History of Medicinal Mushrooms

5,300 years ago, an injured and starving man from Val Venosta, Italy, fled across an Alpine glacier to escape pursuers. But his enemies caught up with him and with a practiced arrow-shot penetrated his shoulder blade and subclavian artery. Before long, he was dead from blood loss. “Oetzi the Iceman” was found mummified in 1991. On his person were pouches containing mushroom remedies, the oldest known proof in existence of medicinal mushrooms usage.

One of the mushrooms was Birch polypore – Piptoporus betulinus – which it is believed he used as a remedy against intestinal parasites. Eggs of the whipworm parasite (Trichuris trichiura) were found in his intestines. The other mushroom in the possession of Oetzi was Tinder fungus – Fomes fomentarius – which has been traditionally used in Europe to cauterize wounds and stop bleeding.

Birch polypore and Tinder fungus are both polypores, which have pores on their undersides, hence the name. Most polypores grow on trees and none is known to be poisonous.

With a couple of notable exceptions, most polypores are inedible because they are woody and fibrous. But as natural remedies in the form of tea, extracts and poultices, they have been invaluable to people all across the globe for many millennia.

Native American traditions tell of using different kinds of polypore extracts to combat smallpox and other diseases introduced with the arrival of Europeans. This includes Reishi (Ganoderma resinaceum), Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), Birch polypore, and Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor), as well as the now rare and endangered species Agarikon (Fomitopsis officinalis).

And as though by no coincidence, Agarikon also holds the distinction as the oldest medicinal mushroom in historic European literature. In 65 B.C., Greek physician Dioscorides recorded it in Materia Medica as a remedy for tuberculosis. More recently, K. Grzywnowics in a 2001 article titled Medicinal Mushrooms in Polish Folk Medicine said Agarikon tea was traditionally considered an elixir for long life and listed historical uses to include lung conditions (coughing, asthma) and rheumatoid arthritis, but also infected wounds and open bleeding.

So far, we’ve only covered the history of medicinal mushrooms in Europe and America and have barely even touch upon their use in Asia, where their use has been even more exhaustive. At least three Asian species must be included in any article on the history of mushrooms.

First out is Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), sometimes nicknamed the “Mushroom of Immortality” due to its wide range of healing properties. Reishi was mentioned in Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic from around 2,000 years ago. Many ancient Oriental temples and wood-carvings include images of this highly revered “cure-all” fungus.

Next is a mushroom from Tibet known as Cordyceps, a small fungus growing out of the bodies of silk caterpillars. Its first mention was in The Classic Herbal of the Divine Plowman, 200 A.D. Traditionally used as an aphrodisiac, today it’s popular with athletes to improve strength and stamina.

Last but not least is the medicinal mushroom Shiitake, better known as a culinary delight. However, Shiitake is also one of the most research mushrooms for medical properties. Commercial cultivation of Shiitake began about a thousand years ago in China. Medicinal uses include immune enhancement, antibiotic and more. Shiitake extracted Lentinan polysaccharide is approved as an anti-cancer drug in Japan.

Modern research into medicinal use of mushrooms began in earnest in the late 1960’s Japan. One pioneer, Dr. Ikekawa, discovered that families of mushroom growers had significantly lower cancer rates than their surrounding communities. Scientific research into medicinal mushrooms has expanded exponentially since that time and continues to increase and intensify until this day. Medicinal mushrooms are still in the process of making history.

Note: This article is for informational purpose only. None of the mushrooms mentioned herein have been approved for medicinal use by the FDA. Never use any mushroom medicinally without consulting a licensed medical practitioner.

Dr. Markho Rafael has worked in the natural health field since the mid-90’s as an author and researcher, now specializing in mycomedicinals. Click medicinal mushroom for mushroom articles and products. Material for this article comes from several different sources. However, a large portion comes from the literature of medicinal fungus expert Paul Stamets, who deserves special credit and thanks.

Homeopathic HCG Shopping List

The homeopathic is one of the most effective diets on the market. It’s also non-invasive and all natural. And just to make it clear how effective it is…the average weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per day while on the diet. That’s a lot of “effect” for one all natural (and short term) diet. Why does it work? It’s a group of necessary items working together.

1. Cutting the calories back drastically. The homeopathic HCG diet requires dieters to stick to a 500 calorie per day diet.

2. Daily use of the homeopathic HCG weight loss formula (3 times per day)

3. Only approved foods. The approved food list for the homeopathic HCG diet is very short. And sticking to it is vital.

The simplicity of the diet is a bit tricky. It is simple, but it’s still quite difficult. It’s a bit of a paradox. The problem comes when people who have never approached a diet as intense assume they’ll be able to stick to it without even trying. It definitely takes effort and reputable dealers will always offer appropriate tips and supplements to increase the chances of success. One popular “tool” is the shopping list.

This is the shopping list as recommended by HCG Diet Direct for the dieter’s local grocery store:

Fresh spinach (get a bag), Melba Toasts, salsa (no sugar allowed), tomatoes, Tony Chacere’s seasoning, Jennie O turkey burgers, fresh chicken, shrimp, lobster, crab, lean stead, tilapia, lean roast, 93% lean beef, chicken and turkey, lemons, oranges, strawberries, lettuce (romaine is best), red grapefruit, apples, cucumbers (try English cucumbers), celery, asparagus, sweet onions and green onions.

Sticking to the approved grocery list will ensure that dieters have the approved, fresh foods on hand to supply themselves with meals on the fly as they navigate the diet. One of the good habits that dieters pick up from the homeopathic HCG diet is learning to eat healthy, fresh foods. Another one is learning to prepare their own healthy, fresh meals.

The shopping list makes it very clear what dieters need to get in order to have the foods they need to succeed. They’ll have raw foods to have as snacks while on the diet. And they’ll have the ingredients for a wide variety of HCG approved recipes from the cookbook. Both are absolutely necessary to succeed on the diet. And succeeding on the diet means losing a substantial amount of weight! And that’s the entire point, isn’t it?

Amelia Handley studied exercise science at university with a minor in Nutrition. Yet she still found herself veering from diet to diet in order to control her weight. With HCG Diet Direct she’s found a program that allows her to combine her desire to control her own body weight with her education and not feel off balance.

How It Is Possible To Get And Maintain Chiseled Abs

There are many reasons why folks engage their self in body building and one of them is to be attractive and gain a shape which is alluring to the opposite sex. In this context, the chest, arms and the abs are the best muscles to workout since they’re the most observable. This is why you need techniques to workout these muscles and know how well you go about meeting your set goals. The abs is a point or worry in this post and this is the reason why you must focus on these tips.

The 6 pack as typically known by many folks is normally well exercised abs. These are typically developed thru an indirect impulse on the respective muscles. Some of the most typical exercises used in the abs exercise routines include squatting, overhead pressing, dead lifting, pull-ups, bench press and the dynamic rows. Six packs so can be well described as chiseled muscles particularly of the abdominal region in a human body. The 6 pack abs has of late been of great demand from the population because they’re creating a good reputation of a male muscle builder. All girls are been driven crazy by footballers removing their shirts, swimmers, athletes and other sports people.

There are very important factors which must be taken into concern when practicing and exercising for 6 pack development. These are a selection of the most critical elements of a body builder and without them, exercises are not sometimes performed well and in the long run they are no self proved success. These are the 2 main parts of getting the 6 pack and they’re all best for successful body building.

One of these parts is the diet of an individual . The secret in these is to avoid sugary and fatty meals while still at the same time ensuring the utilization of small meals in a day. The meals of muscle-builder must avoid fats because ; the stomach lining is very subject to fat deposits. With a lot of calories in the body the excess is subject to storage and this prevents the shaping of the intestinal muscles and there fore 6 packs become a dream never come true.

The second major aspect you need to have is the serious want and strict discipline. These 2 aspects are the methods of working out well and voiding any compromises. Just develop a desire of boosting to the others of your six packs by setting up a program and strictly following it without failure. In a very short time, you will notice that, patience pays and that you are not practicing in vain.

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A List Of Foods That Healthy Dogs Should Not Be Fed

You can feed a dog just about anything, and odds are, the dog will eat it up without thinking twice. This is a cause of concern for pet owners, as there are many types of foods that will do damage to the health of a dog. It’s important to learn which foods should be avoided to keep dogs healthy.

Even some raw vegetables can be bad for a dog. Garlic is an example of something that is natural but still very harmful when consumed for the dog. Garlic salt, garlic powder, and anything made with such ingredients should never be given to a dog. Otherwise the dog will face problems with anemia, where the red blood cells become under attack. Given the severity of the situation, even small amounts should be avoided.

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that can also harm your dog. You find xylitol in most types of gum, as it is an artificial sweetener. It is also the main ingredient in alternative sugar substitutes. The sweetener can cause liver failure if eaten in moderate quantities, so it’s best to avoid your dog eating it even in small amounts.

Sometimes problems such as diarrhea can be a result of feeding your dog dairy products, whether it be milk or foods prepared with mentioned dairy products. Not every dog has the ability to break down the enzymes that are in milk. As a result, the dairy is passed through the digestive system and will cause problems for the dog as long as dairy remains in the diet.

Caffeine is one all pet owners should remember. Caffeine can be found in chocolate, coffee, and many types of drinks such as soda. Caffeine will speed up the heart rate of the dog and cause problems to the nervous system. This is why it is urgent that dogs never be fed chocolate, even though the caffeine in chocolate is often just a small amount. Dogs given caffeine will often observe severe heart problems and jitters.

Overall, you must look after your dog and the diet he or she eats. Even feeding a dog table scraps is a poor choice, as dogs need a well-balanced diet to stay healthy. This is also why it is bad for a dog to eat cat food, which some dogs do, as cat food is usually higher in protein and fats than what a dog actually needs in his or her diet.

Closing Comments

Feeding a dog is a science. You have to show responsibility in caring for your dog, and brush up on other foods that you should not feed to him or her. Otherwise you may cause unintentional harm to your dog, and in some cases, could face actual legal charges.

Learn more on Flint River Ranch Dog Food and Flint River Ranch Pet Food.

The Joy Of Collecting Recipes

Recipes are used for making that special dish for the first time, enhancing a meal that you have made many times but now want to change, or for just adding to a marvelous collection of ideas for meals for the future.

A recipe can consist of only two ingredients or so many you cannot even fit them on your countertop. It can be as simple as simply stirring, or very complex, like dredging in flour, then dipping into a beaten egg, then covering with bread crumbs, quick-frying and then finally baking the port chop. Yes, for a simple port chop. But many times you will find that the more effort you put forth in preparing the meal, the better it tastes in the end.

Most cooks have several very important ingredients that are put in almost every dinner recipe they make. These may be onions and garlic. Or perhaps herbs like thyme and basil, or a combination of Italian seasonings. This same cook may also have ingredients in the cupboard that he or she bought for one special meal on an occasion, and it has been sitting in that cupboard ever since. This might be liquid smoke, or fenugreek.

Perhaps the greatest experiments with recipes are those from other countries. You can try something Greek, like moussaka, or Italian, like lasagna, or East Indian, like lamb korma, or Mexican, like carne asada tacos.

You will find that the main difference between the different ones of various countries is the spices they use. In Greece, they use a lot of cinnamon on their meat to sweeten it up. Italians like their tomato sauced spiced up with oregano, basil, and thyme, among other spices. In India, the use of turmeric, cumin and coriander go far. Mexicans use a lot of cayenne and chili powder. And the list goes on.

You will discover that the joy of collecting healthy recipes will easily take over your book shelves. You will have recipe books on fish, steak, potatoes, desserts, casserole dishes, meatless meals, poultry, crepes, Christmas, and wok cooking, to name a few. Then there are the recipe magazines that will overwhelm you. And do not forget about the recipes you cut out from the newspaper, because you know you are going to try them some day.

You can stumble on collections in thrift shops. These are from clubs that people were members of and received them monthly and put them in binders. Or you will run across other types of collections that resemble a set of encyclopedias. There are annual collection recipe books for the year. And you would not want to pas up some of those really old cook books. They usually have a couple of really great classic formulas that you thought you would never find. Then there is the kind of collection that can drive a cook crazy, when they put them all in the index box. The best thing about these 4×6 inch cards is that you do not have to mess with a book closing on you while cooking.

Yes, you can collect recipes your whole life, fill an entire room with recipes. But the best cooks in the world do not even use them.

Healthy food can be hard to find these days. Eggs are very healthy and nutritious for breakfasts, and are extremely easy to prepare, especially with these online healthy recipes.

Is Lap Band Surgery Good For Severe Asthmatics?

The rapid increase in obesity across the country has resulted in a number of serious health problems. Many of these health problems can deteriorate a person’s quality of life and even shorten a person’s life. One such health condition that is made worse when obese is asthma. Studies are now showing that there is a link between asthma and morbid obesity. For people who are suffering from severe obesity, lap band surgery has been shown to be an effective method of weight loss that reduces instances of severe asthma attacks.

Obesity has been proven to be a risk factor for such diseases as heart disease, some types of cancer, and diabetes. Now, research studies are revealing that obesity is a risk factor for asthma. For instance, studies now show the risk for developing asthma increases when there is a large increase in weight. When a person is seriously overweight, their breathing becomes shallow because their lungs do not expand as much as it would if one were a normal healthy weight. As well, in obese individuals, there is a chronic inflammation of the lungs which reduces the airway passage. The inflammation takes place in the fatty tissue. A narrower airway passage also means the airways will remain blocked when breathing normally which reduces oxygen exchange. The airways will contract more causing more asthma symptoms. Narrow airways in obese asthmatics are more likely to stay closed during normal breathing which results in reduced oxygen exchange which puts one in a higher risk category for pulmonary hypertension. As well, obese people are more prone to sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease which can make asthma worse.

When a person suffers from obesity, they tend to have more severe asthma problems than those who are not obese. With a weight loss surgery such as lap band surgery, there can be considerable improvement for people suffering from asthma. With the loss of the excess fat, lung function will improve, inflammation will subside, the air passages will open up, and people will breathe better. As well, they will need less medication and there will be fewer trips to the hospital due to a severe asthma attack.

Lap band surgery has become a popular weight loss procedure to treat obesity because it is minimally invasive with few side effects. As well as having proven positive health results, the procedure normally takes less than an hour and the patient recovery time is short with most patients going home just a few hours after the procedure. It is also the only reversible option and post operative lap band adjustments are made without additional surgery.

During home recovery, the patient will have simple diet to follow as they learn how to eat healthy and the correct amounts of food. Lap band surgery is a great option for those suffering from obesity and serious health problems such as asthma. When considering any type of surgery, it is important to consult with a physician to learn about the benefits and risks involved with the procedure.

The CIBO clinic’s adjustable gastric band offers the safest, sustainable results in weight loss by reducing the amount of food your stomach can hold. Despite the lab band cost, there are many advantages. You can lose weight without hunger and feel full longer with support before and after your laparoscopic surgery. Read more about the experience in Lapband blog.

How Magnesium Contributes to Great Health

It is well known that minerals are vital to maintaining good health. Most people make sure to get enough calcium and iron. There are other less well-known minerals that have a tremendous impact on well-being. Magnesium is one such mineral. Sadly, 61% of adults do not meet the US RDA for magnesium. Receiving the health benefits of magnesium can be as simple as taking a magnesium supplement.

Magnesium is best known for its role in preventing and reversing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become weak and brittle. Magnesium assists the body absorb and use calcium. It also affects the various hormones in the body that influence bone density and calcium absorption. Getting plenty of magnesium helps increase bone density but helping the body utilize calcium more efficiently. Excess calcium can migrate into the muscles, leading to cramps and pain. It can also move into the kidneys where it solidifies forming kidney stones. Getting adequate magnesium makes sure that more of this calcium is used and may help prevent kidney stones.

Hypertension may also be prevented by magnesium. It seems the the smooth muscles that dilate the arteries are relaxed by magnesium. Doctors believe that this relaxation of these smooth muscle tissues reduces blood pressure. Potassium and magnesium also work together to control blood pressure. Through these functions, magnesium may help control hypertension.

Adult-onset or type 2 diabetes also seem to be be affected by magnesium deficiency. The break down of carbohydrates in the body requires magnesium. If there is a lack of magnesium, insulin resistance can result. This is a state in which the enzyme used by the body to balance our blood sugar does not work properly. More insulin becomes necessary to change the level of blood sugar. This often is a precursor condition to full type 2 diabetes. Getting sufficient magnesium increases the efficiency of carbohydrate metabolism and prevents the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is also important to cardiovascular health. This only seems natural since magnesium is involved in the prevention of diabetes and hypertension, two conditions that can lead to poor cardiovascular health. Magnesium helps regulate the heart’s rhythm. Too little magnesium can also lead to abnormal blood clotting in the heart, a dangerous condition that can lead to heart attack. Doctors have also found that magnesium can greatly speed recovery from strokes. It’s also quite likely that magnesium can prevent heart disease and stroke.

Many of us do not get adequate amounts of magnesium in our diet. Magnesium is a crucial mineral that affects a number of important functions. A magnesium supplement is a great way to ensure that you get enough magnesium to maintain optimum health. It is generally recommended to take twice as much magnesium as calcium. A liquid supplement will also be beneficial because liquid minerals are more readily absorbed from the digestive tract. This makes more the magnesium available to the body. Don’t be part of the 61% who are deficient in magnesium. Use a magnesium supplement to protect your precious health.

To learn more about the powers of magnesium supplementsas well as other important mineral supplements, visit us online and download your FREE audio Minerals: What your body needs and why. Neil Butterfield is the owner and founder of Mineralife and is also their mineral supplement expert, Mineralife is known nationwide for its excellence mineral supplements.

Can I Lose More Weight With Workout Videos Than at the Gym?

So — you can spend hundreds of dollars a month on a gym membership plus personal trainer, or you can download a range of great workout videos from a trusted source for next to nothing. Still trying to decide? Here are 5 reasons to go with the videos.

#5: Forget Those Inconvenient Opening Hours.

Instead of being locked into the gym itself, you’re free to go workout anywhere you want with a video. So not only can you do it in your own house, but it’s technologically feasible to take your workout videos on your iPod, head to the park, and do them there. Whatever you want.

#4: Get Instructions Without Queuing Up For A Trainer.

Sure, it’s hard to replace the direct contact with a trainer that you might get at the gym. But are you prepared to pay for that contact? If you’re just on a basic membership, it’s not always easy to get an overworked trainer to come over and explain 16 different exercises to you.

#3: Never Hurts To Double (or triple!) Check.

If you have to ask a personal trainer how to do an exercise more than 5 times, you might start trying their patience. Thankfully, with a video, although you might lack that face-to-face interaction, you can go back two billion times until you’ve got the move perfect, and no one will ever look askance at you.

#2: There’s Way More to Choose From.

If you aren’t happy with your gym, you can choose another one, but unless you live in a major city, you often won’t have so much choice around you. Whereas when it comes to some good videos, you’re free to choose from thousands of great options.

#1: Don’t Forget About the Gorgeous People.

Hey, I’m not saying there aren’t some beautiful people at the gym. But most trainers who make workout videos — be it men or women — aren’t too shabby to look at, either. While exercise is still the crucial thing, there’s nothing like an attractive trainer to keep you motivated.

Looking for some specific workout videos or just a workout routine you can practice to keep yourself fit? There are plenty of fitness videos available online, so start looking for your perfect body workout now!

Why You Don’t Really Need Fast Weight Loss Programs

With obesity expected to affect 50% of the population in the next fifty years, the time of “celebrity diets” and “fast weight loss programs” has become more popular than ever predicted. From the cabbage soup diet to the Quantum Wellness to the 48 Hour Miracle diet, each of these weight loss programmes all claim to quicken weight loss and experience increased rejuvenation.

But do they work?

Unfortunately not. Apart from helping you to achieve instant water weight loss, 90% of dieters have reported small weight loss reduction of just one to four pounds before hitting a plateau.

More disconcertingly, once dieters stopped using these fad diets they immediately regained all excess lbs lost.

Can they harm your health?

Whilst many celebrity fads can help you to witness instant weight losses, many cannot be used for over 2 weeks.

Limiting the amount ofessential nutrients needed to ensure your body receives the energy they need to work efficiently, many involve lowering your calorie consumption to below 1,000 calories a day – if not less or more than 50% of your recommended intake.

Supported by extreme workouts and unrelenting calorie checking, many of these said dietary fads do run the health risk of leaving you feeling quezy, tired, unable to think straight and more worryingly stop you from functioning properly. All of which are not good for your long term health and ultimately your future ability to lose weight.

How can you recognize a fad diet?

Fad diets are easier to spot than you imagine. Promoting an immediate solution to your body concerns, you can often tell a celebrity diet by their:

- Too good to be true claims – Lack of clinical case studies – Elimination of one if not more of the five food groups – Recommendations from studies without reviews from other researchers

When picking a dietary fad or herbal supplement, it is always important to thoroughly study their effects first before incorporating them into your weight loss program. If there is no medical evidence that they can produce quality health benefits, then these fast weight loss programs are properly fake.

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Laxative Usage For Managing Chronic Constipation

The most prevalent type of constipation is known by the descriptor “idiopathic” or “functional”. The meaning of these words imply that the root cause is not known, but the condition is clearly diagnosed from its symptomatic effects. Often the first treatment is dietary fiber infusion. In the event that this is not effective (which is approximately 70% of cases), patients can try out medical laxatives.

The general consensus among physicians and researchers is that laxative constipation treatments is safe and well-tolerated. But given that some patients must take them over long periods of time, doubts have come up about both efficacy and long term, unintended consequences. A consequence of these doubts have been the appearance of what seems to be misconceptions concerning laxative usage.

Roughly the myths concerning laxatives can be divided into three types. First, some believe that laxatives cause nerve damage to the colon. Second, some believe that cancer can be caused by laxatives. Third, some believe in the concept of laxative “intolerance” and “rebound” effects, resulting in worsening constipation after medication.

On the topic of the first misconception, reports about nerve damage came up first in a survey of patients who were using laxative constipation treatments. Colonoscopy showed discoloration in their intestinal lining, and some were diagnosed with damage to the nerves. But the correlative link was never made definitive. Many criticized the findings by pointing out in general patients with constipation had more chance of nerve damage, regardless of laxative use or not.

On the topic of the second, people reported a connection from laxatives to cancer by looking at animal experimentation. Rodents which were given very high doses of laxatives showed more DNA damage and thus propensity toward cancer. Yet the studies used extremely high concentrations of drugs that are never seen in humans. Likewise, studies with such high concentrations of aspartame and artificial sweeteners show a link between consumption and cancer that are rarely realized in epidemiological surveys.

With respect to the third, informal evidence from self-reporting patients suggested the idea of rebound and intolerance to laxatives. Well-controlled studies, on the other hand, showed that in patients who had used medication for as long as 30 years still benefited from consistent usage. Animal studies suggested also a lack of the intolerance effect.

Laxatives seem to be a helpful part of the treatment regimen to combat constipation. The reports of these three kinds of side effects needs to evaluated against case studies which show the opposite: that long term side-effects are not a given.

Readers wanting to understand more can head over to learn about treatment of constipation. If you are interested in treatments for chronic constipation, come check out our site.