There is nothing easy about being diagnosed with a chronic illness. Shock may be felt, followed by a slew of emotions like denial, grief, and anger. Confusion, fear, avoidance and guilt may all be felt in different stages.

Accepting a chronic illness can be extremely difficult, but not impossible. Relinquishing control of different aspects of your life, whether it be tracking your medical procedures, estate planning, and solving daily problems that arise as complications with your illness.

Other benefits can surround you in trying to cope with a chronic illness. Relationships can be deepened, knowing each day is a gift, or new relationships can be formed through support groups. Experiencing personal growth through all the adversity can often occur, and many feel an enhanced spirituality and connection with their body.

Regardless of the illness suffered, life does not have to cease all of its pleasure, growth, or hope. There are many ways to keep living life to the fullest, despite your physical condition.

Everyone says that you’re glowing, right?  Oh, it must be the pregnancy, they say.  But perhaps that glow could also be due to the fact that your skin is on the verge of breaking out.

As any woman who has every been pregnant will tell you, it can be incredibly challenging to handle the hormonal changes created by pregnancy. Migraines. Nausea. Fatigue. Swollen and tender breasts. Constipation. Backache. Bloating. Mood swings. Increased emotional sensitivity. Skin problems can be just one of the many symptoms created by these hormonal changes.

The following are a few tips to keep your skin actually glowing, rather than having a pre-breakout glisten.

Eat well.  Aside from the importance of eating healthy for the health of your baby, which can’t be overemphasized, a nutritious diet will improve your skin.  Foods that contain high levels of Vitamin E can be especially helpful, such as avocados and figs (with figs, it’s important to chew the seeds up thoroughly in order to get the maximum amount of Vitamin E).  Avoid unhealthy oils that can be found in fried foods (burgers, fries, potato chips, etc.) and opt instead for healthy oils such as olive oil, safflower oil, sunflower seed oil, and even fish oil (with fish oil, taking it as a supplement may be more palatable than sipping it off a spoon).  

Hydrate.  The importance of drinking enough water during pregnancy cannot be stressed enough.  This will hydrate your whole body as much as your skin, allowing your body plenty of fluids that are needed to carry toxins away, many of which can clog your pores.  As an alternative to water, you can also make it your habit to constantly drink herbal teas while pregnant.  Red raspberry leaf, nettle, and oatstraw tea are all great for pregnancy.  Most natural food stores carry pregnancy and mother-to-be teas that are specially-formulated with herbs for pregnancy.  This is also a good practice to get into for the postpartum period as well; hydration will help with breastfeeding and recovering quickly from labor.  

Exercise.  It’s always a good idea to exercise regularly when you’re pregnant, especially as you get closer to labor.  Your body needs lots of exercise in order to detoxify your organs, including the largest organ in your body – your skin.  Your pores need to breathe in order to remain clear and exercise is a great way to get your heart rate up, your body sweating, and your skin breathing.

Use quality organic skin care products.   Belly butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil and the like are great to decrease stretch marks on your breasts and belly, but they may be too harsh for your face.  Find really high quality, gentle facial scrub and facial moisturizer products and use them daily. Always moisturize after you clean your skin because many skin problems are actually the result of dry skin as much as oiliness.  

Consider medication only as a last resort.  There are a number of pharmaceutical medications on the market to treat acne but many of them should be avoided like the plague when you’re pregnant.  Any medications that contain Tetracycline, Salicylic Acid, Tretinon, or Isotrentinoin should not be used during pregnancy.  These medications have been linked to birth defects, miscarriage, and infant death.  Consult your healthcare provider if you’re seriously considering medication to treat your skin problems.  

Plan on breastfeeding if at all possible.  Chances are that your skin will clear up immediately after the birth when hormonal levels suddenly drop.  Breastfeeding releases a chemical called Oxytocin (which is also important in creating the contractions necessary for labor), setting off the stimulus for a cascade of hormonal responses necessary to get your body back to its pre-pregnant state.  Your body is designed to do this so skipping the breastfeeding part can throw everything off.  If you can’t breastfeed for some reason, try to express your milk from your breasts anyway to release the oxytocin.  But breastfeeding is as important to the health of your baby as it is to the health of your skin and, for this reason, it’s a good idea to contact a lactation consultant if you have any concerns about breastfeeding.  

When your wife is chronically ill it can be hard for her to think romance. Know that her lack of interest likely has nothing to do with you but rather is the result of being one of the 133 million people who deal with an illness. Sadly, a staggering 75% percent of marriages end in divorce when an illness is present.

With a few simple ideas, you can keep your marriage healthy in the face of challenges as immense as chronic illness. If you choose to see the illness as a potential blessing as much as a curse, then the hardship may actually end up bringing both of you closer together and making your marriage stronger.  

1. Chocolate. As an aphrodisiac, chocolate contains a chemical called phenyl ethylamine that actually enhances feelings of love and happiness.  
2. Be affectionate by simply reaching for her hand.  You may be hoping for more than holding hands but if she’s in physical pain it’s important that you respect her boundaries. Rub her back gently.  Kiss her lightly. Cuddle and snuggle with her in bed.   If she feels up to it, give her a massage to perhaps alleviate some of her pain and manage some of her symptoms.
3. Pour your heart out to her about how much you admire the strength she shows in the darkest moments. This is the true meaning of unconditional love.  
4. Pamper her by giving her something that she wouldn’t splurge on for herself.  Let her know that you are listening to her by paying attention to things she mentions – CD’s that she might mention, books she’s been wanting to read, etc.  Buy her a down comforter for a cozier bed. Brainstorm about item that she would enjoy while she isn’t feeling well.
5. Schedule a retreat for her at home. Give her a special night or weekend where the weight of the world can dissipate for a while.  
6. Write little notes that she can find any time.
7. Don’t forget to make a few changes in the bedroom to spark some romance. Candles, roses, and a great playlist on your iPod tells her that you cared enough to set the mood for her.  
8. Ask her if she might like to go to a few couples therapy sessions with you. Chronic illness can be a major stress on relationships and letting her know that you want to discuss these stresses in a safe space with someone who is there to listen to you and help you both to navigate through the difficulties will show her that she can trust you during even the hardest times.  
9. Throw her a party.  If you think she’s up to it, invite a few close friends over to celebrate her on a day other than her birthday.  Ask the people you invite to each write your wife a letter letting her know how much they all love her.  

What constitutes an organic product? Organics must be grown without the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides and without the presence of either industrial or human waste.  Organic foods cannot be processed with food additives or irradiation.  In terms of meat and dairy products, livestock must be raised without the continual use of antibiotics or growth hormones.  They are also much more likely to be fed a healthy diet.  Most countries in the world with organic standards for produce also require that organic foods cannot be genetically modified.  

Researchers have concluded that organic produce contains significantly higher levels of the following:

• Chromium, which prevents Type 2 Diabetes and hardening of the arteries 
• Calcium and Boron, which prevent osteoporosis and build strong bones, especially in small children
• Selenium, which boosts the immune system and prevents heart disease and certain cancers 
• Lithium, an element commonly found in antidepressants and mood stabilizers
• Salicylic acid, an anti-inflammatory which prevents heart disease and eases aches and pains in the body
• Antioxidants, which fight free radicals, protects cells from damage, prevents cancer, and strengthens the immune system
• Magnesium, which prevents death in the case of a heart attack and also helps the body to absorb calcium
• Vitamin C, which is essential for a healthy immune system and for the absorption of other nutrients

Hormonal headaches can be very painful and even seriously debilitating. An ailment that only affects women, hormonal headaches are caused by fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone and typically occur seven to eleven days before the menstrual cycle.  

Symptoms of hormonal headaches include severe migraine-like pain, usually accompanied by increased sensitivity to light and loud noises. Many people describe the pain as a throbbing sensation centered in one area or throughout the entire head and neck.  A great number of women experience hormonal headaches at one point or another in their life.  The occurrence of hormonal headaches is difficult to predict, although contraceptives are known to have an effect on their frequency and duration.  In some women, oral contraceptives trigger for intense headaches, while, for other women, these medications can reduce or eliminate the symptoms associated with hormonal headaches.  Because of this, it is difficult to accurately predict the effects of oral contraceptives for any given woman.  Aside from hormonal forms of birth control, the exact causes of a hormonal headache are unknown, making it difficult to treat and prevent them. 

Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can sometimes help to handle the symptoms of hormonal headaches.  If taken five to seven days prior to a menstrual period, these drugs can reduce or eliminate symptoms.  Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Acetaminophen are all options.  

Issues of diet, exercise, sleep patterns, and stress levels all have an effect on hormonal cycles so it is helpful to see someone who can look at the whole picture and then treat the ailment holistically.  Many herbs can also be effective in regulating hormonal levels. 

If all else fails, migraine medications, such as triptans, are another tool in the arsenal against hormonal headache pain.  Although not a direct solution to hormonal headaches, triptans can significantly reduce the associated pain.  Triptans and NSAID medication should be used wisely when attempting to reduce hormonal headaches because they can cause reactions if overused.  Overuse of both triptans and NSAID medication can cause “rebound” headaches in which the symptoms become even stronger.

Fungal infections can be treated with various over-the-counter anti fungal creams. Although these creams are used by almost all yeast infection sufferers they never treat the cause of the infection. This can lead to chronic yeast infections that are resistant to the medication.

Because the causes of yeast infections aren’t treated by conventional treatments more women now suffer from recurrent infections. Resistant yeast are another reason for chronic infections. Resistant yeast is becoming a problem for more women now because anti fungal creams can be purchased without a prescription, and these creams are getting used incorrectly, and when they don’t need to be used.

As well as the over counter remedies that you can for curing a yeast infection, there are a number of natural treatments that you can have that will be just laying around your house. You could have some live natural yogurt in your fridge, and this has been proven to be effective in curing a yeast infection. You must make sure the yogurt is sugar free as sugar feeds the Candida yeast in your vagina.

Both eating this yogurt and applying it to the source of the irritation can soothe the symptoms and help to cure the infection, and it can also be used as a preventative method at the same time. Your intestines get the beneficial bacteria when you consume the yogurt, and your vagina gets the bacteria when you apply it to the infection. Unlike anti fungal creams, yogurt doesn’t cause any resistant yeast as the bacteria lives naturally in the vagina in every woman alive.

Some of the other things that you can find around your home that be used for curing a yeast infection are things like garlic cloves. I know they don’t sound like a good idea but if you wrap them in a cheese cloth you can insert them into the vagina. You can bathe the infected area in diluted apple cider vinegar as well which changes the PH level to a more favorable one for good bacteria.

The natural, live yogurt is by far the best treatment for a vaginal yeast infection. The yogurt just replenishes your vagina with the friendly bacteria that have been taken out. Yogurt is also a lot cheaper than an anti fungal cream.