Showing posts with label Health&Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health&Lifestyle. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 June 2016

Using Honey to Get A Perfect Skin.



Honey's often thought of as a healthier sweetener, but you might be surprised to learn that this ingredient has tons of skin and hair benefits, too. Made by the alchemy of bees collecting nectar, pollen, and resins from flowers, honey can help moisturize, fight aging, and fight bacteria. Plus, it’s loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and healing compounds. Next time you’re browsing the grocery store shelves, look for raw honey, which hasn't been heat-treated or pasteurized; it contains more active phytonutrient antioxidants and enzymes for enhanced benefits. Here are a few ways to put the ingredient to use (sometimes with the help of some other natural ingredients).

1. Moisturizing Mask
Honey is a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the air into the skin and ensures it's retained it in the layers where it’s needed most for penetrating, long-lasting hydration.


2. Pore Cleanser
The enzymes in raw honey clarify skin and keep pores clear and clean. Plus, the antibacterial properties of honey and jojoba or coconut oil also prevent bacterial buildup that can lead to skin imbalances and breakouts.

Try it: Stir one tablespoon raw honey with two tablespoons jojoba oil or coconut oil until the mixture is spreadable consistency. Apply to clean, dry skin, and massage gently in a circular motion, avoiding your eye area. Rinse with tepid water.


3. Gentle Exfoliator
Honey is loaded with antioxidants, enzymes, and other nutrients that nourish, cleanse, and hydrate skin. Baking soda, meanwhile, is a gentle natural exfoliator that removes dead skin cells, allowing new cells to emerge for a radiant complexion.

Try it: Mix two tablespoons honey with one tablespoon baking soda. Splash your skin with water, then gently rub the concoction on your face or body in a circular motion. Rinse well.

4. Scar Fader
Honey is said to lighten skin, and its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial compounds help to decrease the appearances of scars and increase healing and tissue regeneration. The hydrating properties of honey and coconut oil or olive oil will also help revive skin cells, while regular, gentle massaging will increase circulation to aid skin recovery and cell turnover.

Try it: Mix one teaspoon raw honey with one teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil. Apply to the affected area, and massage with the tips of your fingers in a circular motion for one to two minutes. Place a hot washcloth over your skin, and let sit until cool. Repeat daily.


5. Acne Treatment
Honey contains antibacterial and antifungal properties that thwart bacteria that can lead to breakouts. Its anti-inflammatory properties will calm redness and irritation.

Try it: Apply a dab of raw honey to affected areas, and sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with tepid water.


6. Bath Soak
Honey's not just hydrating; its antioxidants will repair skin and protect it against oxidative and environmental damage.

Try it: Mix two heaping tablespoons raw honey with one cup hot water until dissolved. Add to a tub of warm water, and soak.

7. Cuticle Moisturizer
Raw honey is loaded with nutrients and enzymes to nourish and heal skin, and it's a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture into the skin. Coconut oil conditions and protects, while the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar softens hard skin and balances pH for healthy growth.

Try it: Mix one teaspoon honey with one teaspoon apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon coconut oil. Rub over each cuticle, and let sit five to 10 minutes, then rinse.


8. Hair Conditioner
The enzymes and nutrients in raw honey give dull hair shine without weighing it down. Coconut oil penetrates the hair shaft to condition and smooth the cuticle and give your strands the luster you crave.

Try it: Mix one tablespoon raw honey with two tablespoons coconut oil. Apply thoroughly to the bottom two-thirds of damp hair, starting at the ends and working up. Let sit for 20 minutes, and rinse well.

9. Shampoo Booster
The humectant properties of honey help regulate and retain moisture in hair, plus honey is said to strengthen hair follicles for healthy growth.

Try it: Mix one teaspoon honey with a dime-sized amount of your favorite shampoo. Wash and lather as normal, and rinse well.


10. Hair Highlighter
The enzyme glucose oxidase in honey slowly releases hydrogen peroxide, an ingredient known to lighten hair color.

Try it: Mix three tablespoons honey with two tablespoon water. Apply to clean, damp hair, and let sit for an hour. Rinse well. Apply weekly for best results.

11. Sunburn Treatment
Honey restores hydration to the deepest layers of sun-exposed skin—and both honey and aloe vera contain powerful anti-inflammatories to calm burned skin and aid recovery.

Try it: Mix one part raw honey with two parts pure aloe vera gel. Apply to sunburned skin.

Tuesday, 5 January 2016

Living a Rich Salty Life. How does Salt Work?


Our bodies contain the same concentration of minerals and nutrients as sea water, so, it is no wonder sea salt is a natural ally to balance, protect, and restore the body and skin. One of the major differences between sea salt and ordinary salt is the mineral content: Sea salt is laden with minerals, including magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium, all of which play a key role in our skin’s health, function, and cellular communication. When your skin’s mineral balance is off-kilter, symptoms such as dryness, dullness, irritation, and blotches ensue, especially as the colder, drier weather sets in. Bringing sea salt from the kitchen into your beauty routine can help balance and improve hydration, strengthen the protective barrier of our skin, and kick-start the cell-to-cell communication signals that slow down with age.

1. Face Balancing Mask



Both salt and honey have anti-inflammatory properties to soothe skin and calm breakouts and irritation. They also help to balance oil production and keep hydration in the layers of skin where it’s needed most.
Try it: Mix two teaspoons sea salt (preferably finely ground) with four teaspoons raw honey to create a spreadable paste. Apply evenly to clean, dry skin, avoiding eye area. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Before rinsing, soak a cloth in very warm water, and gently wring out. Lay the warm cloth on your face for 30 seconds. Use your fingers to gently exfoliate in a circular motion while rinsing your skin thoroughly with tepid water. Follow with your usual skin-care routine.

2. Oil-Sapping Facial Toner
Salt helps to cleanse pores deeply, balance oil production and thwart bacteria that can instigate breakouts and acne.
Try it: Mix one teaspoon sea salt with four ounces of warm water in small spray bottle until salt dissolves. Mist on clean, dry skin, avoiding eyes. Use daily or twice daily.

3. Softening Body Scrub


Salt is a gentle natural exfoliate that sloughs off dead skin. It also has minerals to soften skin and restore hydration.
Try it: Mix a quarter-cup salt and a half-cup olive oil or softened coconut oil into a thick paste. If desired, add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil. Apply in the shower with a cloth, loofah, or the palms of your hands, gently scrubbing your skin in a circular motion.

4. Rejuvenating Scrub
Salt is a skin-softening exfoliant that restores the skin. Aloe vera hydrates, heals, and aids skin cell turnover, while lavender is a natural antiseptic that increases circulation.
Try it: Mix together a half-cup salt, a quarter-cup pure aloe vera juice or gel, a quarter-cup oil (your choice!), one tablespoon dried lavender flowers, and 10 drops essential oil of lavender. The resulting mixture should form a thick paste; if it’s too dry, add a few extra drops of oil. Apply in the shower with a cloth, loofah, or the palms of your hands, gently scrubbing your skin in a circular motion.

5. Relaxing Salt Bath
Science has proven that salt absorbs dirt, grime, and toxins and cleanses your skin’s pores deeply. Salt’s mineral content helps restore the protective barrier in skin and helps it hold hydration. You may notice that your skin won’t wrinkle or prune after a good, long soak in salted water, which is evidence that a salt bath helps your skin keep its moisture. The magnesium in sea salt may also help reduce water retention (i.e., bloating) in the body.
Try it: Add one-third cup salt to a tub filled with warm water, and swish to dissolve the salt. Soak for 15 to 30 minutes.

6. Anti-Dandruff Scalp Treatment
Salt helps loosen and remove existing flakes while stimulating circulation for a healthy scalp. The ingredient also absorbs excess oil and moisture to prevent fungal growth and inhibit the root of dandruff.
Try it: Part your hair a few times, and sprinkle one to two teaspoons of salt on your scalp. Using wet fingers, massage your scalp gently and thoroughly for 10 to 15 minutes (if you can recruit someone to do this for you, it is very relaxing!). Wash and condition your hair with your favorite products. The results will be immediate.

7. Natural Mouth Wash

Salt acts as a disinfectant to kill the bacteria that can cause bad breath and gingivitis.
Try it: Mix together a half-teaspoon salt, a half-teaspoon baking soda, and a quarter-cup water until the salt dissolves. Swish the solution around in your mouth and between teeth. Spit, then rinse.

8. Teeth Whitener
Salt and baking soda are both gentle abrasives that will help remove stains and brighten teeth. Salt also has a natural source of fluoride, which is a bonus for your teeth and gums.
Try it: Mix one teaspoon salt and two teaspoons baking powder. Dip a damp toothbrush in the mixture, and brush teeth normally. If the taste is too intense, try putting a dab of toothpaste on the brush before dipping it in the mixture.

9. Nail Brightening Treatment
Salt softens cuticles and skin and strengthens nails. Baking soda and lemon work to reduce yellowing and stains for brighter, healthier-looking nails.
Try it: Mix one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon baking soda, one teaspoon lemon juice, and a half-cup warm water in a small bowl. Soak nails in the solution for 10 minutes, then scrub with a soft brush. Rinse hands, and moisturize.

Enjoy the experience.
#stay Tickled.

Monday, 23 November 2015

What We Are Supposed To Do Before Having Sex???!!

In the media and advertising industries’ seemingly never ending campaign to make us insecure about the state of our vaginas, a slew of new ads suggest that before sex, we all need freshening wipes–even dudes (but maybe not as much nor as often).

The ads are for Playtex Fresh and Sexy wipes, because, you know, nothing is sexier than making you scared of your own privates, and nothing is fresher than the stale notion that there’s something inherently wrong with you down there that you need to fix with the help of something likely designed and devised by men. That’s a totally new, novel, attractive idea, right? Right?

The wipes are designed for use before sex and after sex, because they want you to think you and the guy or girl you’re with are gross without a little help. The messages are designed to say that “In order to be sexually desirable, women need to be clean where it counts.”


The vagina is actually a self-cleansing organ, and gynecologists warn against using feminine hygiene products designed to “freshen” you down there before sex. Wipes and douches (as in the actual products, not the jerky guys you avoid) are bad for you because they can mess with your body’s natural pH and actually lead to infections–which will make you have a legit problem down there that you didn’t before.

It’s totally normal to want to freshen up before sex, but you shouldn’t feel pressured into it by anything or anyone, especially not by strangers trying to sell you something. The best way to make sure you’re in tip-top shape before sex is just to shower with regular old soap and water. If you don’t have wipes or perfumes or weird chemicals to clean up down there, it doesn’t mean you’re not sexy or that you’re not prepared–it means that you’re actually pretty smart and safe.

And be careful if you shave down there before sex, too!

Sexual Hygiene Tips You Need To Know

All women need to clean their outer genital areas and anus if engaging in anal sex. Cleaning of genitals needs to be done so as to prevent infections as well as bad odours. Do not go overboard with vigorous washing of the vagina especially with scented liquids as it affects the pH balance of the vagina and can make you prone to infections such as Bacterial Vaginosis.

Some women choose to douche (i.e. flush water or bethadine up the vagina) in order to clear vaginal discharge. Douching removes  the healthy bacteria that are necessary to maintain the right pH in the vagina. Douching also pre-disposes females to infections such as Bacterial vaginosis.

When on their menstrual cycle, tampons and sanitary pads should be changed after every three to six hours depending on the menstrual flow. Keeping them for a long time may let bacteria thrive causing bad odour and infections. Toxic shock syndrome which is caused by strands of the Staphylococcus bacteria. It is caused by tampons that are worn for more than six hours at a time, menstruation, surgery or recently having a baby. Although there isn’t a test for it, it is diagnosed through the symptoms of fever, low blood pressure, problems with at least three organs and a rash that last up to 2 weeks. Other symptoms may include diarrhoea, headaches, chills, nausea, muscle aches, red eyes and throat, and in some cases seizures.

Sweaty clothes and underwear after a workout should be changed quickly. Bacteria and fungal infections  flourish in sweat conditions. Sweat, dust and shaving of genital hair can cause cause folliculitus, where the hair follicles get inflamed and infected .

Never hold on to the urge of going to the washroom to urinate, especially before practicing sex. Urinating makes your bladder get rid of bacteria and toxins that thrive in the urinary tract. Delaying urination speeds up breeding of bacteria which leads to infections. A bladder full of urine makes your urethra prone to infection from your vagina or your partner’s penis.

Do not wear tight underwear or tight fitting jeans for a long time. Choose natural fabrics such as cotton instead of synthetics for your innerwear.

Saturday, 7 November 2015

7 ways mindfulness can improve your life

alertness, carefulness, caution, circumspection, concentration, concern, conscientiousness, consideration, diligence, direction, discrimination, effort, enthusiasm, exactness, exertion, fastidiousness, forethought, gingerliness, heed, heedfulness, interest, management, meticulousness, nicety, pains, particularity, precaution, prudence, regard, scrupulousness, solicitude, thought, trouble, vigilance, wariness, watchfulness whichever word suits you..

Mindfulness is the new black of psychology. But for those of us raised on the “let’s change your thinking, fix you up and make everything positive and happy” philosophy behind Western psychology, it can seem a little confusing. Mindfulness is less about getting rid of pain and more about alleviating the suffering that comes from it. It’s about being in the moment rather than trying to make sense of the past or planning for the future. Psychologist Louise Adams reveals seven ways that mindfulness can improve your daily life.

1. Chronic pain
It was the “phenomenal” results that patients got when dealing with chronic pain that really convinced Adams of the benefits of mindfulness. “I looked at MRI scans and saw the changes in the brains of people using mindfulness and it was amazing,” she says. “They produced less cortisol and more oxytocin which increases ‘relaxation’ chemicals in the brain. [The patients] weren’t so bothered by the pain.”



2. Anxiety and worry
People are great at problem-solving – we have that ability to imagine the future, know what might go wrong and strategise. However, if you’re constantly predicting bad things that might happen, it can cause suffering. Mindfulness teaches people to notice when they’re worrying and to return to the moment by recognising what they can see, hear and feel now, Adams says.



3. Eating issues
Eating mindfully without any distractions and appreciating everything from the feel of the cutlery to how you cut the food, the muscles you use to raise the food to your mouth, and the texture, smell and taste of the meal as you chew it slowly can all reduce overeating, Adams says.

Mindfulness can also help with emotional eating. Many emotional eaters will head to the fridge as a reaction to stress or boredom without even thinking about it. Mindfulness teaches them to check in with themselves and their thoughts first.



4. Household chores
The staff at Adams’ Sydney practice used to argue about who should do the washing up – until they discovered mindfulness. “Mindfulness gives me a break from my head as I stand in front of a sink filled with hot, soapy water, and feel the texture of the cups,” Adams reveals.



5. Being stuck in a traffic jam
The commute to and from work can be testing. “You can either struggle with it and think, ‘Bloody traffic, what’s going on? I’m going to write a letter to the RTA,’” Adams says. “Or you can accept it and instead focus on the feeling of your hands on the steering wheel, the sun on your arms and the music on the radio.”



6. Relationships
If you’re feeling grumpy, it’s easy to take it out on your partner. In modern life, we rarely stop to examine how we’re thinking or feeling, we just react. So we might walk in the door after a bad day at work, thinking, “I bet he hasn’t started dinner.” And if he hasn’t, it can quickly lead to a row.

Mindfulness teaches you to recognise these negative scripts in your head before they play themselves out, which helps to improve your relationships, Adams says.



7. Parenting
Working parents can find mindfulness particularly useful. “I had a client who was a busy mum, racing home from work to tuck the kids into bed and read them a story. She’d rush through the story and if the kids asked what a word meant, she’d get annoyed,” Adams says. “She used mindfulness to really be present and aware. She later told me, ‘I had the best time doing that story.’”