Treatment For Corns And Calluses

Corns on toes and calluses can be a big problem most especially if they begin to cause pain when you are walking. There are soft corns and hard corns. The soft ones form in between the soft parts of the toes and the hard ones form on top of the bony part of the toes. Here are safe and effective treatment for corns and calluses at home.

Petroleum Jelly

Every night moisturize your feet by applying petroleum jelly generously. Put on cotton socks and the next day wash your feet using lukewarm water and lather it with moisturizing bath soap. Scrub off calluses and corns using a pumice stone.

Aspirin

Crush 8 aspirin tablets into powder, mix in 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Apply the aspirin cream on your corns on toes and calluses liberally. Wrap your feet using a plastic clinging wrap. Use a warm towel and wrap it around your feet; after 20 minutes remove the towel and plastic wrap. Scrub your feet using a soft brush or a pumice stone.

Foot Bath

In a basin with warm water, put chamomile tea bag and your favorite liquid soap; soak your feet for 15 minutes and slowly slough the softened corns and calluses using a brush with soft bristles or a pumice stone. After washing the feet, apply moisturizer or lotion. Please do not apply lotion in between the toes because it might trigger fungal infections on your feet.

Prevention

Wear shoes that fit well and comfortable to use. Ill fitting shoes will cause a lot of friction on your feet and cause calluses and corns to form. If possible wear flat shoes and use foot patches that are non-medicated to protect your feet. Cut toe nails properly. Wear socks that fit well.Very tight or loose socks can cause calluses and corns to form.

Spices vs Herbs

Spices and herbs are common in most foods around the world today. Both are used to flavor foods and some for medicinal purposes. Herbs and spices have both been prominent throughout human history. In earlier times, herbs and spices were considered luxuries and only available for the use of the wealthy. Herbs and spices were also traded frequently between nations in medieval times. Many people do not know the difference between an herb and a spice. There are many similarities between the two, and some of the differences are very subtle, but they are still valid.

The essential difference between an herb and a spice is where it is obtained from on a plant. Herbs usually come from the leafy part of a plant, and are usually dried. However, some herbs can be used fresh. Spices can be obtained from seeds, fruits, roots, bark, or some other vegetative substance. Spices are not necessarily as fresh as some herbs can be. Herbs can be found many places around the world, while spices are more commonly found in the Far East and tropical countries. Herbs are considered to have a few more uses than spices. For instance, herbs have been used more frequently than spices in the medical field. Also, herbs can and have been used to augment cosmetics and preserve foods.

Some argue that there is no distinction between herbs and spices, considering both have similar uses. However, a botanical definition reveals that an herb is a plant that doesn't produce a woody stem. It is common knowledge that in certain areas of the United States, a dried herb is considered to be a spice. This leads to more confusion because if a spice is simply an herb, then there cannot be a difference between the two. However, believing this is ignoring the fact that many herbs tend to be leafy green substances and spices are found in plants that are tropical in nature.

The debate between herbs and spices is ongoing. Some say that there is no difference, while others maintain that they are both completely different. Most learned scholars will say that the difference between an herb and a spice is found in where the herb or spice is obtained on the plant, and where that specific plant can be found.

Vitamins In Spices And Herbs

Few people discuss this issue because spices and herbs make up such a small part of your total meal. Be wary of exaggerated claims of certain flavorings that provide a large percentage of your daily needs and look carefully at the quantity that you need to eat in order to receive those benefits. For instance, a teaspoon of cayenne pepper would provide adults with about 83% of the daily-recommended intake of vitamin A.

One spice that does meet the vitamin A requirement is paprika. One teaspoon has about 140% of your daily needs. A teaspoon of thyme has about 10% of your daily needs of iron, while the same amount of basil contributes about 7% of your daily requirements of zinc. Coriander leaf, also known as cilantro, fulfills about 6% of your daily needs for vitamin C.

Seven teaspoons of celery seeds would provide you with the same amount of calcium as an 8-ounce cup of milk, but there are few recipes calling for that amount of celery seeds. Thus, one teaspoon would give you just 4% of the daily-recommended amount of calcium. Even a teaspoon of mustard seeds provides only 3% of the daily magnesium and phosphorus needed by an adult.

So, if you are making a meal and you happen to use a teaspoonful of any spice or herb, the chances are that you are preparing more than just one helping. A teaspoon of any one spice goes a long way toward flavoring a large quantity of food. Thus, as you can see, your actual consumption of the vitamins mentioned is even smaller. With herbs it is a little easier, because you can easily eat a large amount of basil or cilantro whether in a sauce or in a salad.

If you do love to spice up your food, combining a quarter teaspoon of this and that will add up to more than a teaspoon and a greater variety of vitamins and nutrients that you may not get elsewhere. All in all spices won't contribute a huge portion of the essentials to your diet, but sprinkling them over your food is an easy way to supplement the vitamins and nutrients that other foods provide.

Herbal Primer

Most cultures have a history of using herbs medicinally. Herbs have been mentioned in the Bible and were used by primitive peoples for preserving, flavoring, and remedies. Later, herbs were grown in monasteries in the Middle Ages and during Victorian times, it was fashionable to have an elegant herb garden. With the emergence of modern drugs, herbs fell into a decline medicinally, but there has been a new interest in organic remedies.

TEAS

We have all heard of herbal teas for comfort and relaxing. Chamomile is a well known herb for sleeplessness and anxiety, but lemon verbena can also be a useful aid for sleeplessness; hyssop tea for sore throats as a gargle;yarrow tea applied to cuts and bruises; borage for coughs and dill or basil for flatulence.

TOPICAL REMEDIES

Aloe is a wonderful herb that you can simply cut a leaf and use it straight from the plant onto a wound or sunburn or scrape. Many other herbs can be applied topically in other forms, such as poultices, baths or compresses.

BATHS

Healing Baths can be aided by the addition of herbs wrapped in cheesecloth that are hung from the bath spout under the running water. Sage and strawberry leaves for aching muscles and joints;blackberry leaves to rejuvenate and refresh the skin tone- also jasmine and orange blossoms can make a bath heavenly. Don't forget using herbs in your footbaths as well for soothing relief with a lovely fragrance.

POULTICES

Many of these applied topically are crab apple, comfrey or flax seed. Poultices are made from dried, powdered or crushed herbs mixed with hot water to make a paste. This is applied to the skin and covered with a warm towel, cloth or bandage to keep it warm.

Herbs For Increase Platelet Count

Blood is the most efficient transporter present in the body and is principally responsible for the supply of important nutrients and oxygen to cells and the removal of waste from the cells. The principal components of blood are: white blood cells (WBCs/leukocytes), red blood cells (RBCs/erythrocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes). Under normal physiological conditions, the count of the blood components are in a specific range and any abnormality in these counts are indicative of an altered physiology.

Herbal medicaments have been used for centuries for the treatment of various diseases; Recently, medical research is trying to reach out to understand the exact components in herbs that help with disease healing. As far as blood count is concerned there are number of herbal treatments which are available and known to be effective. One such common treatment is based on papaya leaf herb.

Papaya plant

Papaya plant, biologically known as Carica Papaya is grown in most tropical countries. In some regions, it is referred to as the "medicine tree" or "melon of health" owing to its high nutritive constituents. Phytochemical studies of papaya reveal very complex biochemical constituents, among which papain (protease), carpaine (anthelmintic alkaloid), lycopene, sinigrin, caricin (glycosides), vitamin A and C are principal components.

While papaya fruit is well known for its laxative effect, the leaf is used topically for cuts, rashes, stings, & burns, and as a folk medicine for contraception and abortion due to its ability to induce uterine contractions. Papaya has also been fruitful in curing dengue fever. Recent studies show papaya leaves also has some anti-proliferative effect against cancer cells, in addition to its nephro-protective and antibacterial effects. More importantly, papaya leaves have proven effective for increasing platelet counts.

Herbal Bath

Bathing varies according to your purpose, time and nature. From the 5 minute one just to remove the dirt from the body, baths ranges to a celebration of cleansing using all the therapeutic medicines and oils to relax your body and mind. Herbal bath salts are ideal for an over-all wellbeing that lets your mind be at peace.

Bath salts are mineral salts that are rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium. These, when used for bath, are absorbed into the skin and make it healthy, detoxify the body, relax pain, balance the fluid levels and thus relax the nervous system. They are believed to slow down the aging process and thus help you retain your youth.

Herbalbath salts are normally made from sea salts and are used to treat the following:

Anxiety

Insomnia

Eczema

Arthritis

They are made from dried herbs and sea salts. Different herbs are combined with bath salts and wrapped in cloth pouch usually made of cheese cloth or muslin. After holding the pouch under running water and letting it remain in the water for sometime, you could throw the remaining content away. The water that you use to bathe after this has amazing therapeutic effects that can actually heal and rejuvenate your body and mind.

It is not very difficult to get herbal bath cosmetics now. There are many stores, both local as well as online, that provides aromatic herbal bath salts that can give you a bath that can relax you, heal you as well as revive you after a long tiring day.

Herbs For Stomach

Since what we eat and drink (especially dairy products, sugar, alcohol, and coffee) often triggers gas, bloating, indigestion, heartburn, constipation, and diarrhea, how better to treat these common gastrointestinal problems, herbalists say, than by ingesting herbs that naturally offset the culprits?

Peppermint

It’s essential oil contains menthol, a volatile substance that has a direct antispasmodic effect on the smooth muscle of the digestive tract. In addition, the pleasing smell of peppermint tea may help soothe nerves. The ability to calm cramping stomach and intestinal muscles makes it a superb treatment, herbalists say, for symptoms of indigestion including heartburn, gas, stomachache. Peppermint tea allows the entire gastrointestinal system to function more fluidly. But, despite the enthusiastic reports, many doctors say that peppermint can lower the sphincter pressure of the esophagus, actually causing some people to have more heartburn.

Chamomile

Which is considered to be one of the safest medicinal herbs is frequently recommended as a gentle treatment for common gastrointestinal problems. It relieves flatulence and heartburn by mildly sedating and soothing the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. Its natural sedative properties can also help if your digestive discomfort is caused by stress or worry.

Ginger

Is a carminative and can be used to treat gas, along with its associated bloating and pain. In botanical medicine it's considered a warming herb. It causes the inside of the body to generate more heat. Herbalists say this can help regulate sluggish digestion, though some find this extra warmth uncomfortable and may instead prefer peppermint or chamomile teas. Ginger is effective in treating nausea and vomiting.