Citronella oil is derived from a heat loving plant that grows as an annual in the United States. It has attractive lavender blooms. Just growing the plant in your garden or especially on your patio can deter many unwanted pest including mosquitoes. The odor of the plant is very strong and many bugs and animals don’t like it. Most of the citronella oil in the world is grown in China and Indonesia.

The United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration) states that citronella has little or no toxicity when applied for use as a topical insect repellant. Over a 60 year period there has been no adverse reactions reported. I believe that all insect repellants, even natural ones should be used sparingly and with caution.  There is little question that when compared to DEET citronella is a much better and safer choice, but don’t overuse any of these products.

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Comment #1

I was initially happy and thrilled, thinking I finally found the answer to my sleep problem. My enthusiasm quickly waned when I noticed that the sleep aid Lunesta is making me feel down all the time. I kept taking the drug, thinking I’d get better with time. After a while I started getting pangs of panic, but kept going hoping that it would get better. After about a week and a half I kind snapped at a coworker, something I haven’t done before. In a nutshell, this medicine made me feel weird and emotional. I would not recommend it.

Comment #2

It has taken me over 7-8 mo's to realize Lunesta messed my chemical balance in my brain. I did not think a sleep aid would do this, and my doctor did not warn me. You will end up taking other drugs because you or your Dr. will not catch the spiral. I am sick but relieved that I will not feel out of my skin and body anymore. If it works for you that is great. Just be careful. It creeps up on you.

Comment #3

I never had a panic attack in my life until I started taking the sleep aid Lunesta. Within a couple months, I developed a ton of anxiety related symptoms. The symptoms were so severe that I literally thought I was dying. I had constant anxiety, heart palpitations, racing heart, and panic attacks. I couldn't eat due to the anxiety and lost a ton of weight. I went to a few different doctors and they all thought I was crazy, one even told me I was bi-polar. I had no idea the sleep aid Lunesta was the cause until I started doing some research and found that this was in fact a symptom. Within 2 days of stopping Lunesta, every single symptom was gone!!! I was emotionally addicted to it and was scared to stop (thinking I wouldn't be able to sleep on my own) but within a few nights I was sleeping through the night again without the use of chemical sleep aids.

Comment #4

Don't get started on it this sleep aid. It's expensive and not worth it in the long run. The side effects - fatigue, depression, loss of libido, are worse than the insomnia

Comment #5

Horribly hot, clammy and just generally made me feel sick, was extremely sleepy - could have slept if it were not for the horrible head pain right between my eyes. Even just the slightest eye movement made me nauseous. I switched from the sleep aid Ambien after taking it for 5 years I started having problems with concentration during the day, and lost "hours" not knowing how I got to bed etc. Don't know what I will do now. I still feel vertigo and it has been 12 hours since I ingested the Lunesta. The taste in the mouth is nothing compared to the horrendous night I had trying to sleep from the pain and vertigo.

Lunesta comes with a long list of possible side effects. Anxiety, depression and impotence are among the most common. Only use this sleep aid as the last resort. Try a natural sleep aid first.

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 Comment# 1

I have numerous experiences of evidence of what I call sleep walking/eating when taking Ambien. I find candy wrappers, even squashed chocolates in my bed. This morning there was the empty can from peanuts. I have no recollection of getting up and going downstairs to find food. My husband has begun hiding snack foods but now worries that I might go out, or drive the car. I have gained weight and have not understood why until realizing that the sleep aid Ambien is the cause. I have recently tried other sleep aids like Lunesta and it does not work for me, I do not sleep walk/eat. It is definitely connected to Ambien use.

Comment#2

My boyfriend has been taking Ambien and he too has the midnight raids in the kitchen. Worse is his AGRESSIVE behavior that he doesn't remember it the next day. He has threatened to kill my cat and has pinched me. I am starting to fear for my life due to this drug. Are there better sleep aids available? HELP.

Comment #3

I’m glad to hear that there is a law suit out there and I’m going to join in I think. Ambien has destroyed a lot of my life. I’ve been on it for four years and can't stop taking it, but I’m afraid to get to rehab. I don't have the money or the time. My doctor never warned me and has kept me on an over dosage for three years now with no questions. It angers me and this is the first site I’ve found with any real feed back about the drug. I’ve been experience bad health problems because of the sleep aid and so I’ve researching it a lot lately and I haven't been able to find anything on it that is helpful on any of the medical sites. It’s ridiculous. I just wanted to say thank you for helping with the awareness which I’m trying to do the same.

Comment #4

My Dad is in some serious trouble from taking the sleep aid Ambien. Yes he is one of those that drives and gets violent from Ambien and something more serious has happened from Ambien and he needs anyone’s help who has had an awful experience from this.

Comment #5

Further to my own experiences with Ambien, I have another close friend who also sleeps walks/eats when on the sleep aid Ambien. She also has eaten whole boxes of chocolates with no memory of having done so. She has also fallen down the stairs, been bruised badly, continued to the kitchen and eaten with no memory of it. Today, I heard of yet another person who has had the same experience with Ambien, who was gaining weight and didn't know why. She has deduced it is only when taking this sleep aid; she too is sleep walking/eating.

Make sure you know the facts before letting you doctor get you addicted to the powerful sleep aid Ambien. Natural sleep aids are usually a better and safer alternative.

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Here is a portion of an update letter that was just released to retailers:

We are in the process of establishing label compliance for all our products currently in distribution and will be releasing an update soon. In addition, we plan to release a new production of 100% compliant product over the next few weeks.

This is the government labeling that will be added to Kombucha labels:

GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon general, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.

It seems that this labeling issue will be resolved in the next few weeks. I hope so!

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Passionflower was used widely by Native Americans to treat anxiety, hysteria, seizures, and insomnia. It is still being used today to treat anxiety and insomnia. Most scientists believe that passionflowers main action is to increase the levels of a chemical called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain. GABA is known to lower the activity of specific neurotransmitters that effect nerve centers in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain that carry messages between brain cells. Because passionflower decreases the activity of these nerve cells in the brain it is very helpful in treating insomnia.

Passionflower is also rich in chemicals called harmala alkaloids which are used to block monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that is linked to depression. Monoamine oxide inhibitors (MAOI,s) are the most common types of prescription ant-anxiety and anti-depression medicines. Passionflower increases the activity of beneficial neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin which have strong anti-depressant actions. The bulk of the pharmaceutical anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications on the market today work on these very chemical principals. A recent study on passionflower showed it to be as effective as many prescription medicines for treating anxiety disorders and some types of depression.

For many people passionflower can be an excellent individual herb to use for these types of conditions, but I tend to favor passionflower when it is used in combination natural formulas. Passionflower is often combined into formulas with other natural sleep aids such as melatonin, valerian, lemon balm, and l-theanine to create very effective insomnia aids. The passionflower component really helps to turn off that over-active mind that will not shut down sometimes. Synergistic blended natural sleep aids  are usually the best alternative to pharmaceutical sleep aids to help with insomnia. Pharmaceutical sleep aids often come with many side effects that are not present with natural formulas.

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In my opinion DEET containing products such as “Off” should be used sparingly and with caution.  I see parents every summer drenching their children in DEET without stopping to consider the possible side effects of prolonged use. With repeated exposure humans may experience headaches, memory loss, muscle and joint pain, and other terrible conditions. These symptoms may not become evident until months or even years of regular exposure.

Studies on rats have shown DEET to cause neurons to die in the brains regions that control muscle movement, memory, and learning.  Rats exposed to an average human dosage perform far worse when performing task involving coordination and muscle control.  More studies are needed to feel comfortable enough for me to use DEET products.

My current suggestions on DEET use:

Use products containing DEET sparingly and infrequently. If you must use it in the smallest amount possible and wipe it off after it is not needed anymore.

Use precaution when using products containing DEET on children. Children are more sensitive to subtle brain changes caused by chemicals because their skin more easily absorbs them. Also, their developing nervous systems are more easily affected.

Never use products containing DEET on infants.

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I personally am not a big kombucha drinker, but I know many people that drink it everyday and are going to be very upset over this situation. The government wants to control the supplement industry so the Food and Drug Administration have put pressure on wholesale distributors and large retailers.

This is the notice that is currently on the shelves where kombucha used to be in a Whole Foods market by my house,” Key suppliers and Whole Foods Market have elected to voluntarily withdraw Kombucha products in bottles and on tap from our stores at this time due to labeling concerns related to slightly elevated alcohol levels in some products.  This is not a quality issue. Sorry for any inconvenience."

The following is a letter that is paraphrased from a major health food distributor to the retail stores that they service:

“Effective immediately and until further notice all sales of unpasteurized ready to drink kombucha products, regardless of brand, have been suspended from distribution. In order for distribution to commence on a supplier by supplier basis each supplier must accomplish the following two requirements:

1. Certify in writing by an authorized company officer that the supplier’s unpasteurized ready to drink kombucha has been taken from an applicable distribution center and been subjected to alcohol content testing within the past 30 days and all such tested samples show less than .5% alcohol content by volume.

2. An authorized company officer must execute a specific indemnification agreement related to this issue.

At this time we will not be picking up affected product and we advise our customers to remove from sale until such time as the above requirements are met. Please understand these measures taken are designed to protect you and your customers and we appreciate your support while we all work through this issue."

The manufactures of kombucha need to be able to prove and document that the drinks do not exceed .5% alcohol. I would assume that the major companies like GTS would have the resources to get this handled quickly. I hope this is just minor inconvenience for those of you who love kombucha.

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If your total cholesterol is between 200 and 250 you can probably reduce it to fewer than 200 by dietary changes, and by taking the following dietary supplements each day; one teaspoon of omega three fish oil; one hundred milligrams of coenzyme Q10; at least one thousand milligrams of red yeast rice. The combination of these three nutrients has been shown do reduce cholesterol by around 50 points if taken constantly for a couple of months.

If your total cholesterol is between 250 and 300 your doctor will want to put you on a statin drug. You have a choice to make. If you think you can change your diet dramatically and follow the recommendations outlined in the second paragraph you may be able to get it under 200 without resorting to a statin.

If your cholesterol is over 300 it probably indicates that you have a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol. It often means that no matter what you try diet wise your own body is producing cholesterol and your overall levels will not go down that much without a statin drug. Try to use the lowest dose of statins that you can get away with and take at least one hundred milligrams of coenzyme Q10 everyday which I explain in the post If You Take A Statin You Need Coenzyme Q10.

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Chemical peels are one of the most common and effective ways to promote new skin to the surface. Many of these peels are really not chemical per say, because they are actually derived from natural substances such as sugar cane and fruit.  Facial chemical peels can reduce the signs of aging; diminish scars and other skin imperfections. There are basically three levels of facial peels available to you; light peels, medium peels, and deep peels. The level of the peel is determined by the amount of the outer layer of skin that is removed with the peel. The deeper the peel the more painful the procedure and the more recovery time is needed. A light peel can produce just some redness for a couple of days, while with a deep peel you will look and feel like you were hit by a truck. A deep peel can take up to two weeks for a full recovery.

Light peels are usually done with glycolic acid or salicylic acid. These acid peels can be purchased in different strengths depending on the level of skin you want removed. I personally favor using a twenty or thirty percent glycolic acid peel once a month. By doing this you are forcing your skin to regenerate new youthful cells on a monthly basis. There a few nice things about using a light peel. First is the cost, a twenty percent glycolic acid peel can be purchased for as little as twenty dollars and that can give you as many as 10 peels. Second is the recovery time, with a light peel you can continue with your daily routine. Your face might be red, but you can at least go to work and not freak everyone out. Third is the fact that you do not need to go to the doctor and can do the peel in your own home. Usually any pain associated with a light peel can be treated with Tylenol or Motrin. Glycolic acid can be purchased up to an eighty percent concentrate. For most people an eight percent glycolic peel would be classified as a medium to deep peel, so be careful.

Medium peels are usually done with trichloracetic acid, commonly referred to as TCA. TCA is pretty strong stuff and is often recommended for peels for darker skin tones. TCA can be purchased online and self administered like glycolic, but be extremely careful and follow the directions exactly. It can be purchased in strengths from ten percent to thirty percent. The thirty percent should only be administered by a professional. It is very easy to give yourself severe burns with this chemical peel. Often a calming drug like Valium is used in conjunction with a pain killer for this procedure.  In most cases a having TCA administered by a dermatologist or skin care professional might be the wiser choice for this medium peel. A TCA peel administered by a dermatologist can cost around five hundred dollars.

Deep peels are done with phenol acid and only administered by a medical professional often with general or local anesthesia. The recovery time can be two weeks, and you may not want to go in public for a week or more. Your face will look burned for some time. These deep peels can be very painful and prescription pain medicine during the recovery time is needed. I am not personally a huge fan of these deep peels, because there can be serious side effects like a permanent loss of skin pigmentation. I can’t help but wonder what the future consequences might be for intentionally burning your face so deeply. Deep peels can cost as much as five thousand dollars. If you do decide on a phenol acid peel do your research and choose your doctor carefully.

I believe that chemical peels are useful to help generate new skin cells as we get older, but I would be very precautious about the deep facial peels. I think it is a wiser strategy to exercise patience and do a light or medium peel on a more regular basis to force the new skin to the top. If you use a twenty or thirty percent glycolic peel monthly you will see great results over time.

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