Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Herbal Cleansing Solution

Herbs and herbal treatments have gained popularity throughout the world because they are highly effective and unlike the chemical therapies they have absolutely no side effect. Most of the cosmetic in the market today promote themselves by calling them herbal.

However it is also noticeable that most of the times chemicals are mixed with the herbs in order to prolong their shelf lie and it generally neutralises the properties of the herbs. So instead of depending on the over the counter herbal product why do not you prepare a herbal cleansing solution all by yourself and have fun in the process.

Herbal water:

To make a simple herbal cleanse you have to first make the herbal water and then the oil. To make the herbal water you have to take the leaves or flowers of your favourite herbs. For cleansing action take the flowers of chamomile, plantain, nettles, lovage, parsley, lavender, rosemary, jasmine etc. To make an astringent solution which can tone the face you can take these important things for cleansing, like lemon, mint, sage, pansy, winter green etc.

Take water and then bring it to boil on low heat. Add the flowers and the leaves and then boil for 3 more minutes. Strain it and then keep it in freeze in a tight container.

Herbal Oil:

To make the herbal oil heat beeswax and lanolin in a double boiler. Add fruit or vegetable oil like almond, soya or avocado oil. When the solution melts completely and gets mixed then remove from the heat. Now add the herbal water prepared previously and cooled in the freezer in the ratio of 2:1.

The Final Tough:

Your herbal solution is ready. Wash off your face with this solution do not use any soap. If you have very oily skin then wash off with an astringent or soap.

Papaya And Peach For Healthy Skin

If you are looking to find a natural product that could help to moisturize the skin and also hydrate it fully, you can use peach fruit. It acts as a natural emollient.

Peach is supposed to be used in many products of skin care. Peach softens the skin and since it is a natural product, it is much better than the over the counter skin care products. It also imparts a rich glow to the skin.

The peach is rich in minerals and it has all the necessary anti oxidants as well. It is used for all problems of the skin and for all types of topical treatments.

You can as well prepare a homemade facial mask for skin hydration purposes. This pack is used for toning and moisturizing purposes. You can use the peach to make it into a puree.

The mixture can be mixed with some lemon juice and also some ripe mashed papaya. When you have a thick rich paste of the mixture, you have to apply the same to the face and keep for some time. It can be washed off with some rose water and then left to dry.

Apart from peach another skin care natural product is the papaya. Use some ripe mashed papaya after pealing off its skin. You can then make a pulp out of the same. Some curd can be added. You can also use some drops of honey. Mix the paste thoroughly and then apply on face and all other parts of the body that remain exposed. Let dry and then wash off gently.

These are wonderful home made packs with absolutely no side effects. These are rich in anti oxidants and equally wonderful when applied to the face. This brings to the face an ethereal glow and adds that extra sheen to the skin. Natural skin care products are the best.

Some products are bottled up and labeled as natural products but these are best when home made. It is easier made straight out of kitchen. You can have it and apply it to get the required hydration and softening that works deep within.

Homemade Hair Masks

A great hair does wonders for you and your self-regard. Taking care of hair is in fact much the same as taking care of skin. Yogurt hair mask is a improve hair beat 1 egg white until foamy. Add to 6 tablespoons plain natural yogurt. Apply to hair in small sections at a time. Leave in for 15 minutes.

If you want smooth soft and shiny hair. Put a few tablespoons of olive oil(my fav) or anykind of vegetable hair oil into a bowl. Place it in the microwave to heat it until it is warm,not hot. Then rub the oil all over your hair and leave it on for 20 minutes the minimum. Then wash your hair thoroughly and apply some conditioner and leave it to dry naturally. If you need egg & olive oil hair mask. Mix two whole eggs with four tablespoons of olive oil. Smooth through hair. Enwrap head with plastic wrap, and leave in hair for 10 minutes.

Mix a (mature) banana with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a tablepoon of sunflower oil. Put the mask on your hair for half and hour or so and wash your hair as usual. This is a good mask for bracing dry hair. Fruit smoothie hair mask is also benefecial your hair. Blend 1/2 a banana, 1/4 cantaloupe, 1/4 avocado, 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil and 1 tablespoon yogurt.

For extra conditioning, clasp in the contents of a vitamin E capsule. Leave in hair for 15 minutes. For forthwith shine hair beat two eggs mixed with some milk and run through your hair. Leave on for five minutes, wash and you’ll see a shine immediately. For dandruff dissolve two aspirins in your dandruff shampoo. Use a good moisturizing conditioner laterwards.

Beautiful bonny hair mask-Grind fenugreek (methi) seeds soaked in water overnight. Massage this paste on scalp and hair and leave it for15-20 minutes. Rinse it off with a mild shampoo. This paste is best for all types of hair problems, viz. dandruffs, falling hair, thinning of hair, baldness, split hair, etc. Mix a teaspoon of honey with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then beat in an egg yolk.

Massage on hair in small sections. Wrap head with shower cap for 30 minutes. Wash and shampoo. This is a good treatment for keeping split ends away. If your hair damage daily apply a ripe banana with a few drops of almond oil and massage into hair. Leave it for about 15 minutes. Wash lightly with soda water and then shampoo and condition. For split hair apply oil your hair two times a week with coconut oil mixed with fresh lime juice.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Increase Your Energy Today and Tomorrow


Take a Walk, Schedule Regular Exercise

The stuffy office and the never-ending to-do list can squash your can-do attitude. Taking a walk is a simple way to refresh both your body and your mind. As a long-term solution to the daily fatigue is regular exercise. Moving about, getting your heart rate up, and challenging your strength will actually increase your energy. Fitness activities will also increase your overall stamina, making your work life easier.
 
 

Drink More Water and Less Coffee
 
Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee, try drinking more water. Being even slightly dehydrated can make you feel sluggish. Sipping on a cup of ice water is bound to perk you up. While reaching for a cup of joe is sure to give you some pep, it might just keep you up at night. A troubled night's sleep sets you up for feeling tired the next day, repeating the cycle of tiredness.
 
 
 

Eat Magnesium Now and Breakfast Daily
 
For a quick energy fix grab a handful of almonds or hazelnuts — both are high in magnesium. This mineral is essential for breaking down glucose to manufacture energy. Nuts make for great power snacks at the 3 p.m. slump. To bolster your energy in the future, make sure to eat breakfast, since it revs up your metabolism and fuels your body as well as your brain. Make sure that your breakfast is high in whole grains, which are also high in the mineral magnesium. Go for oatmeal with toasted hazelnuts for a double dose of magnesium.
 
 

Take a Power Nap, Create a Sleep Schedule
 
If you are simply exhausted, take a power nap. Dozing for 20 to 60 minutes significantly eases the tiredness that accompanies brain overload. For the future, set a sleep schedule. Sleeping seven to nine hours a night is crucial for your long-term health and is considered normal. Living with a sleep deficit can set you up for many health problems down the road, including high blood pressure and weight gain.
 
 

Breathe Now and Learn to Meditate
 
Stress and anger will deplete your energy. They weigh you down and exhaust you. As your energy wanes in the afternoon, or you can feel your anxiety zapping your reserves, take a moment to breathe deeply. Bringing oxygen to the brain can help clear the mental cobwebs. In the long term, it is highly beneficial to lean how to mange your stress and anger levels. Practicing meditation is a great way to get a handle on those negative emotions.

5 Ingredients For a Healthier Salad

A salad has got to be the world's perfect meal since it's low in calories, extremely filling because of all the fiber, and so nutritious because of the variety of veggies. Since there are endless ingredients you can add to change up the flavor, you can have a different salad every day of the week and your taste buds will never get bored. Here are some ingredients to make this healthy meal even better.


Dark Leafy Greens

The darker the greens, the more nutritious they are, so start off with spinach, romaine, or mesclun greens for the base of your salad. Not only do dark greens make your salad healthier, they also add a more robust flavor.
 
 
 

Lean Protein

Veggies aren't chock full of protein, so to make your salad more well-rounded, add some lean protein. Grilled chicken or salmon, baked tofu, beans, or a hard-boiled egg are excellent choices. They satiate your hunger longer than if you ate the veggies alone.
 
 
 

Fresh Fruit

Apples and pears are commonly added to salads, but other fruits taste great with veggies as well. Experiment with sliced grapes, blueberries, strawberries, melon, or bits of orange or grapefruit. The sweetness adds a little unexpected zing, so you may even be able to skip out on the dressing. Plus fruits add extra fiber and vitamins, and they're lower in calories than dried fruit.

 

Nuts or Seeds

Sprinkle on some nuts like walnuts, sliced almonds, or pecans, or some seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, or flax seed for even more protein and fiber. Since they tend to be high in calories, just add about a tablespoon. Remember that although nuts are high in fat, it's the healthy fat your body needs. Plus the crunchy texture will make your salad much more exciting.
 
 

Avocado Slices

Avocado has a bad reputation since it's high in calories, but this creamy fruit is also high in oleic acid, a healthy fat that may help lower cholesterol. Avocados are also high in potassium, vitamin K, and fiber. Just like nuts, don't overdo and just slice up a quarter of one in your salad. It adds 80 calories, 244 mg of potassium, 3.4 grams of fiber, and one gram of protein.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

What Are the Best Fat Burning Foods?

Many people simply rely on exercise alone when attempting to lose fat and gain muscle tone, but by not following an effective fat burning diet they are slowing, or even preventing and real progress. Anybody wanting to get into top physical condition needs to follow a proper “fat burning” diet by choosing the right fat burning foods. In order to burn away fat cells in the stomach your diet must contain foods that help the body in eliminating fat cells.

What are Fat Burning Foods?
Fat burning foods are foods simply the different types of foods that will naturally assist the body in getting rid of its fat cells. These fat burning foods typically include plant foods containing cellulose that are low in calories but require energy for the body to digests it. There are plenty of foods with natural fat burning properties that are perfect for including in any fat loss or abdominal training program. Here are some great fat burning foods that should be included into your diet instead of foods that are high in fat or full of sugars:


* Lean White Meat *
Chicken Breast - Steamed or grilled chicken breast is a food that is good for eating with just about anything. Chicken is a fantastic source of high quality protein and is very lean with the skin removed. Turkey Breast - Just like chicken, turkey breast is also very high in very lean protein, but also very low in fat which makes the calorie count low.



* Fish *
Salmon - Salmon is a food high in omega 6 and has many other health benefits. Tuna - A great source of omega 6 and protein and a great “fat burning food”. Avoid buying tinned tuna that comes in oil as this can result in a very high fat content.






* Fruits *
Grapefruit, limes, oranges, apples and tangerines are all fruits that contain Vitamin C and can be classed as fat burning foods. Eating these fruits instead of calorie dense snacks (in conjunction with an exercise program) will increase the body’s metabolism thereby causing the body to burn calories long after the exercise is complete.




* Tea *
 Green Tea – Has been shown to naturally increase metabolism and burn calories even when the body is resting. Green tea also contains many antioxidants that the body needs to clear itself of harmful toxins.






* Wholemeal Oats *
Oatmeal: This is one of personal favourite foods and is wonderful as part of a fat burning diet. Most people don’t realize that oats are an excellent food choice for fat burning. Oats are a water soluble fibre that is digested by the body slowly. This means that by digesting oats in the morning you will keep the stomach full for longer which will in turn boost the metabolism in the process.

 With plenty of fat burning foods available you should look at eliminating foods that are high in fat and sugars and replace them with quality healthy foods that help to increase your metabolism and burn fat. By doing plenty of exercise and including fat burning foods in your diet, you will turn your body into a furnace that naturally burns away unwanted fat.

Essential Oils Found in Green Materials

Grasses, trees and plants all contain powerful essential oils. Plant parts are distilled from all parts of the world. The distillation process results in a liquid which is used as an essential oil. When these oils are used for aromatherapy, alternative medicinal treatment is produced.

One of the most therapeutic essential oils is Chamomile. This oil has a very soothing effect for many of us who can become very nervous with day to day life. For an excellent night's sleep, chamomile will help.

Tea Tree oil originated in Australia and is used to help the body combat pesky skin fungus and rashes. Tea Tree Oil helps relieve sunburn, bee stings or any other type of burn.

Lavender has a bit more uses than Tea Tree Oil. While being very aromatic, Lavender is also very therapeutic. For a deep relaxation, Lavender is often put in baths. Interestingly enough, Lavender is also an anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and antibiotic. Tea Tree Oil is not the only essential oil used for burns. You can also use Lavender for burns, scrapes and cuts. It should never be poured on top of open wounds though.

Peppermint Oil has been found to be very aromatic. For pregnant women, it is used to treat morning sickness. There are few products available to help with nausea, but Peppermint is one of them. It can also be used in motion sickness.

Many people experience headaches and Eucalyptus is the essential oil for this problem. If you rub just a dab of this oil on the temples, the headache will disappear. This oil can also be held under the nose and directly inhaled for a faster result. During cold and flu season, it is wise to put this essential oil in a humidifier to aid in respiratory problems.

Citronella has many interesting uses. It can be used as an insect repellent as well as a treatment for head lice. You only need to mix this oil with water and spray on body, heads or carpets to treat lice and fleas. For a bug bite, rub a bit of Lavender on the bite or dab a little behind each ear to help deter bugs and insects.

Rose is helpful in the home. By putting a small drop in your washing machine or adding a couple drops to a dish cloth, you will help your house smell wonderful.

To help with physical and mental clarity, use can rub Rosemary on your skin. It helps with muscle aches and pains as well.

If you get athletes foot, jock itch or ringworm, try using Cinnamon as an antiviral. Make sure you buy Cinnamon oil, not Cassia.

To help with sleep, use Neroli oil. This oil helps induce sleep and relaxation.

None of these essential oils should ever be ingested. You should not use these oils on your skin without diluting them either. If essential oils are used correctly, they have many helpful issues. Also, these essential oils are very affordable. The cost is very much worth the price.