Thanksgiving Green Beans with Lardons

Who says veggies can’t be comforting? This dish, crafted by Danny Smiles of Montreal’s Le Bremner restaurant, combines fresh green beans with roasted garlic, sliced almonds, Romano cheese, smoked bacon and a fried egg for a rich and flavourful result.

Get the recipe here.

1. Live The Farmer’s Life at Hotel La Ferme

La Ferme is located in the heart of Baie-Saint-Paul on the site of an old farm, formerly the most important wood standing farm structure of its kind in Canada, unfortunately ravaged by fire and no longer standing. This expansive hotel spreads out across five buildings constructed around a courtyard, each with its own distinct design and feel. This “anti-resort” hotel is the perfect blend of rural and urban and operates with a particular openness towards the surrounding community. Life on this very unique farm centers around lounging at the outdoor thermal baths at Spa du Verger, exploring the on-premise Sunday farmer’s market, enjoying the spectacular views all around the property or indulging in a decadent meal featuring local products at restaurant Les Labours. Not too shabby! 

(Photo: Mayssam Samaha)

Landry & Filles

Landry & Filles is a “snack bar on wheels” that aspires to pay tribute to Quebec’s culinary traditions while instituting new classics. Chef Marc Landry, who has worked in some of the city’s best kitchens, including Au Pied de Cochon and Kitchen Gallerie, goes back to his Quebecois roots with this effort. Partnering up with Josée-Ann Landry and Lisa-Marie Veillette, Landry has created a truck with the feel of an old-fashioned lunch counter, serving up stuffed ployes, a type of pancake popular in New Brunswick, as well as sandwiches (their meatloaf varitety is already famous) and salads.

Track this truck:
Twitter: @landryetfilles
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LandryetFilles

(Photo: Courtesy of Landry & Filles)

1. Make the Cut

When you buy your tree, have an inch cut off the base to make it easier for the tree to take in water. (Be sure the cut is straight so the tree will stand up properly.)

Sports and Fitness

1 Visit the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in Halifax to learn about Nova Scotia’s sporting greats – including a special exhibit on Sidney Crosby.

2. At Ontario’s Blue Mountain ski resort, a 90-minute drive from Toronto, pack your skates for five acres of free skating on the village’s Mill Pond.

3. Take a bird-watching tour in Montreal’s Mont Royal Park (pictured on left) and follow it up with ice skating.

4. On the third Saturday of every month in Vancouver, join the Pacific Spirit Regional Park Nature Walk, which helps kids aged four to 10 learn to appreciate nature. Each month’s walk has a different theme.

(Photo courtesy of urbanmkr/Flickr)

Triple Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Although this cake is moist enough that it doesn’t need the sauce, gilding the lily is what the holidays are all about.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Shortbread Dipped in White Chocolate

These black-and-white cookies look elegant and taste delicious. You can dip them into dark or milk chocolate, whichever you prefer.

Toasted Almond Chocolate Palettes

These beautiful little homemade chocolates are the perfect treat to serve after dinner or to give away as holiday gifts. They look especially festive sprinkled with gold flakes.

Bonnie Stern has been teaching people to have fun in the kitchen, to eat more healthfully and to nourish their families since she started her cooking school in 1973.

Photo by Benoît Levac

Want more delicious meal ideas from Bonnie Stern? Check out every installment of Fresh & Tasty.

1. Take Swimming Lessons

You may think swimming lessons are just for children, but many community centres offer courses specific to adults. According to Kat Tancock, senior web editor for Best Health and Reader’s Digest, private swimming lessons gave her the chance to get more comfortable with water, helping her with a phobia of water she’s had since her teens. A series of breathing exercises with an instructor taught her to feel more in control while she swims, making it much easier for her to get into the water and enjoy it.

Celebrity trainers have helped dog training grow into a massive industry. Their 30-minute segments sometimes make the process seem like magic. But is celebrity status really what matters when it comes to choosing an instructor? No. What does is your gut reaction to their methods.

It’s why you’ll need to visit a few training schools and judge them for yourself. Get recommendations from your veterinarian, pet supply store staff, groomers, neighbours, and family members. Call a few of these schools and ask if you can watch a class in action.

Look for a positive environment

• Watch for continual encouragement and praise from the head instructor and their assistants as each dog/human team navigates through the exercises.

• Expect some joyful chaos, but be sure instructors can keep their classes organized and on track.
• Instructors should demonstrate knowledge of dog behaviour, and understand that not all humans or dogs learn the same way, or at the same speed.
• The instructors should be teaching the humans, who in turn teach their dogs. If any dog/human team is having difficulties with the exercises, a staff member should be taking them aside for individual help.
• Do you see happy faces – both human and canine? That’s usually a tell-tale sign!

Positive training techniques are based on the mantra “reward desirable behaviour; ignore undesirable behaviour.” When a dog does something right, a positive trainer rewards with treats, attention, praise, or play. When the dog does something wrong, the mistake is ignored and any reward witheld. This way, the dog learns that good things happen when he does something right.

In a famous study at Ball State University in Indiana, researchers put two groups of 10 men through identical 12-week strength training programs. The groups were evenly matched when they started, and they did the same combination of exercises, the same number of times, with the same amount of rest. At the end of the experiment, one group had gained 32 percent more upper-body strength and 47 percent more lower-body strength than the other. No performance-enhancing pills were involved-the only difference was that the more successful group had a personal trainer watching over their workouts.

A good personal trainer-certified by an organization such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, or Can-Fit-Pro-will help you assess your fitness goals, design a safe and effective program to meet those goals, and motivate you to put in the necessary work. But, as the Ball State study shows, there are other, less obvious ingredients that successful trainers provide-and a series of recent studies offers some hints about how we can tap in to these benefits.

The crucial difference between the training of the two groups at Ball State was very simple: by the halfway point of the program, the supervised group was choosing to lift heavier weights. Since both groups started with the same motivation level, it was the trainer’s presence leading that group to set more ambitious targets. Other studies have consistently found that, left to their own devices, novice weightlifters tend to work out with weights that are less than 50 percent of their one-repetition maximum, which is too low to maximize gains in strength and muscle size.

Even experienced strength trainers often fall into this trap, according to a 2008 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Researchers at the College of New Jersey found that experienced women who trained on their own chose to use an average of just 42 percent of their one-rep max for a 10-repetition set. In contrast, women who had prior experience with personal trainers chose weights averaging 51 percent of one-rep max, even when the trainers weren’t there. “Many times, there is initial fear,” says Nicholas Ratamess, the study’s lead author. “We also found that some women who did not have a personal trainer underestimated their own abilities because they did not routinely push themselves too far.”

The latest attempt to address this question comes from researchers at the University of Brasilia in Brazil. They compared two groups of 100 volunteers who undertook a 12-week strength training program, supervised either by one trainer for every five athletes, or one trainer for every 25 athletes. The results display a familiar pattern: the highly supervised group improved their bench press by 16 percent, while the less supervised group chose lighter weights and improved by only 10 percent.

In one sense, this is yet another argument for getting a personal trainer if you can afford one. But the differences here are more subtle, since both groups had access to a trainer who could provide guidance on proper form and choosing appropriate weights. Instead, motivation and the willingness to tackle ambitious goals seem to be the differentiating factors. As Ratamess points out, these are the kinds of benefits that an enthusiastic training partner can also provide. For less experienced exercisers, the educational role of the personal trainer takes on greater importance, he cautions. But beyond that, simply having someone there watching you-whether it’s a personal trainer or a workout partner-seems to confer an additional benefit. Certainly, he says, “both have advantages compared to training independently.”

Excerpted from Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? by Alex Hutchinson Copyright © 2011 by Alex Hutchinson. Excerpted by permission of McClelland & Stewart. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission from the publisher.

1. The inexpensive no-fuss feast

When the weather outside is frightful, there’s nothing like a piping hot bowl of homemade chili as hearty comfort food. It’s inexpensive, and you can make it the day ahead so you won’t be tethered to the kitchen on party day. Guests can easily help themselves to the big pot of chili kept warm on the stove if you leave a ladle handy. And additional food can be as simple as crusty bread and butter and grated cheddar cheese as a topping. Christmas cookies can serve as dessert.

2. Bring your own beverage request

It’s up to you if you want to stock wine and cold beer, but it’s perfectly acceptable to ask guests to bring whatever alcoholic beverages they want to drink. You should provide soft drinks, coffee, and tea. If you really want to make it a fancier fiesta, whip up some frozen margaritas as well.

3. The help-yourself holiday buffet

Whether you value your time or your money most will determine how you set your buffet table. You can use your own dishes, but that involves a big time-consuming mess to clean up afterward. Instead, you could spend a few bucks and set your table with plastic bowls and cutlery, paper side plates and plastic glasses. Class it all up with decorative candles and a nice tablecloth.

4. The easygoing atmosphere

Guests who have attended this style of party in the past rave about the convenience of coming and going when they please since the food is always ready. For music, keep in mind that most folks have become very tired of the holiday standards by this time. Why not find some Mexican yuletide music or something with a Caribbean Christmas beat? And once the party gets hopping, any good dance music will do.

5. The heart-warming part

What sets this party apart from your typical holiday season shindig is one rule: Every guest must bring a new toy to put under your tree for charity and it must be purchased at a dollar store. And request they avoid battery-operated toys for maximum playtime pleasure. That way, no matter how budget-stretched your guests are, they can still contribute. Also, it’s best that the toys remain unwrapped because it makes it easier for the charity to determine age and gender appropriateness. You will find the toys become great conversation pieces.

6. Santa for a day

You’ll feel like a million dollars when you cart a ton of new toys to your favourite charity the next day. And your guests will have not only had a great time, but they will also leave feeling good for their part in it. Try it this season and it may even become an annual event.

Go to the next page for an easy, tasty chili recipe.

1. Go on a Treasure Hunt

Here’s a great way to keep the family fit and teach your children about trust, teamwork and problem solving at the same time. Take them to a local park and set an expedition course on a map. Circling various checkpoints. Take turns navigating to each point on the map and leading the team to each destination. “Start out with an easy course in an open park,” suggests Claire Small, a musculoskeletal physiotherapist with London’s Pure Sports Medicine. “Stay together and explore terrain features, study map clues and look for the secret treasure.” Sound too complicated? Then merely go hunting for insects, animals or flowers. You can’t entertain a young child much better than finding a slumbering beetle under a log or rock.

Looking for a way to work off that box of chocolate from your sweetie? Try adding a workout for two to your romantic Valentines’ Day plans.

“Working out with your partner is a great way to spend quality time with someone you care about while doing something good for each other,” says Vancouver-based personal trainer Sherri McMillan. “Studies show that working out with a partner helps you stick to your program – you can’t back out of a workout because [you’d be] letting down your partner, too.”

As our Valentine’s Day gift to you, Reader’s Digest asked McMillan to help us create a workout to target all your body parts in five challenging exercises you can do with your partner.

Warm up for five minutes with light cardio such as walking or climbing a set of stairs 2-3 times. Wear a supportive pair of athletic trainers, have a towel close by and cool down and stretch after the workout.

THE WORKOUT:

Partner Squats

Stand back-to-back, pressing shoulder blades together, knees shoulder-width apart. Walk your feet out a foot, so that you are supporting one another with your upper bodies. Slowly bend your knees, lowering your tailbones down to the ground as you squat as low as you can go without your knees moving forward past your toes. Hold the squat position for as long as you can – start with 10 seconds, then build up to 30 seconds. Pressing against one another, straighten legs back to standing.

Beginners: Do 5-8 squats
Advance: Do 10-15 squats

Note: Do not wear slippery clothing, such as nylon, when performing partner squats.   

Plank Relay

Partner One takes plank position: Lying on the floor, come up onto elbows, straighten one leg at a time so you are balancing on your toes (beginners can keep knees on the ground). Pull belly button into the spine, keeping glutes down, engaging the inner abdominal muscles as though you were sucking in your belly to zip up a tight pair of pants. When Partner One is in position, he/she yells, “go,” then Partner Two walks or runs up and down a set of stairs. Partner Two then takes the plank position, and yells, “go,” prompting Partner One pushes up into a standing position and runs the stairs.

Beginners: Repeat 5 times
Advanced: Repeat 10 times (and try taking two stairs at a time!)

High-Five Push-Ups

Start on all fours and face your partner, lining up your hands with your arms a little more than shoulder width apart.. Walk legs back so that they are directly behind you and you are balancing on your knees or toes in a push-up position. Lower down to the ground and as you come up, give your partner a diagonal “high five,” switching sides each time.

Beginners: Do 5 push-ups
Advanced: Do 2-3 sets of 5 push-ups

Seated Back Pull

Sit facing your partner with your legs extended and feet touching. Each partner should hold one end of a towel with his or her right hand, pulling it taut. Partner One pulls the towel towards the centre of his/her body, arms narrow, tucking the right elbow slightly behind the ribs, as Partner Two resists the movement with his/her upper body. Hold and pulse for three counts, then switch so that Partner Two is pulling the towel and Partner One is resisting. Switch arms.

Beginners: Do 10 pulls each arm
Advanced: Do 20 pulls each arm

Crunch/Cross

Sit facing your partner with both knees bent, feet on the floor. Then, each partner slides to the left so that your right knees are touching and bodies are parallel but still opposite one another. Resting your head in your hands, elbows wide, you and your partner each do a full abdominal curl, each pulling up towards his/her knees. At the top of the movement, rotate left elbow and shoulder towards centre – try to get your elbows as close to your partner’s as possible. Complete your repetitions, then switch sides.

Beginners: Do 5-8 crunches each side
Advanced: Do 10-15 crunches each side

A startling eight of every ten Canadians would happily swap “a meaningful gift that would help someone else” for the usual package under the tree, according to an Ipsos-Reid poll released in November.  

The poll, commissioned by World Vision Canada, reveals that 77 percent of us say we don’t need anything at all. That holds true even for the majority of families earning less than $30,000 a year.

But it’s difficult to break the habit of gift giving. Holidays spark a craving to show affection or simple thanks. Even the founder of the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign, Winnipegger Aiden Enns, believes wholeheartedly in gifts. “Giving is a recognition that we need each other emotionally, physically and spiritually. Christmas is a special time when we demonstrate our love by giving.”

That’s no excuse, however, for rampant consumerism, adds Enns. Happily, there’s a sleighload of gifts from the heart to delight even those who say they want nothing at all.

Here are some alternatives to the “gaily wrapped present under the tree”:

Share Your Memories
The most cherished Christmas gifts are those with special meaning: things that remind the recipient of the person who gave it. It doesn’t cost a lot to give from the heart:

• Pass along a possession that the recipient admires.

• Copy out a prized recipe (with a sample attached!).

• Select a book, poem or compilation of songs that remind you of your friend or family member – and attach a note telling them why.

• Gather family recipes, stories or photos, or an older relative’s memories, and compile them in a scrapbook or on a DVD.

• Give a boxful of your more outlandish (or outdated) clothes and costume jewelry to create a little girl’s dress-up treasure trove.

Introduce Them to Something New
When the idea of looking for another “dust gatherer” gets you down, turn to a gift that takes up no room at all: a new experience.

• Book your adventurous adolescent a lesson in snow-boarding, skiing, horseback riding, kayaking, or rock-climbing.

• Introduce a friend to a sport you love – squash, for example – along with a promise of post-activity refreshments and chat.

• Women -young or not-so-young – might enjoy a professional makeup lesson, a pedicure or a new hairstyle.

• Introduce a young child to the art of collecting. Start them off with a newly minted coin or a series of stamps that you can add to each year. Or introduce them to the idea of savings by opening an education savings plan in their name.

A startling eight of every ten Canadians would happily swap “a meaningful gift that would help someone else” for the usual package under the tree, according to an Ipsos-Reid poll released in November.  

The poll, commissioned by World Vision Canada, reveals that 77 percent of us say we don’t need anything at all. That holds true even for the majority of families earning less than $30,000 a year.

But it’s difficult to break the habit of gift giving. Holidays spark a craving to show affection or simple thanks. Even the founder of the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign, Winnipegger Aiden Enns, believes wholeheartedly in gifts. “Giving is a recognition that we need each other emotionally, physically and spiritually. Christmas is a special time when we demonstrate our love by giving.”

That’s no excuse, however, for rampant consumerism, adds Enns. Happily, there’s a sleighload of gifts from the heart to delight even those who say they want nothing at all.

Here are some alternatives to the “gaily wrapped present under the tree”:

Share Your Memories
The most cherished Christmas gifts are those with special meaning: things that remind the recipient of the person who gave it. It doesn’t cost a lot to give from the heart:

• Pass along a possession that the recipient admires.

• Copy out a prized recipe (with a sample attached!).

• Select a book, poem or compilation of songs that remind you of your friend or family member – and attach a note telling them why.

• Gather family recipes, stories or photos, or an older relative’s memories, and compile them in a scrapbook or on a DVD.

• Give a boxful of your more outlandish (or outdated) clothes and costume jewelry to create a little girl’s dress-up treasure trove.

Introduce Them to Something New
When the idea of looking for another “dust gatherer” gets you down, turn to a gift that takes up no room at all: a new experience.

• Book your adventurous adolescent a lesson in snow-boarding, skiing, horseback riding, kayaking, or rock-climbing.

• Introduce a friend to a sport you love – squash, for example – along with a promise of post-activity refreshments and chat.

• Women -young or not-so-young – might enjoy a professional makeup lesson, a pedicure or a new hairstyle.

• Introduce a young child to the art of collecting. Start them off with a newly minted coin or a series of stamps that you can add to each year. Or introduce them to the idea of savings by opening an education savings plan in their name.

Lend a hand, lighten someone’s load, share an experience, or teach them something new-it’s like giving twice, as they appreciate not only the gift but the time you spend with them in giving it. With our busy schedules today, taking the time to enjoy each other’s company can be the best gift of all.

• Offer to babysit, walk the dog, clean the house, wash the car, shovel the walk, wash the windows – whatever help they would appreciate.

• Give chits for massages to erase the day’s accumulated stress, walks that wind up at an ice cream parlour, or a movie or game night featuring their favourite snacks.

• Snag tickets to a movie, play or sporting event.

• Pass along a skill with a lesson in carpentry, figure skating, juggling, ice fishing, crocheting, photography, fudge-making, yo-yoing – anything that sets you apart.

Community Spirit
Scrooge got it right in the end. You can spread Christmas cheer by reaching out into the larger community.

• Pre-teens and teens may appreciate helping younger children. You can make a donation in their name to World Vision Canada (www.worldvision.ca) or Free the Children (www.freethechildren.com) to supply kids in a developing country with medical aid, schools, teachers and clean water. Closer to home, $25 buys a backpack filled with school supplies for a low-income child living in Canada.

• Round out your holiday activities by volunteering to serve a meal at a homeless shelter. Or answer the call from a local church or community organization to deliver Christmas baskets to the needy.

And remember: Despite being bombarded with ads for pricey techno-driven goods, children still appreciate the love inherent in handmade gifts. “We’ve been lured into thinking that the perfect thing is better than the handmade thing,” says Enns, “when the fact is that the character-laden homemade gift is better because of the love and care that goes into it.”

• 1. If you have a lot of carpet, cleaning it using a machine, rather than doing it by hand, will get the job done faster. 
• 2. Once or twice a year, depending on how dirty it is, hire a shampooer and buy the appropriate products (check with the manufacturer before shampooing wool). 
• 3. Always work from front to back, starting with the part that is the furthest away from the door, to avoid walking on a damp carpet.
• 4. If you don’t have time to do more than one room at a time, use dry shampoo as a temporary measure. Sprinkle your carpet with bicarbonate of soda, let it dry for about 15 minutes, then vacuum it up.
• 5. If you have very high quality carpet, call in a professional carpet cleaner every 2-3 years for a really thorough job.

It is best to prevent sunburn, because studies have shown that overexposure to the sun causes skin ageing and is one of the main risk factors for skin cancer. A study by the Academy of Dermatology in the USA showed that by the time you reach 18, you have already received half of your lifetime’s quota of sun damage, much of it while playing outdoors as a child.

PREVENTION

• Always use a good sun protection cream with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 16 when any part of your skin will be exposed to the sun for more than 20 minutes, especially when you are on holiday in a sunny climate.
• Apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before exposure to the sun, and use liberally – it takes 25g (1oz) to protect an adult body properly.
• Reapply sunscreen every two to three hours and after swimming.
• Use waterproof sunscreen when you swim.
• Build up skin exposure slowly, with a maximum of 20 minutes on the first day.
• Stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its strongest.
• It is possible to get sunburn in the shade, so cover up with loose, light clothing and wear a wide-brimmed sun hat.
• Protect sensitive areas, such as your nose, nipples, soles of the feet and backs of the knees (when lying on your front), ears, and the top of your head – especially if your hair is thin.
• Protect your eyes with sunglasses that bear a British Standard (BS) or CE mark.
• Always use sunblock creams, cover-up clothing and sun hats for babies and children.
• A diet rich in antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E), boosted by nutritional supplements, helps to combat free radicals, the unstable molecules that may damage cells and trigger skin cancer.

Sunburn Treatment

Sunburnt skin can be soothed with aloe vera gel or calamine lotion. Anyone who has sunburn should drink plenty of water or diluted fruit juice to combat dehydration, and should stay out of the sun until the skin has healed. Seek medical advice quickly if you suspect sunstroke.

What is a Migraine?

A migraine is a severe, throbbing headache that usually begins on one side of the head (hence the name “migraine”-from the Greek hemikrania, or “half the skull”), but may affect the whole head. Attacks can last for hours or days and may be preceded by warning signs.

What Can Cause Migraines?

The precise underlying cause of migraines is unknown. The prevailing theory is that they are sparked by spasms in the arteries that supply blood to the brain. Some researchers believe a low level of the brain chemical serotonin is the reason the blood vessels constrict and widen abnormally.

A variety of triggers can precipitate an attack in those susceptible to migraines. These initiators include certain foods, stress, lack of sleep, changes in the weather, bright light, fluctuations in blood sugar levels, liver problems, dental pain, hormonal swings that occur with the menstrual cycle or the use of birth control pills, environmental chemicals, and exposure to cigarette smoke. Migraines run in families, and women are more susceptible than men.

How supplements can help

The recommended supplements are useful in preventing migraines and may be used in place of prescription drugs. (Don’t stop taking them, however, without your doctor’s approval.) You’ll probably still need prescription medication to combat a migraine headache that has already begun.

Everyone who gets migraines should take magnesium and calcium long term. These minerals help maintain healthy blood vessels, and low levels of magnesium are common in people who have migraines.

In addition, two natural remedies are beneficial in preventing some migraines. Widely used in Europe and approved by health authorities in Canada, the herb feverfew can reduce the intensity and frequency of migraines when taken over several months. Or try 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), a form of the amino acid tryptophan and a basic building block of serotonin. Some studies show it can prevent migraines as effectively as drugs-with only minor side effects, primarily nausea. The side effects tend to disappear in about two weeks. But several months of therapy may be needed to derive the maximum benefit.

If your migraines are ongoing, the B vitamin riboflavin may reduce the number of times they occur more effectively than feverfew or 5-HTP. At high doses, riboflavin seems to increase energy reserves in brain cells. If none of these work, consider adding vitamin C and pantothenic acid. Both boost the production of hormones that assist the body in dealing with the adverse effects of stress; pantothenic acid is also important for serotonin production.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

• Identify and eliminate your migraine triggers.
• Try biofeedback or relaxation training to help you cope with stress.
• Drink at least 48 ounces of water a day and exercise regularly.

Migraines are also called vascular headaches, because they usually involve spasm of the arteries of the head, resulting in a pulsating pain. The headaches may last from a few hours to several days.

About 10 per cent of migraine sufferers experience a warning aura before the headache starts; this early symptom involves a visual disturbance, such as partial or temporary loss of sight or flashes of light and colour. An aura may also cause tingling on one side of the face or body or a disturbance in the sense of smell. Even those who don’t experience an aura may have warning signs in the few hours leading up to a migraine, such as feeling cold, craving a specific food, mood changes, a sudden burst of energy or frequent yawning.

Migraines affect about 15 per cent of women and about 6 per cent of men, and are most common in the 25 to 34 age group, but some start in childhood. Doctors think that dietary, hormonal, emotional and environmental triggers may cause blood vessels in the brain to constrict and then relax. The distorted blood vessels prompt nerve endings to send out pain signals.

Relief from Migraines

Try relaxation techniques. In addition to using relaxation techniques, some doctors suggest taking a course in biofeedback to learn how to raise the temperature of your hands, thereby diverting some of the blood flow from the head to another part of the body. This technique can be used at the start of an attack.

Medications. For acute attacks, a simple analgesic such as aspirin, paracetamol or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) may also help, but can cause gastrointestinal problems. NSAID products available include ibuprofen and naproxen. Products combining paracetamol with codeine may also give relief, although they usually cause constipation. An anti-emetic (metoclopramide or domperidone) may be needed to stop vomiting. Specific anti-migraine drugs such as sumaptriptan (Imigran) may be used. Sumatriptan is a serotonin antagonist available as an oral medication, a nasal spray or injection. It may not be effective if taken during the aura phase. Migraine headaches are thought to be due to some blood vessels widening, and sumatriptan aims to normalise these blood vessels.

If there are more than two attacks a month, they are increasing in frequency, causing severe disability or you cannot tolerate the drugs used in acute attacks, doctors may prescribe pizotifen (Sanomigran) which is an antihistamine and serotonin antagonist; beta blockers (such as propranolol); topiramate (Topamax) which is an anti-epileptic drug used only under supervision; amitriptyline (which is as yet unlicensed); or sodium valproate (an anti-epilepic drug, also unlicensed as yet). In addition, high-dose riboflavin (400mg) has been tested for preventing migraine, but the initial results from one small study have not been duplicated in placebo-controlled trials. Coenzyme Q₁₀ looks more promising, but more studies are required. Magnesium is also being examined for its anti-migraine affects.

Sore Throat Treatment

For fast relief of throat pain, rest your voice and do the following.

1. Mix 1 tablespoon salt in 1 cup warm water until dissolved, then gargle.
2. Suck on an herbal throat lozenge that contains slippery elm. One brand is Thayer.
3. Take 100 milligrams Tylenol, 750 milligrams aspirin, 400 milligrams ibuprofen, or 225 milligrams Aleve.

Why It Works

Gargling with salt water remains one of the simplest, most effective remedies for a sore throat. The warmth increases blood flow to the throat, which helps fight infection, and the salt washes away dead cells. Boost your gargle with a squeeze of lemon, which shrinks swollen throat tissue.

Slippery elm coats mucous membranes like those in the throat. The painkillers relieve pain and, except for the Tylenol, reduce swelling.

Other Medicines

Herbs and Supplements

Warm chamomile tea. Chamomile fights inflammation and even acts as a mild sedative. Make a double-strength tea by steeping 2 tea bags in 1 cup boiling water. Gargle with and sip the tea. Add honey for more relief.

Herbal throat sprays. These sprays, such as Singer’s Saving Grace, contain a variety of throat-soothing ingredients. Formulas may include soothing and anti-inflammatory herbs such as chamomile and licorice, throat-coating herbs like slippery elm and marshmallow, glycerin (a natural vegetable-based lubricant), or honey (an antiseptic that also coats the throat and draws and retains moisture-a good thing if you have a dry, scratchy throat). Spray into the mouth two or three times every one to four hours.

Throat Coat. This clinically tested herbal tea contains slippery elm, marshmallow, and other throat-soothing herbs.

Over-the-Counter Drugs

Lozenges containing benzocaine. These temporarily numb the pain.

Other Approaches

Humidifier. Adding moisture to the air reduces throat dryness, which helps relieve pain.

Lemon and honey. Sip hot water mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a bit of honey. The acidity of the lemon juice encourages production of saliva, bathing the throat. The honey pulls moisture from swollen throat tissue.

Heating pad. Apply a heating pad to the throat or wrap the throat in warm flannel (put it in the dryer for five minutes or microwave for 30 seconds) or a towel dipped in hot water and wrung out. The heat increases blood flow, relieving pain.

Symptoms

• • Intense pain in the ear
• • High temperature
• • Headache
• • Hearing may be impaired
• • Pus may discharge from the ear

Consult your doctor

• • Research has shown that taking antibiotics does not significantly reduce the pain or duration of an ear infection, or its possible longer term consequences.
• • Many doctors advise giving paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve pain and letting the infection run its course. However, if a discharge is present, antibiotics may need to be prescribed.

Causes

Most ear infections are caused by the bacteria or viruses that spread via the Eustachian tubes to infect the middle ear. Less common causes include hay fever and other allergies, passive smoking and poor diet. Research has shown that children who have been breastfed are less likely to get ear infections than those fed on formula.

Home Remedies for Ear Infections

For internal usage:

To boost the immune system

ECHINACEA Echinacea syrups are available in formulations specifically made for children. Follow manufacturer’s instructions according to the child’s age.

ROSEHIPS 2-2.5 g fragmented dried rosehips infused in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes before straining and cooling. For babies aged 6-12 months, give 20 ml of the infusion, three times a day; for children aged 1-6 years, give 50 ml, three times a day; and for children aged 7-12 years, give 75 ml, three times a day.

As an anti-inflammatory

MULLEIN 1.5-2 g dried herb infused in 1 cup of boiling water for 15 minutes before straining and cooling. For babies aged 6-12 months, give 20 ml of the infusion, three times a day; for children aged 1-6 years, give 50 ml, three times a day; and for children aged 7-12 years, give 75 ml, three times a day.

Ear Infections in Children

• • Unblock the nose. Children need to be taught how to blow their nose effectively. Your doctor can advise you.

Eventually your body absorbs the blood and the bruise fades. As you age, your skin becomes thinner and your capillaries more fragile, and it takes less impact to create a bruise. Certain medications can intensify bruising, including blood thinners, birth control pills, diuretics, and aspirin.

Treat the Bruise Immediately

Right after bumping into something you know will leave a bruise, follow these steps.

1. Apply a cold compress for 30 minutes.
2. Then apply a hot compress for three to five minutes.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 at least twice over the next 24 hours for a mild injury, or every three or four waking hours over the next 48 hours for a more severe injury.
4. Apply arnica cream or ointment and repeat every one to two hours.

Why It Works

The cold compress reduces swelling and discoloration by shrinking blood vessels and sealing off leaking blood vessels. Conversely, the warm compress brings more blood and healing nutrients to the area, helping your body repair leaky blood vessels and reabsorb the blood quicker.

We love arnica for its ability to reduce pain and inflammation. It’s the most common ingredient in homeopathic preparations for bruises.

Other Medicines

Herbs and Supplements

Bromelain. Studies find this enzyme, derived from pineapple stems, reduces swelling and bruising. It not only interferes with the inflammatory actions of chemicals called leukotrienes, but also disrupts the action of enzymes involved in inflammation. Take 500 milligrams two or three times a day. For a very large bruise, double the dose during the first 24 hours.

Other Approaches

Traumeel ointment or gel. This homeopathic product contains arnica, calendula, belladonna, and many other herbs known to reduce pain and swelling and speed healing. In one study, injured rats treated with the product had less swelling and healed more quickly than rats not treated with it. Rub a small amount into the bruise and reapply several times a day.

Prevention

Eat more brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. They contain high amounts of flavonoids, antioxidant plant pigments that protect cell structures, enhance the action of vitamin C (see below), and reduce inflammation. Many high-flavonoid foods are also rich in vitamin K, which aids in blood clotting.

Take vitamin C with bioflavonoids. Vitamin C builds collagen around blood vessels and in the skin, preventing bruising. Take 1,000 milligrams twice a day for three weeks, then decrease to 500 milligrams twice a day.

They develop when the same viruses or bacteria that triggered your child’s runny nose migrate up the tube that connects the nose to the ear (most infections are actually caused by viruses). When the tube (or the adenoids at its base) swells, it traps fluid in the inner ear, causing pressure and pain and enabling an infection to fester.

Here’s the good news: Most children outgrow ear infections by age three, when the eustachian tubes become large enough and the adenoids small enough to keep infections in check.

How can you tell whether your child has an ear infection? Look for tugging at the ears, a piercing cry (especially when lying down, which intensifies the pain), and balance and hearing difficulty.

Now for the not-so-good news: Older children and adults can still get ear infections, although they’re far less common. They can be very painful and are more likely to require antibiotic treatment. If you have an ear infection, you may also have a sinus infection or a cold.

Ear Infection Relief

Most ear infections resolve on their own without antibiotics. Meanwhile, to reduce the pain, whether it’s you or your child with the ear infection, take these steps.

1. Take 500 to 1,000 milligrams (follow the package directions based on your child’s age) of acetaminophen (Tylenol).
2. Following the package directions, take the recommended dose of homeopathic earache tablets by Boiron, Hyland, or Source Natural every 15 minutes for the first hour and then less frequently during the first 24 hours until the pain resolves. If there is no response within 24 hours or the pain worsens, see your doctor.
3. Apply a warm compress (a washcloth dipped in hot water and then wrung out, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a thin towel) to the ear.
4. Blow up a balloon (don’t have a child do this unless he’s more than six).

Why It Works

The Tylenol and the warm compress ease the pain immediately, while the homeopathic ear preparations relieve pain and speed healing through a combination of ingredients.

Blowing up a balloon opens the eustachian tubes, allowing fluid to drain from the ears, speeding healing, restoring hearing, and reducing discomfort. If you’re having your child do this, however, make sure you watch carefully; children have been known to suck balloons into their windpipes.

Other Medicines

Herbs and Supplements

Otikon Otic Solution. These drops contain several antibiotic and antiviral herbs, including garlic, mullein, calendula, and St. John’s wort, in an olive oil base. Studies show this combination of herbs can work just as effectively as anesthetic ear drops to relieve pain. Before using it, however, consult your pediatrician to make sure your child’s eardrum is intact. If it’s broken, anything you put in the outer ear can go directly into the middle ear, possibly damaging the small bones that vibrate as part of the hearing process, affecting hearing.

Prescription Drugs

Antibiotics. Doctors used to prescribe antibiotics routinely to treat ear infections. Because many ear infections clear up on their own and because some are caused by viruses that don’t respond to antibiotics, however, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians now recommend watchful waiting-not offering antibiotics for 2 to 3 days to see if the infection clears up on its own. If your doctor feels antibiotics are needed, he or she will probably prescribe high doses of amoxicillin, taken twice a day for 5 to 10 days. Make sure you complete the entire course, even if you start to feel better. Otherwise the germs may strike again.

Other Approaches

Allergy testing. Numerous studies have linked food allergies with an increased incidence of ear infections. In one study of 25 children with chronic ear infections, the infections improved for all but three children when their parents eliminated eggs and milk, common food allergens, from their children’s diets. When parents reintroduced these foods, the infections returned. Other common trigger foods include beans, citrus, and tomatoes. See an allergist, who can use a skin prick test or blood test to help determine whether your child has food allergies. (Skin tests for food allergies tend to work better in children than in adults.)

Ear tube surgery. If your child suffers chronic ear infections that don’t respond to antibiotics, this procedure (called myringotomy) might help. A surgeon places a small tube through an opening in your child’s eardrum, relieving pressure, restoring hearing, and allowing fluid to drain more easily. After a few months, the tubes fall out. Because the operation requires anesthesia, only consider ear tubes if fluid has remained in your child’s ears for several months, triggering recurrent ear infections and hearing difficulty.

Adenoidectomy. Surgical removal of the adenoids at the base of the eustachian tubes may help children between ages four and eight who suffer recurrent ear infections. It’s not worth considering this surgery for children younger than four, however, many of whom outgrow the infections when their adenoids shrink.

Osteopathic manipulation. An osteopathic physician can gently massage your child’s face and head, opening up ear passages and allowing fluid to drain more easily. In a study of 57 children with recurrent ear infections, osteopathic treatment significantly reduced the need for antibiotics and surgical procedures compared to children who received routine pediatric care. It also improved the health of the inner ear. Look for an osteopath who is trained in and uses the Galbreath technique, the manipulation used for ear problems.

Prevention

Breast-feed your baby. Breast milk contains protective compounds that keep bacteria in check. The sucking action also keeps your baby’s eustachian tubes open.

Vaccinate your children against the flu. In one study, the flu vaccine reduced the incidence of ear infections in children by 30 percent during flu season.

Add plums, strawberries, and raspberries to your, and your child’s, diet. These fruits contain xylitol, a natural sweetener used in many chewing gums, which, studies find, stems recurrent ear infections by preventing viruses and bacteria from migrating up the nose.

Don’t smoke around your children. Studies show that children who live in houses with smokers are more likely to have ear infections than children who live in smoke-free homes.

Try a daily teaspoon of fish oil. In a small study of eight children who suffered chronic ear infections, 1 daily teaspoon of fish oil cut the need for antibiotics by 12 percent. You can use fish oil supplements as directed for your child’s age.

What Cold Sores Are

Cold sores are fluid-filled blisters that usually appear on the lips, though they can also develop on the gums, inner cheeks, roof of the mouth, or the area around the nostrils. In addition, the cold sore virus can spread by touch to the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and genitals-or to abrasions. Typically, cold sores (also called fever blisters) break and then form a scab, disappearing in a week to ten days.

What Causes Cold Sores

Cold sores are usually caused by herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1). This virus is different from the one responsible for genital herpes-herpes simplex type 2-which is generally transmitted through sexual contact. Because the cold sore virus lies dormant in nerve cells after the first outbreak, new sores are likely to recur as frequently as every few weeks or as infrequently as every few years. Sores often reappear when the immune system is depressed by a fever or a viral infection such as a cold. Recurrences can also be triggered by fatigue, menstruation, stress, or exposure to sun and wind.

How Supplements Can Help

The supplements listed can all help minimize outbreaks and speed healing. They should be used in combination at the first sign of a cold sore. Effects will be noticed in two or three days.

Most useful is the amino acid lysine which, when taken orally, suppresses the growth of HSV-1; in cream form, lysine can be applied directly to the sores. It’s fine to use long term and may help prevent cold sores from forming. Also effective is a melissa cream made from the potent antiviral herb Melissa officinalis; use at the first sign of tingling.

Vitamin C and flavonoids may help as well. As powerful antioxidants, they work to facilitate healing by eliminating naturally occurring, cell-damaging compounds known as free radicals; both also boost virus-fighting immune system cells. Vitamin A and selenium have antioxidant properties too. Along with flaxseed oil, they hasten the healing process by promoting cell renewal. (Vitamin A is also available in topical form; apply it directly to sores, alternately with vitamin E oil.) Flare-ups may be treated with the immune-enhancing herbs echinacea and goldenseal, which are natural antivirals and antibiotics.

To prevent cold sore recurrences, take a maintenance dose of 500 mg of lysine a day. (However, if you’re using lysine long term, be sure to add an amino acid complex to provide a balanced mix of amino acids.) In addition, it’s beneficial to alternate herbs: Try echinacea (200 mg a day); astragalus (200 mg a day); or a mixture of reishi (1,500 mg a day), shiitake (1,200 mg a day), and maitake mushrooms (600 mg a day). Take one herb for a week, then switch to another, and finally to the third.

Other Cold Sore Remedies

• Apply sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher) to the lips to prevent recurrences. In a study involving people with recurrent cold sores, those who didn’t use sunscreen developed a cold sore after 80 minutes in the sun.
• Don’t touch the blisters. This can spread the virus, as can sharing personal items such as towels, razors, drinking glasses, or toothbrushes.
• Try meditation, yoga, or other forms of relaxation to reduce stress, which is thought to precipitate cold sores.
• Stay away from nuts, chocolate, whole-grain cereals, and gelatin. They contain a large amount of the amino acid arginine, which some doctors think triggers cold sores. Lysine may counteract its effect.