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Having heard of Prickly Ash before, but really never knowing what is it was or what it did, it was about time to find out. It is also known by the names Toothache Tree, Yellow Wood, Tumburu, and Hua Jiao to name a few and is native to North America. The bark,and berries are used as medicine. There is a Chinese prickly ash that is related and this grows in Asia and is also used for herbal treatment to many ailments.

Generally the prickly ash is an effective herbal remedy for poor circulation, fevers, mouth sores, paralysis, ulcers and wounds. There are many other uses of this herb in the alternative medicine genre currently still being discovered.

The Native American tribes relied on prickly ash bark as an effective remedy for upset stomachs, sore throats, aching muscles and skin infections. Still in the USA toward the end of the 19th century, the Prickly Ash Bark was used as a digestive tonic that stimulated the nervous system; this was also used for the treatment of cholera. Rheumatic sufferers were also treated effectively.

Prickly Ash Bark possesses oils, fat, sugar, gum and tannin along with many alkaloids components. It gives stimulation to the entire body. It aids sluggish digestion whilst at the same time destroys toxins such as worms and yeast overgrowth.

The plant stems have even been used as a toothbrush, as well as being used as a poultice for toothaches, hip and back pain as well as a lotion for poor circulation as massage oil.

The prickly ash helps in providing additional oxygen and nourishments to the blood circulation and at the same time helps in removing the waste materials from the body.

In China the Chinese version of prickly ash has its use in helping get rid of parasites, this is in addition to many other cures mentioned earlier.

The prickly pear can easily be bought online at many herbal medicine sites and comes in many forms, it is a big business now, but still in the States and China, home made tonics are made and used and well practiced. Living out of these regions the only access is through commercial suppliers. However the commercial products can be found to be reasonably priced considering the benefits they give.

Hangovers can cause horrible short-term suffering. It's no wonder we'll do anything to fix a hangover.

Prickly pear, a cactus found in Arizona, is vastly growing popular because of it's amazing ability to fix a hangover. It's no surprise, the Aztecs started cultivating the plant in Mexico in the early sixteenth century for its medicinal purposes.

Researchers from Tulane University Sciences Center in New Orleans recently proved how this cactus fruit can prevent and fix a hangover. The study couldn't come from a city more familiar with hangovers than New Orleans!

The researchers recruited 64 healthy medical students who had at least one hangover previously, all between the ages of 21 to 35. Certain participants received a placebo, others received the real prickly pear extract. In a 4 hour period they simulated a party, and everyone had anywhere from 5-10 alcoholic drinks.

Boy, that must have been fun! Just not if you received the placebo.

In the study, they discovered three symptoms of a hangover were significantly reduced. These included:

- Nausea
- Dry Mouth
- Loss of Appetite

Overall, the researchers found that the risk of a severe hangover was cut in half. Now just imagine you don't get absolutely hammered, you'd mostly likely wake up with no hangover.

The next question of course is, where do buy prickly pear?!

Since the news that prickly pear can fix a hangover is at the tipping point of the masses finding out, the fruit isn't widely available yet. Check with local health food stores. The best place to find some is on the Internet. Just make sure to find the most natural and organic source possible.

There is an old saying about skin irritations and rashes. "If it is dry, wet it. If it is wet, dry it. If it doesn't get better in a week, see the doctor." Heat rash is a common problem that isn't in the least serious. Infants and young children are most often affected, but adults can and do get heat rashes as well.

Heat rash is caused by the obstruction of sweat glands. Sweat glands can be obstructed simply by clothing that is too tight or does not let air circulate around the body. Heat rash is simple to prevent and simple to cure. When the skin is not properly ventilated, sweat that would normally come to the surface of the skin evaporates collects under the skin. A heat rash is the result.

To prevent heat rash, do not wear clothing that binds during hot weather, and don't put clothing that binds on small children. As often as possible and for as long as possible, allow infants to not wear diapers during very hot weather. It might be heresy, but old-fashioned cloth diapers are better for a baby during hot weather months. The disposable diapers are all contained in plastic shields that prevent the adult's clothing and the household furnishing from becoming stained and soiled, but do not allow air to circulate around delicate little bottoms at all.

There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of products on the market to treat heat rash. These products are available over the counter and without a doctor's prescription. There are products to heal heat rash made especially for infants and small children.

An inexpensive and effective product that you most likely have sitting on a kitchen shelf is baking soda. You can apply baking soda to a heat rash dry, or you can make a paste with baking soda and water and apply it to the rash. It will cool and dry the rash.

Fight the heat, the sweat, and the Itch !

Children these days are amidst their summer vacation. They are enjoying sporty activities, holidaying, being pampered by grandparents and relishing appetizing mangoes. May their plans not be affected by the heat, the sweat released and the itch caused... 'prickly heat'!

'Prickly heat is also medically known as miliaria and it is a very simple condition and not a disease or disorder. Also, as a relief it is not at all contagious. So, don't worry, if any of your near or dear one's is suffering from miliaria, you don't have an increased risk of being infected. This condition is caused when the body reacts to the heat and humidity of summers in a tropical climate like in India.

Our skin is composed of many layers of cells. The outer most layer is called the epidermis. There are small pores on this epidermis which release sweat and sebum. Sweat is the water and salts released by the body after it performs work or physical exercise or in response to excessive heat. Since the body has to function rigorously to fight the excessive heat, more water is liberated in form of sweat in summers than in winters. Sebum is the oily secretion which is released from these outer pores as a result of normal body activities. That's why even if you're a housewife and remain home most of the time, still you need to wash your hair occasionally since it turns oily after a few days. This is not due to dust or pollution...but due to sebum.

In summers, the sweat released by the body is quite good enough to block the pores of the skin. Once the pores are blocked, the sweat and sebum are trapped inside and this results in a hindrance to further release the excessive salts and water of the body. Now he body fights back by a response of itching on the outer layer of the skin. This response is called 'inflammation'. As a result of the inflammatory response, the skin shows boils , red rashes or other similar physical appearance with a severe itch or needle like pinning sensation. This is 'prickly heat'. This condition can be further uncomfortable if bacteria like staphylococcus are also involved . Once the pores are blocked and hygienic conditions are not maintained in a humid environment, the bacteria starts thriving giving rise to worse symptoms. However, whatever be the severity, this is only a response of one's own body and is not a disease as stated earlier. Hence no medications are required to treat it. Infact even if nothing is applied on the affected area, normally the face, underarms, neck and back, after 3-4 days, the area will itself be treated.

Prevention is better than cure and it is always better to avoid uncomfortable situations. Hence, it is better to avoid prickly heat to affect your family and especially your dear children who may become very cranky in this itchy summer. Here are a few things which can help you keep prickly heat away...

1. Keep yourself well hydrated

2. Maintain room temperature of 25 degrees by an air conditioner or a well ventilated fan.

3. Take shower more than once to wash of the sweat.

4. Wear cotton clothes and avoid synthetic garments.

5. Avoid being in crowded places for long.

Unfortunately, there may be a few of our readers who are already experiencing prickly heat in their families. Here are a few home remedies to help them provide relief from the discomfort of prickly heat ...

• Take a dip in the bathtub with oatmeal powder atleast three to four times a day. Oatmeal is an antinflammatory agent which will relieve itching.

• A thick paste of gram flour should be applied repeatedly on the affected area and then allowed to dry. Then it should be washed off with cold water. This would remove the dead cells of the skin and thus clear off the epidermis.

• Ice cubes could be used to provide cool to the affected area.

• Neem (Margosa / Azadirachta Indica) leaves are a very good antiseptic. 20-25 leaves should be dried and ground to a powder, mixed with rose water and applied to the affected area. This would avoid further deterioration and prevent further recurrence.

• Chamomile, Sandalwood and multani mitti are a few other cooling agents which could provide when applied to the affected area in form of a paste with water or rose water.

• It is important to avoid contact with oil and oily preparation since the oil could block the pores again.

So, go ahead, enjoy the summer without the hitch of itch!!

More often than not, developers of both commercial and residential areas immediately bulldoze over our native Prickly Pear Cactus. Often mistaken as a weed, this gravely misunderstood wonder has much to offer the Austin area homeowner and community. Say if on your property there was something that year round produced a green bean/okra tasting vegetable, a fruit less acidic than kiwi, vials of vitamins, seeds for flour, medicine, a natural burglar fence, insect repellent, materials for mortar, a brilliant magenta dye, and a hair conditioner, would you run a bulldozer over it?

Found as far North as Canada, south to Chile, add Africa, Greece, Israeli, and largely farmed in Sicily, The Prickly Pear Cactus (species Opunta genus) can handle a variety of temperatures. It has pads (nopales) that stack on each other up into clusters that can reach twelve feet in height and are covered with large sharp spines. The pad's function is for water storage, photosynthesis, and flower production. As for color, if the cactus were a crayon, it would be the "forest green" one and have the waxy Crayola glow to it. The cactus' fruit, called "Tuna" has a waxy Crayola Fuchsia (purple) glow. This waxy appearance is from the cactus' second and very painful line of defense: glochins. Glochins are very fine, extremely tiny barbed spikes that once they get into your skin, will be there for days, causing itchiness and blisters to form.

None of this is really helping the argument of keeping these things around the house, but there is a simple solution. When harvesting anything from the Prickly Pear, wear leather gloves, clip with long handled scissors, gather with tongs, and transport in a bucket. Hen, by putting the pad or tuna to an open flame, the glochins burn right off and very deep vibrant non-waxy colors emerge.

These pads are completely edible. They can be used in salads, casseroles, soups, grilled, with omelets and prepared in a variety of other ways. Nopal's are stocked with vitamins A, B1, 2, 3, C and the minerals: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, and Fibers along with 17 amino acids. These detoxify the body with antioxidants. Research suggests that the pads help regulate blood sugar offering an insulin alternative treatment for people with type-2 diabetes. The pulp also boosts "good" HDL and absorbs "bad" LDL cholesterol.

The fruit of the Prickly Pear is also high in vitamin and water-content. It can be eaten raw, made into jam, jelly, sorbet, syrup, quick breads, and cactus candy. The seeds can be consumed with the fruit or spit out. Indians would dry the seeds and grind them into a type of pastry flour. There are at least two commercially imported liquors made from the tuna.

Because the Prickly Pear is very draught tolerant, planting it along the edges of your yard create a sharp zero-scaping fence that deters unwanted intruders. It houses the Cochineal bug who feeds on nutrients found in the cactus sap. The insect produces carminic acid deterring other insects. The carminic acid can be extracted from the insect's body and eggs to make bright red dye that is food-safe. In Mexico, Prickly Pears are boiled and mixed in with mortar for building houses. Add Cactus pads to a container of water, agitate, strain out the cactus, but keep the mucilaginous liquid for a hair conditioner. Cutting up a pad and leaving it in a water supply prevents mosquito larva from developing. Ranchers can supplement their cattle feed by 40% with the a mixture of pads and tunas.

No weed is ever this useful, so get off the bulldozer and get out your tongs. The Prickly Pear is waiting.