FitSugar

5 Healthy Things You Can Do in the Shower

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:20:18 PST

Taking a shower mostly entails washing your hair and shaving your legs, but here are a few more quick things you should make time for that will benefit your health.

Source: Thinkstock

Congested? Get Steamy

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:00:50 PDT

I am dealing with a late-season cold, and the congestion is overwhelming. While hanging out, sipping tea, and blowing my nose frequently at a friend's house, my host surprised me with a bowl of fragrant steamy liquid. I was told I needed to steam. My friend and budding herbalist added essential oils to the hot water to help open my nasal passages and I must say, it worked! I have read in a number of places that eucalyptus oil is a powerful decongestant, but my buddy thinks alone it is too overwhelming, so he blends eucalyptus oil with lemongrass and peppermint oil. It smells divine.

Here's how I steam with essential oils:

Boil two cups of filtered water into a glass or metal bowl.
Add two drops each of eucalyptus, lemongrass, and peppermint pure essential oils.
Place face over bowl and inhale deeply through nose. The oil mixture will smell intense at first, so start at least 12 inches from bowl. Then lower your head closer to the water as needed.
Keep breathing in the scented steam until bowl is no longer steaming.
Repeat throughout day.

Sage Tea to Ward Off a Cough

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:00:48 PST

Some of you might remember that my aunt has a thing for conjuring up herbal remedies, like her cold-fighting ginger tea. So when I got hit with a nasty fever last week, I called dear ol' auntie first.

After I described my ailment, she said one word: sage. I was skeptical, mostly because I have never been a huge fan of the pungent, peppery herb. But since sage has been a longstanding healing plant, I whipped up my aunt's recipe. Not only was my cough suppressed, I could actually breathe for a few hours! Give this tea a try the next time you're feeling sickly.

To see the recipe,

Fight Seasonal Allergies With Heat

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:30:00 PDT

If seasonal allergies are preventing you from breathing through your nose, you can take decongestants, but they'll end up drying you up everywhere, even your lady business. Plus they can make you feel kind of spaced out and tired.

A natural alternative I've found that relieves congestion is to raise your body temperature through exercise. Choose heart-pumping activities such as running, biking, hiking, cardio kickboxing, or exercise in a heated room such as Bikram or Ashtanga yoga. Do it for at least 20 minutes, and once you start sweating, your nasal congestion will start to thin out a little, making it easier to blow your nose and clear your sinuses. Just make sure you have a pack of tissues with you so you can get rid of the mucus instead of sniffing it back in.

If the pollen count is really high outside, do your cardio inside to avoid aggravating your symptoms.

Source

Cold and Flu Tip: Neti Pot Instead of Decongestants

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:00:00 PST

It's cold and flu season and just about everyone I know is sniffling, sneezing, and all stuffed up. To deal with these nasal symptoms, you can pop decongestants like Sudafed, but they'll cause annoying side effects like dry mouth, sore throat, and headaches, and can lead to sinusitis. Plus if you think about it, your body creates all that mucus to help flush the germs out. So why would you want to turn off your body's natural response? It means the germs will just stay in your body.

You can help get rid of the germs and mucus by using a neti pot. It's a small container that you fill with warm salt water, and use to flush out your nasal passages. Think of it as a bath for your nose.

To see a video of the neti pot in action,

read more. Once you try it, you'll be hooked. It's not only great for colds, but also good if you suffer from congestion caused by allergies. For detailed instructions on how to use the neti pot click here. Does anyone else think that gal in the photo looks an awful lot like Reese Witherspoon, or is it just me?

Milk, Mucus, and You: The Congestion Connection

FitSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 08:45:00 PDT

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, and your symptoms involve nasal and sinus congestion 24-7, you may want to take a look at the dairy in your diet.

Dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream may be making your allergy symptoms worse. Casein, the naturally occurring protein in dairy products, can promote the formation of mucus. It can also make existing mucus thicker in your nose and sinuses, leaving you completely congested. It may also cause a runny nose or the ever annoying post nasal drip.

Of course, conventional doctors may not agree with the notion that dairy promotes mucus (there's no scientific evidence, but maybe because there have been no studies - I don't know), but many people swear that ditching dairy has cured their sinus problems. So if you are curious, you'll have to test the theory yourself. Try eliminating all things dairy for at least 1 to 2 weeks and see how you feel. It's made a world of difference for me, my nose and my sinuses, so I definitely think it's worth a shot.

Here's a cool tidbit of info - casein is also used to make adhesives, like glue, beer bottle labels and wood glue used in furniture. Think about it - if casein can make two objects stick together, imagine what it can do to your sinuses.

Fit's Tips: To help relieve congestion in your nose and sinuses, try using a neti pot. Not only does it get rid of mucus, but it helps to flush dust and allergens out of your nose that can make you stuffy in the first place.

Source

Got Allergies? Don't Get Mad - Get HOT

FitSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:30:00 PDT

Spring has bloomed all over and when I went to pick up my allergy medicine from the pharmacy yesterday, they were actually all out! You know that's because tons of people are suffering and reaching for drugs to deal with their symptoms.

Allergies affect people differently, so if you get a stuffy nose, congestion in your sinuses and fluid in your lungs, you could take decongestants, but they'll end up drying you up everywhere (even your lady business). Plus they can make you feel kind of spaced-out and tired.

Using a neti pot like the Rhino Horn can be really helpful at clearing your nose and sinuses, but if you're majorly plugged up, the water won't be able to flow from one nostril to the other.

You've got to get your heart pumping, girl! Doing any type of cardio consistently for at least 20 minutes (or more) will heat up your body, get you sweating, and get that fluid and congestion in your face and chest moving.

Running, biking, hiking, swimming, Ashtanga Yoga, using cardio machines, or taking cardio classes (like kickboxing) are all great choices.

Fit's Tips: Whatever you do, make sure you pack some tissues so when your nose starts to run; you can blow it (don't sniff it back in). If you've got congestion in your lungs, you'll end up coughing up some mucus too (I know that sounds gross but it's better to cough it up than have it sitting in your chest, right?). Staying hydrating will help too.

Source

Antihistamines or Decongestants: Which Does What?

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 04:00:00 PDT

So it's officially Spring (yippee!!) and the snow is melting away. The trees and grass and flowers will begin to grow and bud, and for people with seasonal allergies, this time of year can be a nightmare.

When someone has seasonal allergies, his or her immune system sees pollen as an invader. As a defense mechanism, their body produces histamine, an inflammatory chemical that attaches to the cells in their body and irritates them. The histamines are what cause the sneezing, runny nose, watery and itchy eyes.

When you take an antihistamine (like Benadryl or Claritin), it prevents the histamine from attaching to those cells, and therefore prevents allergy symptoms. Antihistamines can also relieve itchiness caused by insect bites, stings, poison ivy, and poison oak.

This is great, but most Antihistamines have the awful side effect of making you feel really drowsy and out of it. Your head just feels really foggy, like when you have a cold.

Want to know what a decongestant does? Then

read more Sometimes a person who has allergies can experience different symptoms. They may get an extremely stuffy nose and congested sinuses. This can affect a person's sense of smell and taste. Also, if the sinuses remained plugged, a person could develop a sinus infection, which can cause severe facial pain and headaches. People with these symptoms might want to take a decongestant (like Sudafed or Allegra D - the "D" stands for decongestant). Decongestants work by narrowing the blood vessels in the lining of your nose. This reduces how much blood flows through the area so that swollen tissue inside the nose shrinks, and air can pass through more easily. Decongestants work well to de-clog your nose and face, but they make your mouth and throat uncomfortably dry. Allergies are different for everyone, and different over-the-counter medications may work better than others. You may want to try them all. Some medications combine both antihistamines and decongestants, which could prevent your symptoms, better than they could alone. Fit's Tips: If you know what you're allergic to, you can work on avoiding that trigger. If you have allergy symptoms, but don't know what specific allergens are affecting you, make an appointment with an Allergist. You can also see one if you've been taking over-the-counter meds and your symptoms are still bothering you.

How to Kick a Nighttime Cough Naturally

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:05:23 PST

Whether it's because of a cold or allergies, coughing at night is not only annoying, it prevents you from getting the sleep you need to stay healthy. Before you down cough medicine (which often just masks the cough), you might want to relieve your nighttime cough with one of these natural remedies.

Steam up: Before hitting the hay, create a steam room in the bathroom. Shut the door, don't turn on the fan, and take a hot shower. Let the water gently run on your face, or if that's too intense, place a warm washcloth on your sinuses, allowing the heat and steam to help relieve sinus congestion. You can even use a neti pot in the shower - just be sure to fill it with warm distilled or sterilized water, not the shower water. Using a neti pot after you've breathed in steam can make it more effective.
Get moist: Since dry air can often cause a dry cough (especially in the Winter months when we crank up the heat), moisten the air you breathe by running a cool-mist humidifier on low throughout the night (I'm a fan of this humidifier from Crane). In the morning, be sure to wipe down your windows and windowsills as condensation tends to form, and you don't want this moisture to encourage mold growth, which can also aggravate a cough. Follow the directions that came with your humidifier when it comes to cleaning it, and disinfect it thoroughly at least once a week to avoid mold growth.

Keep reading for more natural ways to beat your nighttime cough.

Skip the Benadryl! Natural Ways to Relieve Congestion

Michele Foley — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:07:46 PST

Whether it's allergies or a nasty cold, being congested sucks. It's hard to breathe, the sinus pressure is painful, and it can even affect your hearing. Blowing your nose offers some relief, but in cases where you're really stuffed up, it can be pretty futile. OTC medicines help dry out mucus but leave users feeling loopy, sleepy, and spaced out. What's left to do? The next time you're feeling all stuffed up, try one of these natural remedies - you'll be breathing free and clear!

Steam it out: Whether it's a steam room, hot shower, or a makeshift steam bath over a bowl of hot water, steam helps to loosen mucus and relieve congestion from your nose and chest. Intensify the benefits with the addition of eucalyptus oil, a natural decongestant. Whatever method you use, slowly breathe in the steam for about five minutes and then try blowing your nose and/or coughing. This is usually enough time to break up and loosen the mucus in the body. To aid with sleep, use a humidifier; it helps add moisture to the air, which will thin out mucus in your nasal passages.
Grab a neti pot: It might sound a little uncomfortable, but using a neti pot does wonders for relieving nasal congestion and pain - just ask any ear, nose, or throat doctor. Neti pots (in combination with a DIY saline solution) help end nasal congestion by thinning out mucus and built-up crusting in the nose; think of it as a form of nasal irrigation. Still not convinced? Check out these neti pot tips for beginners.

Keep reading for two more ideas after the break.