Ten Anti-Inflammatory Foods To Help Reduce Joint Pain

Try these foods to help reduce joint pain. 

Article Source - Get Healthy U

Top 10 Spices To Boost Brain Power

We spend time looking after our body so let us spend time looking after and improving our brain power.

Article Source - Home Remedies

Home Remedies To Treat Sunburn

Too much exposure to the sun resulting in Sunburn or Sun Blisters? 

 Here are a few Home Remedies which might help. 

1. Place a cool compress on sunburnt skin for immediate sunburn pain relief, for example, a compress containing Burow's solution (such as Domeboro Powder Packets -1 packet in 1 pint of water) to comfort and soothe sunburn.
2. Take a cool shower or bath to cool your sunburned skin.
3.   Try natural bath therapies to soothe sunburn pain and other symptoms include:

• Add one cup of apple cider vinegar to a bath to help balance the pH (acid or alkalinity) of sunburned skin, and promote healing.

• Soak in an oatmeal bath. This is especially helpful for itchy, sunburned skin.
• Add some lavender or chamomile essential oil to the bath to help relieve some of the stinging and pain.
• Add 2 cups of baking soda to the bath to help ease irritation and redness from sunburn.
• Avoid soap or perfumes in the bath water as these can be drying on already dry and sunburned skin.

Article Source - Medicine Net

Top Tips For A Good Night's Sleep When it's Hot

So follow these top tips for getting a good night’s sleep even when it’s hot, hot, hot. Because if you can’t stand the heat… there’s no reason to keep out of the bedroom.

1.Use cotton or wool bedding

Synthetic material retains heat, whereas cotton is breathable and thus will keep you cooler. Wool’s ability to regulate body temperature makes it a fibre with high natural intelligence. Keeping bedlinen natural with fabrics such as organic cotton will work with wool to ensure a good night’s sleep.

The same goes for nightwear, too (and wearing cotton will keep you cooler than going naked!).

2. And put it in the fridge or freezer beforehand

No, really. Pop your sheets, pillowcases and duvet cover in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer 30 minutes or so before you go to bed. They’ll stay cool for a short while – hopefully long enough for you to get to sleep.

3. Buy a fan (and ear plugs)

Continental temperatures call for good old-fashioned continental measures: a pedestal or desk fan. And if the sound of a fan is going to get some getting used to, invest in a pair of earplugs, too.

4. Use your fan to make a DIY air-conditioner

For added coolness, follow Silentnight’s sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan's tip and place a pan full of ice cubes in front of your fan. The resulting breeze will cool the room down as the ice melts.

5. Stay hydrated

Chris suggests drinking a glass of water half an hour before bed to help keep body temperature levels low throughout the night.

6. Put ice packs on your pulse points

And an ice pack isn’t just for keeping picnic drinks cool! They can also be used as handy cool packs for your body: just place them on your wrists, ankles and neck.

7. Have a tepid shower or bath before bedtime

A cold shower or bath will actually have the effect of raising your body temperature, so to stay cool, make sure the water is tepid. If you don’t have time for a shower or bath, do as Dr Nerina advises and run your feet and wrists under cold water before you go to bed.

8. Sleep in cool wet socks

Or even a damp T-shirt. The heat produced by your body will cause the water in the clothes to evaporate - producing a cooling effect on your skin and lowering your temperature.

9. Keep a flannel – and a plant mist sprayer – by your bedside

As Dr Nerina says, popping a flannel in the fridge for an hour or so before bedtime will produce a lovely cooling cloth to put your forehead as you drift off. And if you need cooling off during the night, simply reach for the mist sprayer!

Article Source - The Wool Room & BT

The Health Benefits Of Water Melon

The Amazing Health Benefits of Watermelon

Article Source - Organic Facts

Why Are We Addicted To Certain Foods?

There are lots of debate around what is keeping us in weight gain mode.  Which are the best diets? Is it low carb, low fat, Keto, Paleo diets?  It's a minefield.  Experts say everything in moderation and a balanced diet is required.

Some foods have added sugars which make us crave more.  Here is a visual which might explain what our body is telling us. Once we identify it, we can replace with what our body actually needs.

Article Source - madeyourbodywork.com

Did You Know That Meditation Helps Increase Brain Power?

Did you know that your measurable level of intelligence (IQ), memory, focus, and overall brainpower are not permanently set levels? 

And that, there are things you can do to make yourself much smarter, no matter your age?

It's true, once believed to be constant beyond a certain life stage, mainstream science has now accepted that we all can upgrade our brain in many different ways.

What then, is the number one method of building a better brain?

Meditation. There are an infinite number of ways meditation can naturally increase your memory, brain power, focus, and intelligence,

Meditation spurs your brain to optimize itself by stimulating the formation of extra nerve cells, causing them to multiply and strengthen their interconnectivity, bulletproofing them from the otherwise normal age-related wear and tear. 

Meditation will pave an interstate highway network of new neural pathways, update existing connections, and make your brain incredibly adaptive and resilient — the best ingredients to thrive in our ever-changing world.

As your high school gym coach drilled into your head, "use it or lose it" is not only applicable to your physical musculature — your memory also needs to be worked out with regularity. 

Luckily, meditation is the heavyweight brain-building champion of the world.

Article Source - EOC Institute

What Is The Difference Between Dry & Dehydrated Skin?

Dry and dehydrated skin share many of the same signs and symptoms, but they are actually quite distinct. Here is a quick breakdown of how these two skin care problems differ:

DRY SKIN

Dry skin is classified as a skin type and is inherited through your genetics. Skin Inc defines a dry skin type as one that is predisposed to inadequate production of the skin’s natural oils. In addition, dry skin can be connected to hormonal imbalances or an underactive thyroid. This can inhibit your skin’s sebum production, contributing to a complexion that is dry and lackluster in appearance. While your dry skin type can’t be changed, you can improve its appearance by adding oil-infused products to your skin care routine.

DEHYDRATED SKIN

Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, is a skin condition. It is caused by external elements (weather and seasonal changes), unhealthy diet (lack of fresh produce) and lifestyle choices (alcohol or caffeine consumption). All of these factors deplete your skin’s water content, resulting in a less supple appearance. A key takeaway is that dehydration is characterized by a lack of water - not oil; even oily skin types can become dehydrated. Luckily, dehydrated skin is temporary and can be relieved with a combination of topical treatments and lifestyle changes.

How To Fix Dehydrated Skin

To fix dehydrated skin, you need to address your skin care routine and your overall health. This means hydrating from the inside out as well as treating dehydration topically.

1. WASH WITH A GENTLE CLEANSER & LUKEWARM WATER

The best way to cleanse dehydrated skin is with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water. Choose cleansers that are free of harsh chemical additives and artificial fragrances that can strip the skin of beneficial moisture and aggravate sensitivities. At Eminence Organics, we choose only the best organic ingredients and keep our skin care free of harmful chemicals like added parabens, petrolatum, mineral oils, propylene glycol and sodium lauryl sulfate. To cleanse dehydrated skin, we recommend using a product like Wildflower Cleansing Balm or Stone Crop Cleansing Oil which gently melt away impurities, hydrate skin and leave no residue.

2. USE A HYALURONIC ACID SERUM

Hyaluronic acid is extremely effective in replenishing dehydrated skin. As a humectant, this miracle ingredient helps bind and retain moisture, keeping skin soft and pillowy. According to ELLE, hyaluronic acid has the ability to hold up to six liters of water and “works as a magnet for moisture, helping your cells retain as much of it as possible so that your skin feels and appears hydrated, plump and healthy.” At Eminence Organics, we source botanical hyaluronic acid from marshmallow plant extract and infuse it into deeply hydrating serums like our Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum and Firm Skin Acai Booster-Serum.

3. AVOID CAFFEINE & ALCOHOL

Caffeine and alcohol are two of the worst offenders for dehydrated skin. Both substances are diuretics that compromise your skin’s health by depleting its water content. And, alcohol doubles down by hindering the production of the hormone vasopressin which is essential for rehydration. If you can’t imagine getting through the day without your morning latte, fear not: The general consensus is that one to two cups of coffee per day and a glass of alcohol in the evening is a-okay.

4. SKIP HARSH FACE SCRUBS

Exfoliation is a no-fail way to brighten a dull, dehydrated complexion. Healthy skin takes 25 days to renew itself naturally, and dehydrated skin takes even longer. Proper exfoliation accelerates skin cell turnover by sloughing dead cells from the surface to reveal the new, healthy cells underneath. For dehydrated skin, we recommend avoiding gritty scrubs that could irritate the skin. Instead, opt for a gentle exfoliant like our Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant which uses rice and chickpea flour to gently buff away flakes and dead skin.  

5. PROTECT YOUR SKIN’S OUTER LAYER

The jury’s out on whether drinking eight glasses of water a day will drastically improve your skin’s hydration. Dermatologist Joel Schlessinger tells Reader’s Digest: “Sipping on water throughout the day is great for your body, but this hydration doesn’t actually reach your skin unless you’re extremely dehydrated.” The key is preventing water from leaving your skin by keeping its moisture barrier intact. One of the best ways to achieve this is with a topical treatment like Eminence Organics Lotus Detoxifying Overnight Treatment which uses jojoba oil to lock in moisture and prevent transepidermal water loss.

Article Source - Kristie Pike, Eminence

Great News For Those who Prefer the Natural Look

Makeup - Less Cake, More Skin

Celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta, whose client list includes beauties like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen and Olivia Munn, thinks the trend will be "beautiful, natural skin." 

He says, "We will be seeing a lot less caked on foundation and more focus on embracing your natural features. I personally love seeing someone’s freckles shine through their makeup! To this effect, I think we’re going to be seeing the heavy highlight start to disappear."  Great news for girls with freckles. 

To achieve that fresh glow, he recommends focusing on skin prep and trading in your heavy powders for a liquid formula.

Find a product that multi-task. Everyone is pressed for time, so when you find a product that can do two things at the same time, in the same application, it’s priceless.  Look out for a product that combines 'alpha hydroxy' and 'retinol', two powerful ingredients that help renew collagen and diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

Article Source - Patrick Ta & Stylecaster 

Does Having Sensitive Eyes Affect Make Up Application?

Having sensitive eyes presents something of an uphill battle when it comes to makeup. You want to wear your favorite products, but the potential for stinging, watery, and reddened eyes makes you shy away from enhancing what many women feel is their best feature. Get ready to play them up though, because there are ways to minimize the potential for your eyes to react to makeup, and they’re easy adjustments to make.

Ingredients to Avoid If You Have Sensitive Eyes

When eyes are extra sensitive and prone to watering, you must be diligent about checking ingredient lists for all the eye makeup you’re considering. First, make sure that the formulas you’re using are gentle and free of irritants.

A surprising number of eye-area products (including mascaras, eyeshadows, and eyeliners) contain potentially sensitizing ingredients, such as fragrance, “hidden” fragrance ingredients like ethylene brassylate, and denatured or SD alcohol. These greatly increase the potential for eyes to react.

If you prefer foundations or concealers that contain sunscreen—which is a great way to get extra protection from UV light—choose formulas with the mineral actives titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Although synthetic actives like avobenzone and octinoxate provide great sun protection, they also can irritate sensitive eyes when applied right next to them. Mineral-only sunscreen formulas are gentle on the eyes, so they’re the best way to go.

Clean Up Your Makeup Stash

We know it’s difficult to toss out makeup products, but the reality is that some of them need to be replaced on a regular basis. Mascaras and eyeliners should be thrown out between three and six months after opening because they can dry out or go “off” more quickly than powder-based products like eyeshadow. Mascaras and liquid liners also collect germs, which is less than ideal for sensitive eyes.

It's also helpful to be consistent about routinely cleaning the makeup brushes you use around the eye area. Don’t worry, you don’t have to wash them every day; in most cases, once a month is good enough. We have some helpful tips on how best to clean your brushes so you can get through this chore quickly and efficiently.

Thoroughly Remove Makeup

A critical step in taking care of your sensitive eyes comes at the end of the day. Always remove your makeup completely to make sure your eyes aren’t at risk for puffiness or redness the next day. Mascara and eyeliner have a greater chance of migrating into eyes if you have them on while you’re asleep, pushing them further into skin and the eyes themselves as you toss and turn. Since many people with sensitive eyes prone to watering tend to use waterproof formulas, make sure you have a gentle, fragrance-free makeup remover that’s strong enough to remove waterproof makeup without the need for rubbing or pulling at the eyes and eyelashes. In this case, how you finish is just as important as how you start!

Article Source - Paula's Choice

Need An Energy Boost?

Try these energy boosting foods to give you that extra lift.  Perhaps a sprinkle of these on your breakfast cereal or a tipple in your smoothie.

Article Source - Step into my green world.

Short On Time And Want A Quick 10-Minute Workout?

Short on Time? Try this 10-minute workout. You can roll out of bed on to your workout mat and before you know it, you are done.

Article Source - Hoganbo 

The Three Faces Of Life

Interesting Thoughts!

Article source - The Meta Picture 

10 Minute Chair Yoga Routine For Good Posture

As we are often short on time, this is a quick ten-minute routine to help you with your posture and stress relief.  Just be sure to warn the Boss before you start :)

Article Source - Social Hermit

Have You Ever Thought Of Exfoliating Your Scalp?

We all know what a face scrub is but have you heard of a scalp scrub? WHAT? I know!

As reported via Viva Woman, a hair scrub that supposedly helps to loosen buildup on the scalp.  By now, some of you are probably asking the necessity of scrubbing our scalp. Well, I would have asked the same had I not learned a thing or two about scalp health prior to this.

Like the skin on your face, your hair follicles can suffer from clogging due to sebum buildup. Perhaps some of you have felt some tiny pimples when you touch your scalp? Well, that’s one of the signs that your hair follicles are clogged and infected by bacteria.

When your hair follicles are clogged, they become unhealthy. Your hair will fall off easily and new hair growth will be impeded. You can try to apply hair growth tonic but the clogged follicles also mean that very little of the tonic is penetrating through the heavy sebum buildup to get to the roots of your hair. You’ll end up with wasted hair tonic…and wasted money.

An easy DIY scalp scrub recipe

Kiehl’s offers a Deep Micro-Exfoliating Scalp Treatment but it’s probably pricey. So Sesame figured out it should be easy to make a DIY scalp scrub considering we already have lots of recipes for the face.

Sea salt is detoxifying and is great for purifying. Plus its drying properties suit an oily scalp.

How to prepare and use sea salt scalp scrub

This DIY scalp scrub recipe is easy to prepare. Just scoop about 3 to 4 tablespoons of sea salt (not table salt and certainly not rock salt) into a container and pour coconut oil into the container. Mix the oil with the sea salt and it’s ready.

To use, make sure you first wet your hair. If you don’t, your hair might break after using the scrub. Also, it’s hard to scrub when your scalp is dry.

Once you have wet your hair, just rub the sea salt scrub directly onto your scalp by section. Massage your scalp and add more water along if the scrub gets too dry. (The massaging helps to promote better blood circulation that’ll encourage hair growth.)

Leave the scrub on for a few minutes before you rinse it off and shampoo. After shampoo, consider using a hair growth tonic as your hair follicle is now clean and more ready to receive the nutrients. Otherwise, blow dry and style your hair as usual. You should find your scalp clean and your hair looking fluffier after the wash.

Be careful - Drying and Hair Colour 

Although this DIY sea salt scalp scrub is easy to use and fairly effective in cleansing the scalp, it has its drawbacks.

First, sea salt is drying. This means that you can’t use sea salt too frequently as it’ll leach water from the hair and cause hair to become parched and brittle.

The coconut oil counters the dryness somewhat but a sea salt scrub isn’t great for hair colour either. Using it regularly can cause hair colour to fade quickly. Not so great when you've spent money to get your hair professionally coloured.

Finally, if you have a scalp wound, please do not use a scrub. You have heard of the idiom “do not rub salt into the wound”? Well, take it literally here.

"But this DIY recipe is quite effective in removing buildup on the scalp. I know because I just had my hair follicle scanned a few days ago. I haven’t done a scalp treatment for three months so the cleaner follicles must be the work of the sea salt scrub".

"I might try a commercial scalp scrub in time to curb my curiosity. But for now, I’ll make do with this DIY recipe. At the least, it cost much less than a salon treatment. I just need to remind myself not to use it more than once a week".

Sesame, Viva Woman

What Can Exercise Do To Your Brain?

Article Source - Doc Chat

Top Tips To Help You Look Like You Actually Slept 8 Hours.

1. Firm Up

When applied topically, caffeine tightens up the skin. Place cool, moist black-tea bags on your eyes for five minutes or use an eye cream that contains caffeine.

2. Stimulate Circulation

         Placing metal spoons in the refrigerator overnight can help minimize puffiness

         in two ways: 1) The cold temperature helps tighten swollen skin and 2) using the 

         rounded side to massage your eye area (from inner to outer corner) 

         helps jumpstart lymphatic drainage, since fluid can pool under your eyes while

         you sleep. 

         On that note: Make sure your pillow props your head up enough that you're not 

         lying flat; that's when fluid doesn't circulate properly, leading to the 

         gathering of under-eye bags in the first place

3. Stay Hydrated

The effects of alcohol can contribute to swelling and puffiness even under your eyes. Here's why: Drinking causes your blood vessels to widen and can even result in slight leakage from said swollen vessels, hence the reddish cast to your skin and overall puffiness. So, stick with the ol' one-cocktail-to-one-glass-of-water ratio to minimize waking up puffy. 

4. Limit Your Salt Intake

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (aka one teaspoon) a day, since salty foods can lead to swelling everywhere. To minimize the effects of sodium, load up on vitamin B-rich foods (like spinach) and foods that contain potassium, like bananas, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupe, since they can all help reduce bloating. And for more ways to lessen your salt intake.

5. Apply Hemorrhoid Cream (Seriously)

Sounds gross, but the main ingredient — phenylephrine — constricts blood vessels and helps shrinks your under-eye tissue, says dermatologist Audrey Kunin, founder of Dermadoctor. Apply a bit to the puffy area and wait for it to work its magic — just be careful not to get it in your eyes!

6. Focus the Attention Elsewhere

A quick solution for under-eye bags is to draw the attention away from the area. Meaning, choose another part of your face to play up, so the focus is directed to, say, your lips by defining them and filling them in with a bold color.

7. Swap Cucumbers Slices for Potatoes Slivers

Yes, this works and here's why: Potatoes contain a skin-lightening enzyme called catecholase that helps brighten your skin over time. To road-test this theory, lie back with a thin slice of potato over each eye, leaving them on for 10 minutes to allow the juice to seep into your skin. Do this twice a week to start evening out your tone

8. Take an Antihistamine

If you notice dark circles cropping up during allergy season, ask your doctor if you should try taking an antihistamine or using allergy-relief eyedrops, says Robert Mirsky, an ophthalmologist in New Jersey. "Allergens cause swelling in the vessels under your skin, and rubbing your eyes can bruise those same vessels, resulting in a darker shadow."

9. Upgrade Your Eye Cream

The newest eye creams tackle any kind of under-eye sitch you can think of — all you have to do is remember to reapply daily.

10. In a Pinch? Conceal...

The secret to covering up dark circles? Using a yellow- or peach-based concealer in a shade slightly darker than you'd normally reach for to neutralize the purple shadow under your eyes, says Klein.

Article Source - Carly Cardellino, Cosmopolitan.

Remembering An Inspirational Woman Today

Estee Lauder 1st July 1908 - 24th April 2004

Estee Lauder was an American businesswoman and founder of the Estée Lauder Companies, a pioneering cosmetics company. She was also one of the wealthiest self-made women entrepreneurs in America. 

Her company is based on a basic dream of every woman, to look and feel glamorous. 

She also held the special distinction of being the only woman on TIME magazine's 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century. Lauder was also the proud recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In 1988, she was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame. Her founded Estée Lauder Companies is one of the leading cosmetic brands in the world today, selling in over 120 countries and generating revenues of billions of dollars per year. 

What a lady!