How to treat heartburn naturally – part 2
In my last blog post, I shared some tips on natural way to trear hearburn, below are more tips:
1. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Because acid reflux actually occurs due to having very small amounts of acid in your stomach, raw apple cider vinegar may actually help keep it from occurring. Simply dissolve a tablespoon of it in a glass of water and drink it to improve your acid levels. However, more research still needs to be done on this. One study found that apple cider vinegar alleviated heartburn symptoms for some individuals, but the effects only lasted between 60 and 75 minutes.
2. Ginger Tea
If you know that you’re going to be consuming a huge meal, it may be helpful if you drink a cup of ginger tea at least 20 minutes before you start eating. Simply steep a 2-inch piece of ginger root in two cups of boiling water for five minutes, and then drink. Ginger not only has an anti-inflammatory effect, but also tightens your lower esophageal sphincter, thus preventing acid from refluxing.
3. Papaya
A study found that the enzyme papain may help promote better digestion, providing positive effects for people with heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation
References
https://repository.asu.edu/attachments/166181/content/Yeh_asu_0010N_15671.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21990307
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20420113
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524622
Related Posts

A type of bread IBS sufferers can tolerate
We all know that fibre is an essential part of everyone's diet, but for IBS sufferers it can be a challenge to get enough fibre into their diet. Researchers from the University of Helsinki gave two types of Rye bread - the standard loaf and a rye loaf that was low in FODMAPs (fermentable olgi-, di and monosaccharides and polyols) to 87 IBS suferers for four weeks. Then after a break of four weeks, switched the two breads for another period of four weeks. As expected the standard Rye bread caused all the usual symptoms assocaited with IBS:
- abdominal pain
- diarrhoea
- constipation

Reiki – Mechanisms of Healing – Part 3
I want to finish the series of blog articles on the mechanisms of healing by looking at what happens in the client's body. Independent medical research has shown that this range of frequencies will stimulate healing in the body, with specific frequencies being suitable for different tissues. For example, 2 Hz encourages nerve regeneration, 7 Hz bone growth, 10 Hz ligament mending, and 15 Hz capillary formation. For example, it has been known for many years that placing an electrical coil around a fracture that refuses to mend will stimulate bone growth and repair. In addition Physiotherapy equipment based on these principles has been designed to aid soft tissue regeneration, and ultrasound technology is commonly used to clear clogged arteries and disintegrate kidney stones. Both Zimmerman (1990) in the USA and Seto (1992) in Japan further investigated the large pulsating biomagnetic field that is emitted from the hands of energy practitioners whilst they work. They discovered that the pulses are in the same frequencies as brain waves, and sweep up and down from 0.3 – 30 Hz, focusing mostly in 7 – 8 Hs, alpha state. Within the range of frequencies that will stimulate healing in the body. For me, all complementary therapies including Reiki work on the principle that they are stimulating the body to heal itself. References Zimmerman J, ‘The laying-on of hands, healing and therapeutic touch: a testable theory BEMI currents’, Journal of the Bio-Electromagnetics Institute. Vol 2, 1990. Seto A. et al., ‘Detection of extraordinarily large bio-magnetic field strength from human during external Qi emission’, Acupuncture and Electro-therapeutics Int. Jnl. Vol 17. 1992.

Are low levels of Vitamin D associated with an increase risk of Diabetes?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, hormone-like vitamin, which means body fat acts as a "sink" by collecting it. If you're overweight or obese, you're therefore likely going to need more vitamin D than a slimmer person -- and the same holds true for people with higher body weights due to muscle mass i.e. amateur and professional athletes. It is common knowledge that obesity and physical inactivity can lead to type 2 diabetes. But what about your impact does your levels of Vitamin D have?. The Endocrine Society, published details of a study that looked at the vitamin D levels of 118 people with a wide range of weights (from slim to morbidly obese) while taking into account whether they had diabetes. According to the researchers people who have low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have diabetes, regardless of how much they weighed. The researches concluded that vitamin D is associated more closely with glucose metabolism (and hence your chance of getting diabetes) than obesity! One Indian study found that vitamin D and calcium supplementation, in combination with exercise, can prevent pre-diabetes from progressing into type 2 diabetes. The study found that for every unit increase in vitamin D levels, the risk of progression to diabetes in people with pre-diabetes went down by 8 percent. In 2013 Taleai, Mohamdi and Adgi found that type 2 diabetics given 50,000 IUs of oral vitamin D3 per week for eight weeks experienced "a meaningful reduction" in fasting plasma glucose and insulin. Other research showing this link includes but is not limited to the following:
- One study involving nearly 5,680 individuals with impaired glucose tolerance showed that vitamin D supplementation increased insulin sensitivity by 54 percent (see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9516221?dopt=Abstract)
- The mechanisms by which vitamin D reduces insulin resistance include its effect on calcium and phosphorus metabolism and by up regulating the insulin receptor gene (see >> http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cbf.951/abstract)

