Archive for April, 2009

Anti Aging Moisturizer – Does Virgin Coconut Oil Work On My Skin?



Individuals are prepared to invest 1000s of dollars on remedies and anti-aging goods to appear youthful and stay young. Numerous skincare businesses declare they’ve found a perfect answer for that aging issue. It is extremely difficult for normal customers to find out which one really provides the best results.

Numerous anti-aging goods by brand name businesses include components or chemical substances that may be bad for the skin over time and can additionally create unwanted effects. This really is one of the numerous reasons top quality natural anti-aging goods are gaining popularity. A particular all-natural anti-aging product that has gotten the attention of many individuals is actually Virgin Coconut Oil.

Using virgin coconut oil on your skin helps you to take away the external coating of the dead skin cells and makes the skin sleek and soft. It may also help to deal with premature aging, wrinkles of your skin, prevent skin cancer, degenerative illnesses, heart illnesses, joint disease, most cancers and diabetic issues.

It’s also a strong healing agent because of its anti-inflammatory, anti-neuralgic, antibiotic and antioxidants. No surprise this particular oil is considered by many as a fantastic recovery agent on the pores and skin along with other diseases additionally.

Virgin Coconut Oil offers higher level of anti-oxidants that permeates deep into the pores and skin and battles toxins and formation of facial lines. Once the pores and skin manages to lose its flexibility, signs of getting older appear in the form of facial lines. Virgin Coconut Oil helps your skin to keep its elasticity, which is important for skin to stay youthful and firm.

It’s regarded as among the best all-natural oil for skin lotions. Whenever put on your skin it permeates deep in to the cellular framework of the connective tissue. This keeps the connective tissue tough and versatile thus reduce the aging process. It’s among the most natural as well as efficient anti-aging product.

It’s also an effective skin moisturizer. This keeps your skin moisturized and nicely revitalized by sustaining the moisture, giving the skin a young look.

When looking for coconut oil, ensure that you select natural unprocessed virgin coconut oil. Numerous industrial quality coconut oils are made from copra, the dried out meat of the coconut. Using the Copra method permits the company to produce more oil. Nevertheless, because most of the copra is actually dried out under the sun in the open air, they’re subjected to molds and bugs.

Consequently, businesses need to refine, whiten, and deodorize them with high temperature and chemical substance before they can market the ultimate products. The healing forces and the natural smell of coconut oil are eliminated in the refine process.

This particular oil can also be frequently hydrogenated or partly hydrogenated. Research indicates hydrogenated oils may increase serum levels of cholesterol, which cause cardiovascular disease.

Consequently, it is crucial to make sure to look for unprocessed virgin coconut oil when you’re searching for one. On top of that, they should be naturally grown without needing any kind of pesticide. Natural virgin coconut oil is actually high quality and is commonly a little more costly. Nevertheless, it’s well worth the extra cash to get the most advantages for the skin.

Natural Health – 4 Practical Alternative Health Care Medicine Ideas



Natural Health is alternative health care medicine for our bodies, our planet, and our relationships.

The term “natural health” seems to be thrown around with abandon at everything, describing a mixture of philosophies, products, ideas, and opinions. It can be as varied as “taking walks in fresh unpolluted air, to eating organic foods, and countless other definitions in between. A slippery eel that slithers out between our grasping fingers, the concept of natural health does not give us anything firm to hold on to, no framework that is useful for guiding life choices.

This is unfortunate for a concept this important.

After years of researching and experimenting with lifestyle choices and activities that would keep me healthy and off of the surgeon’s table, I have come to understand that natural health goes beyond mushy meanings and has some very practical uses in our society.

First, as a society, we do not take personal responsibility for our own health. We depend on doctors, who depend on the prescription pad, or surgery to “heal” us. While I am certain that advances in medicine have leapt forward over the last century – particularly for accidents and trauma – we can do personal work that can keep us healthy, minimize synthetic drug use, and save ourselves time and money. We just need to decide to do it.

Secondly we need to understand that our bodies are small biochemical factories that run on subtle energies and electromagnetic fields. It is this energy flow through the body that keeps us alive and healthy. Eastern cultures have understood this relationship of energy and health for centuries. The Chinese word for life energy is “Chi”, in Japan, it is “Ki”, in India it is “Prana”. There is also a nice tie-in with spirituality in these ideas, if you choose to pursue that.

Western medicine is more and more understanding these ideas and how they relate to healing. To stay at our best health we need to pay attention to building the strength of our life energy

Next, we need to take care of the planet….. the ball of matter on which we all are passengers through space and time. A clear eyed look around at our environment will show that we have stress fractures in how we grow our food, and how we treat our oceans, rivers, and lakes, and the air that we breathe. If we want to preserve it, and keep it healthy, we must all do even little things that respect our planet, and environment.

Finally, there is the matter of relationships with other people, other cultures, other governments, other races. The world is far too tribal and contentious and that leads to stress and conflict – some of which are wars that chew up lives and money. We need to actively seek harmony with others, and not conflict.

All of this together makes an expanded, more useful definition of natural health. Using these practices creates a true alternative health care medicine for our body, mind and planet. The 4 Natural Health Practices give us a simple framework for living life naturally, and a definition that helps get past all the hype in the marketplace regarding natural health.

They are not necessarily actionable by themselves, but if we adopt the spirit of them into our consciousness, it will help us to make better life decisions and we will be inspired to learn the details of how we can do each one of them well.

The 4 Natural Health Practices

Strengthening Life Energy Putting the right things in the mind and body Harmonizing – with others and the environment Exercising the mind and body

Overcoming Fat Loss Excuses – Useful Facts You Might Not Know



The road to weight loss is fraught with excuses. Even before a person has gotten there, fat loss excuses have already blocked the way. Sometimes, these excuses stem from misinformation from those who have failed in their quest to regain their slimmer figures. Knowing that these excuses are simply that– excuses– should make anyone seeking to win over the battle of the bulge understand that overcoming them is possible. All it takes is the right knowledge and enough motivation.

Fat Loss Excuse 1: I’m too busy to exercise.

Busy is only a state of mind. Sure, life is hectic. There will always be work and family demands made of our time. And until the kids get out of the house or until we retire, we will always be running after the clock. However, effective self-management is the answer to this excuse. There will always be 24 hours in a day and if we learn to divide these into manageable chunks, there will surely be a time for everything. Putting an exercise regimen early in the day will almost always guarantee adherence. It will also set the mood for the rest of the day. Those who exercise early in the morning before doing any other activity are seen to be more productive and more able to handle the stresses that a particular day offers. However, if you find it difficult to wake up early in the morning, then exercising after work late in the afternoons or early evenings, is also possible. Remember that the key is to set a regular schedule for your regimen. It doesn’t matter if you do it early in the morning, midday or late in the afternoon.

Fat Loss Excuse 2: I can’t afford a gym membership and/or a trainer.

You don’t need a gym or a trainer to lose the fat. You can simply walk for 30 minutes everyday and you’re on your way towards losing the excess weight. You can buy exercise videos and do your weight loss regimen right in the comfort of your very own home. You can go to a local pool and swim there. You can do bodyweight exercises at home. You can dance to your heart’s content. You can run or jog at the beach if you live near one. Seriously, all these methods of losing weight won’t cost you a cent. All you need to invest in is a good pair of shoes, comfortable apparel and a little music to take along, and you’re good to go.

Fat Loss Excuse 3: If I stop, I’ll gain all the weight back.

Then don’t. Seriously, once you experience the benefits of exercise to your health and wellbeing, you won’t be worried about gaining all the weight back since you will make this a lifetime habit. If you do happen to stop for some time for whatever reason but still maintain healthy eating habits, you won’t balloon up right away, as misinformed misfits would like to have your believe.

Take note that losing weight takes commitment. And too often taking the first step is the hardest. Getting these excuses out of the way is crucial if you want to engage successfully in any weight loss program. Always keep in mind that your health is far more important than any excuse you can ever make

Hair Care – Easy Does It



Rough treatment of any kind – whether shampooing, brushing, or something else entirely – can damage individual hairs permanently. Unfortunately, once a strand is damaged, it can’t be repaired. To keep the damage from moving up the strand and compromising more of the hair, a haircut is your only option. To keep hair shiny, and voluminous, you must be mindful of how you treat strands. Abuse them and you will be repaid in split ends, frayed shafts, and brittleness.

Styles to avoid

Each person’s hair has a different personality. Except for the area around my face, where it’s straight, my hair likes to wave in zigzags down my back. Perhaps your hair’s natural inclination is to hang stick-straight or to leap away from your head in crazy curlicues. Fight your hair’s disposition and you end up in a battle of wills for hairstyle dominance. Sure, you can make your ringlets straight, but you’re going to have to beat them into submission with a relaxer service, or blow-dry them every morning, and perhaps you’ll even need to use a straightening iron.

If you want to live peacefully with your hair, you’ve got to learn to accept it’s natural tendencies, which brings me to this rule of thumb: The more a finished hairdo differs from your God-given hair, the rougher you’ll need to be with your strands. For example, to look curly, straight hair must undergo permanent waves, curling irons, or being shaped by rollers. To look straight, curly locks must submit to relaxing services, the blow-dryer, or straightening irons. To look full, thin hair is often set on rollers and heavily backcombed. And so on. So when it comes to hairstyles, the least damaging looks (and the easiest to achieve) are those that go with your hair’s natural flow.

Using hair ornaments wisely

I grew up wearing barrettes. My sister always had ponytails. Every morning before school, I sat on my mother’s bed. She would stand next to me and run a fine-tooth comb through my long, wavy, very tangled hair. After parting my hair, my mother gathered the tresses above each ear and forced the strands into metal drugstore barrettes. Then she would go to work on my sister’s hair: pulling the strands tight for a neat, smooth finish, then winding the ponytail holder again and again and again around the blonde pigtails until my sister’s coif was secure enough to withstand tag, monkey bars, kickball and grade school boys. When we finally stumbled from the house and onto the sidewalk, we were joined by neighborhood girls wearing beribboned hair clips, plastic headbands, red or yellow rubber bands, baubled ponytail holders,or small barrettes shaped like bows or puppies. As we walked toward the elementary school, one of us, then another would move a hand toward our heads – but our strands were so tightly fixed in place that nothing ever moved.

The average non-damaged strand is strong enough to suspend 3/5 oz (100 grams) in weight.

During our childhoods, it seemed essential that hair stayed put. Today we know better. When hair ornaments pull tresses tautly in place, or when they clamp down tightly around strands, they stress the hair shaft and weaken its cuticle layer. (I won’t even go into the headaches that incorrectly worn hair ornaments can give.) When using hair ornaments, keep locks somewhat loose, do not overstuff the barrette, clip, or ponytail holder, and don’t wear the same style day after day – another way to stress certain portions of the strand and cause breakage. Furthermore, when shopping for hair ornaments, look for barrettes, clips, and headbands with smooth finishes. Ponytail holders should be soft with no visible metal that can catch hair – and don’t ever use rubber bands on hair. They are notorious cuticle-strippers.

Skin Care – Avoid These Ingredients Harmful to Your Skin



A beauty regimen is necessary for maintenance of good and young-looking skin. It depends on your skin type because our skin has its own response to skin care products. When you are looking for skin care products, take note of these ingredients which are toxic.

There are many carcinogenic chemicals that are used in varying concentrations among skin care products. They are toxic and can cause harsh skin irritations. Since, manufacturers are not required to disclose all the ingredients; there is almost no way of knowing what synthetic substances are found.

Artificial fragrances and colors can harm your skin. If you do not find an essential oil specified in the label, chances are, they used a synthetic one such as methyl chloride. Colors derived from coal tars are possibly carcinogenic too.

Petroleum derivatives such as coal tar, mineral oil and paraffin are used extensively in the skin care industry. They have been seen to be carcinogenic among test animals and must be minimized if not, stopped. From common creams up to high-end cosmetics use these substances.

Next to water, the most frequently used chemicals are parabens. They are used as preservatives and antibacterial substances. Parabens are very dangerous substances because they mimic estrogen thus causing long-term damage to cells. Research in the UK has shown that parabens can cause breast cancer, low sperm count, and osteoporosis.

When taking care of your skin, be extra careful with the products you buy. Taking care of your skin does not have to be expensive or high-class; you need not buy products from popular brands. It must be safe, and one way to do that is get to know the different toxic additives used in the skin care products you use everyday.

Using products with toxic chemicals every day and the toxins get accumulated. This can lead to many health problems. Practice reading the label of everything you buy, not only skin care products but your food, electronics, and every other item you purchase.