INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Echinacea is a medicinal plant and has antiviral properties. It is known for enhancing the immune system. All parts of the echinacea plant, namely flowers, leaves, and roots can be used for treating herpes outbreaks. It can be consumed in the form of tea, juices, or pills. Echinacea supplements are widely available at most pharmacies, certain grocery stores, and is also available online. If using echinacea as a tea, drink 3-4 cups a day. If using it as a supplement, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Consult with your doctor before using echinacea if you have tuberculosis, leukemia, diabetes, connective tissue disorders, multiple sclerosis, HIV or AIDS, autoimmune disease, or liver disorders. Echinacea may interfere with these conditions. Licorice root contains glycyrrhizic acid, which has shown therapeutic benefit in the treatment of herpes. High levels of glycyrrhizic acid have actually affected irreversible deactivation of the herpes simplex virus in vitro. It should be noted, however, that prolonged use of licorice may result in the retention of sodium and a loss of potassium, so individuals suffering from heart problems and pregnant women should avoid the intake of licorice. For the treatment of herpes, the extracts of licorice roots can be effective. Alternatively, intake of two capsules of the extracts of the roots of licorice is equally beneficial. Talk with your doctor before using licorice root. Glycyrrhizin, the active ingredient in licorice, can cause pseudoaldosteronism, a medical condition that causes headaches, fatigue, high blood pressure, or even heart attacks. People with heart failure or heart disease, kidney or liver disease, high blood pressure, hormone-sensitive cancers, diabetes, low potassium, or erectile dysfunction should not take licorice. Seaweeds such as Pterocladia capillacea, Gymnogongrus griffithsiae, Cryptonemia crenulata, and Nothogenia fastigiata (red seaweeds from South America), Bostrychia montagnei (sea moss), and Gracilaria corticata (a red seaweed from India) can all inhibit HSV infections. These seaweeds can be used as medical food by adding them to salads or stews, or they can be found as supplements. If you are using it as a supplement, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Keep yourself as healthy as possible by eating well. The healthier you (and your immune system are), the better you will be able to get through the herpes flare up and possibly prevent outbreaks and reduce their severity. The "Mediterranean diet," rich in olive oil and fruits and vegetables, may help boost your immune system and offer protection from some inflammatory disease. Totally avoid processed, packaged and prepared foods. Only eat whole foods. These are foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. For instance, increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables that you eat. Limit red meat and increase the amounts of (skinless) poultry. Stick with complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, lentils, beans and in vegetables. Increase the nuts and seeds in your diet, as these contain high levels of minerals, vitamins, and healthy fats. Avoid processed or added sugar. This includes sugars added to processed foods like high fructose corn syrup. If you need a "sweet hit", try using Stevia, an herb that can provide 60 times the sweetness of sugar, or eat fruit. In addition, avoid artificial sweeteners. Increase healthy fats. These are the omega-3 fats found in fish and olive oil. Drink wine in moderation, if you drink alcohol. Wine is part of the Mediterranean diet and, when consumed in moderation, may help contribute to overall health. Staying well hydrated will help your system to work better, allowing your body to better fight off the herpes outbreak. Drink at least 6-8 (8oz) glasses of water every day, whether you have an outbreak or not. Regular exercise helps keep your immune system in better shape, possibly helping to prevent outbreaks. Start slow by walking more often. Park the car far away, use stairs instead of escalators or elevators, walk the dog, or just plain take a walk! If you want, join a gym and find a fitness coach. Lift weights, do cardiovascular workouts, use an elliptical, whatever you enjoy and will stick with. Living with herpes can impact every aspect of your life. Also, stress and tension can trigger an outbreak, so finding ways to relax can be very useful. Try yoga, meditation, exercise, or deep breathing to calm yourself. Stress relief can even be as easy as finding a hobby that you enjoy or taking a relaxing walk in your neighborhood.

SUMMARY: Use echinacea to enhance your immune system. Try licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Use medicinal variants of seaweed. Eat a healthy diet to help boost your immune system. Drink plenty of water. Exercise regularly for a healthier immune system. Use relaxation techniques to deal with the stress of living with herpes.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The first step in feeding your reptile crickets will be to gather the crickets. You can buy crickets on-line or from a local pet store, raise them yourself, or capture them from outdoors. Whichever way you choose, make sure you have enough crickets to feed your particular reptile enough and maintain a good level of nutrition. You will want to buy house crickets (Acheta domestica) for your reptile. Don't buy too many crickets at once as they may die before your reptile gets a chance to eat them all. You will likely want to have some kind of storage container for your crickets. A plastic bin with cardboard tubes for the crickets to hide in can work fine. An important part of offering crickets to your reptile is selecting crickets that are a safe size. Exactly how large the crickets you choose are will depend on how large your reptile is. Larger reptiles will enjoy larger crickets. However, smaller reptiles may be injured by larger crickets or may not eat them at all. Make sure the crickets you are offering are an appropriate size for your reptile. Your reptile should be able to easily fit a cricket in their mouth. Crickets larger than your reptiles mouth should likely be avoid. If a cricket is larger than the distance between the reptile's eyes, it's too big. In order to provide the best nutrition for your reptile, you will want to dust the crickets in a coating of calcium powder. This will allow your reptile to get even more nutrition and ensure that they are strong and healthy, reducing the chances of illness or injury occurring. Always make sure to coat the crickets in calcium powder when feeding your reptile. This powder can be bought at most pet stores or online. You can put the powder in a simple plastic container. A tall plastic pitcher can work well. Shake some crickets into the container. Lightly shake the container to coat the crickets in the powder. The crickets should be coated completely in the calcium powder and can then be fed to your reptile. It's a good idea to find a powder that contains both calcium and vitamin D3. Once you've dusted the crickets and selected which ones are an appropriate size for your reptile, you can begin introducing them to your reptile's enclosure. If you already know how much your reptile generally eats, add only that amount of crickets to the cage. If you are unsure of how many to add, try adding only a few at a time and waiting to see if your reptile eats them all, before adding more. Don't dump an uncounted amount of crickets into the reptile's enclosure. You can try adding them one at a time by picking them up with tweezers and placing them in the enclosure.

SUMMARY:
Buy crickets. Make sure the crickets are the right size. Dust the crickets. Introduce the crickets.