Anxiety is a common feeling for most people at some point or another. When fear, nervousness or worry become a chronic problem, however, they can progress into a more serious anxiety disorder.

While anxiety starts in the mind, it can lead to physical symptoms as well. Increased heartrate, stomach problems and headaches are all physical symptoms that can be related to anxiety.

When a person faces an event or situation that causes stress or fear, they experience a response known as “fight or flight.” This response has been part of our instincts since the earliest man. One of the results of this response - and anxiety in general - is a depression of the immune system. If the anxiety is more serious, it can lead to an ongoing suppression of the immune system which can increase the chance of infection, disease and sickness.

Along with anxiety, phobias and panic attacks can also result in similar symptoms. And unfortunately, when these things progress beyond the average day-to-day stresses that we all deal with, they can become unmanageable.

People suffering from anxiety and panic disorders often worry about when their next attack will occur. This can lead to more stress and anxiety, resulting in an ongoing cycle.

There are a number of treatments that are used to treat anxiety disorders. These include medications, therapy and alternative methods such as Aromatherapy and supplement regimes.

There is no single best treatment - everyone will respond to different methods, or in many cases a combination of more than one. If you think you may be suffering from anxiety or stress, the best course of action is to visit your doctor to get a thorough diagnosis.

They can help you determine what is causing the problem as well as the best treatment method for your particular case. The earlier you can seek medical advice the better, because the longer the problem is left untreated, the more serious it will become.

Diabetes is a condition in which the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream is chronically higher than normal. Diabetics are two to four times more likely than non-diabetics to die from stroke or heart disease. Diabetes may also lead to blindness, kidney disease, nerve disease, amputation, and impotence. It is responsible for over 180,000 deaths each year.

Diabetes causes rampant damage to the arteries and veins due to an accumulation of glucose in the blood. This accumulation sets an enzyme called PKC into overdrive. In addition to giving signals to the genes and causing cells to grow and divide fast, PKC also starts a chain reaction that reduces the elasticity of the veins and arteries. The consequently hardened arteries are very prone to breaking. Blockage of these arteries results in reduced blood flow to vital organs which could lead to conditions such as gangrene and blindness. Blockage of larger arteries leads to heart disease and stroke.

The complications of diabetes from heart disease and stroke to diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and damage of the nerves, have all been linked in some way to the formation of free radicals. Studies show that omega three and omega six fatty acids neutralize free radicals, and provide the additional nutrition so desperately needed by diabetics. One way of obtaining these required nutrients is to harness the power of nature and nourish the body with medicinal plants.

The Purslane Herb

Purslane, or portulaca as it is also known, is an herbaceous garden weed with fleshy succulent leaves. Purslane is one of the richest sources of fatty acids known in nature. It is also full of nutrients that can help manage diabetes. The main components of Purslane are tocopherals which are known to be strong antioxidants. It also contains vitamins C, A and E and minerals such as phosphorus, zinc, calcium, magnesium, manganese, silicon and phosphorus. A regular intake of Purslane in the form of salads should be an integral part in the management of diabetes.

Purslane is also an anti-inflammatory, demulcent, antibiotic, and anti-parasitic. It is regularly used in cosmetology due to its soothing properties. This property of Purslane can also be utilized in the treatment of the skin conditions, such as boils and sores, associated with diabetes.

Purslane is also used internally to deal with the symptoms of toxic dysentery, boils, sores, vaginal discharges, and urinary tract infections.

Essential oils and diabetes

Although essential oils cannot claim to cure diabetes, they can be used to reduce the side effects of diabetes related ailments such as ulcers, loss of skin integrity, and skin infections. The use of essential oils can reduce inflammation, encourage cell regeneration, and eliminate infection.

Some of the common essential oils that may be used are Palma Rosa, Rosemary, Juniper, Lavender, Tea-tree, and Peppermint.

Essential oils can also alleviate the stress of coping with a chronic condition such as diabetes and ease the burden of living with such a debilitating disease. Aromatherapy is a known antidote for relieving stress. Some of the essential oils that can be used for reducing stress are lavender, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood, Lemon, Bergamot, Neroli and Germanium.

I want to start making soy candles, and have all the supplies to get started. The only thing I am having a hard time finding info on, is scenting my candles with pure essential oils, not the fragrance oils sold by suppliers.

I know essential oils have a flashpoint, but I am just confused on what flashpoint I need to stay above for the candle to burn safetly. I don't want to make a candle that will explode! I will be using Ecosoya wax.

Thank you!

If you bought your oil where you bought your wax chances are you bought fragrance oil not essential oil. The flashpoint pertains to your wax. When your melting your wax you need to have a thermometer to gauge the temp. You don't want it to go beyond the flashpoint because it can explode it has to get pretty hot to reach that point. I heat my wax to 165 degrees to melt and add my dye and fragrance oil then I let it cool to 145 degrees to pour into my containers. This is why you need a thermometer so you can tell how hot your wax is. You also need a pot with a temp. gauge. I use a presto cooker they have them at Wal-mart for $20. You heat your wax slow. If you are using essential oil the scent can evaporate if it gets to hot so don't put it in to hot of wax. Hope this helps. For candle instructions go to www.candletech.com

I was making some face lotion, there's so many different types to choose from… What are the best essential oils or extracts to put in the lotion, especially for enlarged pores and sensitive skin?

Large skin pores are usually genetic and are inherited from family members but the other cause of them is oily skin which causes the skin pores appear open and large because of excess sebum production. Nothing much can be done for them but certain things can reduce the size of the pores temporarily.

Large pores should always be kept clean so that there is no dirt and oil left inside the pores to cause pimples, acnes and black heads. One can use gentle facial scrubbers and face packs to tone up the size of the pores. Certain creams have specific ingredients in them to reduce the size of the skin pores LO'REAL PARIS has few creams in their cosmetic range which promises to reduce the size of the pores of the skin. Cleaning too helps in dealing with the situation. Some home made scrubs and packs are good enough in reducing the appearance of the size of the big and opened skin pores.

Tomato has toning agents in it. If tomato juice has been applied on the skin regularly with a cotton ball and left for 20 minutes, helps in reducing the size of the pores. It shrinks the pores and makes them appear visibly smaller. You can add tomato juice to calamine powder or sandalwood powder, which are good to tone up the skin, which helps in even reducing the size of the pores. These packs help skin to reduce the sebum production and it helps in decreasing the size of the pores.
Mashed papaya applied on the skin helps in toning the pores. You can directly apply a mashes papaya on your skin or can put it over a gauge. You need to wash it off with lukewarm water.
White portion of the egg has skin toning and complexion enhancing ingredients. Whipped egg yolk applied on the skin with a few drops of lemon juice, improves the tone of the skin and reduces the pore size. This pack is extremely good for Middle Ages women.
Honey is equally good to tone up the pores and reduce the oiliness from the skin. It can be applied in any of the facemask or can be directly applied on the skin with a little lemon juice and sugar to it. You can massage it on face and leave it for few minutes. Then rinse it off with lukewarm water. Honey added to milk powder too helps if applied on the skin.A paste made of salt and butter is helpful in reducing pore size if applied on them.
Regularly use toner on your skin with a cotton ball. To some extent it helps in temporary reducing the size of the pores.
Oatmeal and gram flour are good toning substance. You can add a little lemon juice, rose water and curd to them and apply on the skin. Wash this pack off when it dries. It tones the pores and enhances the complexion.
If you have breakouts on your skin then avoid using lemon juice or any such thing on your skin without a doctor's knowledge. Calamine powder and sandalwood powder are safe to be applied on the pimples or acnes.
Always remove make up while going to bed. Never sleep with your make up on. Let the skin breath. Heavy make up left on the skin for long hours too increase the size of the pores.
If you do wax your face, you have more chances to get open pores so always be careful while doing it. Always make sure that you apply a soothing face pack based on calamine or sandalwood on your face after waxing it to close the pores.
You can rub an ice cube on your skin wrapped in a cotton cloth on your face to temporary reduce the size of the pores. Ice shrinks the size of the pores and it's a good way to make the pores appear smaller if you are going somewhere out as it even decreases the oil production on the skin for sometime.

If you regularly concentrate to care about the skin and make efforts to reduce the size of the pores, it's not impossible to get the results. If not permanently, but you can temporarily reduce the size of the pores and can help in increasing further in the size. Applying toner, tightening facemasks and using toning creams too helps in decreasing the problem to some extent. Though one cannot cure this problem permanently, one can at least prevent the pores from becoming bigger. Keep the skin clean, don't use oily make up products and eat healthy food to keep the skin beautiful and young. Natural ingredients are anyways cost effective and very helpful in treating any of the skin problems.

Alternative treatments are available for the curing of acne, as is the case of any other disease. It is a skin disorder which causes lesions in the skin, due to clogging in the psilosebaceous glands. Acne is an often projected cosmetic problem, which affects the emotional feelings of the person. The fact that acne is more frequent among teenagers, increases the treatments commercial value, since many of them want to avoid acne any way they can. Scaring is one of the major problems associated with acne. Alternative medicines advocate many promising solutions to avoid acne problems.

Alternative medicine includes many different streams of medicine. Most of the medicines offer more or less similar basic treatment to all forms of acne such as pimples, white heads, black heads or manulas. The main advantage of alternative treatments is that they will help to reduce the underlying factors of the acne manifestation. The treatment is primarily focused to avoid clogging and bacterial growth and some of the treatments also help to reduce the sebum secretion, also.

In Ayurveda, the Indian traditional medicine, acne is the aggravation of pita vata dosha, which can be cured with dietary restrictions. Chinese traditional medicine also suggests several herbal remedies for treatment. The general herbs used for the treatment of acne include black kosch, neem, Jin Ying Hua, and Lian Qiao. Some of these treatment strategies suggest external application of the pastes on the affected areas, to make their relief faster.

Food and nutrition is the most important factor in alternative therapy. Fat and chocolates were blamed as the basic reason for the outbreak of acne while the carotene rich foods such as carrots, orange, and pumpkin seem to be very effective for the well being of the acne patients. Vitamins such as A, E, B, and C are also important for the skin texture and tone. Vitamin therapists advise to have vitamin supplement for the treatments. Zinc and chromium supplements, also seem to be important and juice therapists advice to have fresh juice, to a reduce acne problems.

Body massage and pressure channeling alternative methods are many body based treatments for acne treatment. Reflexology, acupressure and yoga suggest many refreshing method for the tension easing. Apart from massages, aromatherapy suggests bathing in scented oils added water will help to minimize breakouts.

To be precise, alternative medicines suggest naturalistic living for the person, as the most important treatment of acne.