Health and Wellness Today

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic

I've found some really good things lately that I want to share with you. The first has been practically miraculous for someone like me who has inherited digestive flora and fauna that are less effective than most, and it comes in one handy little pill that I take every morning as part of my routine: the probiotic supplement. I watched my little brother struggle with horribly painful constipation and bloating gas as a baby boy, a trait he shares with me, my dad, and others in my direct family line, so we knew it was genetic without being told, though science does back up congenital conditions nowadays. We used to think problems like that were something you had to deal with, like a bad dinner guest: eat, drink, suffer from painful gas that isn't relieved, ever. I can't explain to you the relief one little pill full of healthy, happy bacteria has done for my digestive tract, which lacks the proper blend of enzymes and bacteria needed for the breakdown of food necessary for optimal elimination from our bodies, except that I haven't felt this good in years.

Regularity has always escaped me, and it's caused me enormous embarrassment all my life. I'm so glad to finally find relief for a problem that's been so hard to solve and elusive in a cure. It's not just the elimination of painful bloating, constipation, with loud, bubbly, gassy poor digestion, either: the amount of productive waste I see every morning in the bowl (haha! sorry) has become a normal routine that I can count on, and in life, that's a pretty rare thing. Take it, and be free of worrying about it for the rest of the day. Crossing a problem like this off your list is such a big blessing for people with digestive problems. No more painful cures that are worse than the condition, and believe me, I tried them all: coffee, cigarettes, laxatives, prunes, fiber pills....all with really pronounced, painful, and uncomfortable side effects. No more! It's over. Welcome to the happy land of advanced medicine through the introduction of beneficial bacteria! I learned about "The Cure" by accident: I was broke, starving, and getting freebie samples sent to me because I can't afford health care, yet. A sample size of Align came to me in the mail and the very next day, I was cured. I know! Huge discovery. Dr. Oz is giving away some probiotic supplements today at 3 pm. Please, partake: http://www.doctoroz.com/digestive-advantage-giveaway.

The next item of my list is free trade, organic, and non-GMO source certified coconut oil, (which I've written about briefly with cooking), because the other big problem on my genetic list is eczema, and I have one of the hardest kinds to fix: that on the hand, because we use our hands so much. My doctor also hates any cream or gel that has steroids in it (for obvious health reasons), so she only had one type of transparent, thick salve that I slathered on, which then lost efficacy with the next eczema breakout. It healed it temporarily, then it came back as bad as ever. Genetically speaking, my hands lack the proper amount of lipids needed for sealing in moisture beneath the epidermis, and there is no cure for it. Unlike the scaly, dry patches I get on my arms and the top of my legs, the hand kind is particularly nasty. Little bubbles of trapped moisture form with a dark dot in the center, and just like an infant, I scratch at them in my sleep without me being aware that I am, and like a baby, I tried sleeping with little gloves on: no such luck as a long-term treatment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil

Once the little bubbles burst, tiny, itchy scabs form, leaving red marks that take weeks to heel, so I start the elusive hunt for a cure all over again, with expensive trips to the drugstore and a rotating cast of lotions, potions, creams, and bathing salts. I've had limited, short term success with colloidal oatmeal lotions and Epsom salt baths (salts that I also use for soaking out the aches and pains from exercise and weather in a hot tub), but recently I've tried applying coconut oil at night, and I've so far been waking up with less dry patches and an improvement in my hands. I don't know if it's a cure, but it's a worth a shot, especially since I'd rather have natural oils soaking into my skin than one that's laden with potentially toxic chemicals. Because coconut oil has such a low melting point, it immediately softens from it's solid, white state, liquefying upon contact with the skin with a slight warming in your hands, so it's very easy to apply. I repeat it often throughout the day to my neck, arms, and hands: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ways-coconut-oil-everyday-life/story?id=23521681#3. Like with any good, healthy choice you make, please consult with your doctor to get the best results.

Good luck, and good health to you!