Complementary and alternative medicine

Waste way of life, which is both healthy and cares for the environment. There are many other recipes you can find on the internet. The first steps in Zero Waste homemade cosmetics are exciting, and will enlighten you and help you towards a much more interesting and healthy lifestyle, in balance with nature.

Complementary and alternative medicine32

Medicine can be conventional (mainstream), complementary (alongside conventional) and alternative (instead of conventional).

Conventional medicine consists mostly of drugs and surgery. Other treatments such as nutritional therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, aromatherapy, acupuncture and herbal medicine are part of complementary and alternative medicine.

32 Resources: 1. What is conventional medicine? www.sharecare.com/health/health-care-basics/what-is-conventional-medicine 2. New Approaches to Nutritional Therapy www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2976542/ 3. Елена Туманова “Энциклопедия эфирных масел” www.litres.ru/elena-tumanova-2/enciklopediya-efirnyh-masel/ chitat-onlayn/ 4. Zero Waste Cold Remedies Using Common Kitchen Ingredients www.reusablenation.com/zero-waste-living/zerowaste-all-natural-cold-remedies 5. What Are the Different Types of Massages? www.healthline.com/health/types-of-massage#couples 6. How does acupuncture work? www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156488.php#how_does_it_work

Traditional remedies are now increasingly in demand as they are quick and affordable. Pharmacology is often not friendly to people or the environment, because the drugs are made from synthetic materials and don’t solve the problem itself, only suppressing the symptoms. Also, plastic and foil blister packs aren’t recyclable and create a lot of waste. If you have a serious illness you should of course follow a doctor's prescription, but for cases of mild ailments, we can often find healthy Zero Waste alternatives.

Complementary and alternative medicine can help us to prevent and cure illnesses, as well as maintain our health.

Nutritional therapy can be useful for preventing some diseases, and is great supportive therapy. For example, nutrition inevitably plays an important role in type 2 diabetes. Your diet must provide adequate amounts of energy, macro- (protein, carbohydrates, fat) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals), water and dietary fibre.

Tips for making positive changes in nutritional self-care:

• Eat whole and unprocessed vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, grains and raw nuts/seeds. Other options are organic animal products and small wild fish.

• Eat a variety of whole foods, rather than paying attention to calories, carbohydrates and fats. • Avoid anti-nutrients ( food products that have no biological necessity) such as sugars, artificial sweeteners, highly processed fats, refined flour products, preservatives and junk food.

Aromatherapy

How does it work?

Aromatic oils are composed of an oily substance and essential components:

• Oily substances are easily absorbed through the skin. • Essential components cause a physiological reaction to the smell. Why use it?

Essential oils can be used internally and externally for:

• pain treatment • suppressing of inflammatory reactions

• reducing and increasing blood pressure • refreshing • calming • as antidepressants, deodorants, antiseptics and aphrodisiacs.

Uses:

• Toning, intellectual activity, creativity: rosemary and ginseng oil • Irritability, neurosis, insomnia, overwork: lavender, cloves, wormwood, valerian oil

• Diuretic effect: fennel, lavender

• Antispasmodic: laurel, wormwood, hops, saffron, mint, almond, lemon oil

• Antibacterial: eucalyptus, sage, thyme, juniper, geranium, tea tree, pine oil Attention!

• Be careful with the use of essential oils during pregnancy. • For children, use only mild essential oils. • Remember individual intolerances in the body. • Oils are not a panacea for all diseases, and if used improperly, they can have the opposite effect.

Herbal medicine

Going Zero Waste is also about going back to nature and finding natural ingredients to fight the flu, cold and general sickness, and to boost your immune system. Most ingredients are found unpackaged in a grocery or health food store.

Headaches

Common causes are hunger, lack of fresh air, dehydration and exhaustion, so firstly try drinking water, getting some fresh air and resting your eyes and mind.

Some teas that help clear a sore head:

• basil tea (3 - 4 fresh basil leaves in a cup of boiling water)

• add fresh slices of ginger root to your cup of tea • cinnamon tea: pour 1 cup of boiling water over a handful of fresh lavender flowers and half a teaspoon of cinnamon and let sit for 30 - 60 minutes, then strain, add a teaspoon of honey and drink. If you feel the first signs of a cold, get as much sleep and drink as much water and eat as many veggies as possible, to help your body fight it.

Natural cold remedies help to increase your immunity and to cure a sore throat:

• water and lemon

• turmeric and hot water (you can add honey too)

• sage tea • liquorice or marshmallow root tea • crushed ginger, lemon, honey and hot water (you can also add some turmeric and cinnamon)

• top sliced red onions, chopped ginger and turmeric with honey (just so it covers the rest of the ingredients), let it sit for about 20 minutes and use as you would a cough syrup (for coughs) • simmer a thumb-sized piece of grated ginger, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 whole lemon in a cup of water on the stove • heat honey in a pot very slowly until liquid, add cloves, pepper, anise and saffron, and put this warm mixture in a jar with fresh turmeric, ginger, and lemon zest – you can add it to a warm ginger tea or just eat it with a spoon • mix 1 - 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger, 1 squeezed lemon, olive oil (about the same amount as the lemon), 1 - 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of honey, and drink 2 to 3 teaspoons after every meal

Zero Waste cold remedy ingredients:

• a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar • 1 - 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped garlic • 1 - 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped ginger

• pinch of cayenne pepper • squeeze of half a lemon • tablespoon of honey • 1 - 2 pinches of pink himalayan salt • 2 - 3 drops of echinacea • 2 - 3 drops oil of oregano

Massage therapy

What is a massage? Massage is the practice of rubbing and kneading the body using the hands with gentle or strong pressure on the muscles to ease pain and tension. • Swedish massage is a gentle type of full-body massage: can help release muscle knots and the whole body. • Hot stone massage is used against muscle pain and tension or for relaxation: eases muscle tension or pain; improves blood flow; relaxes and relieves stress.

• Trigger point massage is for people who have injuries, chronic pain or other conditions: focuses on relieving trigger points, can reduce pain. • Reflexology is best for people who are looking to relax or restore their natural energy levels. Reflexology uses gentle to firm pressure on different pressure points of the feet, hands and ears.

• Shiatsu massage is a Japanese massage that promotes emotional and physical calm and relaxation, relieves headache, reduces muscle tension.

• Thai massage is to reduce and relieve pain and stress. It can also help improve circulation and energy levels. This massage works the entire body using a sequence of movements that are similar to yogic stretching. • Gua sha is a natural, alternative therapy that involves scraping your skin with a massage tool to improve your circulation. It contributes to better health, and reduces chronic pain. It is performed on a person’s back, buttocks, neck, face, arms and legs.

Acupuncture

For this type of therapy, you must visit a specialist. An acupuncturist inserts needles into a person's body with the aim of balancing their energy. This helps to boost wellbeing, and may cure some illnesses. It is used to reduce different kinds of pain, such as headaches, blood pressure problems and whooping cough, among others.