Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Hair care tips


Hair Care

TYPES OF HAIR

It is essential to identify the texture of your hair whether dry, oily or balanced for a good hair care program...

Hair care

Every woman wants her hair to be healthy and lustrous, to shine and have lots of bounce. A basic hair care system lays the groundwork for shiny and healthy hair

Hair styles


Dry Hair

Dry hair is due to inactive oil glands. It is also caused by other factors like over exposure to the sun, using harsh shampoo and chemical treatment. Accumulated oil, block the pores not allowing the oil to flow on to the surface. This is another reason for dry hair. Dry hair would need plenty of nourishment.

Massage well with a warm herbal oil at least twice a week. Follow a diet rich in zinc. Use a mild shampoo and avoid harsh ones since the chemicals in them can strip hair of its outer protein layer, further drying the scalp. Do not use electric curlers and hair dryers.

Oily Hair

This is usually accompanied with oily skin. This is due to the over secretion of oil. Hence the scalp and hair gets too oily. Oily hair is easily recognizable. It looks greasy even after shampooing and and attracts more dirt.

The oily hair needs to be washed every third or fourth day or even more frequently depending on individual comfort and rinsed out with lemon. Use oils and shampoos rich in neem and henna. A head massage with a herbal oil helps maintain the pH level of the scalp. Avoid oily foods and binge on green leafy vegetables and fruits.

To figure out your hair type:
Dab a tissue on your scalp the second day after wash. If it has an oil blot, you have normal hair. If the tissue shows nothing, it is dry. If strands stick to each other then it is greasy hair .

Balanced or Normal Hair

This is the most ideal hair. It is shining, well balanced and does not dry out. To maintain this ideal condition a well balanced diet and proper care is essential.



  • Brush your hair regularly before going to bed each night.
  • Wash your hair with a mild shampoo. Use very little but enough to cover hair completely with lather. Use a conditioner to keep hair manageable.
  • Avoid brushing wet hair. This will cause the hair to stretch and finally break. Finger-dry, or use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush to gently remove the knots.
  • Restrict blow-drying your hair. The process of blow-drying is harsh on hair as it robs it of moisture.
  • Avoid dyes. Use mehandi (henna) instead as a conditioner and colouring agent.
  • Take a calcium supplement or drink two glasses of milk a day.
  • Always hold hair dryer away from your hair. Direct air from the hair dryer down hair shaft and not directly into the roots and keep it moving.
  • After a perm, never brush your hair. Instead comb hair gently.
  • Trim your hair once in 7 weeks to avoid split ends.
  • Avoid pulling back your hair tightly.
  • Never use a rubber band on your hair as it can pull and damage hair considerably.
  • Never go out in the sun without having your head covered.
  • Stimulate circulation by massaging your head with oil to which some vitamin E has been added. This will make hair soft and silky.
  • Never wash your hair with very hot or very cold water.
  • Learn to relax. Hair loss can happen because of stress. Eat foods that are rich in vitamin B, C and E.
  • Add iron and minerals in the natural form in your diet.
  • If your hair is oily, cut down on fried food and fat. Drink plenty of water.
TYPES OF HAIR STYLES


HAIR STYLES

Choosing a hairstyle depends on various factors. An important factor is the shape of your face. Your life style is also a major element. If you wash, condition and style your hair every morning, a short cut may be best for you. If you have plenty of time for hair care you may prefer to wear your hair long. The distribution, quantity and texture of your hair, the curliness or straightness and your height are the other important factors for choosing a hair style.

Different hairstyles to suit the shape of your face

Round face

A round face will look best with hairstyles that add angles and helps conceal broad, round cheeks. For persons who have short hair, it is better to have a cut with most of the hair on top and less on sides. For long hair, an hairstyle with curls or waves surrounding the face will be better.

Square face

A square jaw and brow are best softened by a curly or wavy hair style that rounds off the angles of your face. Curls or waves worn forward on the outer edges of your face from your forehead will be more suited for a square face.


An oval face

An oval face can be enhanced by a variety of simple hairstyles. Your hairstyle will be most pleasing, if you wear it straight or slightly wavy. Short or long styles will look best when brushed or held back from your face.

Triangular face

The best hairstyle for this shape face are those worn away from your face at your forehead and temples and softly waved or curled around the jaws or those worn full at your temples, with straight or waved bangs across the width of your forehead.

Beaulty Tips

The Secrets Of Beauty Tips


This is going to be a short article because it's such a straight forward question to answer. People who want to build muscle mass are often misinformed, so I'm going to do my best to educate you as simply as I can, while providing as much correct information as I can.

Building muscle mass is simple, there are only a few main things you really need to have and do, in order to achieve your goals.

The first thing is to actually write down what you want. If you don't write down want you actually want, how are you supposed to know how to build muscle mass? How much muscle mass do you want to build? Do you want to look like a freaky bodybuilder? Do you want to get ripped up? Or do you just want to add a little muscle and stop being so damn skinny? It doesn't matter what you want, as long as you realise it and make a commitment to stick to it.

The next thing on your "to do" list is to educate yourself. If you've found your way to this site, then you're on your way. I've written and compiled a huge list of articles that will tell you a lot about how to build muscle mass. If you're really serious about building muscle mass, then you'll want a step by step guide to show you exactly how to do this, and I've reviewed the best of these already for you. Just have a look at my ebook review section to see what I mean.

The third part is probably the hardest for most of the people I meet. Getting your diet right is just as important as weight training, yet most people will spend hours in the gym, but zero time thinking about what goes into their body. If you have educated yourself correctly, then you won't need to worry about what to do, it will all be there, all you need to worry about is how to implement it.

If you want more info on great muscle building programs, check out our reviews of the musclehead and Sean nalewanyj . vince delmonte also has a great program that I would recommend you check out if you're serious about learning how to build muscle.

The final element on how to build muscle mass is actually weight training. Tada! I knew you were waiting for this section, so I threw it in at the end, just to surprise you ;)
Basically, if you're not training hard with weights, then don't bother trying to build muscle mass, it's just not going to happen. Once again, if you have educated yourself properly, knowing what to do shouldn't be hard at all. It's just about actually making it down to the gym when you can't be bothered. Or when it's too cold, or whatever excuse you would normally use.

So there you go. All you really need to know in order to build muscle mass. If you've finished reading, but you still don't understand what's needed of you, have another read and see if you can figure it out this time. Goodluck and heres to your muscle building success.



1. Brushing Up

Make body brushing a part of your daily routine. Scrubbing out dirt and grime is the least of its advantages. Body brushing tones and stimulates skin, helping with the natural drainage of the lymph glands. It also helps combat cellulite. When brushing, work towards the heart, up from your legs and thighs, and down from your neck. Oh, and remember, skin should be dry while body-brushing, so make sure you have a soft brush - you don't want abrasions that are hard to explain!

2. Banana Rama

For a great homemade face softener, try this: mash a banana and apply it to your face. Leave on for ten minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. Your face feels like satin. Plus, it puts those over ripe gooey bananas to good use!

3. Pearly White

Ever looked in the mirror and felt that your teeth were going from white to off-white to yellow? Take a hard look at your habits. The biggest culprits in the teeth-yellowing process are tobacco, coffee, tea and red wine. So if you must indulge, brush your teeth afterwards whenever possible, or at least rinse with water.

4. Shades Of Summer

A snazzy pair of sunglasses not only looks great, but also delays the onset of crow's feet (wrinkles on the sides of the eyes) which are accelerated by squinting in the sun.

5. Peaches And Cream

Great looks come with great skin, so get crackin' on that epidermis. Dirt and oil blocks pores causing blackheads and pimples, while dirt, grime and pollutants are drawn to oily skin like moths to a flame. So wash your face as often as possible, and cleanse at least twice a day.

6. Instant Glow

So you've just reached home after a nerve-wrecking day at the office and have to leave immediately for a dinner party thrown by your husband's most revered business client. How to get that glow in a flash? You could cheat and layer on the blusher, but a better option would be to try this: simply mix equal amounts of lemon and honey, apply it to your face and wash off after ten minutes.

7. Luscious Locks

Nothing improves the quality of your hair better than getting a regular oil massage. Get it done at home once a week if you have a husband or mother-in-law that dotes on you, or visit your neighbourhood parlour.

8. All Steamed Up

After applying oil wrap your hair in a steaming towel for twenty minutes. Give your hair this steaming treatment at least once a month. Steaming hair after applying oil helps it soak deeper into the follicles.

9. Fun In The Sun

The sun's warmth may make you feel good but it's ultraviolet rays over time cause at best, dry wrinkly skin and at worst, skin cancer. Don't step out without loading on that sunscreen. In the summers, avoid stepping out between 12:00 to 2:00 when the sun is at its peak.

10. Water, Water Everywhere

You can never drink too much water. It flushes out your toxins and is great for the skin, liver and just about every conceivable body organ! It keeps you cool and feeling fresh, reduces dehydration and rejuvenates your body cells. Drink at least ten glasses of water in a day. Bottoms up!

11. Ice Ice Baby

Keep skin looking young and fresh by splashing your face with ice-cold water. This rejuvenates the skin and delays the onset of wrinkles. (Don't try this if you are prone to broken capillaries.)

12. Lime N' Lemony

For a great shine to hair, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a mug of water and give your hair a final rinse with this mixture, after shampooing. You could also use a tablespoon of vinegar instead of a lemon.


14. Steamin'

Steam your face once a week to open pores, so it can be cleansed more effectively. Add a few herbs like basil (tulsi) for extra advantage. Don't steam face directly over the burning stove - too hot! Instead, remove the boiling water from the stove and form a tent with your towel.


13. AND SO TO BED

Never, ever go to sleep without washing off your make-up. That's a surefire step to a disastrous complexion.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Pickles

Directions - How to Make Pickle Relish

DAY 1

Step 1 - Selecting the cucumbers

It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality cucumbers!

At right is a of picture cucumbers from my garden - they are SO easy to grow. But be sure to grow the varieties that are labeled "pickling cucumbers" - they will be much more crisp!

The picture at right shows a good cucumber for pickling (bottom) and a bad one (top). The good one is dark green, firm, and not bloated. It has lots of warts!

The bad one is overripe, it has yellow or white areas in the skin, and the warts are almost all gone. If you cut it open, you will see developed seeds. You don't want seeds!

Overripe cucumbers make mushy relish..

Step 2 - How many cucumbers?

It takes about 2 or 3 cucumbers per pint jar; figure about 6 pounds to make about 7 pints. Each cucumber is about 4 - 5 inches long and you will cut off the ends before chopping.

Step 3 -Wash and chop the vegetables!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit in plain cold water.

You will need to cut the ends off (about 1/4 inch) and chop them into 1/8 to 1/4 inch pieces - or however finely you like your relish!

Chop 6 large peppers to produce 3 cups each of chopped sweet green and red peppers.

Chop 2 onions to yield 1 cup chopped onions.

Step 4 - Soak the chopped vegetables

Add chopped cucumbers, peppers, onions with the salt, and ice to water in a large bowl and let stand for 4 hours.

Step 5 - Drain

Just drain and discard the salt water.

Step 6 - Cover the vegetables with fresh ice water for another hour.

Cover the chopped veggies with fresh (unsalted) ice water and let it stand for 1 hour more.

Step 7 - Drain again.

Just drain and discard the water again.

Step 8 - Mix the spices and vinegar

Combine the 4 tsp each of mustard seed, turmeric, whole allspice, and whole cloves in a spice or cheesecloth bag. Add spices to 2 cups sugar and 6 cups white vinegar .

Step 9 - Heat the spice/vinegar mix to a boil

Heat to the vinegar and spice mix to a boil.

Step 10 - Pour the spice/vinegar over the chopped vegetables

Pour the spice/vinegar over the chopped vegetables and then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, (up to 36 hours).

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DAY 2

Step 11 - Get the jars and lids sterilizing

The dishwasher is fine for the jars. I get that going while I'm preparing everything else, so it's done by the time I'm ready to fill the jars. If you don't have a dishwasher, submerge the jars in a large pot (the canner itself) of water and bring it to a boil.

Be sure to let it go through the rinse cycle to get rid of any soap!

Get the canner heating up

Fill the canner about 1/2 full of water and start it heating (with the lid on).

Start the water for the lids

Put the lids into the small pot of boiling water for at least several minutes. Note: everything gets sterilized in the water bath (step 7) anyway, so this just helps to ensure there is no spoilage later!)


Need lids, rings and replacement jars?

Get them all here, delivered direct to your home, at the best prices on the internet!

Step 12 - Heat the relish for canning

Heat the relish to boiling, stirring as necessary to prevent burning.

Step 13 - Fill the jars with relish and put the lid and rings on

Fill the pint or half pint jars with the relish to within 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the top, seat the lid and hand-tighten the ring around them. (Note: larger jars are not recommended.)

Step 14 - Boil the jars in the canner

Put them in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Boil them for 10 minutes (or as directed by the instructions in the pickle mix, or with your canner). Remember to adjust for altitudes and larger jars!

Recommended process time for Pickle Relish in a boiling-water canner
Process Time at Altitudes of
0 - 1,000 ft1,001 - 6,000 ftAbove 6,000 ft
10 min15 min20 min

Step 15 - Done

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like.

When can you start eating the relish? As son as the jars cool!

How long will they keep in cool, dark storage? Usually 12 to 18 months!

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Other Equipment:

From left to right:

  1. Jar lifting tongs
    to pick up hot jars
  2. Lid lifter
    - to remove lids from the pot
    of boiling water (sterilizing )
  3. Lid
    - disposable - you may only
    use them once
  4. Ring
    - holds the lids on the jar until after
    the jars cool - then you don't need them
  5. Canning jar funnel
    - to fill the jars

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce!. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Summary - Cost of Making Homemade Pickles - makes 8 pint jars, 16 oz each*

ItemQuantityCost in 2006SourceSubtotal
Cucumbers30-36 (about 3 per pint jar)free from the garden, or $3.00 cents at a PYOPick your own$3.00
Canning jars (pint size, wide mouth), includes lids and rings12 jars$8.00/dozenWalMart, BigLots,
Publix, Kroger
$5.35
Vinegar6 cups$1.20 WalMart,
Publix, Kroger
$1.20
Spices4 teaspoons each$3.00 per packageWalMart, BigLots,
Publix, Kroger
$3.00
Onion2$0.50 eachWalMart,
Publix, Kroger
$1.00
Pickling Salt3/4 cup$3.00 per 3 cup boxWalMart,
Publix, Kroger
$0.80
Total


$14.35 total
or about $1.80 per jar INCLUDING the jars - which you can reuse!

* - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and reusable equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars! Many products are sold in jars that will take the lids and rings for canning. For example, Classico Spaghetti sauce is in quart sized jars that work with Ball and Kerr lids and rings

How to make other pickles - recipes and instructions:

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Cucumber pickles (quick process, canned)

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Refrigerator pickles (no canning required)

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Pickled beets

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Pickled green beans

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Pickled dilled okra

Canning processing times

Type of pickling method

Jar size0 to 1,000 ft above sea level1,001 to 6,000 ft above sea level
Quick process, (raw cucumbers put in the jar, hot liquid poured over them)- pint10 min15 min
Quick process, (raw cucumbers put in the jar, hot liquid poured over them)- quart10 min15 min

Can't find the equipment? We ship to all 50 states! Use our Feedback form!

Answers to Common Questions

What did I do wrong if my pickles aren't crisp or crunchy?
You probably used overripe cucumbers or didn't measure the vinegar and water accurately. Of course, processin gtoo long in the boiling water bath can do it, too!

Why are my pickles cloudy?

There are a variety of possible causes for cloudy pickles:

In nonfermented pickles (fresh pack), cloudiness might indicate spoilage. Yeast growth may also make pickles cloudy or slimy. Check the pickles for signs of off-odors and mushiness of the pickles. If yeast growth is evident, discard the pickles. If these signs are absent, the pickles are (absent other problems) safe to eat.

Be sure to use a NON-metal pot - or a coated metal (teflon, silverstone, enamel, etc.) without breaks in the coating. the metal reacts with the vinegar and makes the pickle solution turn cloudy. This is the most common cause of cloudy pickles. There is no danger to these pickles, though!

Sometimes the fillers (anticaking agents) in regular table salt may cause slight cloudiness, so always use pickling salt. Obviously, if you used a packet mix (like Mrs. Wages) this should not be a problem.

Hard water might also cause cloudiness. If soft water is not available, boil the hard water and let it sit undisturbed overnight. Pour off the top portion and use it in the pickling solution.

When making quick process pickles, can I store any leftover pickling solution for future use?

If the pickling solution is fresh and has not been used to make pickles, cover it and store it in the refrigerator for later use. If the pickling solution has been used, it can be stored in the refrigerator and reused in a day or two for barbecue sauce, cole slaw dressing or a marinade. If mold growth occurs, throw it out.

Why did the liquid in my dill pickles turn pink?

Using overmature dill may cause this. If so, the product is still safe. However, yeast growth could also cause this. If yeast growth is evident, discard the pickles.

I don’t have the type of dill my recipe calls for. What can I substitute?

For each quart, try 3 heads of fresh dill or 1 to 2 tablespoons dill seed (dill weed = 2 tablespoons).

Can I use burpless cucumbers for pickling?

Burpless cucumbers are not recommended for use in fermented pickles. This is because at their normal mature size, they produce an enzyme that causes the pickles to soften during fermentation. However, if smaller burpless cucumbers (those with small seed) are used, they may be suitable for making fresh pack pickles.

I have an old recipe that calls for adding a grape leaf to each jar of pickles. Why?

Grape leaves contain a substance that inhibits enzymes that make pickles soft. However, if you remove the blossom end of the cucumbers (the source of undesirable enzymes) you don’t need to add grape leaves.

Why did the garlic cloves in my pickles turn green or bluish green?

This reaction may be due to iron, tin or aluminum in your cooking pot, water or water pipes reacting with the pigments in the garlic. Or, the garlic may naturally have more bluish pigment, and it is more evident after pickling. Immature bulbs should be cured two to four weeks at 70 ° F. The pickles are safe to eat.

Can I use flaked salt for pickling?

Most recipes call for granulated pickling or canning salt. Flake salt varies in density and is not recommended for pickling.

Can I safely substitute ingredients in a recipe?

I'm checking out your relish recipe, and I'm looking at many different hot pickle recipes on the web and canning info (I've never done this before, but we bought a water-bath canning kit last year). A lot of canning info says never to alter the proportions in the recipe, but I can't find one with the proportions of hot peppers to cucumbers that I want.

Could I take your relish recipe and add jalapenos or other hot peppers to make a spicy relish, or would it cause it to become unsafe because I'm altering the ratio of vegetables? Could I decrease the amount of jalapenos in a different pickle recipe (it was almost as many peppers as cucumbers, and I don't have that) and still be safe? I don't want to go through all this work and then have the stuff get us sick or be inedible. But I can't find a recipe that I like that's not flake pepper or one that uses garden peppers and a bunch of other ingredients that I don't have (other vegetables, alum... )

I guess I don't know what you can modify in a canning recipe and what you can't, and I don't want to do it wrong. And I don't have anyone to ask, because I didn't want to learn this while my aunties were still alive.

A. The short answer is no, you shouldn't change the proportions or use different ingredients

The reason the recipes say not to alter the proportions of ingredients is that may affect the pH or total acidity of the mix. The recipes (at least those on my website and the ones published by universities - were tested in laboratories with those exact proportions. They cultured the resulted and examined them to determine if there was any pathogenic activity.

By the way, don't assume that every canning recipe published in a book or online has been tested or is based on a lab tested recipe. Many are not! My recipes are based on the ones tested and published by the USDA, Ball, and the major university food science departments. For the most part, I merely took the USDA recipes, executed them verbatim, photographed the process and added more explanatory text to make them easier to follow.
If you change a recipe substantially, it will affect the ability of pathogens like harmful bacteria to survive after canning.
The word key is "substantially". If you replace 1 cup of blackberries in a recipe with 1 cup of raspberries, is that risky? Almost certainly not. One need not be a food scientist to know those too are closely related and probably have nearly identical properties.
But what about adding 1 cup of onions to a spaghetti sauce recipe? Or peppers to a relish? That's hard to say. You'll be hard pressed to find anyone who would want to go on record to say it's ok, lest someone get sick later!
Also, if you want to improve the safety of almost any canning, replace the water bath with a pressure canner. Pressure canners produce a substantially higher temperature, which kills a high percentage of a greater variety of pathogens than water bath canners.
I think it's generally safe to replace like with like; hot peppers to replace green peppers, raspberries instead of blackberries, lemons instead of limes, etc. So, in your case, I think you will be fine if you substitute some of the mild peppers with an equal amount of hot peppers!

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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Herbs



Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medicinal botany[1], medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy. Sometimes the scope of herbal medicine is extended to include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain animal parts.The use of herbs to treat disease is almost universal among non-industrialized societies[citation needed]. A number of traditions came to dominate the practice of herbal medicine at the end of the twentieth century:


According to the WHO, 74% of 119 modern plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines are used in ways that are similar to their traditional uses. Major pharmaceutical companies are currently conducting extensive research on plant materials gathered from the rainforests and other places for possible new pharmaceuticals.[17]

The use of, and search for, drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Pharmacologists, microbiologists, botanists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and leads that could be developed for treatment of various diseases. In fact, approximately 25% of modern drugs used in the United States have been derived from plants.

  • Three quarters of plants that provide active ingredients for prescription drugs came to the attention of researchers because of their use in traditional medicine.
  • Among the 120 active compounds currently isolated from the higher plants and widely used in modern medicine today, 75 percent show a positive correlation between their modern therapeutic use and the traditional use of the plants from which they are derived.
  • More than two thirds of the world's plant species - at least 35,000 of which are estimated to have medicinal value - come from the developing countries.
  • At least 7,000 medical compounds in the modern pharmacopoeia are derived from plants[18]

Few herbal remedies have conclusively demonstrated any positive effect on humans[citation needed]. Many of the studies cited refer to animal model investigations or in-vitro assays and therefore cannot provide more than weak supportive evidence.[citation needed].

[edit] Risks

A common misconception about herbalism and the use of "natural" products in general, is that "natural" equals safe[citation needed]. However many plants have chemical defense mechanisms against predators that can have adverse or lethal effects on humans, for example poison hemlock and nightshade, which can be deadly, although they are not sold as herbs. Herbs can also have undesirable side-effects just as pharmaceutical products can. These problems are exacerbated by different controls over purity and inconsistent information on dosage [citation needed] due to the status of herbs in the United States as dietary supplements which are technically not supposed to have medicinal functions[neutrality disputed][citation needed]. Standardization of purity and dosage is not mandated in the United States but even products made to the same specification may differ as a result of biochemical variations within a species of plant.[60] Furthermore, if given in conjunction with drugs, there is danger of 'summation', where the herb and the drug have similar actions and add together to cause an 'overdose' or reduction in the effects, particularly with the Cytochrome P450[citation needed].

There is a danger that herbal remedies will be used in place of other medical treatments which have been scientifically tested for safety and efficacy, resulting in the development or worsening of a medical condition which could have been better prevented or treated[citation needed]. There is also a danger that an herbal remedy may itself cause harm which is unanticipated due to a lack of a full understanding of its composition and biochemical effects[citation needed].

[edit] Effectiveness

The gold standard for pharmaceutical testing is repeated, large-scale, randomized, double-blind tests. Some plant products or pharmaceutical drugs derived from them are incorporated into mainstream medicine. To recoup the considerable costs of testing to the regulatory standards, the substances are patented by pharmaceutical companies and sold at a substantial profit[61][citation needed].

Most herbal traditions have accumulated knowledge without modern scientific controls to distinguish between the placebo effect, the body's natural ability to heal itself, and the actual benefits of the herbs themselves[citation needed]. Many herbs have shown positive results in in-vitro, animal model or small-scale clinical tests.[62][citation needed] The few randomized, double-blind tests that receive attention in mainstream medical publications are often questioned on methodological grounds or interpretation. Likewise, studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals such as Journal of the American Medical Association receive more consideration than those published in specialized herbal journals.

Herbalists tend to use parts of plants, such as the roots or leaves but not isolate particular phytochemicals[63][citation needed]. They argue that the synergy of the combined substances enhances the efficacy and dilutes toxicity[64][citation needed]. Unfortunately, this assertion is difficult to prove. Pharmaceutical medicine on the other hand prefers single ingredients on the grounds that dosage can be more easily quantified.

Dosage is in general an outstanding issue for herbal treatments: while most conventional medicines are heavily tested to determine the most effective and safest dosages (especially in relation to things like body weight, drug interactions, etc.), there are few established dosage standards for various herbal treatments on the market[citation needed]. Furthermore, herbal medicines taken in whole form cannot generally guarantee a consistent dosage or drug quality (since certain samples may contain more or less of a given active ingredient.

The issue of regulation is an area of continuing controversy in the EU and USA. At one end of the spectrum, some herbalists maintain that traditional remedies have a long history of use, and do not require the level of safety testing as xenobiotics or single ingredients in an artificially concentrated form[citation needed]. On the other hand, others are in favor of legally enforced quality standards, safety testing and prescription by a qualified practitioner[citation needed]. Some professional herbalist organizations have made statements calling for a category of regulation for herbal products[65][citation needed]. Yet others agree with the need for more quality testing but believe it can be managed through reputation without government intervention[citation needed]. [66]

Ancient wonders


Only one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" still exists: Egypt's Pyramids at Giza. The other ancient wonders are long gone, their glories all broken by the Earth and lost to time.

Now, Egyptian officials seem worried about losing their wonder, too. Not because the pyramids are in danger of crumbling--they've stood tall for 46 centuries--but because there's a move afoot to name the "New Seven Wonders" of the world, and the pyramids are only one of 21 finalists being put to a worldwide web vote.

Egypt views the entire idea as an affront to the pyramids. "They are the only one of the seven wonders that still exists," said Egypt's antiquities chief. "They don't need to be put to a vote." But there are some pretty wondrous wonders on the new list--like the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Acropolis, the Statue of Liberty, and Stonehenge.

Can you name the old seven wonders? Let's see, after the Pyramids of Giza come the . . .

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Bible readers know Nebuchadnezzar II as the king who, in 587 BC, destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and forced the Jews into exile in Babylonia. But ancient tourists knew him as the man behind Babylon's Hanging Gardens. Built around 600 BC, the gardens grew on the roof of a terraced structure within his palace walls, irrigated by pumps that drew water up from the Euphrates. Today, Babylon is a ruin near Baghdad, and no definitive trace of the gardens has ever been found.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

The Ephesians erected their great temple for Apollo's twin sister Artemis around 550 BC. They rebuilt it after 356 BC, when a terrorist bent on fame set it ablaze. Located in today's Turkey, across the Aegean Sea from Athens, the temple drew many Greeks bearing gifts. They marveled at its size--imagine a football field surrounded by marble--and at the art inside. Little remains of the temple today, just fragments at the site and in museums.

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

When Olympia, home of the Olympic Games in western Greece, beheld the Temple of Artemis, its citizens said, "We'll see your Artemis and raise you a statue of Zeus." By 435 BC, the famed Greek sculptor Phidias was pounding the last plates of gold and ivory into place on a 40-foot (12-meter) statue of Zeus, seated on a cedarwood throne. No one knows what became of the thunder god's likeness, but we have found the workshop Phidias used to make it.

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

South of Ephesus, at Halicarnassus, ruled Mausolus, a Persian satrap who admired the Greek way of life. So, when Mausolus died in 353 BC, his sister-widow-queen, Artemisia, built him the most opulent Greek tomb around. It was 135 feet (40 meters) tall, adorned on every side with sculpture, and capped with a pyramidal roof. An earthquake brought the tomb down in medieval times, and Mausolus's memory now survives mainly in the word mausoleum.

Colossus of Rhodes

On the Greek island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean Sea, workers made wonder out of war. An army had besieged the island's capital. But Rhodes resisted for a year, and the army left. So the Rhodians reforged the army's abandoned bronze and iron weapons and sold its siege equipment to make a colossus: a 110-foot (34-meter) statue of the sun god Helios. By 280 BC, it stood tall on a marble pedestal near the harbor--until an earthquake toppled it just 56 years later.

Lighthouse of Alexandria

In the Egyptian port of Alexandria, few would have been overawed by Rhodes's colossus. For in Alexandria's harbor, on a small island named Pharos, stood the original lighthouse. It was made around the same time as Rhodes's statue, but dwarfed it. It stood 384 feet (117 meters) high--some say higher. Fires burned at the top at night, and bronze mirrors reflected sunlight during the day. It stood until the 14th century, when earthquakes ruined it, too.

Pyramids of Giza

Of course, we've already mentioned Egypt's three Pyramids of Giza, the only ancient wonder still standing today. But they are in a class by themselves in practically every other way as well. The largest and oldest of the three, the Great Pyramid, was built for the pharaoh Khufu (called Cheops by the Greeks) in the 26th century BC. That makes it 2,000 years older than any other wonder on the list. The Great Pyramid climbs more than 450 feet (138 meters) into the sky--high enough to make it the tallest structure on Earth for almost 4,000 years, until European cathedrals started reaching for heaven. It's made up of about 2.3 million massive blocks of stone, weighing perhaps 6 million tons all told. Some have described it as "the most colossal single building ever erected on the planet." Now that's a wonder for any list, old or new.