Archive for the ‘Skin’ category

Health Benefits of Tequila

I wondered to myself if there might be any health benefits to drinking tequila in the way that a glass of red wine a day is good for you. To my surprise it seems that there are benefits.

  1. Relaxant – A small glass before heading to bed can help relax you after a busy stressful day, helping you to sleep better.
  2. Lowers Cholesterol – It has been proven the tequila can dissolve fats; reducing cholesterol.
  3. Optimizes cardiac functions
  4. Aids Digestion – Drink a glass before, during or after your meal in order to aid digestion.


General benefits of drinking moderate amounts of alcohol

Doctors around the world recommend alcohol in varying amounts, from as little as one glass per day in America to three in the Netherlands. If you drink somewhere in between those amounts then you’ll enjoy the following benefits:-

  • 54% less chance of developing dementia
  • 30-40% less chance of developing diabetes
  • 25% less chance of dying in any given year
  • 0.5% less chance of having a stroke

Don’t let this be an excuse to play those drinking games every night. Like with most things in life, whether it be chocolate, wine or tequila it must be in moderation for it to be beneficial. Drinking too much can lead to all sorts of health problems such as sclerosis of the liver.  Find out ways to help an alcoholic.  BTW, everyone should learn how to cleanse your liver.

Mexican food is also very yummy so it’s worthwhile checking out some healthy Mexican food.  Yes that’s right, there is Mexican food that’s healthy too.  What a surprise that would be for your friends.  You can invite them over for a healthy meal and then serve them up Mexican food with tequila for drinks.  What fun!

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How to Get Rid of Bruises Naturally

Why is it that the largest bruises always seem to appear when you don’t expect it? Maybe it’s just me but I always end up thinking to myself “how the heck did I end up with that?”

Anyway, some years ago my mum ended up with a huge big bruise and decided to try out some lavender essential oil to get rid of it. So she put some drops of lavender onto a cotton pad and taped it over the bruise. The problem was that the cotton pad wasn’t big enough to cover the entire bruise so when it was taken off, there was a surprising result….

The covered area was yellow whereas the exposed area was still black/blue.

I wish I had a photo to show you, it looked amazing. No one could try and say it was just a “placebo effect”!

None of the bruises I’ve had recently are big enough to reproduce this experiment however if I do get one I’ll make sure I take a photo as proof.

Lavender oil isn’t the only natural remedy you can try, here are some other suggestions:

  • When the bruise appears, apply fennel, helichrysum or hyssop essential oils to the skin.
  • Arnica gel, a homeopathic remedy, is said to be one of the best ways to get rid of a bruise.
  • When the bruise has turned yellow, rosemary oil is said to help by increasing circulation.
  • Eat foods rich in vitamin C.
  • Bromelain (a digestive enzyme found in pineapples) breaks down proteins that trap fluids in the tissues after an injury.

Has anyone else successfully treated bruises using natural remedies?

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Posted in Aromatherapy, Skin

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How to Stop Sweating Naturally

As the temperatures rise with the onset of summer, so does the chance of us turning into a big sweat-making machine. It is pretty much a given that on those really hot days, most of us will be glad that we have sweat glands to help cool our bodies down.

What happens when the good benefits of sweating get outweighed by the bad? What if the sweat has a foul odor or what if the sweat is making you appear as if you were in a wet t-shirt contest? What do you do then?

When is sweating bad?

Sweating is the body’s built in cooling systems. When the body starts to get too hot, the pores open and the sweat glands start to work. This is a good thing, believe or not. It helps keep the body at a reasonable temperature.

So, when is sweating a bad thing? It’s bad if it is 20 below zero and you are sweating as if you just crossed the Sahara Desert or if you wake up in the middle of the night and find that your body has created its own swimming pool. Another sign that something just isn’t right is if your sweat is forming crystals.

Another thing to watch out for is odor. Sweat should have no smell or a mildly pleasant one. If your body odor would make a vampire run, or you have any of the other things listed above, go see your doctor. These are all signs that something is wrong and the only way to fix it is to find out what that is.

Some of the aliments that can have sweating as an indicator are an infection, heart disease, over active thyroid, or tuberculosis. All of these will need treatment.

Ways to control overactive sweat glands

If you are just one of those people who sweat a lot and you don’t have any of the above symptoms like odor, or if you have been to the doctor and all is well then here are a few tips to help control unwanted wetness.

  1. Bathe regularly and try to avoid heavily perfumed soaps and cleansers.
  2. After bathing, dry troublesome areas thoroughly. The bad odor that develops as you sweat could be from bacteria. Washing and drying the area thoroughly will help to kill off the bacteria that may be causing the unpleasant smell.
  3. Avoid wearing synthetic materials, instead wear cotton. Cotton will help pull moisture away from the skin.
  4. Use cotton sheets on your bed if you overheat at night. Also, try turning down your furnace when you go to sleep.
  5. Look out for deodorants with tea tree oil in it.
  6. Apply some bicarbonate of soda (NOT baking soda) onto your underarms. Either apply it directly to the skin or mix it in with some water.
  7. RELAX! Stress can trigger the sweat glands to start working in over time.

Remember that sweating is a natural function of the body. It cools and cleanses the body. With over 3 million sweat glands, it is impossible to stop it from happening but by doing a few things like the ones listed above, it will no longer be an unbearable situation.

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How to Save a Fortune on Cellulite Treatment

All this week GMTV have been testing out various different cellulite treatments. The cellulite industry is huge with many companies keen to cash in but this particular treatment just about floored me.

Let Me Introduce to You the Power Plate

The Power Plate is a machine with a vibrating surface and is used by many athletes to improve strength, flexibility and bone density amongst other things. I personally haven’t used it as I was never given the training but my mum has. At my old gym anyone could use it for as long or as often as you wished.

What I found amazing was that GMTV were talking about the machine purely as a cellulite-busting technique. Can you guess how much they said each treatment costs? £20 (aprox $40) for a 25 minute session, suggesting that 3 treatments per week are needed. That’s £60 a week or £240 a month!

How much did my gym membership cost me per month? Just under £30, giving you a £210 saving.

I guess some people just have more money than sense.

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Posted in Skin

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How to Care For Sensitive Skin

Luckily I don’t suffer from sensitive skin, but I do have a friend who does. After seeing what she goes through I’m very grateful for having hardy skin. If you have sensitive skin you may experience any number of problems including itchy, flaky, red or irritated skin. This can be due many factors including food allergies, ingredients in beauty products and sun exposure.

Why can Skin be Sensitive?

One of the major causes of sensitive skin has to be a reaction to product ingredients. Think about your daily skin care regime, specifically the number of products you use. Soaps, cleansers, toners, blemish reducers, lipstick, foundation, blush, facial masks, perfume – the list never ends! Also, chances are all your products are manufactured by different brands. Although you might think you’re doing your skin good, the opposite may be true!

Causes of Sensitive Skin

The problem with trying to identify the causes of you irritation is that it can take days for your body to show the signs of sensitivity. After going through each beauty product you may find that the problem lays elsewhere. Potential culprits include: sun exposure, detergents, fabric softeners, perfume, hair spray, shampoo and air fresheners. Also food allergies and some plants can cause symptoms of an allergic reaction as well

Healthy skin is less sensitive because it’s able to act as an effective barrier. Sunburned skin, skin that’s excessively dry and skin that is otherwise damaged tends to be more sensitive. That’s one reason why people who don’t normally have sensitive skin develop skin sensitivity during winter months when dry, cold air strips skin of its protective moisture.

8 Ways to Deal with Sensitive Skin

#1 Dermatologist: If you go to a dermatologist they’ll be able to advise you if you in fact you have a skin condition such as psoriasis, rosacea or eczema.

#2 Food Allergy Testing: As mentioned before, an intolerance to certain foods may be the root of your problem, so by identifying problem foods you can cut them out of your diet. Don’t worry, you may be able to reintroduce them later.

3# Read Product Labels: Start reading product labels – the fewer ingredients, the better. Avoid products containing alcohol, fragrances, botanicals, antibacterial, ethanol and propylene glycol.

4# Patch Test: Before using any product on a large area, test on a patch of skin first. If you’re applying a product on your face, apply a few dabs behind ears for 5 days, and if there’s no reaction, apply beside eyes for another 5 days. If all goes well, full facial coverage likely will be safe.

5# Balanced Diet including EFAs: Eat a balanced diet to ensure skin gets the nutrients it needs to remain healthy. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as Cod Liver Oil and Evening Primrose Oil will help immensely, most people don’t eat enough of these.

6# Natural Fabrics: Look out for natural fabrics such as cotton and silk as they are less likely to cause a reaction than synthetic materials. This is especially important for bed linen. When removing makeup use real cotton balls instead of one which are actually synthetic.

7# Sun Protection: Always use sunscreen with a high factor (eg 30). Wearing white clothes will also help reflect light away. My friend found this helped immensely – much better than sun block on its own.

8# Gently clean skin: Avoid harsh products like scrubbing mitts, excessively hot water and abrasive exfoliating products.

Does any one know of any other ways to deal with sensitive skin? If so, feel free to leave a comment.

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Natural Treatment For Cellulite

Okay, Okay, there isn’t a magic cure for cellulite. Cellulite being the horrible, ugly, lumpy fat deposits found on many of women’s legs, thighs and even stomachs. Most women want it gone and are willing to pay big money to try any product that claims to be the “miracle in a bottle.” The questions these ladies need to ask themselves are “Is it worth the money?” and “What really works?”

The miracle in a bottle

It would be great if there was exactly that. One product that makes it all better. However, like most things dealing with our health, we will not find the cure in a magic potion. While there are several creams that claim to help with cellulite, none are proven to miraculously get rid of the appearance of cellulite.

There are some ingredients in the creams that are supposed to be the key in cellulite reduction. For instance , creams containing caffeine are said to increase blood flow. Retinol is suppose to increase collagen production, which in turn will make the skin thicker and cellulite less visible. Products with vitamins such as E and C, which are both antioxidants, may also play a key role. Exfoliating could also help by removing dry, dead layers of skin. Finally, there is DMAE, a chemical which is suppose to stimulate the muscles to contract and in turn become firmer. None of these, of course, are scientifically proven.

Diet and Exercise

Yes, that’s right. Diet and exercise are by far the most effective way to reduce cellulite. When we exercise on a regular bases, our health not only will increase but our overall appearance will improve as well. As we exercise, our muscles will begin to tone up. As that happens, the cellulite will become less noticeable. Cardio exercise will help to increase your heart rate which in turn will work to decrease our body fat. Weight training will increase muscle tone giving us an all over firm body and our muscles will in turn help burn fat.

Along with exercise is diet. When you change to a healthy, low fat diet along with exercise, you will gain energy, lose weight and decrease fat. The key to a healthy diet is limiting your fat and sugar intake. Eat more veggies, fruits and drink lots of water.

The Bad News and the Good

For the bad news. Cellulite is inherited for the most part. Meaning if our mothers or grandmothers have it, you probably will too. Your predisposition to cellulite is what will determine how noticeable it is and how difficult it is to exercise away.

The good news is that by changing a few simple things, you may be able to greatly reduce the appearance of cellulite. For example, taking a daily twenty minute walk around your neighborhood will increase your heart rate and burn calories. Drinking water will help to decrease appetite. Replacing soda, coffee, or fruit juices with water will decrease calorie intake.

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Soy Protein and Your Skin, Hair and Nails

Many people are resigned to fact that wrinkled skin comes hand-in-hand with old age. One of the major problems with aging skin is that your body’s production of collagen declines. It’s not just aging which causes this but also diet, menopause symptoms, sunlight, smoking and stress.

So What can You do to Keep Your Skin Looking Healthy?

First of all, protect your skin from the sun’s rays. Make sure you use a high sun factor and use fake tan instead of sunbathing. Secondly, if you’re a smoker you must stop now. You don’t need me to tell you why smoking is bad for your health, I’m sure you already know. Thirdly, you need to improve your diet. You should be eating plenty of good quality protein and antioxidant-rich foods. This will give your body the nutrients it needs for building and repairing you cells.

Is Soy a Good Source of Protein and Antioxidants?

According to studies it would seem that soy is an indeed an ideal source of protein and antioxidants. You can take soy internally to benefit your general health as well as applying it directly to your skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Revival Soy who sell a number of soy products did a survey of 40 postmenopausal women of ages 50-65, to find out what the real benefits of soy are when taken over a six-month period. Some of the women took 20g of soy whilst the others didn’t take any.

Skin – 93% of those taking the soy found that skin discoloration and flaking reduced after only 3 months, whilst wrinkles improved after 6 months.

Nails – Improvements in nail quality took longer to be noticeable. After 3 months no improvements were experienced however after 6 months ridging, nail roughness, splitting and flaking were greatly reduced.

Hair – Hair quality was greatly improved after 3 months with continued benefits experienced after 6 months.

It would seem that soy taken as part of your healthy diet will help with not only your skin but also hair and nails. Although benefits are evident within 3 months, you should continue taking soy for 6 months to really see what it can do for your body.

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Posted in Protein, Skin

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