Herbal Remedies and Alternative Medicine Information

Prenatal yoga has many benefits including an increase in body awareness.  Body awareness means you’ll be conscious of what feels right in your body.  As your belly grows you will be able to do different movements.  Some of the postures you did in your first trimester will no longer be comfortable in your third trimester.  However, you can enjoy a deeper connection with your baby as your awareness grows to the ever increasing size of your baby in your belly.  Try this simple exercise below to connect with your baby and experience body awareness.

Body and Baby Awareness Exercise
*Sit comfortably with your spine tall and straight. 
*Close your eyes and inhale through your nose
*Exhale out through your mouth
*Imagine that there is a cord running from your pubic bone all the way to the top of your head
*As you breath notice the sensations in your body
*Is your baby quietly sleeping or active?
*Imagine that with each breath you are comforting your baby
*Notice if the movement changes
*Repeat the breath as long as desired

Heat rash or prickly heat, as it is popularly known as, refers to the development of rashes on the skin due to excessive sweating after running, working out, aerobics and other similar activities. It is accompanied by the sensation of prickles all over the skin. It is caused due to deviation of sweat, which causes it to flow inside the skin, rather than escaping from the skin. This leads to blockage and inflammation of sweat ducts.

You can treat heat rash by following some simple treatment procedures. In order to understand how to cure heat rash, you must learn the techniques discussed below:

• Ice cubes - In order to cool down the skin, you must apply ice cubes to affected areas. You may prefer to apply these cubes directly or wrapped up in a cloth. It is beneficial to repeat this procedure after regular intervals of 3-4 hours.
• Hydrocortisone cream - It is advised to use products like hydrocortisone cream over affected areas of skin regularly. Also, dusting powder must be applied to these areas to ease out with rashes as well prickles. However, one must avoid oil enhancing creams and ointments.
• Water - It is often advised to drink a lot of water during the appearance of heat rashes. This will enforce the sweat to move out of the skin pores and relieve the body from prickling sensation.
• Backing soda - It is beneficial to use baking soda in the form of paste, prepared in water, to recover from heat rashes. You must apply the paste gently over affected area and wash after sometime. It will help the heat inside body to dissipate to the surroundings.
• Antibacterial soap - It is advised to take a bath with antibacterial soaps. Also, you must use lukewarm water for bathing and may add little quantity of baking soda in it.
• Fresh air - It is advised to expose your skin to fresh air, so that the blocked sweat ducts may get unplugged and release the sweat outside. It is not at all a wise act to apply bandage over the infected area.
• Oatmeal - Just like baking soda, oatmeal powder also exhibits the quality to treat heat rashes over skin. You may also add this substance to your bathing water.
• Cornstarch - You may also apply cornstarch over affected area of the skin. This will relieve the skin from rashes and also, help the sweat ducts to get unclogged.
• Cotton clothes - It is also recommended to wear loose cotton clothes to keep your skin cool. You must also keep the cool surroundings around you to save your skin from heat and high temperature.
• Cleaning - It is of great importance to clean your skin on regular basis to avoid regular blockage of sweat pores and formation of heat rashes.

I’m often asked which is better to do, cardio or weights.  My answer both!  If you’re short on time and you want to lose weight I say do a combo of cardio and weights (note: your own body weight is just as effective.  You may replace weights with push ups and or tricep dips.)  See how below!

A 20 minute total body workout: I
1. Start with 5 min. of powerwalking followed by
2. 2 min. of pilee squats
3. 2 min. of shoulder work (or pushups)
4.  5 powerwaking or light jog
5. 2 min. of lunges
6. 2 min. of upper back work (or pushups or tricep dips)
7. 2 min. of powerwalking
8. Cool down and stretch

Swimmer’s ear is the common infection of ear, caused by exposure to water for along time. This disorder mainly appears on the scene, due to swimming and other water-related activities. Bacteria and fungus are main contributors towards this ear infection. It affects the outer canal of the ear, when waxy substance of this portion is washed away by extensive exposure to water. The moist and damp setting created in the ear feeds the growth of microbes inside ear, leading to wrinkle formation on the inner skin. This completes the picture for swimmer’s ear or otitis externa, the other name for this infection.

The symptoms for swimmer’s ear include pain, itching, discharge of milky content, hearing inability, experience of humming sound and swelling and heaviness in the ear. It is possible to treat swimmer’s ear by following some of the most apposite home remedies listed below:

• Apple Cider Vinegar - In case, you feel existence of water insider ear, it is advised to put few drops of apple cider vinegar inside the ear. You must add water or alcohol to this product before starting the treatment. This is the most admirable home remedy for swimmer’s ear.
• Sweet oil - Addition of sweet oil to the infected ear is another great home remedy for swimmer’s ear. After pouring this oil in the ear, it is advisable to cover the ear with cotton ball to restrict the flow of oil out of your ear. You can try this remedy, only if you are fortunate enough to find rarely existing sweet oil.
• Coarse Salt - In order to extract water out of the ear, it is recommended to prepare a sock of coarse salt and put it in the ear. This remedy is effective in reducing the pain and level of swelling. It is beneficial to keep the salt in microwave for few minutes, before applying it to the infected ear.
• Rubbing Alcohol - A mixture of isopropyl rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide is a trusted home remedy for swimmer’s ear. This mixture forms bubbles inside in the ear, letting the water inside ear to evaporate.
• Vinegar - Vinegar, specifically the white vinegar, must be poured in each ear alternatively in the form of few drops. You must keep it in one ear for 5-6 minutes and then, repeat the procedure for other ear. Keep in mind to remove the drops from ear, after accomplishing the procedure.

Apart from these remedies, you must follow the procedure to dry out the water present in ear. This could be achieved by using a hairdryer or exposure of ear to sun rays.

Also, it is of great importance to avoid the water from entering ears, while swimming or related activities. In order to do so, you can put oil in your ears before landing in a pool. You must swim in clean and clear water, free from contamination.

I found that the yoga breath added me greatly for both of my natural labors.  I allowed my body to do what it needed to do vs. resisting and tightening.  I imagined that I was riding a wave.  As I took a deep breath I imagined riding a big wave up, up, up, and as I exhaled I rode the wave back down.  At the top of the wave the contraction was the most intense, and as I exhaled the intensity decreased and I rode the wave down.  In your third trimester I recommend connecting to your breath.  Try this simple exercise:

Connect to Your Breath Exercise
1.  Sit tall and close your eyes.
2.  Inhale and bring the breath to the top of your head, exhale bring the breath to your sit bones. 
3.  As you breath notice how the breath makes you feel.  Are you more calm?  centered? relaxed? focused?
4. Repeat the breath 8-10 times or as much as needed

For more information or to purchase 3rd Trimester Prenatal Yoga DVD visit: www.fitbysara.com .