nerve stimulation:
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): This is a treatment that uses a small device giving out mild electrical impulses. These impulses produce a mild tapping, tingling or massaging feeling on your skin. This treatment may improve healing and reduce muscle cramps.
Epidural narcotic pumps: In this treatment, doctors place a small pump under your skin. It is connected to a thin tube placed near your spine. The pump gives you small amounts of pain medicine.
Relaxation and stress management techniques: Relaxation is a way to focus your attention on something other than your feelings. For instance, good smells may change your mood and help you relax. Good smells may also help your brain make special chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are a natural body chemical that can decrease bad feelings and pain. For example, you may listen to music or take a bath with aromatherapy oils. Candles, massage oils, and scented bubble baths are ways that smells can be used.
Hydrotherapy: In these treatments, you may be placed into a warm or cold water bath or pool. Caregivers may show you exercises to do in the water. Hot or cold packs may also be placed on your body in the areas where you are feeling pain.
Surgery: Surgery may be done to destroy the nerves that go to painful areas.
Physical therapy:
Caregivers will start you on physical therapy after surgery. A physical therapist (PT) will help you with special exercises. These exercises help make your bones and muscles stronger and help you learn to be independent after an amputation. You may be fitted with a prosthesis (artificial leg). Your prosthesis may need to be adjusted several times before it fits well. Physical therapists will also help you learn to walk with crutches and the prosthesis.
Residual limb care:
Bathing: Your caregiver will remove your stitches two to three weeks after surgery. When you are allowed to bathe or shower, gently wash the incision with soap and water. Carefully rinse and dry your skin.
Do not put lotion, oil, cream, or rubbing alcohol on your residual limb. Lotions, oils and creams soften your skin, and can cause problems when using your prosthesis. Rubbing alcohol dries and cracks your skin.
Look closely at the skin on your residual limb every day. Use a hand mirror in order to see all sides of the residual limb. Watch for redness, blisters or scrapes.
Caring for wounds: Preventing the wound on your residual limb from getting infected is very important. Always wash your hands before you touch any wound. Be gentle when you are cleaning the wound. Too much force can make infection or pain worse. Only use antiseptic (germ-killing) medicines if caregivers tell you to.
Helping your residual limb heal: Do the following things to help your residual limb heal faster:
Push the residual limb against a soft pillow. Slowly increase the pressure and start to push your residual limb against harder surfaces like the back of a chair.
Massage the residual limb to soften the scar. This also decreases tenderness and improves blood flow.
Woolen residual limb socks: Wear woolen residual limb socks when caregivers say you no longer need to wrap your residual limb. This keeps your residual limb clean and comfortable. Wash the woolen socks gently in cool water and soap to keep them from shrinking. Rinse the socks very well. Dry the socks flat on a towel to prevent stretching. Do not use residual limb socks if they get torn.
Wrapping your residual limb:
Caregivers will teach you or a family member how to wrap your residual limb with an elastic bandage to help control swelling. Wrapping also helps form the residual limb into a firm cone shape so it will fit a prosthesis. You may start wrapping your residual limb within one to three days after surgery, or you may wait until after the cast is removed. Start the elastic wrap low on your residual limb away from your groin (where your abdomen meets your upper leg). You may use a "figure of 8" method to wrap your residual limb. At first you will not pull the elastic bandage very tight. Caregivers will have you pull the bandage tighter as your wound heals and the stitches are removed.
"Figure of 8" method to wrap your residual limb:
Hold the bandage roll at the front of the thigh of your residual limb. Holding the end of the bandage in place, roll the bandage down the front of your limb, angling it slightly toward the outside of your limb.
Wrap the bandage around the end of your limb, and then up the back of your limb for a short distance.
Wrap the bandage toward the front of your limb. Roll the bandage up your leg, angling it toward the outside of your limb. The bandage will cross over itself.
Roll the bandage around the back of your limb, and then to the front of your limb. Roll the bandage back down the front of your limb, and wrap it around the end of your limb. Partly overlap the bandage as you wrap, so that you are always covering new skin surface.
Keep bandaging, following these steps, until your limb is completely covered, from mid-thigh down. Be sure to include your knee while wrapping the bandage around your limb.
Helpful hints:
While you are unrolling and using an elastic bandage, stretch the bandage slightly while wrapping your limb.
If you need to use more than one bandage, secure each bandage with a clip or tape before applying another one. When you are finished, secure the last bandage. When securing the end of a bandage using clips, try to end the bandage in a place that is not in a skin fold, or at your knee joint.
Be sure that all of your skin is covered with the bandages. Bandages should cover your limb from the middle of your thigh to the end of your limb.
Rewrap the residual limb two to three times each day to keep the bandage smooth and tight. Rewrap the bandage if your pain is worse. This may mean the bandage is too tight.
Keep the bandage on at all times except when bathing.
Playing sports:
People often worry that they will not be able to do the things they used to do before having their leg amputated. You may worry that you cannot participate in sports any longer. Many companies supply sports equipment, like skis, so people with amputations can use them. You can also talk to caregivers about having your prosthesis made to allow you to do sports.
Support:
Having a leg amputated is life-changing for you and your family. You and those close to you may feel ashamed, angry, sad, or frightened, after your amputation. These feelings are normal. Talk to your caregivers, family, or friends about your feelings. Let them help you. Encourage those close to you to talk to your caregiver about how things are at home. Your caregiver can help your family better understand how to support a person after an amputation.
You may also want to join a support group. This is a group of people who also had a limb amputated. Ask your caregiver for the names and numbers of support groups in your town. You can also contact one of the following national organizations for more information:
The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA)
900 E. Hill Ave, Ste 285
Knoxville, , TN 37915
Phone: 1- 888 - 267-5669
Web Address: www.amputee-coalition.org
American Pain Society
4700 W. Lake Avenue
Glenview , IL 60025
Phone: 1- 847 - 375-4715
Web Address: www.ampainsoc.org
Wellness hints:
Follow a healthy diet:
Eat a variety of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, low-fat dairy products, beans, lean meat and fish. Eating healthy foods may help you have more energy and heal faster. Ask your caregiver if you need to be on a special diet.
Men 19 years old and older should drink about 3 liters of liquid each day (close to 13 eight-ounce cups). Women 19 years old and older should drink about 2.2 liters of liquid each day (close to 9 eight-ounce cups). Follow your caregiver's advice if you must change the amount of liquid you drink. For most people, good liquids to drink are water, juices, and milk. If you are used to drinking liquids that contain caffeine, such as coffee, these can also be counted in your daily liquid amount. Try to drink enough liquid each day, and not just when you feel thirsty.
Start exercising: Talk to your caregiver before you start exercising. Together you can plan the best exercise program for you. It is best to start slowly and do more as you get stronger. Exercising can help make your heart stronger, lower your blood pressure, and keep you healthy.
Quit smoking: It is never too late to quit smoking. Smoking harms your body in many ways. You are more likely to have heart disease, lung disease, cancer, and other health problems if you smoke. Quitting smoking will improve your health and the health of those around you. Ask your caregiver for more information about how to stop smoking if you are having trouble quitting.
Avoid stress: Stress may slow healing and cause illness. Since it is hard to avoid stress, learn to control it. Learn new ways to relax, such as deep breathing. Talk to your caregiver about things that upset you.
What should I do to take care of my prosthesis?
If you have a prosthesis, it is important to take good care of it. A caregiver called a prosthetist will make a prosthesis for you. Your height, weight, and other things will be considered when making the prosthesis.
When your wound has healed completely, it is important to wear the prosthesis all day. Put the prosthesis on first thing in the morning right after you get up. This will help decrease residual limb swelling.
Clean the inside of the socket every day with a damp soapy cloth to remove sweat and dirt. Remove the soap with a clean damp cloth. Dry the socket very well with a dry cloth.
Call your prosthetist if you have problems with your prosthesis. Never try to fix or adjust the prosthesis on your own.
Make an appointment with your prosthetist every year. The prosthetist will check to see if changes in your prosthesis are needed.
When can I drive?
Driving may be difficult at first after surgery. You may want to have changes made to your car so you can drive. Talk to your caregiver about how this is done.
When can I have sex?
You may have sex when you feel ready. Some patients may have problems with sex after an amputation. These problems usually do not last forever and most can be helped. Talk to your caregiver if you are worried. Your caregiver can help you find ways to handle these problems.
CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:
You have a fever (increased body temperature).
Your stitches come apart.
Your bandage becomes soaked with blood.
The skin around your stitches is red, swollen, or has pus coming from the incision (cut). This may mean that you have an infection.
You have a sudden increase in tenderness in your residual limb.
You have chills, a cough, or feel weak and achy. These are signs that you may have an infection.
Your skin is itchy, swollen, or has a rash. Your medicine may be causing these symptoms. This may mean you are allergic to your medicine.
You have chest pain or trouble breathing that is getting worse over time.
You have questions or concerns about your BKA surgery, medicine, or recovery.
SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:
You have severe (very bad) pain in your residual limb.
You have chest pain or trouble breathing.
You suddenly feel lightheaded and have trouble breathing.
You have new and sudden chest pain. You may have more pain when you take deep breaths or cough. You may also cough up blood.
Your arm or leg feels warm, tender, and painful. It may look swollen and red.
Giant Crocodile Lily, Euryale Ferox. The plant foxnut belongs to the family Nymphaeaceae. It is popularly known as “Makhana” in India. It grows in water and is found in India, Korea, Japan and Russia.
Fox nut plant does not have stem. It has large round leaves and produces bright purple flowers. The whole plant is covered with small thorns (kantaka) .The leaves of fox nut plant have green upper surface and purple shaded lower surface. This plant produces fruits which are about the size of a small orange. Each fruit contains 8-10 seeds which are of pea size.It is highly nutritious food that has been used as a snack all over and also used in different recipes especially in Indian cuisines. It can be had in the roasted or fried form. It can be stored for a longer time if kept in air tight containers. Chinese use it as a part of medicines as it has various medicinal properties too. They use to strengthen spleen and kidneys.
Fox nut and its beneficial attributes:
Fox Nuts are considered superior to dry fruits such as almonds, walnut, cashew nut and coconut in terms o sugar, protein, ascorbic acid and phenol content
It is high on anti oxidant and thus acts an anti-aging food, helping in preventing white hair, wrinkles, premature ageing etc.
It is high in fiber and so helps to avoid constipation. They help the body to flush out the waste and thus prevent the accumulation of toxins
It is also an aphrodisiac, thus helping in fertility issues like premature ejaculation, increasing the quality of semen and also helps women in overcoming infertility.
These nuts are low on saturated fats and Sodium and high on Magnesium, Potassium and helps in controlling high blood pressure and diabetes too.
It helps in controlling palpitation and insomnia as it has calming properties
It helps in reliving arthritis- numbness and pain in joints
As it is has astringent properties it also helps cure diarrhea and have better appetite.
It strengthens the body and reduces burning sensation and quenches thirst.
These nuts are a type of seed that could be included in the daily cereals or soup to maintain good health. Since it has good amount of protein it is considered apt snack for vegetarians. But, because it is neutral in taste, usually no one prefers to eat it raw.
Folkloric
· Entire fresh leaves are used externally for headache.
· Cooked with milk, leaves are used as poultices for certain kinds of ulcers.
· Seeds are purgative; also used as antirheumatic.
· Root-bark is purgative; also used for skin diseases and burns.
· Rheumatic arthritis, paralysis; epilepsy; distention of the uterus, prolapsus ani: drink dried root decoction or poultice Bai-hui pt (GV-20) with pounded seed or leaf material.
· Difficult partus, non-lowering of the fetus (during delivery): poultice Yungchuan Pt (K-1 pt) with pounded fresh leaves.
· Lymph node TB; facial paralysis: poultice with pounded seeds (seed coat removed). If the paralytic side is on the left side of the face, apply poultice on the left.
· Wound caused by piercing with pointed objects (nails, bamboo slats, bullet wound): use pounded fresh seed and apply as poultice.
· To increase the woman's secretion of milk, leaves are pounded and applied over the breast as poultice.
· Decoction of leaves reported to act as lactagogue and emmenagogue when administered internally.
· Skin ulcers: Boil pounded leaves and use as wash.
· Bark of castor plant also sued as dressing for ulcers and sores.
· Seed oil is laxative and vermicide; also used as ear drops to hardened cerumen. Also used for warts.
· For hemorrhoids, seeds are roasted, pounded, and applied to affected area. The oil is suitable for piles and anal fissures.
· Dosage: dried roots 15 to 30 gms in decoction.
· Seed paste applied to wounds and itch for 4-5 days.
· In Rhodesia, natives use the bark for dressing wounds and sores.
· Zulus use a paste of the root for toothaches; also, an infusion of leaves, applied orally or as an enema, for stomachaches.
· Leaf poultice used for boils.
· In French Guinea leaves are boiled and used as febrifuge.
· In Ayurveda, the leaf, root and seed oil used for inflammation and liver disorders.
· In China, crushed seeds used more frequently than the oil; a paste is applied to relieve scrofulous sores.
· Transvaal Sutos known to apply the powdered, roasted seeds to sores and boils in children.
· In Makran, oil used as ointment for sores.
· In Central Nigeria, seed variety is a popular contraceptive agent among the Rukaba women.
· Pulp is rubbed into the temples in headaches, into the palms of hands in palsy, into the urethra in stricture, and rubbed to the soles of feet of parturient women to hasten the birth of the child or to facilitate the expulsion of the placenta.
· Seeds are chewed in scrofula.
· Pulp is used for a variety of skin affections, dog bites, or whenever a lubricant is needed.
· Castor oil used as a mild purgative, adaptable to infants and young children. It is considered one of the most reliable cathartic for relief of obstinate constipation.
- Used as emmenagogue and galatagogue. Castor oil massaged over the breast after childbirth increases the flow of milk. (30)
- Warmed leaves coated with oil applied over the abdomen to relieve flatulence in children. Infusion of leaves used for stomachache. Fresh leaf juice used as emetic in narcotic poisoning; also considered useful in jaundice. Pounded leaves used for caries; also, applied over guinea-worm sores to extract the worm. Root decoction used for lumbago; paste used for toothache. (26)
- In Sindh ethnobotany: (1) given in hot milk to induce labor pains (2) applied intravaginally for opening the uterus mouth at the time of delivery (3) used for expulsion of plasma membrane after delivery, and (4) castor beans are used to decrease the postpartum size of the abdomen. (29)
Others
• As far back as 4000 BC, its slow burning seed oil was used to fuel lamps.
• Tañgan-tañgan is the source of the castor oil of commerce.
• Although best known for its medicinal properties for its use as a purgative, only a comparatively small amount of used for medicinal purposes. Its chief use is as lubricant for internal combustion engines, particularly aero-engines, for which it is suitable because of its high viscosity, retained at high temperatures, while non-solidifying at low temperatures.
• Castor oil is insoluble in light petroleum and other mineral oils. It can be used for making compound lubricating oil.
• Cosmetics: The seed oil of RC and its primary constituent, ricinoleic acid are used in the manufacture of skin-conditioning agents, as emulsion stabilizers and surfactants in cosmetics. In lipstick, castor oil is used at 81% concentration.
• Castor oil is also used in making "cognac oil," in a dressing for leather, in "fat-liqouring" in the leather industry, in the manufacture of artificial leather, cutting oils, linoleum, and as wool oil.
• Also used in retouching-varnishes and in the negative varnishes of photography.
• Castor oil is classified by the FDA as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) and effective as a stimulant laxative.
• Contraceptive: Used in making contraceptive jellies and creams. Also, used with a pinch of alum for contraception. In women, one castor seed a month after the menstrual cycle reported to prevent conception for that month. (30)
• Cake left after the castor oil is extracted from the kernels of castor seeds is used as fertilizer. In addition to its use as manure, it is also employed as fuel, for caulking timber, destroying white ants (termites) and other pests.
source: stuart xchange
Raphanus sativus~
Radishes are suggested as an alternative treatment for a variety of ailments including cancer, coughs, gastric discomfort, liver problems, constipation, dyspepsia, gallbladder problems, arthritis, gallstones, kidney stones and intestinal parasites.
Trust Me On This.
When a portly gentleman with a white beard tells you Santa is real, you believe him.
Stencil graffiti; this is about the sharpest one I could find. Taken next to the old Hotel America (Sonesta, Summit, Clarion) on Constitution Plaza, Hartford, Connecticut. After more than fifteen years of vacancy, the old hotel is under new management and undergoing refurbishment as dwellings (that's my Christmas present this year, I'm sick of looking at it). The building will be fifty years old this year.
The happiest holidays to all my Flickr friends!
Today's story and sketch "by me" you see Rippo Gofish again, this time he is not in Connecticut but at his
Prune Date Plantation in Sunny South Florida, close to Miami, where he and his girlfriend Gloria spend their
winters playing Shuffleboard, and enjoying many hours in buffet lines. You will also notice he traded his Blue Moon
Bentley, for the GTO Glider you see in the sketch, the Bentley traded soon after breaking down in worm hole nine, and being
towed to an asteroid glider service facility near Mars. Gloria was not happy being stuck in the worm hole for
eight days, and running out of Moon pies after three. She had been telling Rippo his Bentley was a used up unit
and it was time for an upgrade, but that is enough about Intergalactic transporters.
(and that is a story for another time).
Today's story about Ripper is his breakthrough Moon Pies for the Seniors "Humans and aliens alike" with digestive problems, (constipation). And now himself becoming a senior citizen at six hundred thirty two, was becoming familiar
with the problem, Lucky he had actually gotten a great education on the subject at graduate school, "FSU"
Fiber Supplement Uncloggers. Which leads us to today's tale of how Ripper created the Prubat Moon Pie by,
crossing a Medjool Date tree, (the Medjool date goes back fifty million years in even Earths history, much longer on Lippo), and crossed it with the high fibre Prune (Prunus domestica from Pluto), which is a rich source of
insoluble fiber and the availability of sorbitol in a Prubat Moon Pie it, can help alleviate the pain
caused due to constipation. We understand this may be a lot of information for our readers, but we do our best
to keep you informed about such matters to those of you becoming mature.
Till next time taa ta the Rod Blog.
Becoming old means you where smart enough to do a lot of things right.
Rod
I find this wild flower very attractive. Maybe I was a bee in a former life because bees like chickory, too! Next slides, please!
Webmd.com has this to say about this 'weed':
Chicory is a plant. Its seeds, roots, and dried, above-ground parts are used to make medicine.
Chicory is used for liver and heart health, constipation, swelling, and other conditions, but there is no good evidence to support its use.
In foods, chicory leaves are often eaten like celery, and the roots and leaf buds are boiled and eaten. Chicory is also used as a cooking spice and to flavor foods and beverages. Some coffee mixes include ground chicory to enhance the richness of the coffee.
How does it work?
Chicory root has a mild laxative effect, increases bile from the gallbladder, and decreases swelling. Chicory is a rich source of beta-carotene.
I think he's got constipation! He's been acting strange for two days, walking slow with his back hunched, hiding under the bed all day long and only comes out for wet food or to go outside. He pooped a tiny bit today, but is still acting strange and goes back under the bed as soon as he comes inside. Going to vet tmrw to see what is wrong with the boy -____-
Folkloric
· For rheumatic pains of the legs and waist: use 3 to 6 gms of dried material in the form of decoction.
· Pounded fresh leaves may be applied as poultice for snakebites or may be used as insecticide.
· Poultice of leaves applied or rubbed on area of snake and insect bites.
· For sprains and bone pains: Oiled leaves or bark material are heated and applied to painful areas.
· Croton seed oil has been used as purgative.
· Seed oil used for treatment of schistosomiasis and other intestinal parasites.
· Roots, bark, seeds, and leaves considered a drastic purgative.
· Bruised root applied to carbuncles and cancerous sores.
· Testa used for fluxes.
· In Annam, bark used as a tonic.
· In Java and Kelantan, roots are finely shredded, mixed with water, and drunk by women as abortifacient.
· Diluted tincture of croton seeds used as a stimulant and applied in certain cutaneous affections, like eczema, ichthyosis and erythema.
· Seeds, while half-roasting over a lamp or candle flame, is inhaled through the nostril to relieve asthma.
· Croton oil is rubbed on the skin as rubefacient and counterirritant.
· Internally, croton oil us used as a powerful hydragogue, cathartic, and purgative. In excessive doses, it can cause severe purging, collapse and death.
· Liniment used as stimulant and applied to chronic rheumatism, neuralgia, glandular and other indolent swellings, chronic bronchitis and other pulmonary affections.
· Croton oil is used in dropsy, obstinate constipation, intestinal obstructions, and lead poisoning; as a preliminary laxative in leprosy; and as a revulsive in apoplexy. A few drops at the base of the tongue produces catharsis.
· As a blister, applied to the scalp in acute cerebral diseases, to the cord in spinal meningitis, to the chest in chronic bronchitis, and to the throat in laryngitis. Used in lock-jaw and mania.
· In Ayurveda, considered purgative; known as Kumbhini, used in the treatment of constipation after Sodhana (detoxification process) of seeds with Godugdha (cow's milk). (15)
- In Unani medicine, Croton tiglium seeds and Zingiber officinalis rhizome extract has been used in equal ratio as a paste formulation for the treatment of Safa (alopecia areata)
source: stuart xchange
Fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica are a superfood. It is rich in selenium, calcium, magnesiun, phosphorous, vitamin C, folic acid, antioxidants, flavonoids and carotenoids. The high levels of selenium in Opuntia are comparable to those found in the Brassicaceae.
The fruit of O. ficus-indica can cause constipation if consumed with the seeds, without the seeds it is laxative
The leaves are an excellent food for cows
peace and love with a sunny face
What is the significance of the olive tree, and olive oil, in
the Scriptures? Why were olive trees “shaken,” and why
were the berries “beaten,” and “trodden down”? Why were
kings and priests anointed with olive oil? What does olive
oil and the olive tree symbolize? There is far more mystery
and truth hidden about the humble olive than most begin to
imagine! Here is new insight into this remarkable plant, its
oil, its wood, its ancient usage, and its function and typology.
William F. Dankenbring
Olives in Islam By Najma Mohamed June 27, 2004
Olives have been mentioned seven times in the Qur'an and their health benefits have been propounded in Prophetic medicine. The Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:
Take oil of olive and massage with it – it is a blessed tree.
(Dārimi, 69:103)
The olive, like the date, holds great value in ancient and modern culture. In the Mediterranean culture “it has served as everything from money to medicines for several thousand years” (Zwingle, 1999).
The dove holding an olive branch in its mouth has become a universal symbol of peace. It is said to have originated in the story of Prophet Nūh (peace be upon him). The dove appeared as a sign that the flood, which had been sent as a punishment, would abate.The oil of this blessed tree has also been cited as a symbol of goodness and purity and is used up to this day in anointing ceremonies in the Greek Orthodox Church.The cosmetics industry, natural health practitioners and the culinary world are unanimous on the benefits of this delectable fruit, which bursts with flavor and health. The olive industry, which produced 460 million gallons of olive oil in 2000-2001, has grown tremendously as consumers world-wide are alerted to the benefits of this amazing fruit.Olive Facts
Olea europa, the botanical name of the olive, has its origins in Asia and spread to the Mediterranean basin 6000 years ago. The Mediterranean basin is the chief area of cultivation with Spain , Italy and Greece being the foremost olive-producing countries in the world. Olive production has also expanded to California , South Africa and Australia .
Olive production favors a winter-rainfall pattern. The olive tree is a hardy tree that grows to less than 10 meters . Temperatures below freezing are damaging to the trees. It is an evergreen tree with leaves that are pale green above and silvery below. The bark is pale grey and the flowers are numerous, small and creamy-white in color.The fruit of the tree is a drupe with fleshy fruit and a hard stone. The color of the fruit varies from green (unripe) to black (ripe) as it passes through its growth stages. As the tree ages, it produces more fruit.Olives are cultivated through grafting, the method routinely used to propagate fruit trees. The stem or bud of one plant is joined to the stem or bud of another to form a new plant. While it can take more than five years for a tree to start producing fruit, trees can be harvested annually and continue to produce fruits until they become old and hollow.
The manner in which olives are harvested depends on the type of olive, number of trees and the amount of time and money available. Several small-scale producers, often family-operated initiatives, continue to harvest olives by hand.
Uses and Benefits:From this ‘blessed’ tree hardly anything is wasted as the fruits are eaten or used to produce olive oil, the leaves possess medicinal value and the wood of the tree is highly valued for carpentry work. The Noble Qur’an refers to some of these uses:And a tree (olive) that springs forth from Mount Sinai, that grows (produces) oil, and (it is) relish for the eaters. ( 23:20 )By the fig and the olive,By Mount Sinai
By this city of all spiritulalies, Verily, We created man in the best stature.(95:1-4)
The oval-shaped olives, which are approximately 2 to 3 cm long, are preserved in salt solutions and sold as a condiment. Store shelves present an astounding array of olives from green and black varieties to stuffed olives. Even more mind-boggling is a perusal of the varieties of olive oil. Olive oil is produced through a process known as crushing and pressing. While machines have taken over most of the work, traditional methods of extracting oil are still in use. Different methods of crushing and pressing are used to extract olive oil.An olive contains 10-40% oil by weight. However, it also contains a bitter substance known as oleo-rubin, which is removed during processing. Zwingle (1999), writing for National Geographic on the wonders of olive oil, says that one finds “at one end, trillions of bitter little nubbins” and at the other golden liquid emerging.Once the olives are crushed, the paste is then ‘pressed’ to yield the golden olive oil. The best olive oil is extra virgin as it is pressed without heating or adding any chemical solvents. Olive oil is marketed in several different ways, such as “virgin”, “refined” or simply “olive oil”. These have been further refined by chemical processes and could also have some extra-virgin olive oil added to enhance its flavor and color.World olive oil consumption is rising at about 1.5% per year. The Mediterranean basin provides 99% of all olive oil.One of the by-products of this process, released once the olive oil has been extracted, is widely used in soap making. Panayiotis Sardelas, a Greek soap-maker, interviewed in the above-mentioned National Geographic feature (Zwingle, 1999) commented: “The old people know that this soap is better than chemical ones. It lasts longer than other soaps, and you can use it for everything.”
Olives in Medicine: The medicinal and cosmetic uses of olive products are truly astounding. The oil is extremely nutritious and is recommended by dieticians to “improve the balance of fats within the blood” ( Adams , 2001) as well as in lowering cholesterol levels.Since the 1950s, the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, have been extolled. While it has always been promoted as being beneficial in lowering cholesterol levels (Assmanm and Wahrburg), it is now increasingly being linked to lowering blood pressure.
A study by Dr. Ferrara and his colleagues of the Frederico II University of Naples, Italy (Ferrera et al., 2000) compared the effects of two similar low-fat diets on the blood pressure of hypertensive patients. One diet was enriched with extra virgin olive oil, high in monounsaturated fatty acids while the second was enriched with the same amount of sunflower oil with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids.The patients on the former diet, all hypertensive, showed significant reductions in their blood pressure, thereby indicating that a diet, rich in olive oil, is not only associated with lower levels of cholesterol, but with lower blood pressure as well.
www.oliveoilsource.com/page/blood-pressure
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan, which promotes a diet low in sodium and high in unsaturated fats, also recommends olive oil (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 2003).Another medical benefit of olive oil relates to the maintenance of a healthy digestive system. Oxford University ’s Institute of Health found that “olive oil may have a protective effect on the development of colorectal cancer” (Stoneham et al., 2000).Olive oil has traditionally been used to prevent constipation, assist in ‘cleansing’ of the gallbladder and in treating various ailments relating to the skin, such as burns, scratches and sunburn (Cook, 1934). Cook, writing in the 1930s, said that, “Those who recognize its wonderful medicinal properties and the many uses to which it can be put will never fail to keep a bottle of pure olive oil in the house.”Olive oil is also applied to the skin as it brightens the complexion, softens the skin and is used in the treatment of eczema and psoriasis (Khan). It is also used on the hair, especially problems relating to “dry hair and flaky scalp” ( Adams , 2001). Furthermore, olive oil is used for massage and as a carrier oil when blending essential oils.The leaf of the olive tree is commonly used by herbalists for its antiviral properties. It has been traditionally used to cool fevers by boiling the leaves and concocting a tincture that is then taken orally (Privitera). Olive leaf was not only used to treat severe cases of fever, but tropical diseases such as malaria as well. Today, olive leaf extract is available from natural health practitioners and taken orally in a tablet form. The Hebrew word for “olive tree” is es shemen, which literally means ‘tree of oil.” It is from a primitive root meaning “to shine.” It means “richness, anointing, fat, fruitful, oil, ointment, olive.” It is related to the word shemesh, “to be brilliant,” and which also is the Hebrew word for the “sun,” that brightly shining orb in the sky. Another Hebrew word for “olive” is zayith, meaning “an olive,” as “yielding illuminating oil.” Its related to the word ziv, meaning “to be prominent,” “brightness.” Ziv is the month of flowers, corresponding to Iyar, or our April-May. On the outside, the olive tree may seem like any other tree, rather ordinary in appearance and size – some might say even a little bit “ugly,” and at certain seasons of the year even a little “messy,” with olives littering the ground beneath the tree!The foliage of the olive tree is dense, and when it becomes old the fairly tall trunk acquires a unique pattern of twists and turns, protuberances and knots, on its bark and in its form, giving the tree a very interesting appearance. Says the Encyclopedia Judaica, “There are trees in Israel estimated to be 1,000 years old that still produce fruit. In old age the tree becomes hollow but the trunk continues to grow thicker, at times achieving a circumference of 20 feet” (“Olive,” vol.12, page 1363). Says the authoritative source, “It is an evergreen, and the righteous who take refuge in the protection of God are compared to it.”Interestingly, if the trunk is cut down, the shoots from its roots continue to grow, ensuring its continued existence. Olive wood is very hard, and beautifully grained. It is very desirable in the manufacture of smaller wooden objects, pieces of furniture, and ornaments. However, there is much more to the olive tree than almost anybody imagines.
History of the Olive Tree: The olive was one of the most valuable trees to the ancient Hebrews. It is first mentioned in Scripture when the dove returned to Noah’s ark carrying an olive branch in its beak (Gen.8:11). Since that time, the olive branch has been a symbol of “peace” to the world, and we often hear the expression, “extending an olive branch” to another person as a desire for peace.The olive also figures prominently on the seal of the United States of America. The seal pictures an olive branch with a cluster of thirteen leaves and thirteen olives. Why the number “thirteen”? Because the U.S. began with 13 colonies, and the Anglo-Saxon people of the United States are mainly descended from the “thirteenth tribe” of ancient Israel – the tribe of Ephraim, the youngest (“thirteenth”) son of the patriarch Joseph!When Israel conquered Canaan, the olive tree was a prominent feature among the flora of the land. It was described as a “land of olive oil” (Deut.8:8). The olive was a very important source of revenue to the early Israelites. It was tithed upon along with all the produce of the land (Deut.12:17).
Olive Oil and the Sanctuary Cakes of bread “anointed with oil” were among the sanctified offerings Israel made to God (Lev.8:26). The leaders of Israel offered to God in addition to rams and lambs and goats, “fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering” (Numbers 7:19, 25, etc.). In addition, when the priests were separated for their priestly service, one young bull and two rams were taken, without blemish, “and unleavened bread,, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil,” were used in the ceremony of sanctification (Exodus 29:1-2). God told Moses regarding Aaron, his brother, “And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him” (Exodus 29:7). The holy anointing oil itself was comprised of quality spices – myrrh, cane, cassia, and olive oil (Exo.30:23-25). The Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, the Lampstand (Menorah), the Altar, the Laver, and its foot, were all anointed with the same precious compound, as a holy oil of anointing (Exo.30:26-33).
The menorah in the Tabernacle – with its seven lamps – was lit with “oil for the light” (Exo.25:6). God told Moses, “Command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually” (Lev.24:2).The daily sacrifices were also accompanied with olive oil (Exo.29:40). When lepers were cleansed, a special sacrifice was made, together with “fine flour mixed with [olive] oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil” (Lev.14:10). A “log” was a little over a half a quart. At the cleansing ceremony, a lamb was slain as a trespass offering, and a log of oil, both waved as a wave offering before the Lord. The priest would pour some of the oil into his own left hand, then dip his right finger into the oil in his left hand, and sprinkle the oil seven times before the Lord, and of the rest of the oil in his left hand he would put some on the tip of the right ear of the leper being cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot (Lev.14:13-18). The rest of the oil would be put on his head.The log of oil used in the ceremony cleansing the leper was the largest amount of oil called for in any religious rite. The rite symbolized the return to favor of the one healed, and the return of honor and joy. It is also symbolic of his restoration to life!
www.triumphpro.com/olive-tree-mystery.htm
Symbolism of the Olive: There is an ancient tradition that the “tree of life” in the Garden of Eden was an olive tree. According to the Apocalpyse of Moses, an apocryphal Hebrew book, when Adam fell ill Seth went to request the “oil of mercy” to anoint Adam and restore his health. His entreaty was refused, as it was destined for Adam to die, but the angel Michael told Seth that the oil would be granted to the righteous at the end of days. In a similar passage in the “Life of Adam” the oil is referred to as “the tree of mercy from which the oil of life flows.” Another reference to the “tree of life” in the Garden as an olive tree may be found in 4th Edras: “The tree of life shall give them fragrant perfume” (2:12, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, p.527).The same concept is preserved in the writings of the early church fathers, in Pseudo-Clement, which refers explicitly to “the oil of the tree of life.”In the book of James, we read that when a person is sick, they should call upon the elders of the church for prayer and anointing. James declared, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:14-16). The oil represents holy anointing by the power of the Spirit of God. The apostle John wrote of God’s Spirit as an ‘anointing.” He declared: “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (I John 2:27).Jesus Christ explained, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16). He added, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). The Spirit will tell us “things to come” (same verse).Oil, therefore, is a type of the Holy Spirit – as are water (John 7:37-39) and the wind (John 3:8; Acts 2:1-4).