Home Brewed Cosmetics

 

Robyn experiments with home brewed cosmetics despite knowing she might end up with egg on her face…

Here goes, my thinking is – when it comes to food we all know that fresher is better, nothing beats organic and removing traces of pesticides and chemicals guarantees better health. But when it comes to body washes and cosmetics no one seems too concerned about the chemicals and preservatives hidden in jars of cream. But, skin is highly absorbent and whatever is applied to the body will be absorbed into the blood stream. What’s more, it can do just as much damage as the chemicals ingested through eating. So my new dictum is: if it’s not safe to eat it’s not safe to put on my body.

Exchanging chemical options for home brewed fresh cosmetics isn’t that difficult. All it requires is a shopping list of natural ingredients, a few mixing bowls and time to test the results. That means a few different oils and then edibles like yoghurt, paw paw, oats, almonds, apple juice, honey, avocado and then some. My favourite tip is using the grains from your filter coffee as a scrub for areas with cellulite. Apparently the diuretic effect of coffee works really well to smooth these areas.

 

To get the highest potency from your chosen ingredient mix up your portions as you need them. Try some of these recipes for starters and let me know if you have any great recipes to add.

 

Night cream and body lotion (from NewYork based skin care specialist Lia Schorr)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon corn oil

1 teaspoons almond oil

2 teaspoons distilled water

Warm the oils in a double boiler. Add water. Use a mixer to blend until creamy. Decant into a suitable hygienic jar and store in the fridge. This will last for about a month.

 

Body Exfoliating Cream (from Zia Wesley-Hesford of Zia Cosmetics)

¼ cup plain yoghurt

¼ cup honey

½ cup fresh pineapple or paw paw

1/8 cup almonds

1/8 cup cornmeal

¼ cup oats

Blend the almonds finely. Add oats and cornmeal, blend for 5 seconds. Add all remaining ingredients and blend for 5 more seconds. Store in a glass jar and use liberally

 

Add any of the following ingredients for extra benefits.

 

Almond Oil: Used as an emollient, emulsifier or fragrance in soap, creams, lotions, lip balm and massage oil. Crushed almond meal can be used as a scrub and eliminates blackheads and enlarged pores.

 

Aloe: Effective as an anti-irritant, treatment for minor burns, skin irritations and as a hair conditioner. Use in shampoo, hand and body lotion, facial moisturizer and suntan lotion.

 

Apple Juice: Use as a basis for facials, hand creams, hair rinses, tonics and masks.

 

Apricot: Contains vitamin A, the oil helps erase stretch marks and wrinkles.

 

Avocado: Containing vitamin A and B, protein and lecithin, avocado adds nourishment to creams and masks.

 

Balsam:  Oil extracted from resin, bark, roots and needles of evergreen trees can be used as fragrance, conditioner, emollient in shampoo, soap, body lotion and bath oil.

 

Banana: Rich in vitamin A and potassium and great for hair treatments and masks.

 

Chamomile:  Flowers and oil can be used to highlight blond hair and in shampoo and bath oil.

 

Bran: For deep penetration in face and body scrubs to remove dead skin cells and dirt.

 

Coconut:  Oil is used as a base for fragrance and derivatives of coconut are used as a foaming agent in soap, shampoo, cleansing cream, moisturizer and shaving cream.

 

Cucumber: Use as an astringent, emollient, skin freshener and toner in shampoo, masks and soap. Good for minimizing pores and soothing sunburn.

 

Egg:      Yolks are rich in protein and can be used to moisturize dry skin. Whole eggs feed hair follicles and add shine to hair.

 

Henna: Use as a hair rinse, dye and shampoo.

 

Honey: Anti-bacterial, soothing, softening and nourishing, can be used as a basis for all body treatments.

 

Jojoba Oil: Moisturizing and conditioning in shampoo, conditioner or facial cleanser

 

Lavender: Calming and balancing, an all purpose bathing additive.

 

Milk: Absorbed quickly by the skin and filled with protein and vitamins, add neat to baths or skin.

 

Oats: Ground oats absorb oil and work as an exfoliating agent in soap, masks and facial scrubs.

 

Peppermint: A fragrant oil for shampoo, bath bags, facial scrub and mask.

 

Seaweed: Can be used as a thickener and emulsifier in body and face lotion, cream, shampoo and mask.

 

Witch Hazel: Leaves, twigs, bark and trees are used as an astringent, in aftershave preparations, face lotion, friction lotion. 

 

Yoghurt: Kills harmful bacteria and works well with blemishes. Use in face masks and as a hair conditioner to treat dry scalp.

 

 

 

 

Food cravings…

This whole week has revolved around conversations about food. Everyone seems to be wrestling with either a need for a chocolate fix, a coffee addiction or pasta fixation. Last week we had a workshop at the Kloof street branch of Wellness Warehouse about that very subject – food cravings so I thought I would put down some of the solutions and causes we discussed. It seems that although our bodies crave certain foods when we lack minerals or vitamins, our cravings are more frequently connected to emotional eating. They often manifest when we ignore the cravings that come from the soul. We use food to replace what we aren’t doing in other areas of our lives. Cravings come when we have emotional issues we aren’t dealing with. They might plague us because we need comfort or love. Getting them in check can be done by sorting out emotions, getting into an honest relationship with ourselves, pin-pointing nutritional requirements, balancing meals to incorporate all six tastes and burning oils to stabilize emotions. I have started with the emotional aspect then gone on to eating and nutrition. See how far you go in getting your cravings in check.

Starting with you…

Most of us feel an urgent need to live life to its fullest. To answer the whisperings that come from the soul; to truly embrace life and live expansively. Whatever this might mean for you, it could be changing your career, getting into or out of a relationship, going on a huge adventure, sorting out an anger issue, you know what yours might be. Unfortunately through fear or apathy we ignore the cravings of the soul. We make excuses – I will do it next year, I can’t because of x,y,z….

When we don’t acknowledge our desires and take steps to make them happen our soul cravings try and get us to notice them. Often they manifest as cravings of another kind. The craving to eat, to smoke, drink another cup of coffee, hit the bar, the mall, we each have our own preferred type of self-defeating behaviour.

To get on top of this, the first place to start is to acknowledge your desires. Here’s how.

Take a mental snapshot of your life.

Look at all the different areas – relationships, friendships, career, hobbies, mental stimulation (study/education), personal appearance, fitness and health, emotions, daily enjoyment, routine, adventure, excitement…..What do you feel? What do you see? What comes up as urgent, what nags you? What excites you?

Identify a few of your desires; try finding one in three different areas like love, money and adventure. Adventure could be: go to Morocco; learn how to ride an off road motorbike, study wild dogs, learn how to flirt outrageously. Money could be: earn more, charge more, sell your creative talent, have a savings account, win the lotto, make a budget, be fabulously wealthy

Love could be:  repair a relationship, fall in love, get a pet, love myself more. Write yours down and keep them, this way they will nag you – let them do that.

The second step is to become important to yourself. Establish that you are important enough to follow your desires. In this area you will come up against the type of relationship you have with yourself. Most of us have a failed relationship with ourselves. We wouldn’t treat a guest in our home the way we treat ourselves; going a whole day without eating, not taking time out to rest, ignoring the things we want, not living our best life. See how true this is for you. Then, vow to make a commitment to yourself. Shift your attitude from ‘how does my life look or ‘how do I look’ into ‘how can I care for myself’…

Take all your disappointments and self-criticism and see how much energy you use on berating yourself. Now take this energy and use it to see how you can care for yourself. This will be the beginning of a new attitude creating a dedicated shift towards an alliance with your body and yourself. From this place we learn to discern our body’s subtle messages and the means to respond in a healthy way. From here we can resolve self blame, criticism and negative body images present in so many lives.

So, being in harmony with yourself, your desires and who you are creates a level of honesty and integrity with yourself that won’t provoke activities that work against you. 

From here, things get a lot easier. We no longer have to rely on willpower or a fight against our desires to keep our cravings in check. With an unsuccessful relationship with the self we are not in harmony and rely on willpower to keep our cravings in check. This requires a huge amount of energy. We find ourselves in a complex power play between control and submission, will power and defeatism. Sometimes we fall into addiction. Resolving the emotions attached to eating is essential and more effective than using will power to resist cravings. When using will power the feelings of deprivation produced create stress and imbalance. Not fighting the force of craving but redirecting it towards caring for ourselves, is an easier option requiring less discipline.

Step three involves moving right into your hungers. Not repressing them or trying to push them away but seeing what they really represent. In moving into our hungers we learn to consume what we want and what we need. We can learn to differentiate between our body’s real hungers for physical sustenance from our emotional cravings for things like self-esteem, love, meaning, boundaries or fulfillment. Don’t try and suppress your hungers or cravings, go into them. Feel what your craving feels like, follow it, see if it takes you somewhere, see if it has any pictures or feelings attached. Try and locate an emotion, a colour, maybe a texture, a question, a sadness or frustration. Think of this exercise as the art of the inner meal. When dedicating your focus on the presenting problem (I can’t stop binging on chocolate), the problem gets bigger, but looking at what is behind the cravings (I feel unloved) helps us to reframe them and heal them on a different level. Sometimes when doing this they naturally dissolve.

Discerning the difference between Physical versus Emotional Eating

At first it is hard to differentiate between physical hunger and hunger that is emotionally-based. By becoming more in tune with your cravings you will be able to tell the difference.

A physical craving won’t go away if you wait it out. It will still feel like a physical craving.

An emotional craving doesn’t have any true physiological hunger behind it. It won’t increase if you wait it out or distract yourself. What will happen is the underlying emotion behind your hunger will increase. It will go away if you satisfy what the real need behind your food craving is. If its love, speak to someone that loves you and affirms you, if you are exhausted, take a nap.

You know you are Emotional eating when:

• You find yourself eating something without realizing it.
• When you eat after experiencing certain emotions, like anger, boredom, or sadness.

 

Be conscious of what you’re eating and take a few deep breaths before you reach for the donut. Assess whether you’re really hungry or just eating mindlessly. Find a more positive way to work through these emotions. Go for a walk to clear your thoughts instead of turning to food. Compulsive eating can be changed into mindful eating through a process of awareness. Although this may initially produce resistance or anxiety, it will reveal the motivating reasons or negative feelings that are causing the compulsion.

 

Balancing emotions behind the craving

In terms of emotional eating repeated trips to the kitchen for something to nibble on or diversions to the café for a chocolate fix have nothing to do with being hungry. These compulsions are merely servicing an unsettling emotion like anger, insecurity, restlessness, fear or loneliness. We trick ourselves into thinking our cravings can be fulfilled through chocolate, coffee, peanuts or pastries when in actual fact it is a feeling of wholeness we crave and not a taste.  Pratima Raichur, author of Absolute Beauty (Bantam) believes that when we have a craving, it is not so much the taste we want as the sense of balance it gives.  

 

This means that since the scent of a food has the same balancing effect on the mind as its taste, you can get the satisfaction you are seeking by smelling it rather than eating it. You can ‘eat’ a taste with any of the senses to satisfy psychological hunger.

 

Alternative solutions for emotional eating:

COMFORT CRAVINGS:

If you crave Carbohydrates and/or Sweet or Creamy Foods this indicates a desire for nurturing, calming and grounding energy and will accompany feelings, whether conscious or not, of anxiety, insecurity, restlessness, fear, worry or upset.

Solution: Dab a sweet oil like orange blossom or neroli on your pulse points or massage the oil into your body. Find a memory of something sweet and dwell on that instead of following the craving. Have a loving conversation with a friend, listen to sweet music or drink fennel tea.

ENERGY CRAVINGS:

These usually involve a desire for coffee, coke or chocolate to balance feelings of dullness, lethargy, sadness and depression.

Solution: Burn pungent oils like bergamot, clove or rosemary, play loud and lively music, have a stimulating massage or drink ginger or Chai tea with honey.

SETTLING DOWN CRAVINGS:

Cravings for salty foods like nuts and chips often reflect feelings of extreme frustration, anger, annoyance or excitement.

Solution: Use sweet scents like jasmine or sandalwood, take moonlight walks, have a calming massage and drink licorice or cardamom tea.

 

Eat with mindfulness

Be present when you sit down to a meal, turn off the television and radio, don’t read or work and take stock of any feelings that come up as you eat. Chew each mouthful 100 times. Make a rule to never eat standing up. Don’t eat something unless it’s on a plate. Eat with your fingers. Eat quietly, don’t talk. Give thanks before you eat. Notice what it is you are eating.

Keep in mind that all body tissue is formed from the nutrients we consume. Realise that foods we usually choose to deal with our cravings, like stale processed and lifeless foods, are those that create ageing and lifeless bodies. Eat a physical diet rich in fresh foods and a mental diet of enlivening thoughts and loving feelings. When we are totally balanced in body, breath, mind and spirit, psychological hunger, which is at the root of all eating problems, is not an issue.

 

Balancing tastes

There are so many conflicting messages about what constitutes a healthy diet. Most advice concentrates on excluding foods. Ayurveda (an Indian system of medicine) recommends that all tastes be experienced at each meal. This means sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter and bland. When all tastes are satisfied we won’t have any cravings that tempt us to eat junk food. When we eat a balance of tastes, the mind is balanced. When we have peace of mind, life is balanced. When we have a disproportion of any taste, the mind is easily swayed by emotions. Tastes have corresponding emotions as seen below. See if the foods you eat more of match up with the emotions you feel and then balance these emotions by eating a variety of tastes.

 

TASTE                         EFFECT IN PROPORTION     EFFECT IN EXCESS

Sweet                           love, satisfaction                        desire, attachment, need, passivity

Salty                             mental ease                               mental rigidity, greed, addiction

Sour                             mental acuity                             envy, regret, resentment

Pungent                        ambition, motivation                   hate, anger, jealousy, aggression

Bitter                            mental clarity, insight                 grief, disillusionment

Bland                            optimism, well-being                  fear

 

Other Reasons Why We Crave

Nutrition:

Cravings usually take place when we haven’t been eating properly. We crave when our blood sugar levels are low, which is what can happen if we don’t eat healthy foods rich in vitamins, nutrients and protein in regularly-spaced intervals. When we crave, our bodies usually seek foods that are high in calories or fat in order to satisfy the void in our stomachs. The foods we crave have deeper roots; for example, if we are lacking minerals like zinc or magnesium, which are found in meats, we might crave a chocolate bar, which contains the same ingredients.

 

Childhood conditioning

As children, we were raised to associate food with certain emotions. For example, you may have got chocolate for finishing a homework assignment, ice cream for getting your tonsils out, chicken soup when you were sick. This type of rewarding reinforces food with feeling comforted or acknowledged. When we need comforting in adult life we might unconsciously reach for one of those foods. This association between comfort foods and an emotional state of mind is hard to break in adulthood. With awareness it becomes much easier.

 

Body Intelligence:

The often overwhelming desire to eat has long been explained as an evolutionary quirk dating back to when food was scarce. Craving is a normal occurrence and as long as we don’t let it get out of hand, it doesn’t pose any major risks, emotional or physical. But cravings do have a fundamental psychological component that we must all be aware of. Some common emotional triggers are: stress or anxiety; loneliness; anger; PMS; and sadness or depression, feeling unfulfilled or trapped, boredom etc. Food craving is a safety mechanism built into our bodies. When we were hunter gatherers, those cravings, made us go out and source the food our bodies wanted. Today we only need to go to the supermarket or the fridge to satisfy our cravings. Scientists have theorized that we crave fatty, salty and sweet foods, because favouring them proved an evolutionary advantage.

SUMMARY OF WAYS TO REDUCE CRAVING

Control Your Emotions

Keep cravings under control by analyzing what’s really going on in your life. By reflecting on what the positives and negatives are in your life you’ll feel more in control of your life and less likely to turn to food for consolation.

Try keeping a journal to analyze your thoughts and emotions. Jot down what activities a typical week includes, whether you like these activities and which activities you prefer to spend your time on.

Nurture what’s really missing in you life. Is it food you want, or love? If you’re feeling lonely or depressed, talk to a friend or loved one and reconnect with the people in your life. Find positive ways to cope with difficult situations in your life. Take up a hobby, such as a dance class, or join a local book club. This will give you an outlet through which to express yourself and also help you feel more connected to the outside world. Avoid an “all-or-nothing” approach when it comes to food (or life for that matter). If you’re on a diet or are simply being more conscious about what you eat, don’t let eating one “bad” food be the end of it. Acknowledge the indulgence, then move on.

Knowing your emotions means that you’ll be able to enjoy food without feeling guilty.

 

SATISFY ALL TASTES:  Have one meal a day that incorporates all the different taste sensations – salty, sweet, sour, pungent, bitter and bland. 

SENSE - Use your other senses to stimulate you - listen to a great song, watch something fabulous, have a bubble bath, Feed the real void in your life, and most of your food cravings will disappear.

STASH - Stock up on low-cal, low-fat versions of what you crave most.

SCHEDULE - Make an appointment with yourself to enjoy a small amount of your favorite item.

A little of something bad is better than too much of something good – Hippocrates.  

STALL - Most cravings dissipate after 20 minutes, so waiting it out may help.  Chew a piece of gum and then occupy your mind with some other activity.

SNIFF - Studies have shown that the scent of peppermint can cut cravings.  Pop a mint or slather yourself with a minty-smelling lotion or refer to the oil that matches what you are craving.  

SHIFT - Rather than focusing on eliminating a food entirely, think instead of cutting down your portions.

SEE - Looking at a new image can derail your urge for cookies and cake.  Distract yourself with pictures online or thumbing through a coffee table book.

SURRENDER – Give in once in a while.  Make sure you satisfy your craving with quality tastes so you really enjoy it.

STILL - Quiet your inner struggle with food and the cravings may disappear on their own.

SWIG – Drink a glass of water before you reach for a snack

 

For mentoring guidance on developing a successful relationship with yourself contact Robyn on thirdeye@icon.co.za or 083 320 8080

Toolbox for Insomniacs

For me, not being able to sleep is one of the worst things that can happen. A bad night messes up your entire day. Bloody eyed, wired, unreasonable and grumpy becomes your fate. And it gets progressively worse. The more you panic about it, the less you are able to sleep. At one stage I had my own batch of sleepless nights and started wondering what would happen to me if I never managed to fall asleep ever again. Then I found out. Peter Tripp, a New York D.J. volunteered to stay awake as long as he could. Apparently after 100 hours of no sleep he started to hallucinate. After 200 hours he couldn’t distinguish between reality and fantasy and became completely paranoid. His body functions were impaired, tests showed all sorts of awful things. Sleep, I found out is entirely necessary to restore depleted resources, repair damaged cells and brain chemicals; and clear away old superfluous information running around your head. Determined not to go the prescription route I started looking for some natural solutions. I found some breathing exercises, pressure points, visualisation, aromatherapy oils, stories, supplements, music and a way to reprogramme my body clock. Let me know if you have any other tricks to add to my list.

Natural Supplements

Sleep Boost from Bioharmony has Passion Flower, Hops, Lavender, Valerian and Gamma-amino-butyric acid, with tranquillising and calming properties. Good Night Tea and Passiflora also work. South African flower essences have Morning Glory Essence to help sleeping and waking up. For nightmares Orange Pincushion Essence, or Forget-Me-Not Essence which also helps sleep-walkers. Loquat Essence helps when you are sleeping to escape dealing with reality.

Breathing Exercises
Controlled breathing is noted for aiding relaxation and bringing on drowsiness.

Lie on your back or side, eyes closed, and begin with a few very deep inhalations, fill your lungs as much as possible. Exhale fully, drawing in your abdomen to expel as much air as you can. Repeat this three times, and at the end of the third exhalation hold your breath as long as you are able. Repeat this procedure two or three times, or until you feel drowsy. Or as an alternative try this repeated four or more times.

Exhale completely through your mouth. Inhale through your nose to a count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale through your mouth for a count of eight.

Pressure Points

Shiatsu identifies precise points on the body that promote sleep when stimulated.
Press firmly downwards with both thumbs for 10 to 15 seconds at the centre of the forehead at a point in line with the upper edge of the ears. Or press the thumbs for seven to ten seconds on points situated a finger away from end of each eyebrow just in from the end of the eyebrow and the outer edge of the eye. Another point is on the sole of the foot. Use both thumbs to press hard for 10 to 15 seconds on the sole about a third of the distance from the tip of the middle toe to the heel, between the second and third toe joints.

Visualization

The idea is to remove unwanted thoughts and worry that insist on trafficking your mind. Close your eyes and imagine yourself drifting into a sea of tranquillity. Use every sense to imagine the natural environment surrounding you. Taste the salt of the sea on your lips, feel yourself enveloped by warm water, hear the sound of the waves lapping on the seashore. Experience the warm sun on your face. Pick a soothing colour in the blue range to filter through the crown of your head and imagine it slowly flowing through each part of your body. Start to breathe deeply and rhythmically and let yourself float as if you were on top of the waves, drifting off to another level of consciousness.

Bathing with Oils

Formula to induce a sleepy disposition. Mix 4 drops of chamomile oil, 2 drops of lavender, 4 of neroli and 2 of marjoram. Lavender oil sprinkled on your pillow also helps.

Story Books

Engage your imagination with fantasy by reading story tales. ‘Once upon a time’ is a magical sentence that automatically relaxes. Avoid riveting thrillers and horrors.

Banish Worry

Dumping all worrying thoughts and issues onto a notepad before bedding down helps empty the mind. Jot down a few words that describe the worry knowing you will get to it in the morning.

Music

Listen to soothing music to lull you into dreamland. Try Sleep which comes with a full colour guide to sleep therapy or Classics for Relaxation from New World Music.

Bed Sense

Get a new mattress at least every ten years especially if it sags, makes noises or you feel bed springs or ridges beneath the surface. Turn your mattress regularly and clean it or leave it in the sun. Make sure your room is the right temperature and has proper ventilation.

Dreaming

Encourage good dreams by falling asleep with beautiful images flooding your mind. Stressful dreams can wake you up prematurely. A study detailing dream content found 20 dreams that induce stress, these are: falling, being attacked or pursued, trying to do something repeatedly, studying or school teachers, sex, arriving late, eating, being frightened, a dead loved one, being locked up, finding money, swimming, snakes, being dressed inappropriately, being smothered, being naked in public, fire, failing an exam, flying, seeing oneself as dead.

Adjust your Body Clock

Sleep clinics experience a high degree of success when adjusting the circadean rhythm. This is done by going to bed one or two hours later than usual and waking up one or two hours later until you have done a full cycle and reach your previous bed time, from then on stick to this time. An alternative is to go to bed four hours before you intend to get up. The next day go to bed five hours before you usually wake up. Carry on an hour earlier each time until you reach your normal bed time.

Author

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.  ~~Dr. Seuss   Whether you go alone or with a friend, the benefits of walking are many and varied. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, a brisk walk increases oxygen intake and gets the heart pumping, which in turn can contribute to lower blood pressure. Other benefits of walking include stemming the onset of degenerative joint disease, helping to reduce stress, and aiding in getting a good night’s sleep. 

I often hear people say that they enjoy walking after they get out the door and on their way—but that they find it difficult to get started. Knowing the benefits of walking just aren’t enough. Knowing the many personal rewards that can come with walking, however, have helped many of my clients get out and get moving.  

In order to find your motivation, choose from the categories below to identify your own personal rewards. Mix and match various types of walking in your schedule to prevent boredom and to reap the full myriad of benefits of walking.   Personal Reward: Spiritual/Mental Centering   In the book  Walking in This World , author Julia Cameron says, “Most of us spend life on the run, too busy and too hurried to walk anywhere. Beset by problems and difficulties, we feel walking is a frivolous waste of time. ‘When will I do it?’ becomes one more problem . . . the truth is that walking holds our solutions.”   Susan Cosio, a chaplain who recorded her essay, “A Daily Walk Just to Listen,” for NPR’s This  I Believe series , would agree. She says, “On my daily walks, I’ve recognized how to parent my children through difficult situations, been prompted to call a friend I hadn’t heard from in a while and felt compelled to reach out to strangers who soon became my friends. I believe in a daily walk to listen because that is when I am close to God; that is when I find my way.” 

The benefits of walking for these women went far beyond physical health and into the spiritual. This can be your personal reward for walking, as well. Focus on breathing, or end your walk with a labyrinth walk for additional centering.   Personal Reward: Multi-tasking   One of the many benefits of walking is that it requires no particular time commitment. Find times when you can sneak in short walks. One mother says, “My oldest one has cheerleading two times a week; while she does that I walk four times around the track with the baby in a stroller.”  Schedule the time to walk to appointments or classes. I try to always walk to the library and to my yoga class.   

Your personal reward might be walking on the treadmill so that you have time to read or watch TV while you walk. The benefits of walking, and in fact your personal reward, are twofold here—exercise and entertainment.  There are more than 80,000 regularly updated, free podcast (internet radio) programs now available for download onto iPods or other MP3 players. You can learn a language, get weight-loss tips, or listen to your favorite talk radio programs on your own schedule while you walk. Less tech-savvy folks can get a portable CD player and check out audio books from the library.    Personal Reward: Calorie Burning   Keep in mind that the number of calories burned while walking varies greatly according to your pace. A leisurely stroll burns about the same number of calories as activities such as putting away laundry and other housework—about 75 calories an hour; while race walking (at four mph) can burn up to 350 calories per hour for a 155 pound person. The more the that you weigh, the more calories you burn.  Have you seen people walking with trekking poles? This is known as Nordic walking. With the upper-body workout that ensues, you can stay at the same pace, yet burn 40% more calories.

The benefits of walking in this fashion are clear, and your personal reward will be weight loss and a new level of fitness.   Personal Reward: Socializing   This personal reward could fall under multi-tasking because you get to bond with a friend or family member while enjoying other benefits of walking as well. Just keep in mind that your companion may have her own pace and attention span. It could be nothing but an exercise in patience if you’re trying to get a cardio workout and your friend is constantly getting the dog leash unwound from the baby stroller.  Still, many people find that the ability to socialize is one of the most fulfilling personal rewards and one of the greatest benefits of walking.   Personal Reward: Accomplishment  

If you are the competitive type, then you’ll want to have a pedometer or track a specific goal. Even if you aren’t competitive by nature, marking your daily distance on a calendar, aiming to achieve 10,000 steps a day, or using a training schedule to walk a marathon may help to keep you moving. One of the greatest personal awards is a sense of achievement, and one of the greatest benefits of walking can be proving to yourself just how much you can achieve.

Author

No one can deny that people are having more and more trouble having babies these days. Just look at the explosion in the number of fertility clinics across the United States and Western Europe. What’s the cause; environment, diet, pollution? Well, recent research points to electromagnetic radiation as a key factor.

It’s known that electromagnetic radiation, in high doses, can serious affect your body. After all, an x-ray can see right through you! So, were always told to avoid exposure to high levels of any kind of radiation. Yet, what about repeated exposure to low levels; what are the long term health risks associated with that? That’s where the problem with cellphones comes into play.

Lots of people use them these days, and you can spend hours with one pressed up to her head or strapped to your waist, or even hooked to your ear all the time! As a result, you are getting a constant influx of radiation pumped into your body. You may think that such a minute amount of radiation is nothing, but the next time you’re done with a long phone call, run your hand over the side of your head. More than likely, it’s going to feel a bit warm. That is due solely to the radiation emanating from your phone!

Think about that; your skin made warm just from that. And, if your skin is warm, what’s going on beneath it? The radiation is heating your blood and bones, and the gray matter of your brain. None of that is good for you and your overall health.

So, what does this mean in terms of fertility? Doctors warn that pregnant women should not wear a cellphone unit at their waist as their developing fetus can be at risk for birth defects. Beyond that, the radiation can affect their ovaries and uterus, thus decreasing their chances of even conceiving. For men, the risks are similar. Keeping a cellphone clipping at the waist can adversely affect the testicles and a man’s sperm count.

When you consider that undeveloped nations are not having trouble with fertility as evident by their burgeoning populations the fertility problem is something related to our modern high-tech world. Some people will point to the foods we eat, to the chemicals in our water, and so on.

Yet, not everyone is having trouble having babies. More and more data supports the theory that electromagnetic radiation is the chief culprit. Check out the information available through various websites, and you’ll come to learn about the steps you can take to reduce the health dangers associated with cellphone use.

Author

Therapeutic massage has been used to gain physical and mental benefits for over a thousand years. However, more people than ever are now attending massage school, with the intention of getting massage therapy jobs.
Though therapeutic massage is prevalent throughout the world, it is more associated to Sweden from where it derives its name.

Massaging deals with the manipulation of the soft tissues associated with the muscles, ligaments, tendons, skin and several organs. Massaging is generally done on legs, arms, elbows, shoulder, face, forearms, fingers and feet. This is generally done by applying oil and stretching the muscles with hand, feet and with other mechanical devices. There have also been reported cases in Romania where a tame bear is used for massaging but perhaps your local licensed massage therapist might not offer this service!

There is a proclivity among human beings in general to rub a part of the body if they feel any pain or swelling so therapeutic massage makes a lot of sense. Though there are hundreds of therapies available, the most popular among them can be listed according to their usage as: Swedish therapy, Aromatherapy, Hot Stone therapy, Deep Tissue therapy, Shiatsu therapy, Thai massage, Ayurvedic massage, Reflexology, Sports massage, neuromuscular therapy, Myofascial release and Back massage.

Massage increases the endurance level and the vitality of the person receiving this treatment from licensed massage therapists; it normalizes the sleep and basic metabolism of the human body. It also reduces blood pressure, relaxes tight muscles, improves digestion, increases the libido, reduces inflammation and pain, promotes deeper breathing, increases pulmonary function in asthma, increases immunity, reduces the glucose level, improves posture,  increases blood pressure, reduces the affects of osteoporosis, helps in pregnancy ,quick  healing after injury, improves the skin condition  and relieves head, knee, back pain.
Swedish massage therapy is generally performed by long, smooth strokes, kneading and other mechanisms on the muscle by applying some oil.

This helps in the improved circulation of oxygen and other nutrients to the tissues. It also relieves the muscle tension and pain thereby increasing flexibility and mobility. It also removes toxins present in the body which reduces the pain present in the muscles and joints. This has enabled its usage for relieving back pain, arthritis and tendonitis, stress, headaches, migraines, spasms, strains, sprains, carpel tunnel syndrome, asthma and also helps in post injury/surgical rehabilitation.

Aromatherapy instead concentrates on treating allergies, stress, bruises, diarrhea, premenstrual syndrome, insect bites, insomnia, menopause, bronchitis, muscle and joint pain, scars, sinusitis, colds and flu.

Hot stone therapy involves the placing of heated stones on strategically placed positions. It helps in increased blood circulation, relieving osteoarthritis and arthritis pain, stress, anxiety, tension, depression, back pain and aches.

Deep tissue massage realigns the muscles and connective tissues. It generally helps in the removal of adhesions caused by muscle tension and injury; thereby restoring normal movement and relieving the pain.
Shiatsu helps in physical comforting by relaxing the body, relieves back pain, headaches, anxiety, insomnia, neck and shoulder pain, stress, constipation, depression. It also helps in swift recovery from injury and in premenstrual syndrome.

Reflexology involves the reflex areas of the body and hence it is generally done on the feet. It restores hormonal imbalances, sporting injuries, menstrual disorders, back pain, tension and headaches, digestive problems and stress.

Watsu is generally carried out in water and many massage schools have the facilities to carry this out. It is similar to shiatsu. This for of therapeutic massage increases the flexibility of spinal column. It also offers benefits similar to those offered by shiatsu from a licensed massage therapist who has studied for massage therapy degrees or similar courses at massage therapy colleges or massage therapy schools.

Apart from all these, there are also the effects of single dose and multi dose or sports massage, reflexology massage acupressure, hand massage, hand massage etc. Massage therapy jobs can be found that specialize in all these areas or ones which compass all or some of these areas of therapeutic massage. A single session of massage by a licensed massage therapist who has completed courses at a massage therapist school can generally help for restoring the body’s natural abilities for a while.

However, multiple dosages of massage can actually benefit the body over a long time. More than anything, the massage should be carried out in a proper way under a proper masseur. Hence authenticity should be verified before involving oneself in massage.

It is so difficult to know what to eat these days, one media article screams the detrimental effects of a certain food group while another lauds the same food. Wheat-free, low-carb, high protein, raw, no meat and more compete for first place in the dietary Oscars leaving a whole lot of wary people reaching for a pizza in confusion. And honestly, everyone is different, what works for one might not work for another. ‘Go with your gut’ I say. Use your body’s intelligence to tell you what it needs. If you want to adapt your eating habits, keep checking in as I am going to be summarising information on different eating philosophies starting with raw food. See if any of them ring true for you, but remember to eat with passion and enjoyment.

Eating a raw food diet
On the menu:
Uncooked and unprocessed food like fresh fruit and veggies, nuts, sprouted seeds, grains and beans, dried fruit and seaweed, freshly juiced fruit and veggies, soaked nut milk, coconut and fresh coconut milk.

Philosophy:
Living food delivers a potent supply of nutrients to the body. Cooking food is believed to destroy nutrients, life force and essential enzymes that help digestion.

Perceived Benefits:
Higher energy levels, reduced risk of heart disease, improvement in skin texture, less fermentation while digesting, weight loss, low in sodium and high in health giving phytochemicals. Fewer trans and saturated fats.

Tools you might need:
Good quality juice extractor, blender, food dehydrator, sprout soaker

Caution:
When starting a raw food diet you might experience detoxification symptoms like headaches and nausea, after a few days they will disappear and you will feel energised. Check with a professional to see if a raw food diet is appropriate for you.

You might need to supplement with Calcium, Iron, B12. Some dietary theories believe raw food diets are good for certain temperaments and not others. Chinese medicine stresses that the digestion needs to be strengthened before raw food is eaten.