Miracle food dates and health benefits

According to Neal Barnard, M.D., author of several books on the healing properties of foods, certain foods are excellent painkillers, especially green leafy vegetables and beans. Date is one of those miracle foods which helps flush out toxins, lubricates and cushions your joints, helps relieve congestion and keeps your body in balance.

Health benefits of dates have made them the best nourishment for muscles development.
Dates are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae of the genus: Phoenix and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. The tree is believed to have originated in the lands around the banks of Nile and Euphrates rivers.
Date palm is now extensively cultivated for its edible fruit in warmer climates across all the continents.

Dates are rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.
The fruit has adequate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism.

Health benefits of dates: 

•  Wonderfully delicious, dates are one of the most popular fruits with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.
• Fresh date is made of soft, easily digestible flesh with simple sugars like fructose and dextrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly; thus, for these qualities, dates are being used to breakfast during Ramadan months. 
•  The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents dietary LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. It is also a good bulk laxative. The fiber content helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon. 
•  They contain many health benefitting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies) properties. 

•  They are a good source of Vitamin-A (contains 149 IU per 100 g), which is known to have antioxidant properties and is essential for vision. Vitamin A also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
•  The fruit is very rich in antioxidant flavonoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants have the ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen free radicals and thereby found to be protective against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus it offers protection against age related macular degeneration, especially in elderly populations. 
•  Dates are an excellent source of iron, contains 0.90 mg/100 g of fruits (about 11% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. 
•  In addition, They are good in potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.

According to the modern medicine survey, it is known that dates are useful in preventing abdominal cancer. 

Useful links:
 * Health Benefits of Dates

 * Top 10 Health Benefits of Dates

How to learn the signs of nervousness using body language rules?

Nervousness is a sign that you are not comfortable with or in the current situation. It is a psychological state of mind, nervousness is characterized by a feeling of restlessness, apprehension and worry. At times, it helps in completing a task much more efficiently. However, excessive nervousness is harmful and may cause physical, emotional, psychological as well as cognitive impairment in a person.

According to Mehrabian, 55 percent of our communication is done through body language, 38 percent is done through tone of voice and 7 percent is done through our words. Our body language exhibits far more information about how we feel than it is possible to articulate verbally. Our body movement includes the heads, eyes, shoulders, lips, eyebrows, neck, legs, arms, fingers, orientation, hands and gestures. Together these pieces can convey if we’re comfortable, unhappy, friendly, anxious, nervous and many other messages. You should be aware of your body movements as it can help you hide your nervousness at occasions when you should look confident. With the right information and a little practice, we can train ourselves to overcome most of our negative body language habits.

Learning body language isn't something you can master overnight, but you can learn a few basic rules to help you.

Signals conveyed by nervous people include:                           

• Their fists are clenched.
• Their hands or feet are tapping.
• The bottom edges between the fingers of one hand are clenched with
• the bottom edges between the fingers of the other hand. This is the position of the hands when praying.
• Hands are interlocked (flesh between thumb and index finger of one hand joined with flesh between thumb and index finger of another hand) and pressing each other.
• They speak in a high-pitched, fast-paced, stuttering voice
• They whistle to conceal and fight their nervousness.
• They are often clearing their throat.
• One hand is clutching the other hand, wrist, arm, or elbow.
• Their arms are at the back, where one hand is pressing the wrist or arm.
• Their arms are crossed, but they are gripping their biceps.
• Their legs are crossed while standing.
• They have a wilted handshake, palms pointing upwards.
• Their eyes evade you.
• Their ankles are locked or glued to each other. When accompanied by clenched fists, this may indicate that they are holding back strong emotions or feelings.

How to hide signs of nervousness?

1. Being totally relaxed
2. Relaxed shoulder
3. Relaxed movements
4. Relaxed thinking
5. Slower movements (Slow down all your movements to at least half speed)

Nervousness can be felt in your voice, so slow down your rate of speech (Not slow motion, but rather a speed that shows you are in no hurry to get your point across)

Useful links:

* 25 Acts of Body Language to Avoid

 * Body Language Basics

* The Body Doesn't Lie

* How to Read Body Language

Auricular therapy and its benefits

The art of healing with finger pressure over the specific points on the ear is known as Ear Acupressure or Auricular Therapy. In 1957, Dr. Paul Nogier, a well known French Neuro-surgeon, made a careful study of the ear and its relationship to the rest of the body and developed this “Auricular Therapy”.

The ear contains more than 120 acupoints that correspond to various parts of the body. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that all major meridians, or energy pathways in the body, pass through the ear, making auricular acupressure effective in treating a variety of ailments throughout the body. It is perhaps the most effective and accessible alternative treatment for reducing pain, lowering blood pressure, shedding unwanted pounds, alleviating insomnia, and correcting alcohol and drug addiction, to name just a few of the ailments this age-old technique relieves.

Ear acupressure was first advanced by Chinese acupuncturists in 500 BC and documented in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine. But it was French doctor, Paul Nogier, who pioneered modern Auriculotherapy as a complete healing system in the 1950s. Dr. Nogier sought to explain the connection between ear acupoints and their effects on
the body with his apt scientific metaphor of the ear as the micro-imitation of the human bodily system, comparing the shape of the ear to an inverted fetus.


Benefits:
Auriculotherapy is not simply ear reflexology, which uses acupressure to unblock the energy meridians of the body. Rather, ear acupressure stimulates the nerve connections between the ear and the central nervous system. Applying pressure to the correct points on the external ear triggers nerve impulses from the ear to the brain, thereby communicating powerful healing messages to the organ or system in which the health problem manifests. Upon receiving the ear’s recommendations, the brain releases pain-relieving protein molecules called endorphins into the blood stream, soothing chronic pain and discomfort quickly and with no side effects.

 A 2003 study by the University of Vienna in Austria found that patients who received ear acupressure during ambulance transport reported decreased pain and anxiety. A study conducted by the New Mexico State University in 2006 used auricular acupressure in addition to regular substance abuse treatment. Patients who received ear acupressure showed a significant reduction in cravings and emotional stress. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, auricular acupressure may help improve sleep quality and alleviate insomnia. Pressure points in the ear that relate to the stomach may help control the appetite and help with weight-loss efforts.

 How to locate the ear acupressure point?

Imagine a fully grown-up foetus inside the mother’s womb.The whole body is represented by the ear in much the same be activated by pulsating the corresponding points on the ear way as the foetus fits (Fig. 17b). Different parts of the body can be activated by pulsating the corresponding points on the ear.The ear acupressure chart provides a ready-reference for this Purpose.

 An ear massage is very detoxifying and stimulating to the system. Auricular acupressure improves the circulation, strengthens the immunity and relaxes the body and the mind. Briskly rub the palms of your hands together and then cup them over the ears for twenty seconds or more. Then massage the ears for a minute or more. Auricular acupressure massages may also be performed by kneading, rubbing, pulling and pinching the ear.
YouTube video:

  Useful links: 

* Stimulation of auricular acupuncture points in weight loss

Acupressure therapy for relieving palpitations

Pal·pi·ta·tion means:  A trembling or shaking, irregular, rapid beating or pulsation of the heart.  The term heart palpitation refers to sensations that the heart is racing, pounding, beating irregularly or skipping beats.  Sometimes it can be due to anxiety, stress or nervousness. 


According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, in most cases heart palpitations are not serious and can be controlled by taking steps to lower stress levels and managing strong emotions. Practicing deep breathing and/or relaxation techniques, yoga or tai chi can all help to reduce the frequency and severity of heart palpitations.


 Palpitations Treatment with acupressure therapy:


 Acupressure therapy can be applied to get relief from palpitation. Acupressure can be very helpful for palpitations, but it's not for everyone. If your palpitations are part of a serious disease, acupressure may aid in healing, but it should not be your sole remedy. It may also be inappropriate if you suffer blood pressure problems, arteriosclerosis or bacterial infections.
Acupressure offers only symptomatic relief to angina and palpitations. Sit comfortably or lie down, close your eyes and breath deeply when massaging the active points.
  1. P6 :

Location: on the interior side of the arm, in the hollow between the bones of the forearm, three finger-width above the wrist crease.
Direction: apply firm deep strokes of pressure in the direction of the palm. The initial painful sensation will soon begin to subside. Repeat the acupressure therapy on both arms. Duration: 3 min or more

2. H7 :

Location: on the inside of the arm; in the hollow formed by the wrist, inside bone of the arm, and the tendon. 
To find the point: 
1. straiten the wrist; 
2. slide your thumb along the wrist crease until the thumb falls into a hollow formed by the tendon, inside bone of the arm, and the wrist. Direction: apply firm deep strokes of pressure in direction of the palm. The initial painful sensation will soon begin to subside. Repeat at other arm. Duration: 1 min

3. Yin Tang :
Location: Point between eyebrows higher than the nose bridge. Use of insomnia, tension headaches, calming a busy mind and sinus problems.

Direction: apply firm deep strokes of pressure in upward direction. The initial painful sensation will soon begin to subside

TW 15: Location: on the top of the shoulder blade. To find the point go directly up from the nipple, around the top of the trapezoid muscle, and down to the top of the shoulder blade.

Direction: apply firm deep strokes of pressure in upward direction. The initial painful sensation will soon begin to subside. 
Repeat the therapy at other side of shoulder. Duration: 1 min


Source: www.soundtells.com/AcupressureOnline

Remember: Seek medical treatment if any other symptoms that indicate a serious illness occur alongside the palpitations. These may include trouble breathing, sweating, dizziness, chest pain, confusion or fainting.


Useful links: 


 * Acupressure and Reflexology for Anxiety:
 * acupressure points to help release tension and anxiety

What is the difference between pressure and trigger point therapies?

Trigger point therapy or acupressure therapy both are based on same principle of applying "finger pressure" to the effected part of bodies to get cure. Main difference between two therapies is that Trigger point therapy deals with applying pressure on muscle tissues for pain management and related dysfunction in body while acupressure therapy can be used as a diagnose tool as well as getting prevention and cure many mild to serious diseases. This article helps you learn about both therapies and what the difference between them is. What is acupressure therapy? Acupressure is a way of accessing and releasing blocked or congested energy centres in the body. Acupressure enables us to diagnose and cure diseases like Common Cold, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Migraine, Heart Attack, Paralysis and even Cancer.


Acupressure is based on the theory that the body has fourteen meridians travel through it. Each of these meridians is attached to a specific body organ. When a meridian develops a blockage the body is adversely affected and diagnosing and removing the blockage through acupressure is the best way to cure the patient. Acupressure is a way of accessing and releasing blocked or congested energy centres in the body. Acupressure enables us to diagnose and cure diseases like Common Cold, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Migraine, Heart Attack, Paralysis and even Cancer. 


The points on the palms and feet reflect the condition of their related organs. This makes acupressure a good diagnostic tool. By feeling the palms and feet with gentle pressure it is possible to get a fair idea about the diseased parts. If pain is observed on any point, the body part related to that point needs immediate attention. I have applied these techniques for self diagnose and found it very effective. Usually you feel pain in specific points of your hands whenever there is an abnormality around your body (in other words it is a symptom of some body or system disorder/pain or disease) The healing process is next step after diagnosis as you have to apply pressure for continues intervals at the effected or related painful points of your both hands.

      

Trigger point therapy

Trigger points are specific, hyperirritable and hypersensitive areas in muscle that suffer from decreased circulation, increased contraction and spasm. Lack of circulation creates a high anomaly of toxins and increased nerve sensitivity that can range from low ache to sharp pain.Trigger point therapy involves the applying of pressure to tender muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and dysfunction in other parts of the body. Sometimes massage and trigger point therapy are performed together. Research shows that sustained manual trigger point therapy is by far the most effective means of getting rid of chronic myofascial (muscle and tissue) pain. The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to re-educate the muscles to perform pain-free habits. After several treatments, the swelling and stiffness of neuromuscular pain is reduced, range of motion is increased, tension is relieved, and circulation, flexibility and coordination are improved. 
Difference between both therapies: 
• Trigger point therapy involves the applying of pressure to tender muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and dysfunction while in acupressure therapy, pressure is applied for accessing and releasing blocked or congested energy centres in the body. 
• Acupressure points are concentrations of energy or blockages of the body’s energy pathways. 
• Trigger points are physical phenomena that can be felt by touch. 
• Trigger point aims to relieve pain and dysfunction on specific muscle areas while acupressure therapy is used to diagnose and treat illness including pain management. 
• Trigger points are mainly muscle centred point arount the body, while acupressure points are mainly at hands, feet and other parts of body.

Useful links and resources:
* What Is Acupressure?. Acupressure’s Potent Points: a Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments
* Health and Vitality, at Your Fingertips

First published: at factoidz 'Trigger Point Therapy Vs Acupressure Therapy'

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