Healing Effects of Lavender

Lavender has been used for hundreds of years as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which can be used to heal cuts, inflammation, dandruff, burns and bug bites.  It has become one of the most grown natural remedy for use of its oil.  The oil comes from the distillation of the flower spikes of certain lavender plants and is rich in phytonutrients.  Phytonutrients are beneficial to human health, they help to prevent certain types of diseases. Research has shown that lavender oil has been successful in treating depression, anxiety, insomnia and restlessness.  In fact, some studies have shown an improvement in gastrointestinal illness, headaches, toothaches, sores and sprains with the use of lavender oil.

Got Dandruff or Itchy Scalp?

Lavender oil can help scalp conditions.  Many dermatologists have been prescribing the use of lavender oil prior to suggesting medications for dry scalp.  The remedy:  Wet hair with warm water and towel dry.  Next, grab a mug and mix 15 drops of lavender essential oil in 2 Tablespoons olive or almond oil.  Microwave for about 10 seconds or until it feels warm.  Massage the oil into your scalp.  Using a shower cap, let the solution set on your scalp for an hour, then shampoo out.  It is perfectly safe to use multiple times.

Bloated?

Bloating can be caused by poor digestion from an overload of “bad bacteria” in your gut.  Sometimes when we take antibiotics this can happen as a side effect.  Antibiotics kill both the good and the bad bacteria in your body.  The remedy: Use dried edible lavender in your food.  Putting it into Greek Yogurt is especially helpful since the bacteria in this type of yogurt works super well to rebuild the good bacteria.

Stressed Out?

Ever have a stressful day?  Well Lavender can help with that too.  Research has shown that the smell of lavender can make you feel relaxed.  It has proven to slow down your heart rate as well as lower your blood pressure.  The remedy: If you’re feeling stressed out or just can’t go to bed, try putting some fresh lavender in a vase near your bed, or use a diffuser with some lavender oil in it to feel stress free.

Bug Bite Magnet?

Since lavender is a natural anti-inflammatory, it can help reduce itching, redness and swelling.  It won’t help you avoid the bites, but it will help afterwards.  The Remedy:  Dab a few drops of lavender oil on the affected area and wait about 10 minutes for it to seep in.  This remedy can be reapplied every 6-8 hours for the next 24 hours if need be.

So next time one of these issues arise for you, don’t reach for the medicine cabinet.  Go for the garden and try a natural approach to healing!

STRESS = EATING?

If stress trigger your need to put some food in your much, why not reach for something healthy that will also help alleviate the stress?  What type of food does that you ask?  Well check out these favorites…

1.  Chocolate – My number 1 favorite.  Eating a 1 oz. piece of dark chocolate can bring on a feeling of calm in less then 2 minutes according to researchers at UCLA.  The feeling can last up to 2 hours!  Chocolate contains a couple compounds that help boost alpha waves in the brain.  Alpha waves are the things that hep calm the brain down.  Who said eating chocolate is a bad thing!

2.  Carrots- Probably my number 2 favorite.  Munching on a handful of these crispy veggies also can help reduce nervousness by 20 percent according to those same researchers.  Actually any number of crunchy veggies can help with this.  The natural aggressive act of crunching between the teeth can actually increase endorphins  which are known to make humans feel good.  The same type of reaction that you can get from sex.  The calm effect can take place within 15 seconds of crunching!

3. Beans – Beans help to PREVENT sugar spikes.  When there are sugar spikes in blood levels a feeling of anxiety can also rear its ugly head.  Beans help equal prevent these spikes when studied among women.  Nearly 50% felts calmer after eating a bean dish (hummus).  The balanced blend of fiber, rote in and polyphenols that prevent tensions triggering blood sugar spikes and crashes can last for up to 4 hours!

Next time you feel stress or tension, its ok to eat.  But reach for something that will help you through it, not something you will feel guilty about indulging in afterwards.

 

 

Beware of Common Stress Inducers

When you’re a normal adult with responsibilities, stress is unavoidable, and added stress is definitely most unwelcome. Here are some common stress inducers that you have to beware of:

Dirty Room/Work Station. So you say you’re used to your messy room/work station and know how to navigate through it. Besides, you really got no time to fix things because of your hectic schedule. What you don’t know is that no matter how used you are to having a cluttered desk, it may actually be contributing to all the stress you have . It helps to take a bit of time, even just 10 minutes or so, in organizing your corner so that you can focus more.

Traffic Jams/Road Mishaps. When you live or work in a city, traffic jams and road accidents can happen anytime, even on a daily basis. It’s pretty much unavoidable so when it does, just close your eyes for a few seconds and breathe deeply. Getting all stressed out about it will definitely take you nowhere and may even affect the way you take on your tasks for the whole day. It pays to learn to let go of things you have no hold on. Use the time to think of all you need to accomplish for the day and work out a schedule mentally.

Know more common stress inducers?

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The Wonders of Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a therapeutic practice that originated in China as a martial art. It uses gentle flowing movements to reduce stress and promote body health. When I was in college, I took up Tai Chi as one of the my minor Physical Education classes. However, I was disappointed that the class ran only for a few weeks because I really wanted to master the art for all the benefits it can give.

For one, Tai Chi helps relieve stress through its use of diaphragmatic breathing and focused meditation. Tai Chi is also believed to aid decrease in diastolic blood pressure and to promote more efficient breathing. Furthermore, Tai Chi improves balance. I know this for a fact because this art uses a lot of positions which you can only master through the proper balance of feet. In addition, Tai Chi improves posture, muscle strength, and flexibility.

For more information on the health benefits of Tai Chi, you can go here.

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Belly Dancing

One of the things I’ve always wanted to try out was Belly Dancing, but somehow I never had the time. This art of dance has always intrigued me because it looked almost exotic and very graceful and feminine. In addition, I heard that it could also benefit the body and health in more ways than one. Here are just some of the supposed benefits of Belly Dancing that I’ve gathered:

1. It can improve posture and build the back muscles evenly. This is something I (and perhaps many people) especially need because I tend to hunch at times.

2. It tones the overall body. When we are in static positions most of the day, especially when we have a lot of work, we don’t use our muscles as much as they need to be used. Hence, they can become flabby or weak. Belly dancing is a lovely form of exercise that can tone our muscles in our enjoyable way.

3. It can reduce stress! To many people, belly dancing is a great stress reliever and one exercise that allows them to let go and be free of the negative thoughts for the whole session.

4. It can aid weight loss. More than anything, belly dancing is an exercise that burns the extra calories we have eaten within the day. No wonder more and more gyms are offering belly dancing classes.

What do you know about belly dancing? 🙂

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10 Reasons Why Badminton is Teh Bomb

Hearing a badminton racket’s “Whack!” when it successfully hits the shuttlecock often sounds like pure music to the ears of the eager player. Nevertheless, badminton is a sport that’s not only enjoyable but also very beneficial, health wise, because of all the running and jumping and general exercise involved. The following is a list stating just why playing badminton regularly would benefit you a whole lot.

1. It’s a proven fact that playing badminton regularly for at least 30 minutes a day after an adequate warm-up lowers the risk of early death by 23 percent. It can also add life longevity to middle aged people by at least 2 years.

2. Badminton is an exercise that can reduce all the unwanted stuff we have in our bodies such as bad cholesterols or triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins, and very low-density lipoproteins.

3. Playing badminton increases the level of high-density cholesterol which is also known as the good cholesterol that reduces the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.

4. Regular playing can decrease blood pressure by as much as 11/8 mm Hg, making the sport ideal for hypertensive individuals.

5. Badminton as a hobby and sport is suitable for people who are undergoing weight loss procedures. It’s the perfect activity that can be paired up with a healthy diet to make it easier to attain the optimal weight for one’s height and age.

6. Playing badminton helps prevent osteoporosis due to the frequent bone activities occurring as you play the game. It also allows the bone forming cells to produce more calcium which helps strengthen the bones.

7. Playing badminton regularly can help prevent diabetes, certain types of cancers, and other fatal diseases because of the exercise you will get while playing the game.

8. It keeps you feeling strong, well, motivated, enthusiastic, confident and young. Badminton also helps ward off depression, stress, and anxiety and can help build a great personality and sense of sportsmanship. It’s a very social sport.

9. Badminton is one of the most affordable sports to play, so you need not damage your wallet if you want to play!

10. And last but not the least, badminton offers an activity of pure, clean enjoyment and fun!

A Tip: Don’t forget to wear great-fitting and comfortable shoes to prevent knee, joint and feet injury. Get a rubber shoes with extra padding for that added support to the heels. Gear up on safety gear first so you can really kick ass on the court and have fun!

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Heat and Health

Last week I went to a gym to meet my friend who’s a member there. When I arrived, my friend told me that for that day, members’ guests could have free use of the sauna and some other facilities and so she asked if I wanted to avail.

Since I didn’t feel like sweating because I had no extra clothes with me, I declined. But had I known earlier, I probably would have tried the sauna and see what is there to it. I’ve never been to a sauna and have always wondered why a lot of people love going to one to envelope their selves in the heat treatment. I researched for actual health benefits and the following are just some of what they say to be the perks of going to a sauna.

Toxin Remover

 

The excessive sweating brought about by the sauna opens skin pores and allows the excretion of body toxins, body wastes and other impurities from the blood. Because of the intensely high temperature, we release and detoxify our skins in a more intense way than normal, everyday sweating.

Skin Invigorator

The high temperature of the sauna increases out heart rates and consequently, our blood flow. Increase in blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients reach our skin, allowing it to be rejuvenated and be healed faster from certain skin conditions like wounds and acne.

Stress Reliever

Many people go to saunas to relieve of some stress, as this is one of the main benefits of saunas that people do claim. Some critics say that this is the one and only real benefit of going to the sauna. Regardless, sauna promotes stress relief by releasing stress-inducing chemicals and toxins from the body through sweating.

Weight Reducer

When we exercise, our heart rates rise and our metabolisms increase, which can lead to weight loss upon regular doing. Because saunas increase our heart rates, many claim that regular trips to the sauna can also help us lose weight in the same way it burns some of the unwanted fat.

Of course, not everyone can go to the sauna. Experts advise pregnant women and people with heart or blood pressure complications to stay away from saunas because the intense heat may complicate their conditions. It would also help to drink several glasses of water before entering a sauna to avoid being dehydrated. Lastly, refrain from staying for more than 20 minutes.

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Women get the short end of this stick in many things, already. Adding fire to the flame is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Some believe it doesn’t really exist but those you suffer from it, KNOW it is a real condition. CFS is a feeling of exhaustion or weakness that is not relieved by stress.

It is most often seen in women. CFS can often start after any cold or viral infections. Fatigue is a part of many illnesses, but with CFS there will be a mental and physical fatigue which is never relieved. The symptoms are debilitating enough to change your entire lifestyle and destroy good health. A person suffering from this will find it increasing difficult to maintain a normal healthy functional life. Doctors use a few ways to diagnose if you may have CFS (this is taken from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases):

• Unexplained or relapsing fatigue of new or definite onset that is not due to ongoing exertion. This can not be relieved by rest, and causes a substantial reduction in previous levels of activity
• Four or more of the following are concurrently present for six months or more:
  • Loss of memory and concentration that disrupts your life
  • Sore throat
  • Tender lymph nodes.
  • Muscle pain.
  • Multi joint pain without swelling or redness.
  • New headaches.
  • Unrefreshing sleep.
  • Post exertion malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

A complete cure is not available although over time with treatment, can offer a 5-10% degree of improvement. Some self care things to try to combat it is doing regular body workouts, get your 8 hours of sleep a night, and try to remain stress free. If you think you may be suffering from this, see your doctor and give the self-care measures to help with your improvement.

Swim and Heal

Much has been said about the good things our body can get from swimming, as the seemingly innocent gliding and moving in the water is supposed to be a total body workout. Since the actual benefits of swimming are still a bit vague to me, I looked for more specific answers to why it’s good for us in more ways than one. Check out what I found:

1. It strengthens the heart, lungs and muscles.

Swimming conditions all body types, from the perfectly normal ones to those plagued with alarming conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or arthritis. In fact, doctors often recommend swimming as an activity to those recovering from a major surgery or heart operation because it is a not too taxing yet effective workout. Regular swimming also builds lung stamina and muscle strength without straining connective tissues like other workout activities could.

2. It’s a great calorie-burner.

Swimming uses all the major muscle groups in the body, which makes it a great weight loss workout and body toner. This is why many swimmers often have toned arms, legs, and tummy, which is one of the major fat problem areas of everyone.

3. It’s the perfect stress reliever.

Swimming is a meditative workout because it deals with not just the body but also the mental state. Exercising while enveloped in warm water induces a calm and relaxing feeling that not only reduces stress, it also help clear one’s mind as it improves delivery of oxygen to all muscles and stimulates blood circulation.

4. It works wonders in pregnant women.

Expectant women are often forbidden to do any moderate to heavy physical activity, but swimming is one of those activities that can actually aid them in their condition. For one, it strengthens the abdominal muscles that are very important when carrying and delivering the baby. Experts say that swimming also reduces the common negative symptoms associated with pregnancy, like high blood pressure and stiffness.

5. It’s a perfect bonding activity.

Now we all know about this one. Swimming is one of the best and healthiest activities we can do to bond and enjoy with our families and friends. The great thing about swimming as a bonding activity is that you can choose to talk and interact with people yet you can also swim off anytime and do your routines and beneficial exercises whenever you want.

Care to share more swimming perks?

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Top “40” Things to do to Enjoy Life

Recently I received an email from a friend of mine listing the top 10 things in order to enjoy life more. As I sat there and read the list I thought of 100’s of more things I could add to that list. I figure that if each of us, who read this blog do at least 10 of these a day, we would be happier, healthier and have fuller lives, regardless of how happy, healthy and full our lives are already ;). According to the “ripple effect” we would then act differently, be friendlier, happier and more upbeat then we usually are and thereby the people whose lives we touch each day would also benefit from our enthusiasm and pass it on, and so on and so on and so on. (Remember the movie “pay it forward”? if not rent it, its worth the seeing)

Here are my top 40 things I think you give us all HUGE benefits:

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows so you can get more sleep each night
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to ___________today.”
5. Live with the three “E’s”: Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
6. Play more games and read more books then you did last year
7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They are the things our souls need for fuel each day.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake
10. Eat more food that is grown on plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water, eat fish, broccoli, almonds and walnuts
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day
13. Clear clutter from your house, office, car and let energy flow better
14. Do not waste energy on gossip, past issues, negative thoughts, or things you cannot control. Invest your energy in positive, life affirming moments and live in the present, here and now.
15. Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Smile and laugh more, it will keep negative thoughts and blues away
18. Learn that life is not fair, but it is still good
19. Life it too short to waste time hating anyone
20. Don’t take yourself so seriously, no one else does
21. You don’t have to win every argument, agree to disagree
22. Make peace with your past, so it does not spoil the present and pack the garbage away so you don’t have extra unnecessary baggage
23. Do not compare your life to others, you have no idea what their journey is all about
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
25. Frame every “so called” disaster with these words, “will it really matter in 5 years?”
26. Forgive everyone for everything
27. Do not care what other people think of you, dance like no one is watching
28. Remember a higher power heals everything, and only gives us what we have the strength to deal with. Its our journeys destiny to find that strength to deal with things life puts in our path
29. However good or bad a situation, it will surely change
30. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick, your friends will. Stay in touch
31. Get rid of anything that is not useful, beautiful or joyful
32. Envy is a waste of time, you already have the things you need
33. The best is yet to come
34. No matter how you feel, GET UP, DRESS UP and SHOW UP
35. ALWAYS do the right thing
36. Call your family often, or email them to death! 😉
37. Each night before bedtime, complete the following statements, “I am thankful for ___________. Today I accomplished _____________”.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. (even in the simplest form, you are able to read this on a computer when many people in the world cannot afford a computer, or electricity!)
39. Remember this is not Disney World and you definitely do not want a “Fast Pass”. You only have one life, so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. When feeling overwhelmed, stressed or depressed, look at something beautiful and take a deep breath and just think how beautiful is it to be alive.