Allergy: Your Body's Civil War

Allergic reactions, what are they? I can go into the medical explanation of allergies. I can explain the allergic reaction in very scientific terms (after all, I am a trained scientist). Let me illustrate with war and peace.

First of all, some people are born with an amazing gift for acquiring allergies. In terms of war and peace, this means that their immune systems have the ability to go to war for any reason, good or bad. This type of immune system can deploy a very large army very quickly. It can have bitter feuds with an imagined enemy who is really an ally. What is more, this immune system remembers the perceived enemy so well that an even bigger army is deployed every time the enemy is encountered.

When this army is out there in the body, eager to fight milk, cats, dogs, pollen, or whatever, it is the presence of the army itself rather than the enemy that leads to the next set of events! The presence of the army triggers off a series of chemical reactions in the body leading to the firing of chemical warfare. An overproduction of histamine can result, leading to sore eyes, skin rashes, choked throats, feeling sick, sneezing, coughing, and all the usual misery of an allergic reaction.

Left in a state of war for a long time, maybe with many enemies, a civil war eventually breaks out, with even more chemical warfare, and the soldiers no longer know why they are fighting, they just fight. The general of this army no longer has control over it and is too tired to anyway. Additionally, the general is too tired to communicate with the other commanders. Anarchy reigns. Invaders enter the country and it is pot luck whether they are seen. If they are seen, the army may be just too tired from all that fighting to ward off this real enemy. This weakens the whole nation, which then continues to produce more soldiers in a state of confusion.

The nation is tired of war but has lived with it for so long now, it doesn't know how to break free. The president, convinced they are the enemy, decides to avoid contact with certain friendly tourists. He instructs all his generals to evade this enemy or fight it to the bitter end. But the country is in a state of high alert. People are wary. They are tired. They avoid all of these tourists that the president has announced are the enemy.

Some time passes and a few people feel unjustly that they had a bad experience with foreign investors. The papers publish this, and the nation, still in a war mood, is whipped into a frenzy. Soon enough, was is fought against foreign investors. They become the new enemy.

Soon almost every previously welcome visitor becomes an enemy.

The country is now almost always at war with somebody, anybody! Resources are depleted, the nation is tired. There seems no way out.

Now imagine a new president taking over, with a new government. The president gathers his generals and explains to them why the enemy is really a friend. The generals go on to reduce the size of their army. The nation rests. Resources are no longer diverted to the war but are spent on education, agriculture, and rebuilding the nation. The nation flourishes.

You can choose to let go of allergies. One of these days, common sense will prevail and those of us with the genes that makes us prone to allergies will not need to live in fear. In the meantime, if you have considered treatment, there is a technique that uses no medication, no fear and no nonsense. I have successfully used EFT on myself for allergies and would recommend it to anyone. I have met so many people who have taken control of their bodies and have freed themselves of them. Like my friend Ronny, who became free from his allergy to milk with EFT.

Why have war when you can relax in peace? Most of you those reading this will prefer to keep their allergies, but that's another story. Choose to empower yourself now. Go and see an EFT practitioner that deals with allergies, or learn EFT for yourself. I'm certainly glad I did!

My name is Suzanne Zacharia and I am committed to spreading the word about health options. I believe that the more and better options one has, the more choice there is.

A virus caught along with 5 other students at university at the end of 1986, plus medical negligence, meant that I got smokers lung at a relatively young age. In desperation for help with my symptoms and quality of life, I turned to complementary therapy, and this is the 11th year I have outlived one doctor's prognosis.

I am now a complementary therapist, author and trainer specialising in energy therapy. My company is called New Age London, named by my clients, with some carefully-chosen experts in their fields working with me under the New Age London banner. More details via the links below.

http://www.NewAgeLondonTherapies.com http://www.StopSmokingLondon.com http://www.EFTLondon.co.uk

Alternative Acne Treatment Drug Free Solutions

Acne is a skin condition from which most of us have suffered at one time or another, especially in our teens, but for most people it lasted only for a year or two. However it is possible to have this common condition at any time in your life, and many people are plagued by acne throughout their adult lives, and find themselves in an endless search for a drug or product which will end their problem for ever.

Acne itself is a condition caused by excess oil in the skin, and this oil breaks down into fatty acids which cause the skin to inflame. This normally takes place on the face and neck, but can also create more serious scars in addition to the common spots and pimples.

There are many natural and alternative acne treatments available in preference to the conventional chemical acne creams and lotions. Although not technically an alternative acne treatment, as a first step it is advisable to analyze your diet as this can often contribute significantly to the condition. Avoiding processed and prepackaged food is advisable for all of us, regardless of any skin conditions, but an unprocessed food diet should be particularly beneficial for those suffering from acne. Fried and fatty oily food and food cooked in vegetable oils will contribute to the oils which cause acne, but healthy oils such as those contained in fish such as sardines can be consumed, these are known as Omega 3 oils.

A healthy diet will also improve how your body processes food and integral to this is drinking lots of water. Most of us do not drink enough water, only getting part of our necessary intake though the water contained in other products and beverages. Drinking water, up to 10 glasses a day or more, will help to cleanse your system of many of the oils and toxins which may contribute to acne.

Another alternative acne treatment with potential benefits is increasing your vitamin intake. This can be done by buying vitamin tablets and supplements, but care must be taken as high levels of vitamins in the body can also be harmful. Vitamin A supplements can help with acne but as with all supplements they should be taken in moderation and preferably in consultation with your doctor. Similarly Zinc is often seen as an aid to alleviating acne symptoms, as it can help inflammation reduction and helps the immune system which protects against infection. Zinc can be found in foods such as liver eggs and seafood in particular. There are other products created from herbs which are reportedly able to help acne sufferers.

Overall the best advice to those afflicted by acne who want to avoid conventional chemical treatments is to start with a healthy diet, and give this new regime a chance to work. Locate one of the many sites or books outlining a healthy eating plan concentrating on those foods which contain little fatty vegetable oils and significant omega 3 oils, and critically drink lots of water. This simple change may be enough to alleviate many of your acne symptoms.

Visit http://www.health-alternative-life.com for alternative health articles, product reviews and analysis.

Clear Your Acne Naturally!

Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on common over-the-counter acne treatment products. The truth is, most of these products are full of chemicals that can actually slow down the healing of acne, and irritate your skin, causing farther breakouts.

When an acne product has 20 ingredients listed on it, it can be hard to know if one of those ingredients is actually stopping you from having success. It can be even harder when you can't pronounce the ingredient, much less know what it is and how it is going to affect your skin. Most mainstream acne treatments are not only much more expensive than common household items, but they also don't always work as well either. With that in mind, I will list some basic household items that can work wonders on clearing up your skin.

Baking soda ? A very cheap cooking ingredient that most people have in their homes already, baking soda can be used as a great scrub. The purpose of a scrub is to exfoliate the skin, removing dead skin that can eventually clog pores and lead to acne spots. To start off, you'll want to mix a small amount of baking soda with some water for form a paste. Baking soda is very effective as a scrub, so you want to be sure to be extra careful when applying it to your face. Gently massage the paste into your skin for ten to fifteen seconds. Then rinse the baking soda off, and pat your face dry with a clean towel.

Apple Cider Vinegar ? Though most people that use vinegar to treat acne use the apple cider form of vinegar, you can also use plain old regular vinegar. Regardless of which type you use, vinegar can be very helpful with it comes to clearing up acne. It can kill off acne causing bacteria, balance your skin's pH, and absorb extra oil on your skin.

Starting with clean, dry skin, apply diluted vinegar (eight parts water to one part vinegar) directly to your skin with a cotton ball, and leave it on. If you want, you can also use a stronger vinegar solution (say, 2 or 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar), and apply it directly to problem areas, rinsing it off after ten minutes.

Lemon or lime juice can also be substituted for vinegar. Both of these juices are rich in citric acid, and can exfoliate your skin very well, halting the growth of acne spots, as well as fading previous, non-active acne quicker.

Egg Whites ? Rich in protein, egg whites can be used as a mask to heal and rebuild your skin. It can also help to absorb excess oil from your skin. To start off, crack an egg, removing the yolk so that just the egg whites are left behind. Beat these egg whites, and apply them directly to your face. Let it sit for fifteen minutes, and then rinse the egg off.

Oatmeal ? As odd as it may seem, oatmeal can absorb unwanted oil and draw out impurities which reside deep in your skin. Cook some plain oatmeal like you would for consumption. Let it cool off, and rub it over your clean skin. Let it sit for a while, like you would a mask, and then rinse off. If you do this on a regular basis, you should begin to start noticing results soon.

Tea Tree Oil ? TTO is a commonly used all-natural household antiseptic, which you can pick up at most drugstores or supermarkets. You can apply TTO directly to acne spots to kill bacteria, or, if you strongly dilute it with another oil (such as jojoba oil), over your entire face. Tea tree gel can be easier to apply than the oil, and many are made for applying over large areas of skin, so they aren't quite as strong as straight TTO and do not need to be diluted.

Pantothenic Acid (Also known as Vit. B5) ? Pantothenic acid can be taken in large quantities for the benefit of acne reduction. B5 works by helping your body to metabolize fats which would otherwise be later turned into sebum (oil) and excreted through the skin. Small amounts of B5 won't help though, and it has to be taken several times a day.

To help with acne, you will need to take 2.5 grams of pantothenic acid (the powder form is much easier to take), 4 times per day, for a total of 10 grams per day.

Aloe Vera ? Aloe Vera has been used for many years in kitchens for topical application to burns. Another benefit of aloe is that it can prevent scaring, fade marks and help heal acne spots.

You now have an idea of some basic household items you can use on your skin, that work better than many OTC acne products, and are much cheaper to use. Since we have only really covered basic acne treatments, you can always take this to another level and take all natural, internal acne treatments.

This sums up our basic list of natural alternatives for chemical based acne treatment products. You can take this a step farther by attacking your acne from the inside out. Acne has been shown numerous times to be very closely affected by the digestive system, so keeping your entire digestive system working as smooth as possible can help reduce acne. I will help give you a basic idea of some all natural products you can take to help clear up acne.

Cucumber, lemon and carrot juice, brewer's yeast, and active charcoal pills are all capable of helping the digestive system function normally. Since the digestive system is closely related with the health of the skin, they should help reduce acne breakouts. Flax seed can also be wonderful for helping your skin heal faster.

Ryan Bauer is a former acne sufferer who writes health articles and runs his acne treatment website, Acne Elimination.