Home Remedies for Food Poisoning  

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Most of us have suffered through food poisoning at one time or another. Food poisoning is caused by bacteria or other toxins in food. Some of the symptoms are nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Food poisoning should not be ignored.
When you are suffering from food poisoning, your body will lose more water than normal. So try to stay well hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water throughout the day. The water will help flush out the toxins and bacteria causing your symptoms. Along with water, you can also drink diluted fruit juice and broth. You can also start treatment immediately with simple and readily available ingredients from your kitchen.
Here are the top 10 home remedies for food poisoning.

1. Ginger

   Ginger is an excellent home remedy for curing almost all types of digestive problems related to food poisoning.
   
   • You can drink one cup of ginger tea after eating lunch or dinner to stop heart burn, nausea and other symptoms associated with food poisoning. To make ginger tea, boil one teaspoon grated ginger in a cup of water for a few minutes, add sugar and your tea is ready
   • Add a few drops of ginger juice to one teaspoon of honey and swallow it several times a day to reduce inflammation and pain.
   • Eating raw ginger increases the acid level in your stomach, which will help you digest your food more quickly.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

   Due to its alkaline nature, apple cider vinegar can alleviate various food poisoning symptoms. Apple cider vinegar will soothe the gastro-intestinal lining and kill the bacteria, giving you instant relief.
   
   • Just mix two tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of hot water and drink it before eating any solid food to prevent acid indigestion.
   • Alternatively, you can drink two tablespoons of undiluted apple cider vinegar.

3. Fenugreek Seeds and Yogurt

   Yogurt is another anti-bacterial agent that can counter attack the bacteria that cause food poisoning. You can take one teaspoon fenugreek seeds along with a tablespoon of yogurt. You just need to swallow the seeds and need not chew them. The combining effect of fenugreek seeds and yogurt will give you an immediate relief from stomach pain as well as vomiting.

4. Lemon

   The anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties in lemons can give you much relief. The acid in lemons helps kill bacteria that cause food poisoning.
   
   • Just add a pinch of sugar to one teaspoon of lemon juice and drink it two to three times a day.
   • You can also sip on warm water with lemon juice to clean out your system.

5. Basil

   Basil is an excellent herb that can cure infections caused by food poisoning. You can get the benefits from basil in several ways.
   
   • Drink basil juice witha tablespoon of honey several times a day.
   • Put a few drops of basil oil in one liter of drinking water. Drink it slowly throughout the day to kill bacteria causing stomach pain and other problems.
   • Add basil leaves, some sea salt, and a pinch black pepper to three tablespoons of plain yogurt. Eat this three to four times a day until your symptoms are gone.

6. Garlic

   Garlic is also very effective in fighting food poisoning due to its strong antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It relieves symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain by destroying unhealthy microbes in the intestines.
   
   • Eat one fresh garlic clove, swallowing it with water. If you can tolerate the smell of garlic, you can also try garlic juice.
   • Alternatively, you can make a mixture of garlic oil and soybean oil and rub it on your stomach after eating.

7. Banana

   Bananas are a rich source of potassium that greatly helps reduce the various effects of food poisoning. Because bananas are very soft,they are easy on the stomach. Eating just one banana will also help restore your energy level. You can simply eat a ripe banana or make a tasty and healthy banana shake and drink it two to three times a day.

8. Cumin

   Cumin seeds can control stomach inflammation due to food poisoning.
   
   • Just crush one tablespoon of cumin seeds and swallow it, then drink a glass of water.
   • You can also make an herbal drink from cumin seeds, salt, and asafetida. Drink it two to three times a day. This will cleanse the system and relieve your symptoms.

9. Herbal Tea

   Sipping on different types of herbal tea can help soothe your disturbed system and keep your body well hydrated. Peppermint tea has a soothing effect on your stomach and can relieve stomach cramps. Comfrey root and meadow sweet tea will treat your stomach infection. If you are experiencing nausea, try licorice tea or chamomile tea as these teas will reduce inflammation and calm your stomach.

10. Honey

    Honey has both antifungal and antibacterial properties that can be effective for treating indigestion and other food poisoning symptoms. Honey as a natural remedy can be taken in its pure form or added to tea. A teaspoon of honey three times a day can do wonders to heal an upset stomach due to food poisoning and indigestion. It also controls the formation of excessive acid in the stomach.

These natural treatments are sure to alleviate the symptoms of food poisoning and help you get instant relief. However, if symptoms continue, consult a doctor immediately.

http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-food-poisoning.html

The healing power of yogurt and kefir

May 1, 2009

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If someone suggested that you swallow a spoonful of live organisms, you’d probably think Fear factor auditions had come to town…but what if they told you that every spoonful would provide extraordinary improvements in your health?
Well, billions of people willingly eat billions of live organisms every day when they eat yogurt or drink kefir! Both are absolutely brimming with bacteria, the live and active cultures you read about on the label. And that’s a really good thing, because research has shown that these “friendly” bacteria can provide an abundance of benefits such as:
· Strengthen your immune system.
· Help ulcers heal more quickly.
· Help prevent recurrent yeast infections.
· Aid in weight loss, belly fat in particular.
· Reduce several risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
· Reduce several risk factors for intestinal cancers.
· Alleviate microbe-induced traveler’s diarrhea.
· Reduce the rate of childhood respiratory infections.
· Help prevent tooth decay.
Even if you took out the bacteria, it’s still an excellent source of calcium. Yogurt can be especially important for people who lack the enzyme lactase that’s needed to digest the lactose, or sugar, in milk. Even though yogurt does contain lactose, the live bacteria in yogurt help your body break lactose down so it’s less likely to cause discomfort. One cup of plain low-fat yogurt provides 40 percent of the Daily Value.
Kefir, if you’re not familiar, is a fermented, probiotic milk drink that means “good feeling” when translated from the Russian language spoken in the mountains where it originated. It has a distinctive mild but tangy taste. Best-selling author and world-renowned dermatologist Dr. Nicholas Perricone has named kefir as one of his top 10 superfoods. Dr. Perricone’s research has uncovered that hospitals in the former Soviet Union used kefir “to treat conditions ranging from atherosclerosis, allergic disease, metabolic and digestive disorders, and tuberculosis to cancer and gastrointestinal disorders.” Dr. Perricone points out that scientists have discovered that many inflammatory diseases (including some types of heart disease) can be triggered by bacteria. “That provides all the more reason to enjoy kefir as part of your daily diet.” Dr. Perricone recommends Helios or Lifeway kefir.
Top tips for getting the most
Eat it cold
The bacteria in yogurt or kefir are destroyed by heat. When using them in recipes, add after the dish is finished cooking and removed from the heat.
Eat it first
Dr. Perricone suggests starting each day by making a quick smoothie made with two tablespoons of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice (pure pomegranate extract) and a glass of unsweetened whole-milk kefir. I’ve been drinking this breakfast brew for years, mixing either Sambazon acai or pomegranate juice into kefir and I credit it for making huge improvements in my own health.
A lower carb alternative to pomegranate juice is Jarrow Formulas Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, which has only 9 grams of carbs per serving.
Buy it fresh, and organic
Fresh yogurt contains about 100 million bacteria per gram. However, after a few weeks on the shelf, that number quickly dwindles. Therefore, it’s best to buy it from health food stores since these stores usually sell a lot of yogurt and you have a much better chance of getting it fresh. I like Seven Stars Farm low-fat organic yogurt. Stonyfield Farm yogurt is widely available in most grocery stores.
Avoid yogurt that contains added sugars, sweetened fruit or things you can’t pronounce like stabilizers and thickeners. These ingredients will actually detract from the live cultures by disturbing the balance that enables the cultures to thrive.
If you’re not a yogurt fan, and the idea of eating plain yogurt doesn’t thrill you, try mixing it in with cold soups or in to smoothies blended with fresh fruit to mask the taste. It’s a great substitute for sour cream too.

 http://www.examiner.com/article/the-healing-power-of-yogurt-and-kefir

 

20 Snacks To Kick-Start Energy

Snacks that balance the three main sources of energy help maintain an overall healthy and more energetic body.

Three main sources of energy in the human body are carbohydrates, protein and fat. Carbohydrates make up a little over half the energy source. They are in the form of starches and sugars. The brain needs carbohydrates for energy as it cannot use fat as a source of energy. The muscles use carbohydrates for their main fuel.
A wide variety in your diet can greatly affect your energy levels. Eating a balanced diet with a variety of different types of carbohydrates not only can help with weight regulation, it can boost your energy levels and help you maintain peak condition body health.

Here are twenty snack ideas that can boost your energy.
1.Fruits: Fruit has natural sugars that are a source of energy. It also adds fiber and a feeling of fullness so that you eat less in the long run. Apples, oranges and bananas are good examples.
2.Yogurt: Yogurt is highly nutritious and has good levels of protein and carbohydrates for energy. It also contains some bacteria that are good for intestinal health. There are plain types of yogurt as well as low fat and yogurt with fruit added.
3.Vegetables: Vegetables contain natural sugars that are a good source of energy. Energy efficiency is partially based on good cell conditions. The antioxidants in vegetables help maintain good cell conditions, as they help get rid of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that can damage cells. Carrots, celery and cucumbers are good examples.
4.Nuts: Nuts such as almonds, pistachios and cashews can give you a boost of energy. Nuts are high in all three forms (carbohydrate, protein and fat) of energy sources. They also have antibiotic properties that help the immune system.
5.Pumpkin Seeds: Seeds have antibiotic properties. Pumpkin seeds are no exception. Like nuts, they have high levels of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
6.Cereal: Cereal contains grains which in turn have high levels of carbohydrates including fiber good for intestinal health. Milkwith cereal adds additional benefits such as vitamins and nutrients. There are many different types of cereal and looking at the nutritional data on the box will help decide which will best work for you.
 7.Energy Bars: There are plenty of commercial energy bars on the market that help boost energy. These contain carbohydrates, fat and protein for energy. Choose your favorite flavor and type from the many that are available.

8.Crackers with peanut butter: Crackers spread with peanut butter are high in the sources of energy. Peanut butter comes from peanuts which in turn are legumes related to beans. Most of the energy in peanut butter comes from fats and proteins.
9.Bagel: Bagels, made from flour and yeast give you a boost of energy especially if a spread such as peanut butter or fruit topping is added. Since they contain flour, they are likely to contain high levels of carbohydrates.
10.Rice cakes: Rice cakes are made from a special mixture of rices and sometimes puffed wheat. The rice mixture would have high levels of carbohydrates and protein, making rice cakes a good choice of snack for an energy boost. There are many different varieties to choose.
11.Soup: There are many different types of soup including basic soups such as chicken noodle soups and vegetable soups. The amount of energy in soup varies as the ingredients vary but soups that have a good balance of meat (protein source) and vegetables (carbohydrates) are best for energy snacks.
12.Cheese: Most of the energy from cheese comes from fat and protein but these are needed for tissue repair. One slice of cheese is about one serving.
13.Trail mix: Trail mix is a mix of nuts and dried fruits. Dried fruits contain most of the benefits of fruit but it's portable so you can carry it around.
14.Orange juice: A glass of orange juice is much like eating an orange. Most orange juices have things added so they contain much more energy boosting ability.
15.Egg sandwich: Eggs have protein and the bread used have high levelss of carbohydrates.
16.Cottage cheese: The milk content of cottage cheese provides protein and added vitamins and minerals needed for health.
17.Oatmeal: Oatmeal comes from processing oats which are a grain. Grains have high levels of carbohydrates thus provide lots of energy.
18.Tomato sandwich: The tomato sandwich is an ideal energy boosting snack. A vegetable combined with bread is a good source of carbohydrates. Adding lettuce adds fiber and taste.
19.Tomato juice or other mixed tomato drink: Tomato juice, much like orange juice provides nutrients, minerals and other energy boosting ingredients. A mixed tomato drink, mixed with other vegetables and fruit that may include but not limited to carrots, pineapple and celery.
20.Salad: A salad has fiber (a carbohydrate used for intestinal health) and has a wide variety of tastes depending on what is added.

 http://www.essortment.com/20-snacks-kick-start-energy-63206.html