If you have ever held a sneeze by pressing the bridge of the nose, has already had experience using acupressure. Acupressure, also known as acupressure has been used to relieve pain for more than three thousand years in China and Japan. Today, this technique has gained much popularity in the West also.

Ying yangLa used as the basis acupressure meridians of the body. The meridians are a set of channels through which energy flows known as “Chi”. Chi is composed of two elements known as yin yang (see little picture right). The yin (feminine) and yang (male) represents any pair of opposing forces that give us balance in life: good and evil, black and white, and so on.

When Chi flows freely through the meridians, the body is healthy. But when the entry points which lie along the meridians are blocked, you feel discomfort, pain, etc..

Important rules when practiced acupressure

* Breathe from your diaphragm, inhaling through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
* Once the item is indicated, not abruptly release the pressure.
* If you feel a slight heat from the point, is a sign that he is doing well. If you feel pain, is putting excessive pressure.
* Stop if you feel any pain treatment.
* Do not play if you have used acupressure for pain medicines or alcohol.
* Do not press areas that are injured or have injuries.
* For acute symptoms, acupressure can be applied three times daily.
* Be patient. Sometimes relief is immediate, sometimes it takes several days to see results.

Ayurveda means “science of life” and has its emphasis on treating not only physical symptoms but the whole individual, body, spirit, emotions and mind. The Ayurveda has its greatest popularity in the rural areas of India. But today, also in the west is increasing every day use.

Fundamental ideas of ayurveda:

The three doshas: According to Ayurveda, all beings are formed of three life forces or basic elements, kapha, vata and vitta. These three elements, also known as “doshas” control our physical and mental processes. When these three forces are in balance, the individual is healthy. When there is some imbalance, then the individual becomes ill.

According to ayurveda, each person has all three doshas but one that predominates. The predominant dosha defines the physical characteristics of the individual, metabolism, emotions and lifestyle.

Kapha – Force of the moon

Natural Elements: Water and land
Physical Appearance: Overweight, pale, oily skin, thick hair, moves slowly, relaxed.
Metabolism tends to be fat, have high cholesterol and allergies.
Located in: Lungs, chest, spinal fluid

Pitta – Force of the sun

Natural elements: Fire and water
Physical appearance: leather with red patches, light hair, the texture mean, loving, compulsive.
Metabolism suffers from heartburn, ulcers, hemorrhoids and acne.
Located in: stomach, blood, intestine, skin and eyes.

Vata – Wind strength

Natural Elements: Air and Ether
Physical Appearance: Thin, cold, nervous, energetic, intuitive.
Metabolism: Tendency to anxiety, nervousness, constipation and fluctuating moods.
Located in: Large intestine, pelvic cavity, bones and ears.

The nine doors: The Ayurvedic treatment is important to note the secretions of the nine “gates” of the body: eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, genitals and anus.

Inspection, palpation and questioning: The diagnostic techniques of Ayurveda are to observe or inspect the nine gates of the body, lips, tongue and nails. Palpate and listen to the lungs and take the pulse, which reveals weaknesses and strengths. And, details of life and health of the patient, past, present and future.

Treatments

Ayurvedic treatment is threefold: Dietary, medical and practical.

Dietary: Eat fresh foods of the season, in a calm mood. Fasting is sometimes recommended.

Medicinal: Herbal Medicines, mineral and vegetable. Sometimes prescribed homeopathy.

Practical: We recommend yoga exercises, breathing techniques, meditation, enemas.

Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of mother to metabolic syndrome, a disorder associated with heart disease and diabetes in women, according to a study by the Research Division of Kaiser Permanente in Oakland institution (United States).

This association was even higher in women who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy. The study results are published in the online edition of the journal ‘Diabetes’.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome among 39 to 56 percent in women who have had gestational diabetes and between 44 and 86 percent in those who did, both depending on its duration. The researchers examined the duration of breastfeeding including the periods between 0-1 months and more than 9 months.

Previous research has shown that breastfeeding women have higher blood glucose and lipids in more favorable in the coming weeks to delivery than those who did not breastfeed. Other studies have reported weaker associations in relation to metabolic syndrome and diabetes in middle-aged women and older children.

Explains Erica Gunderson, head of the study, “The findings suggest that breastfeeding could have lasting positive effects on risk factors of women in the later development of diabetes or heart disease.” Gunderson notes that the benefits do not appear to be due to differences in weight gain, physical activity and other healthy behaviors. However, in the study, participants who did not develop metabolic syndrome had less abdominal fat and higher levels of good cholesterol.

Of 704 women between 18 and 30 were first-time and did not suffer metabolic syndrome before pregnancy. Among them there were 120 new cases of the disorder after pregnancy over 20 years of follow up. Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors associated with obesity and metabolism largely predicts future diabetes and possibly coronary artery disease during middle age and early mortality in women.

Previous studies suggest a stronger link between metabolic syndrome and diabetes with coronary heart disease. Gunderson Other recent research published in August 2009 in the journal American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology ‘found that women with gestational diabetes are 2.5 times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome after pregnancy.

The researchers said that further studies will be necessary to find out more are the mechanisms by which breastfeeding may influence the risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. It is also necessary to clarify whether changes in lifestyle, including duration of breastfeeding, could affect the development of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes, particularly among high risk groups such as women with a history of gestational diabetes.