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13 Effective Headache Remedies at Work

Having a headache is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone, especially if it’s a bad one. Depending on the degree of the headache, your routine – whether at home or at work – can be hampered, or you can totally not do anything.

When at the office, having a headache is even worse. You may not be able to get your work for the day done, or you may have subpar results. All the while suffering throughout the day.

Having had more than my fair share of headaches, let me share some effective headache remedies at work. They’re effective when you’re not working, too, of course, but these specific remedies are geared toward situations when you’re in the office when you may not have the luxury of time.

Headache Remedies at Work

    1. Drink as much water as you can. One of the most common reasons for headaches is dehydration. When you feel a headache coming on, drink as much water as you can. You don’t have to drink a lot at a time – sipping water throughout the day will help.
    2. Drink herbal teas. Herbal teas are just as good as water to cure a headache. Some of the most effective teas for headaches are green tea, cinnamon tea, ginger tea, and chamomile tea. Chamomile is especially effective when you get a migraine attack, offering almost instantaneous relief.
    3. Eat the right food. For some people, certain types of food trigger headaches. Study your patterns, and figure out what these triggers are. For headache relief at work, always keep almonds handy. They contain salicin, which works to cure headaches. (This is found in aspirin as well.)
    4. Get moving. A brief, brisk walk will improve blood circulation, which in turn can relieve your headache. If you can go out of the office and spend five to ten minutes walking, that would be great. Alternatively walk around the office for five minutes at a fast pace.
    5. Do some stretching. Stretching exercises will relax tense muscles, which may be contributing to your headache. Specific stretching exercises that are effective headache remedies include scapular retraction, which basically pulls your shoulder blades together and opens up your chest. This increases your blood flow as well. How do you do this? Sit up straight. Raise your arms in front of you and press your shoulders down and your shoulder blades together. Do not to lean your head forward when doing this. Also push your neck back. Release and repeat 15 times.
    6. Give yourself a massage. Massage has been proven to be beneficial, and you can take advantage of it to get rid of your headache. Rub your temple and your head. Rub your shoulder muscles and neck. Do this for a few minutes, and repeat as often as you have to.
    7. Do some breathing exercises. Breathe slowly and deeply – either sitting on your chair or lying down. Do this for five to ten minutes to calm down and alleviate the pain.
    8. Utilize relaxation techniques. These include breathing exercises, but also cover meditation and visualization.
    9. Ventilate your area. Sometimes, headaches can be caused by lack of proper ventilation. Check your office space and make sure that you get enough air where you’re sitting.
    10. Rearrange your workspace. A simple thing such as a change of your surroundings can help you relax and lessen the pain in your head. Declutter your desk. Move items around.
    11. Use aromatherapy. What you need are soothing scents that will get rid of your headache. You can use an oil burner or stick diffuser if it’s possible at work, or you can simply sniff at a bottle of essential oil. Oils that are great headache busters include bergamot, lavender, peppermint, sandalwood, eucalyptus, and chamomile.
    12. Use a hot or cold compress. Invest in a hot/cold compress pack and keep it handy at work. Applying the pack (alternate cold and hot) on your head, neck, and shoulders will provide immediate relief. Alternatively, use a towel soaked in hot or cold water.
    13. Take aspirin or paracetamol. If you’re not averse to taking medication, then an aspirin will do the trick. Paracetamol or ibuprofen also works.

Do take note that this article is not meant to replace medical advice, so if you experience severe and recurrent headaches, it is best to see your doctor.

This will also help: 15 Ways to Relax Instantly When Stress Hits

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5 Healthy Herbs And Spices To Include In Your Diet

With the thousands of plants growing on our lands, each with its own medicinal and health benefits, it becomes confusing which of these healthy herbs and spices you ought to include in your diet. The dilemma is understandable since it is only in the last few decades that the western world has accepted what advocates of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine have known for centuries – herbs, spices and other botanical ingredients help keep the human body healthy and disease-free.

Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that give them their own unique protective and curative functions. Researchers have studied and recommended them to add to your food to maintain the balance our bodies need to stay healthy. Here are their recommendations. Some plant-derived natural products that are not strictly herbal are included because they are just too good to be left out.

Healthy Herbs and Spices to Include in the Daily Diet

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Coconut Oil

The once scorned coconut oil is now touted to be a superfood. The fatty acids found in this tropical fruit can help lessen the symptoms of brain conditions like Alzheimer’s and epilepsy. It also helps fight obesity by hastening the burning of fat.
Scientific studies have shown that coconut oil in various forms kills bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that cause influenza, throat infections, skin diseases, fungal infections, gum diseases and many others. Oral ingestion of coconut oil helps reduces cholesterol levels and keeps blood sugar level normal.

Turmeric

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Coconut oil can be added to vegetable dishes or take one tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil orally for a healthy heart.

Turmeric

Also known as Indian saffron, turmeric is a yellow-orange perennial plant that is native to Asia. It grows underground and sends its shoots upwards. Turmeric contains curcumin, the spice that gives curry its yellow color. It has been proven to ease the pain of osteoarthritis and may also help heal eye inflammation, reduce the risk for diabetes, colorectal cancer, dyspepsia, gum inflammation, heart attack following bypass surgery, skin rashes and stomach ulcers.

Add it to your cooking as much as possible.

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Cayenne Pepper

Or what we know as red hot chili pepper, has capsaicin as its active ingredient along with vitamins A, B6, C, E and a host of minerals. Aside from adding spice to your meals, it aids in weight loss by suppressing the appetite, gives relief from muscle and post-surgical pain and helps in treating psoriasis, migraine, allergies, and colds.

Cayenne pepper can be added to any dish if you want it spicy.

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Cloves

Cloves are the bright red to brown flower buds of the clove tree that grows abundantly in many Asian countries. It is popularly used to treat toothache by direct application to the gums. Cloves are added as spice in meat, fish, chicken and vegetable dishes and used regularly, it can improve digestion and enhance libido. As tea, it acts as an expectorant to cough up phlegm and kill the germs that cause sore throat.

Cloves are used whole or in powder form to enhance the flavor in food.

Cinnamon sticks

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Cinnamon

This is the spice that comes from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree. Taken routinely, it improves brain function and prevents Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s or delays its onset. Cinnamon also regulates blood sugar levels to protect against diabetes, lowers cholesterol levels and has high anti-inflammatory properties that protect the body against infections.

Cinnamon in powder form can be added to coffee, fruits, oatmeal and other snack foods.

You may also like “4 Healthy Habits To Get You Off To A Good Start Everyday“

5 Natural and Herbal Dental Care Treatments for Home Use

Calendula-Tincture

Good oral hygiene should always include regular dental checkups and cleanings. Between your appointments, however, you can use a few natural and herbal dental solutions for day-to-day care.

Maintain the health of your mouth with herbal preparations, supplements, and even a massager in the case of a bad bite. Here are five home remedies that might work for you.

1. Halitosis

Halitosis or bad breath is the result of bacterial reactions to food in the mouth. Separate from over-the-counter mouthwash, try the following home-made recipe.

Combine 1 teaspoon each of rosemary, peppermint, and lavender. Mix the herbs well, then place 1 teaspoon of the mixture in a cup of boiling water. Steep 15 minutes, then strain. Cool and use instead of a commercial mouthwash.

2. Sore gums

Calendula and echinacea can soothe sore gums and reduce inflammation. Dab the affected areas with calendula tincture diluted with an equal amount of water. For sore gums, make a strong infusion and swish it in the mouth for several minutes. You can either spit it out or swallow it.

3. Strengthening teeth

Vitamin C deficiency can contribute to breakdown of connective tissue that produces blood vessel walls, bone matrix, cartilage, collagen, and dentin. Herbs that provide nutrients for strengthening the teeth can be taken as capsules. They include alfalfa, blue green algae, horsetail, nettles, oatstraw, and spirulina.

4. Gum disease

Supplements can also be good for your oral health. Coenzyme Q10 may improve circulation to the gums and help prevent gum disease.

It’s also a powerful antioxidant. Recommended dosage is 60 to 100 milligrams daily in capsule form.

5. Bad bite

Malocclusion or “bad bite” may be treated by a completely natural method that makes it possible to repair and even regrow teeth that may be the cause. This is a completely natural method, based on science.

Apply a low-frequency ultrasound source like that produced by a Novasonic Massager (which you can find on eBay) to stimulate the gums around the misaligned tooth area. Directions can be found here.

Orthodontic treatment for bad bite

While the above treatment might assist with a bad bite, it’s not a cure in all cases. Ward Orthodontics can provide you with a much more effective remedy for a bad bite, since this condition is not only unattractive, but can be emotionally painful because it prevents a person from being able to bite, chew, and speak properly.

The information in this blog is solely for informational purposes. It is not intended to serve as medical advice. It is always wise to consult with your dentist or orthodontist when considering any of these natural and herbal treatments.

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How to fight fatigue naturally

Every day you can guarantee that around 3pm my eyes will start to droop and I’ll struggle to stay awake at my desk – that’s when the dreaded afternoon slump kicks in. It’s so tempting to reach for a cup of coffee or a chocolate bar, but these can play havoc with the body’s blood sugar levels.

So, for this particular blog post I thought I’d suggest some of my favourite natural pick-me-ups to help you get through the daily grind still feeling fresh and raring to go.

Enjoying the Park
Creative Commons License photo credit: JPott

[Read more…] about How to fight fatigue naturally

3 Alternative Treatments You Should Know

We all want to improve our lives, whether its our financials ,health or relationships. In this article I want to open your eyes to three treatments that can drastically improve your life. These treatments require your attention. That’s it, that’s the only drawback I can think of.

3 Alternative Treatments You Should Know
Photo credit: Unique Hotels Group

Now that we’re done with the drawbacks, let me tell you about the benefits:

  1. You’ll feel better, and It doesn’t matter which treatment you’ll choose.
  2. As a result of feeling better, you’ll have more energy.
  3. Once you’ll have more energy suddenly people will be attracted to you.
  4. Life will seem easier, you’ll get more opportunities. Others will call it luck but not you, because you’ll know that it came after some work.
  5. You’ll eat Healthier, you will no longer have cravings.

As you can see it’s a cycle, you start by feeling better and the rest depends on you. Before we continue with the treatments there are two more things you should consider:

  1. Every treatment is only as good as the therapist/healer . This why you should research about the therapist beforehand.
  2. Though The treatments I’m going to share with you, take immediate affect, Its really a process. It doesn’t take a moment and sometimes it takes a life time. As usual it depends on the person and his emotional baggage.

The Treatments

1) NLP

Also known as: Neuro-linguistic programming.

Who invented it:  Richard Wayne Bandler and John Grinder.

When: It originated in the 70s.

What: NLP helps with phobias, depression, habit disorders, psychosomatic illnesses, learning disorders, and helps people attain fuller and richer lives.

How does it work: NLP is based on therapy, guided imagery , hypnotherapy and more. This video demonstrates the use of  NLP by Derren Brown for entertainment purposes.

Why you should try it: Anthony Robbins uses it to help people daily and it’s one of the causes for his meteoric rise. In addition NLP is based on the work of famous therapists like Fritz Perls,Virginia Satir and Milton Hyland Erickson. Unlike other treatments many of the NLP techniques you can do on your own.

Why you shouldn’t:  Reviews of empirical research on NLP failed to produce reliable results for the claims for effectiveness made by NLP’s originators.

How it made me feel:  In my experience NLP is one of those treatments that really depend on the therapist. I felt better after the sessions but after a while I felt that there wasn’t any progress, so I ended the treatment. Overall it was a positive experience, one that helped me at the time.

I’m interested what do I do next: You can start by reading these books Using Your Brain for a Change Neuro Linguistic Programming  and Reframing: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Transformation of Meaning. There are tons of information and techniques online and you can always search for a practitioner.

2) Rolfing

Also known as: structural integration.

Who invented it: Ida Pauline Rolf.

When: in the 50s.

What: rolfing helps with: Injury recovery, Pain reduction, Stress relief , Increased flexibility, Headache relief and Better balance and ease.

How does it work: The rolfer manipulates the body connective tissues to release stress. This video demonstrates a rolfing session. In this video you can see the before and after the rolfing sessions.

Why you should try it: Unlike other treatments you don’t pay for unlimited sessions, rolfing is a series of ten sessions. After ten sessions the body repair itself and if needed you can return for more sessions.

When I first started that gave me reassurance that it’s probably not a scam. In addition, the results are instantaneous. The rolfer usually starts by working on one side of your body, then he gives you some time to feel the difference before he moves on to the other side.

Why you shouldn’t: For me it wasn’t enough. It helped me and physically I felt great but there is a limit to rolfing which the next treatment can address.

How it made me feel: besides seeing immediate changes in my body, rolfing expanded my movement range and because of it it’s easier for me to stand.  I’m not saying I couldn’t stand before, but I felt uncomfortable especially when standing for long periods of time.

Moreover when my mom got into a car accident and could barely walk, rolfing helped her walk without pain again. I also want to mention that my rolfer had more than 20 years of experience, and it wasn’t painful. Though she said that it depends on the rolfer and his experience and method of working.   

I’m interested what do I do next: Find a rolfer near you.

 

3) AMANAE/Frequencies of Brilliance

 

Also known as: To the best of my knowledge these treatments don’t have additional names. I choose to include them together  because they complement each other and my therapist uses them together in the same session.

Who invented it: Christine Day , through channeling.

When: twenty years ago

What: Amanae helps with the release of traumas and emotional blockages while the Frequencies of Brilliance is an energy healing technique.

How does it work: Similarly to rolfing, in amanae the practitioner manipulates the body but with a different purpose. During the session the practitioner presses key points in the body and the patient breathes through the mouth. This video demonstrates an amanae session. This video explains more about the Frequencies of Brilliance and amanae.

Why you should try it: Trauma is a general word for negative emotions, we all have them in one way or another. Amanae can help you release it. Many times during the sessions your body will shake and tremble which is a sign for releasing the negative emotions. Also unlike other therapies (NLP for example) I feel that the treatment isn’t as depended on the practitioner himself.

Why you shouldn’t: Amanae can be painful, it’s not too painful but you should be aware that it’s not just laying there and waiting for it to be over. In addition it’s important to know that it’s a process. It will take as much sessions as needed, it really depends on the person and the trauma.

How it made me feel: I started this treatment not long ago and I’m still going to amanae sessions. After each treatment I feel much better: I’m happier, I smile more and I feel relaxed. It’s too early to tell you about the overall affect but for now I can say that it’s definitely worth trying.

I’m interested what do I do next: Find a practitioner near you.


About the author: Shimon Farber is the founder of spirituality and self help a blog that helps people get one step closer to enlightenment. You can read more about him in his about page.

8 Hacks for When You Are Sick at Work

The weather just got chilly here and now everyone seems to have a cold. But how do you survive the flu season when you can’t afford to take the day off? Here are 8 hacks for when you are sick at work.

1. Use your lunch break to sleep
When you are sick it is actually a good idea to eat less. You see digestion takes up a lot of vital energy and when you are sick you need that energy to go to fighting off the germs. Now I am not saying don’t eat anything. Fruits and vegetables are great. But, keep the heavy foods to a minimum.

You may need less food but you also need more sleep. Usually we get an hour lunch break and this is the perfect time to go and have a power nap. Science has shown that a 20 minute nap taken during the middle of the day is the same as getting over two hours of sleep during the night. However, you do not want to get more than about 30 minutes at nap time because then it will be too hard to wake up.

I suggest going down to the park (if it is warm) and having a sleep in the sun. The sun has a very physical impact on how well we feel and a few moments of rays can make a massive difference. At least get outside and clean your airways out with some fresh oxygen.

2. Drink green tea
Green Tea has been used by the Chinese and the Japanese for thousands of years. They have long considered it a medicine – not just a tea. And modern science is starting to back this up. Recent studies showed that those who drank green tea were up to 60% less likely to develop cancer. Green tea is fully of antioxidants and is a very relaxing way to detox your body everyday. When I get sick I try to drink two or three cups per day and it always makes me feel a little better.


Creative Commons License photo credit: ms.Tea

3. Drink a lemon, ginger and honey tea
In this post I introduced the Lemon, Ginger and Honey Tea. It is a hot drink that I learned when I was in Bodhgaya in India. I was told it was an ancient Indian combination and it was a powerful cold and flu fighter and preventer. They were right. It fixed my cold up a lot faster than normal and I haven’t had a bad one since – even when everyone else is sick.

4. Take a load off
Throughout the years at work you have probably clocked up a lot of favors. Every now and then we do things for people and they say “I owe you one”. Well, now is the time to call in that favor.

Go and look around the office and find someone who owes you a favor and ask them to help you with some of your work. Nine times out of ten they will be happy to lend a hand. It is a good way to make friends as it is a mutual helping – explain that you will help them next time they get sick.

5. Make a deal with the boss
One of the best things you can do is go to your boss and STRATEGICALLY explain to him/her why you need some of your work load assigned to someone else. Here is how you do it.

Go to your boss and explain that you are really quite sick but didn’t want to miss a day of work because you didn’t want to let the team down. Explain that you know how much pressure everyone is under and couldn’t live with yourself if you had a day off and left them in the lurch. Then explain that despite coming into work you underestimated how sick you really were and really would appreciate some help because you don’t want to produce poor quality work.

Your boss will love it.

Showing that you are a team player is a big advantage but also knowing when to ask for help counts for some points. This strategy allows your boss to see that you are trying but need some assistance.

6. Make use of “toilet” breaks
Sometimes you need a break when you are sick but you can’t exactly lay down at your desk. My girlfriend mentioned that she uses up her toilet breaks when she is sick by heading down to the cubicle, placing a rolled up jumper against the wall and having a short nap. You could probably get away for ten minutes at a time like this.

7. Give yourself an allotted time to be sick
One of the best things you can do when you are sick at work is take a short break and give yourself an allotted time to be sick. Just sit there for five minutes and groan and moan and feel awful. After the allotted time is up you should compose yourself, take a few deep breaths and head back to work revitalized and full of bravery.

8. Meditate on compassion
His Holiness the Dalai Lama often says that if you want to have the inner strength of a warrior you need to develop compassion. One of the best times to meditate on compassion is when you are sick.

If you are feeling lousy you can think about the fact that there are people out there who are feeling a lot worse than you are. This should give you a renewed sense of energy and vitality – a sense that you should keep working hard because things aren’t that bad.

The next way you can meditate on compassion is by the using the buddhist practice of Tong Len. Tong Len means “sending and taking” and is where you use your breath as a tool to increase compassion.

Firstly, breathe in an imagine that all the suffering in the world is coming in to your body and dissolving. You take on all the suffering of others so that others don’t need to experience it. Secondly, when you breathe out all your happiness and health goes out to others and makes them all healthy and joyful. Finally you make the aspiration that buddhist makes whenever they are sick:

“May all sentient beings’ sicknesses ripen on me right now while I am sick. May this sickness purify all sentient beings of their illnesses right now.”

top image:Creative Commons License photo credit: Lost in Scotland