Aloe Vera - A Miracle Skin

Before any treatment to our skin we must know what type of skin we have and how we care for, so we are giving better care...

Understand your skin care:
Although there are nuances, one can say generically that there are three skin types: fat, dry, normal or mixed. Some experts add a fourth type, which is sensitive skin, but this type of skin can occur in any of the three previous cases rather than a separate category is a feature associated with it.

How do I know the skin type I have?

First you must know that the concept is applied to classify the skin type is fat it generates. Knowing this is far easier to clarify the type of skin we have, what problems are more likely to suffer and how to treat.

Oily- To distinguish an oily skin must observe several signals in the mirror: they tend to emphasize highlights, skins pores are bright in excess, commonly reject the makeup, which tends to be displaced due to the action of fat, since it forms a film where cosmetic products with greater difficulty setting.

How to care for an oily skin?

Skins are more acne-prone skin where often develop black spots should be treated with an astringent, like aloe gel, which protects and nourishes while reducing excess fat. Do not stop to keep young people hydrate and smooth, this requires using a moisturizer or fat free hydro-nutritive.

Dry skin- It is just the opposite case of oily skin, this type of skin sebaceous glands do not produce enough grease and fat deficiency results in a rough and dull skin in which the pores are almost closed. Tends to dry with the simple effect of air and in some cases reaching the quarter.

How to care for a dry skin?

This type of skin requires more care than the normal or oily skin, it tends to age prematurely. We apply daily nourishing cream rich in vegetable oils (almond, avocado, olive ...) and vitamins, particularly vitamins E and A, which combat the effects of free radicals and premature aging. Nor can we neglect the hydration to keep skin hydrated is necessary to apply a moisturizer, preferably after a shower and her skin was still wet. Complementing all this caution: avoid prolonged sun exposure.

Normal or mixed skin- The normal or mixed skin is characterized by excess fat in the forehead, nose and chin and dry cheeks and cheekbones. It's the kind of skin care easier, because both fat and the dry zone are less extreme.

How to care for a mixed complexion?
First (this applies to all skin types) try not to punish her things out too long in the sun or pollution situations, excessive smoke, etc... Usually a good cleaning and moisturizing often enough, in the aloe vera is good for lowering fat and cheekbones and cheeks a hydro-nutritive.

Sensitive skin- As we said at the beginning any skin type (fat, dry or normal), also may be sensitive. These skins react with spots, rashes, dermatitis or redness to emotional changes, temperature, stress, etc... Outbreaks are often passengers who disappear quickly, sometimes associated with some type of cream; they are prone to skin allergies.

How to treat sensitive skin?

To begin with attempts to use hypoallergenic products, always do the test of cotton: cotton wet with a small amount of product you're going to apply yourself, rub on your wrist and see if your skin reacts with any outbreak, if not you can apply the product, which must conform to the canons of skin type you have and we have discussed in the preceding paragraphs.

SOME TIPS FOR SKIN CARE WITH ALOE VERA

Sometimes not enough to apply the right product, then you have to do it the right way. Whenever you use a face cream it is important to remember that the skin very clean, that you will get it by washing with mild soap before application, so that an optimum result I recommend that you use at least once a week an exfoliating gel and you to apply a mask a couple times a month, so get your pores are wide open and ready to receive and absorb easily. It is also important to gently massage and circled the area where you will apply the cream as well as the open pores is desirable that the capillaries are activated and receive the flow of nutrients.

The last factor to consider before applying the cream is to use a product that promotes penetration for maximum cosmetic use, for it is nothing better than aloe, that guarantee that besides nutrients greatly enhance the penetration of all components of the cream you use, this is due to its high content of lignin, a compound that accelerates and enhances the absorption. In addition, aloe can be applied in all skin types as you explained below:
If you have dry skin aloe gel mixed with olive oil, avocado or sweet almond and have excellent nutrition.

If you have oily skin, use the gel alone, is astringent and reduces excess fat, may notice some tension at first, if it bothers you apply your gel after the shower, his face still wet, and get a perfect hydration without grease face.

If you have normal or mixed skin you can use in pure aloe gel, apply until completely absorbed. You can also use aloe gel with vitamins E and A to give firmness to the skin, massage in one direction for a moment and see that the result is visible, aloe promotes production of collagen and has an exfoliating effect and therefore also fights stains and wrinkles, is a true multipurpose.

In addition to caring for your skin, you can also use aloe to heal. Use the 95% gel small acne scars, scars, blemishes of the face or other skin imperfections, you can also use it as hair gel after showering, strengthen your hair and keep it healthy and beautiful.

Is constant, use your cosmetics in combination with aloe and notice the results. -Adrinna Smith

Lemonade Detox Diet Plan - Cleanse And Detoxify Your Whole Body Naturally

The lemonade detox diet has become very popular in recent years and more and more people are using it as a natural way to cleanse the body and flush out the unwanted toxins. As well as this, it can also help you quickly lose weight and give you more energy, clearer skin and better digestion.

The idea behind this diet is to substitute all solid food with a specially made lemonade detox drink (consisting of water, lemon and many other ingredients such as cayenne pepper and ground ginger). By not eating any solid food, the body can save energy and focus on cleansing and rejuvenating itself.

If your body is not accustomed to fasting, it may not be a good idea to suddenly deprive yourself of all solid food for a whole week. Instead, its much better to start off with one or two days without solid food and slowly work your way up to the point where you can last for seven days or more.

Alternatively, a safer and more relaxed version of the diet involves substituting breakfast and dinner with two or three glasses of the lemonade detox drink. This allows you to have a healthy meal at lunchtime (as long as it doesn't contain processed, fatty foods) to help keep you going during the day.

Although not as effective as fully abstaining from solid food altogether, the relaxed version of the diet can still achieve the desired results but over a longer period of time. So instead of seven to ten days, it should be done for three or four weeks. This will ensure that you have given your body enough time to cleanse and rejuvenate itself.

As well as promoting circulation and eliminating harmful toxins from the body, the lemonade detox diet can speed up your metabolism and help you quickly burn off excess fat. Its a great way to improve your health and lose weight at the same time, without having to follow a complicated diet plan that requires specific foods and daily menus.

The only problem with this diet is that many people will find it too difficult to simply not have any solid food at all (especially if you have never done anything like this before). If this is the case, it might be better to try a herbal detox tea that has been specially formulated to achieve the best possible results without the need for fasting.

Learn more about detox tea and herbal detox here: www.lipocleanzedetoxtea.com. -Andy Stevens

Be Careful About How Much Alcohol You Consume

The person who wants to lose weight is better off without alcohol. You've got to make up your own mind whether or not you should drink — and when and how much.

It is surprising how many calories there are in an alcoholic drink. Alcoholic drinks are even higher in calories when mixed with soda or fruit juice.

Alcoholic drinks are high in carbohydrates; contain no fat, very little protein, vitamins or any other nutrients — in fact, practically none in most cases. The calories in alcohol are metabolised first by the body, ahead of burning fat - which is not desirable if on a weight loss diet.

Alcohol is oxidized in the body, and in small quantities may be used in metabolism to replace some carbohydrates or fat. In other words, you may take some of it instead of your allowance of calories — but not of your protein calories. It cannot, however, be depended on as the chief form of nourishment because of this lack in its contents. Those who are accustomed to it will oxidize a reasonable amount in about seven hours. Those not accustomed to alcohol will take twice that length of time. While your body is trying to flush the alcohol from your system your liver is being overworked.

While alcohol relaxes you it also causes other problems especially for those who are trying to lose weight. The more relaxed you feel the more you tend to drink to maintain that 'happy' feeling. However, it dehydrates your body which is why you get a hangover or bad headache the next morning - it's a lack of water to the brain cells.

Another disadvantage of drinking is that it increases the appetite; you head for the nibbles or go for a kebab or takeaway on the way home. A few drinks, nibbles and a kebab can all amount to your total calorie intake for the day!

In addition to that, drinking lowers our ability to even think or remember how much we are eating.

Therefore, be careful about how much you drink as it's not a matter of the calories in any particular drink, it’s the overall effects that drinking can have on your attempts to lose weight.

Click this link for the Number of Calories in Alcoholic Drinks and Snacks

In order to lose weight fast and easy you can do it with a slight change to your diet and some easy workout tips.

Tired of being fat? Jeans too tight? There's no reason why you should be embarrased about your weight any longer. If you are ready to learn more about losing weight effectively visit www.loseweightresources.com NOW and join the thousands we have already helped. -Sue Baker

Drinking Water To Lose Weight - How Do You Drink All that Water?

It is said that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day. Can that be right? Wow, that's a lot of water, isn't it? And can drinking water really help you to lose weight? Well there's good news and bad news. The good news is yes, you can lose weight by increasing the amount of water you take in. The bad news? Eight glasses may not actually be enough.

What?!

Very true. So how much should you drink? Half your weight in ounces. If you weigh 150 pounds you should optimally be drinking 75 ounces of water a day. And that is just if you are relatively sedentary. If you are doing a lot of exercise, you'll need to increase that amount.

Once you become accustomed to this amount it will be second nature. What most people don't realize is that a large percentage of the population is walking around severely dehydrated. The reason for this is that the thirst mechanism has been ignored or misunderstood (mistaken for hunger) for so long, you can no longer notice it. So often when you are thinking you are hungry, your body is really just craving water. Once you start to take in enough water, you'll notice your thirst mechanism will start to kick in and actually begin functioning again. You'll feel better too, and your skin will look younger and healthier.

And the added benefit is you will start to lose weight. There are a lot of calories in soda and even juice, and cutting them out can make a significant difference. Add just a bit of exercise, maybe a daily walk, and you have a recipe for an easy weight loss plan.

Here's an easy way to get your quota of water for the day. Figure out how much you need to drink and see how many bottles of water that is (assuming you are drinking bottled water). Divide those up throughout the day so that you have finished your quota by the end of the night. I find that if I don't do this I don't drink enough water. I'll simply let a bottle sit on my desk all day and only take a few sips. If I know I need to drink it by a certain time it's easier to do. Also, keeping your water at room temperature helps. You can basically chug the whole thing if it's not too cold. It takes longer to drink if it's icy.

I still have my morning coffee but that's about all I have all day other than water. It really works!

So if you thought drinking water to lose weight was just an old wives' tale, give it a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

There's no reason you have to be overweight. If you want to find out how to lose 20 pounds join the thousands of other (now 20 pounds lighter) people who have discovered this great diet plan that actually works and find out how to lose weight quickly without exercise. No joke! -Regina Reeves

Herbs to Help Stop Smoking

There are several herbs with a traditional reputation for helping people quit smoking. These herbs exert varying effects that will ease the process of smoking cessation. Most of them can be found in either dried bulk, capsule, or liquid extract form. Follow the directions on the label for use. If using dried herbs, use them only to prepare tea, and never smoke them as a replacement for tobacco.

Lobelia (pictured above): Is a very powerful herb that helps to calm the mind and relax the body. It has helped many people to control their cravings for nicotine. Lobelia is also reputed to have the effect of making cigarettes taste very bad.

St. John’s wort: One of the best known herbs for promoting a positive mental attitude–something people often need help with during the early phases of becoming a non-smoker.

Black cohosh: Is commonly used by women to help them stay balanced during their monthly cycle. However, it is also known to be a safe sedative that relieves nervousness and anxiety, which makes it useful for the irritability, restlessness, and nervousness associated with quitting smoking.

Blue vervain: Has been referred to as a natural tranquilizer and as such it can be used to calm the nerves. It can also be used for insomnia.

Catnip: Has a soothing and relaxing effect on the digestive system, and helps to relieve diarrhea, flatulence, indigestion, upset stomach, and headache. Catnip also has antispasmodic properties that make it useful for abdominal cramps as well as chronic coughing. Catnip is also good for alleviating sleeplessness. Catnip’s antibiotic and astringent properties are also beneficial for treating colds and bronchial infections.

Hyssop: Has the ability to help with clearing mucus congestion in the lungs associated with COPD. It also has been known to alleviate the anxiety and even hysteria that is sometimes associated with smoking withdrawal.

Korean ginseng: Is one of the most popular herbs in the world for stimulating energy and helping the body to deal with stress. This property enables ginseng to help alleviate the fatigue and anxiety related to quitting smoking. Ginseng is known to help reestablish balance in the body’s systems, which can be helpful to smokers as their bodies adjust to the absence of nicotine.

Motherwort: Has properties that enable it to act as a sedative, inducing tranquility in times of anxiety associated with quitting smoking.

Oat straw or oat seed: One of the best remedies for stress, nervous debility, and exhaustion, especially when associated with depression (a common affliction in people who have recently quit smoking).

Peppermint: Has a relaxing effect on the muscles of the digestive system, combats flatulence, and stimulates the flow of bile and other digestive juices. The volatile oil in peppermint acts as a mild anesthetic to the stomach wall, which helps alleviate feelings of nausea. Where headaches are associated with digestion, peppermint may help. Peppermint also eases anxiety and tension.

Skullcap: Contains plant compounds that help the brain produce more endorphins (naturally occurring chemicals that promote feelings of well-being). This is believed to enhance both awareness and calmness. Skullcap relaxes states of nervous tension while renewing and reviving the central nervous system.

Slippery elm: Is rich in nutrients and easy to digest, making it an excellent food during times of digestive discomfort, which can sometimes accompany smoking cessation. It works with the body to draw out impurities and toxins, assisting with the healing of the entire body.

Valerian: One of the premier sedative herbs used to aid people with anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Valerian also acts as a muscle relaxant. Valerian is clearly one of the herbs of choice in smoking cessation to deal with the issues of insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety. -Annie B. Bond/care2

Cure Your Chronic Pain with Hydrotherapy

When you think spa, what comes to mind: massage, facials, mani/pedis? Well, if a day spa visit is on your horizon, I recommend you expand your repertoire and consider receiving a hydrotherapy tub treatment.

The therapeutic benefits of hydrotherapy tub treatments include stress reduction, increased circulation, the removal of metabolic waste (causes pain in muscles), and can provide relief from the chronic pain of fibromyalgia, arthritis, and injury due to overexertion. As with any spa service, if it’s performed well, you will be super-satisfied.

As a licensed massage therapist, I was introduced to hydrotherapy tubs at the first spa at which I had the pleasure to work. This tub was basically a very spacious Jacuzzi, featuring around 170 jets. In addition, there was a fire-hose-like attachment that was part of the tub and used during the hydrotherapy tub treatment.

A perk of working at the spa was that we could enjoy body treatments if there was a lull in our schedules. One day I got into the tub, sprinkling the yummy smelling, relaxing salts into the warm water, expecting it to feel basically as good as any hot tub I’d previously been in. The jets were powerful, and because there were so many, I was being happily pelted from all sides. That alone peeled a layer of stress away. But then, I had to try the hose, curious about what my clients would feel when I used it on them. The water pressure that came from the submerged hose was directed and intense, but in a really good way. Having suffered for several years from tendonitis flare-ups in one of my hips, I focused the water on the connective tissue on the side of that leg, as well as on the quadriceps, upper glutes, and lower back muscles on that side of my body. I promise you, I’m not exaggerating when I say that I left that tub feeling ten years younger. Not only was I deeply relaxed, but also I felt not an iota of pain in the afflicted hip. This feel-good lasted for close to a week.

Shortly thereafter, I had a client visiting the spa who had the body of a linebacker – burly and muscular. Yet, when he walked to the treatment room…well, he scuttled more than walked. He had just gone skiing for the first time and he was an aching mess. Have you ever hurt like that…when it hurts to even sit down? Yet, after his hydrotherapy tub treatment, he was able to walk with ease again and lift his arms; his face showed the relief…and I got a really big tip!

Not all spas have the same equipment or perform services the same way (I think the hose is the secret weapon here.) But I know the hunt for a good hydrotherapy tub treatment is well worth it. -Terri Hall-Jackson/care2

Learning To Love Your Soul

Having a healthy body and a healthy mind is really good for you. But what good can those two be when deep down you’re a mess? How can you have a healthy soul? Your soul is your centre of being; it is your every essence, if you will. So nurture it and learn to love it.

Find inner peace and solitude. Every morning, try to get some time for you to spend on your own. You could exercise, have coffee while watching the neighborhood wake up, go for a jog or a walk, or just meditate. Having time for yourself is a great way to center yourself and find your being. Once you at peace with yourself, you are ready to face the world.

Fill your day with the positive vibe. One easy yet great way to do this is to surround yourself with positive people. Positivity and enthusiasm are infectious. So if you surround yourself with such people, you will be positive too. Nurture our relationships with positive friends and share all your aspirations. Having this type of relationship is a great way to build yourself up, inside and out.

Show how much you care and empathize with others. Did you know that a small act of kindness can do wonders for the other person? Not only will that other person feel great, you too will feel great! So go on, show how much you care and appreciate that special someone!

Listen. Yes, we go on with our daily routine without having the time to listen. We hear things, but we rarely take the time to listen. So go ahead, listen to the radio or classical music or whatever you like because music soothes the soul. It is actually therapeutic to just sit and listen, even if you’re just listening to the rain on your roof or the waves rolling at the beach. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and just enjoy the moment. You will immediately feel at ease.

These simple suggestions can help you find your inner peace and can help to nurture your soul. When you feel good inside, it will show on the outside. Thus, nurture your soul and lead a happy and healthy life. You deserve it! -Tom Mckenna

Beauty Tips For Women Working Long Hours

[ Beauty Tip ] Make those blemishes and dark spots disappear. Women Beauty Care Those dark circles under your eyes and those blemishes must be covered either with some cover up, make-up powder or concealer stick. It should take you about two minutes (2') to treat all problem areas on your face.

[ Beauty Tip ] Use of eye make-up. You can quickly apply mascara to your lashes to bring out your eyes in just one minute. If you have a few spare seconds you can also apply some eye shadow to further improve your look.

[ Beauty Tip ] Lip-gloss on your lips. Lip-gloss works wonders. Quickly apply some flavored lip gloss and stay assured that it will make the difference. You can always apply lipstick instead of lip-gloss or you can apply them both but generally lip-gloss can be applied quicker.

[ Beauty Tip ] Use of magic pins. Always have a few pins and clips handy. You could transform your hair and the way you look in 30 seconds, top. For example you could twist your hair up and pin it back.

[ Beauty Tip ] Hairspray and gel. Sometimes you need chemical intervention over your hair in order to avoid fly aways. Spray gels or hairsprays may become handy in such situations and can be applied in just seconds. weight loss tips

[ Beauty Tip ] Smell good. Use your favorite perfume or a body spray. Just a few sprays and you are finished in no time.

I know that when you are a hardworking woman who has a family to look after and husband to take care of, the last thing on your mind is make-up. But if you decide to go for all of the tips above then you only need 5-10 minutes. You could be looking fresh and sexy in no time. Good Luck!

Looking for more beauty tips? Take a look at this guide with beauty tips and insider secrets from top beauty professionals. You will learn how to look and feel better than ever. You see, beauty is not just an outer appearance. It is a complete harmony from within that can be felt and sensed by others from the way you present yourself. -beyli

Tinnitus Can Be Cured With Natural Treatments

Until now, no magic pill has been invented against tinnitus. There is also no definitely cure for all people who suffer from tinnitus. The only good news is that lots of research is being done to find an explanation for it and an effective treatment for it. Anyway, tinnitus can be quieted, although this is by no means a cure.

The underlying cause of it is still not fully understood. Researchers know that people with tinnitus suffered a harm in their inner ears, mostly caused by constant exposure to loud noises. However, no one knows for sure why some people suffer a permanent damage and others only a temporary damage after being exposed to loud sound.

Tinnitus is in some cases caused by a disease not related to our hearing habits. No amount of loud sounds is needed to trigger it in some cases. If the health problems are cured, tinnitus will disappear in these cases, since there is no permanent ear damage that cannot be repaired.

The most simple treatment is the removal of excess wax by an audiologist or physician. It is definitely not a cure, but it helps in some cases. Some not seriously affected people feel like they were cured, after a wax cleaning.

The most common treatment against tinnitus is drug therapy. It definitely provides relief to most patients. However, some drugs have also side-effects.

The technically most advanced solution is a cochlear implant. Many people with hearing loss have found tinnitus relief using a device called a cochlear implant. The cochlear implant helps these individuals hear the world around them, it also helps diminish the tinnitus. This is no cure, however, it has proven to provide effective relief from severe tinnitus symptoms. And after you have had your fill of these type of treatments. Go can go the natural. -Richard Porter (http://tinnitustreatmentcure.blogspot.com)

Basically What Is Tinnitus?

Though many people consider tinnitus as a disease, it is actually a symptom per se. It is a type of physical condition in which the sufferer experiences a type of ringing noise in the ear. Many people also call it as ringing ear disease. Such people search the internet for cures from this ailment and they often search for terms like cure ringing ears and ringing ears treatment. Of course, the experienced among them know what to look out for and they straightaway search for tinnitus treatment. You will be surprised to hear that `tinnitus’ is a Latin term and it means ringing like a bell. This is the original of the name of this ailment. Before one opts in for tinnitus remedies that have to know the causes of this malady.

There are many different things that can cause tinnitus… even as simple as wax formation against the eardrum. In such a case, just removing the wax carefully is the best tinnitus treatment and provides tinnitus relief. However, before one tries tinnitus treatment by themselves, it is recommended that they seek the help of doctors. It is not always that only earwax formation causes tinnitus. If tinnitus is caused due to some other reasons, one needs to know the reason first before they opt in for cure for tinnitus. You should not be worried about this malady since with proper medical treatment you cane easily stop ringing ears once and for all. There are many tinnitus remedies available on the net. -Richard Porter

Beauty Treatments That Help You Sleep

There's no doubt that a full night of sleep makes a difference in how you look. There's also no doubt that the current state of world affairs makes it hard to get to sleep. Yet if you are interested in preserving your looks and getting a decent nights rest, you don't have to resort to expensive sleep pills and intensive night creams. All you have to do is buy one of the new aromatherapy based beauty products that can help you get to sleep.

A leader in this arena is the Aromessence product line by French cosmetics company Decleor. The company has been a pioneer in the scent industry, earning special titles and terminology from the Sense of Smell Institute for its work in aromachology. It's the science of the way that scent alters behavior, and in this case they have mastered the way the scents in their Aromessence night balm can help you get a good nights sleep.

Unlike addictive sleeping pills, the night balm has no nasty side effects. In fact, the main side effects you will see are going to be smoother skin, a glowing complexion, and reduced wrinkles. The texture of the creams is smooth and designed to feel as though it is melting into your skin when applied. The product is full of essential oils and aquaporins that are designed to penetrate your skin deeply for ultimate repair, all while influencing your central nervous system to relax and fall into a restful slumber.

In that sense, the products are addictive--who doesn't like looking good? You may find yourself hooked before you know it. The best part about it all is that you don't need to see a doctor to start using the product. The only permission you need is your own permission to start looking better and sleeping better.

Decleor Aromessence products are available online through quality beauty retailers. By offering the products online, Decleor and its partners are able to bring their lab-tested successes to you for prices well under what you would pay for the same thing in a brick and mortar shop. You can save money, have the products delivered directly to your door, and wake up feeling and looking amazing in practically no time at all. When everyone around you starts commenting and wondering what you've done to yourself, you can simply credit your own brillance in finding a beauty treatment that really works for you, even when you're snoring. -James Mckay

Avocados Are Really Good - And Not Just To Eat

Known as one of the most versatile fruit, avocado can either be cooked or eaten raw. In some countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brazil, avocado is enjoyed as a dessert drink mixed with milk, sugar and water. Mexico and Central America enjoys this fruit as a part of the main dish served with rice, salads, chicken and meat. Jamaicans enjoy this alongside bread or bulla.

Vegetarian chefs are also fond of substituting meat with avocado as the former has high fat content. This good-tasting fruit is also perfect in making California rolls and maki sushi. Aside from its rich texture and taste, avocado is rich in potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin E. It is also a good source of protein and carbohydrates. Avocado oils, on the other hand, are rich in lecithin, antioxidants, and vitamins A and E that help in maintaining healthy and youthful skin. The antioxidants found in this fruit help in fighting off cancer cells and at the same time help in maintaining wrinkle-free skin.

Are you low on budget? Here is a simple way for you to enjoy home-made avocado beauty products. To make an avocado facial, you will need 1/2 cup non-instant oatmeal, 1 cup mashed avocado and 1 to 2 tablespoons honey. Just mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend it until it becomes smooth. Apply it to your face. Let it dry for 15 minutes, rinse and pat dry with a towel. This very easy and affordable spa-like home treatment will give your skin rejuvenation and reduce eye puffiness.

To have a thoroughly-cleansed skin, make an avocado deep cleanser. What you will need are 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 avocado which is already ripe and has been peeled. In a bowl, beat the egg yolk until it becomes light and frothy. Then, add milk and the avocado. Apply it to your skin using cotton just like you would do with other cleansers and enjoy the deep cleansing effect. This mixture is effective against pollutants and also good to use after cleansing your face with soap and water. Refrigerate any leftovers to preserve it.

Is it not good to know that even with the current economic situation, you can still enjoy skin pampering using avocado as face lotion for face? Aside from its economical benefits, using this type of facial lotion means you are using natural products, thus eliminating chances of side-effects that are usually found with products that are chemically-based. -Gerald Shaw

Simple Steps to Clean Your Indoor Air

Did you know indoor air pollution can actually be more of a problem than outdoor? As the seasons change and you’re warming up inside your home, try these inexpensive solutions.

1. Replacing your standard filter with one that is pleated (increased surface area collects particles more efficiently) and electrostatic (helps capture small particles and allergens) can help clean up forced air from the furnace. Look for a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating of ten or higher.

2. Use ventilation fans in the bathroom and kitchen if you have them. High levels of humidity breed mold and mildew. Microscopic particles from these can trigger allergies, asthma attacks, and, in rare cases, lung infection or poisoning. Get rid of mold naturally.

3. Lower VOC (volatile organic compounds) exposure by looking for low VOC paints or paint strippers. VOCs can cause headaches and upper-respiratory health problems as well as liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage.

4. Purify with plants, which can remove common chemicals from the air, such as formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide. These plants actually thrive on them! Peace lilies, bamboo, palm, English ivy, mums, and gerbera daisies are among the top air-purifying plants.

5. Pick cleaning products with care by steering clear of ingredients in air fresheners and cleaning products that are known causes of health problems, including cancer and respiratory ailments, says Samuel Epstein, MD, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. Go with nontoxic products (or make your own cleansers) whenever possible. -Mel/care2

It’s Hard to Be Happy!

One unforgettable day in New York City, over ten years ago, I was crossing Park Avenue on my way to give a lecture when a Yellow Cab that had decided not to stop at a red light careened out of control at about forty miles an hour. It sideswiped me and my wife, shortly after we had stepped off the curb, before hitting a few other people and crashing into another car. I can clearly see the picture in my mind’s eye even now. I was standing in the street, my right arm badly broken, dangling as if by a thread, and my right calf so deeply ripped open that later I was told that my shin bone was clearly visible. My wife lay unconscious at my feet with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. In that instant, I thought she might be dead. Hours later, in my hospital bed, having received the news that she and I would recover and be more or less as good as new within a year, I remember witnessing the thought, “How could this happen to me?” arising in my awareness. And then the answer came, “Why shouldn’t it?”

For some time now I have been reflecting upon the bizarre irony of the fact that so many of us at the leading edge of Western culture–the wealthiest, most highly educated, and privileged generation ever to exist on the face of the earth–have somehow gotten the idea in our heads that we deserve to be happy, healthy, and prosperous. It would seem that many of us, consciously or unconsciously, believe that before we incarnated into this developmental process, we signed some sort of contract with our maker stipulating that we would be willing to endure a certain degree of fear, stress, and insecurity as long as sooner or later we got to be happy. And the wealthier and more privileged we are, the greater, it seems, is this expectation.

After more than two decades of working intensively with men and women who claim to want to transform and develop spiritually, I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the reasons it is so challenging for us to attain and sustain higher levels of spiritual development is that we expect so much and are willing to give so little in order to get what we think we want. The truth is, it’s hard to be happy. These days, it’s become almost a truism that simply fulfilling our narcissistic and materialistic desires will not necessarily make us truly happy. But how many of us have really dug deeply enough to reconfigure our own ideas of what happiness means in light of a higher set of values than those held by our crazy culture? For our values to change in a way that is nothing less than dramatic, we have to be willing to make a hell of a lot of effort. More and more of us are turning to the spiritual dimension of life. But it is telling that many of the most popular expressions of postmodern spirituality are based on a philosophical perspective that encourages us to pursue the promise of effortless peace, happiness, and release rather than an engagement with the life process that would always require more from us.

Why, for the luckiest people who have ever been born, should happiness be a birthright? Why should our spiritual aspirations be focused on the pursuit of inner peace alone? Did God create the universe so that you and I, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, could be happy? Is that really all there is to this fourteen-billion-year process? And why is it that so many of us presume that we deserve to be happy in the first place? What is it that we have actually done to give us such an innate privilege?

It’s fascinating to observe what happens to our perspective when we don’t assume that we necessarily deserve anything, especially not the promise of happiness or perfect peace. Just give it a try. You may be surprised to discover that a whole universe of previously unimaginable possibilities opens up to you. You may even begin to awaken to the overwhelming revelation that the very process that gave birth to your own capacity for life and consciousness urgently needs your willingness to make effort and even, I dare say, suffer, for its higher development.

I’m convinced that this evolving Kosmos is in desperate need of our conscious participation in order for its creative potential to continue to develop. Our postmodern spiritual pursuit of peace may in fact just be taking us out of the game. As our spiritual values evolve, if we reach high enough, we may come upon a surprising revelation: that in order to experience a happiness that is profound, we must be willing to struggle to find nothing less than a Kosmic sense of care for the life process that will set us free but, ironically, will never leave us in peace. -Andrew Cohen/EnlightenNext

Three Reasons Coconut Oil can Help You Lose Weight

Sorting through fact and fiction when it comes to weight loss is a tough order, especially when fad diets spring to life and wither away all in the same season. Many claims have been made about coconut oil and weight loss, but a number of whole food enthusiasts know this one is the real deal. And that's because coconut oil is more than a weight loss aid: it's a well-documented health food. Take it from experts like Dr. Bruce Fife and Dr. Mary Enig, both of whom speak volumes about the merits of coconut oil, when they vouch for its credibility. Coconut oil really can help you lost weight, and here's three reasons why:

#1 Get a Metabolism Boost
Coconut oil is one of the most abundant sources of medium-chain fatty acids, and these nifty little triglycerides can work wonders for a sluggish metabolism. In a study that looked at the effect of medium-chain fatty acids on metabolism, it was found that these fats could increase the metabolic rate by up to 48 percent and for up to 24 hours. If your metabolism has been damaged by dieting or stress, a daily dose of coconut oil can do wonders for getting it back on the right track.

#2 Balance Your Blood Sugar
The profound effect coconut oil seems to have on the metabolism extends to insulin function as well. This may be because coconut oil can supply the body with energy similar to blood glucose, but without having a negative impact on blood sugar and insulin levels. Including coconut oil before or during a meal also lowers the glycemic impact of what you're eating, which prevents those dreaded blood sugar highs and lows.

#3 Cure Candida and Yeast Overgrowth
The beneficial fatty acids in coconut oil do more than speed up a lagging metabolism. Lauric acid and caprylic acid in coconut oil also protect against one of the hidden causes behind weight gain: candida and yeast. When an overgrowth of candida is present, weight loss can be almost impossible. Candida causes symptoms like fatigue, poor concentration, recurring infections related to yeast, excessive sinus infections, and much more. But the side effect that really hinders weight loss is cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. This is because yeast feeds off sugar (carbohydrates break down into sugar once in the body), so it causes cravings in order to support its own life.

Taking coconut oil to counteract yeast overgrowth is highly effective, but it should be done with care. Coconut oil is such a powerful remedy for candida that it can cause strong symptoms of headaches, chills, and foggy thinking as the yeast dies off. This can be reduced by slowly incorporating coconut oil into your diet, starting with as little as one teaspoon daily.

More Than Just a Fad

Coconut oil didn't spring to life in the last few years, although it may seem that way. The truth is that coconut has been a healing superfood for centuries in tropical cultures. These people value coconut and its derivatives for their tremendous medicinal power - and they are remarkably healthy as a result. Even in Western society, coconut oil found widely popular uses until the middle of the 20th century, when coconut oil's reputation took a bashing from researchers who examined the health impact of hydrogenated coconut oil - basically the evil twin of the real thing. But thanks to experts who are willing to give a genuine look into coconut oil's benefits, we now can be assured that this oil is a bonafide health food.

Tips for Taking Coconut Oil:

- Don't settle for the cheap brands found next to shortening on grocery store shelves. Much of this coconut oil is hydrogenated, which negates all of its benefits. In addition, this is commercially-processed coconut oil that has been stripped of its natural properties. The best type of coconut oil is the extra-virgin unrefined variety, which will retain its light aroma and taste in addition to its amazing health benefits.

- Even if you don't suspect candida, it's still wise to introduce coconut oil into your diet slowly. The body can react strangely when it's unfamiliar with such a nutritious food. Start with about one teaspoon once per day, and gradually increase to at least three tablespoons daily. This amount will help you reap the maximum benefits from this incredible tropical superfood. -naturalnews

Overcoming Shyness - taking the first steps

Overcoming shyness is a real challenge for many people who almost instinctively feel uncomfortable around others. The reasons for shyness vary widely, but there are ways to tackle and examine them that can yield results.

Rule number one is that you actually have to want to change. If you are shy and suffer some apparent social setback, then there is always initial hurt and frustration. Overcoming shyness requires you to have a firm desire to tackle your social anxiety not just the day after, but weeks after. It needs to become a significant lifestyle decision, rather than merely a desire for things to somehow be better. Like most things, the effort put in will be what defines results.

So once you have expressed that firm desire to tackle and look at overcoming shyness then you have to consider what steps to take. It is definitely best to look at things incrementally and take small steps to try and build confidence and prepare yourself for any future occasion.

Rule number two is try and do some research! If you are going to a party or a business function, small talk is there. It's horrible, it can be boring, and it's something I personally hate doing. However, its the way into a more meaningful discussion. So, make sure you have something to talk about. If you have seen the latest blockbuster film, or top TV show, they are good points to start. Think about them, and have some opinions to share. Or make sure you are up to date with current hot news topics. You don't have to impress with something profound or revolutionary, but this tip will help you a) not be tongue tied and b) give the other person a chance to talk about their opinion, which is what most people really want to do. So you seem tuned into events, and a good listener too.

Finally, if you do try something to overcome shyness, try and be positive about the results. Everyone sometimes gets knockbacks, even the super rich and famous. So be positive about making the effort and not being alone at home in your bedroom.

If you are looking at the best methods for solving shyness then take a look at this new program with radical ideas on tackling shyness and social anxiety. -Rupert Trubshaw

5 Foods For Clear Skin

Jodi Frestedt breezed through her teenage years without so much as a pimple. While most of her peers suffered their share of embarrassing breakouts, Frestedt never gave her skin a second thought as she posed for school pictures and primped for prom. But at age 26, her face erupted in a slew of blemishes, leaving her baffled and suddenly self-conscious.

Frestedt’s situation is far from unique. Although we’d all like to think our acne days are behind us once we leave high school, breakouts affect some 54 percent of women and 40 percent of men over age 25, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. What’s more, the number of adult acne sufferers continues to rise. “I have seen an uptick in adult acne in my practice over the past 18 years,” says Valori Treloar, MD, dermatologist and coauthor of The Clear Skin Diet (Cumberland House Publishing, 2007).

As more adults head to the dermatologist, experts ponder the causes of this unwelcome condition. While possible contributors include pollution, today’s high stress levels, and newly developed prescription medications, an emerging body of research points to another culprit: the Western diet.

But wait, haven’t doctors, textbooks, and health and beauty magazines been telling us for decades that the link between food and acne is merely a myth? That loading up on chocolate bars and fried foods will not result in a face full of zits?

There is a food-acne connection
Although a famous 1969 study of chocolate’s effect on skin debunked any connection between food and skin problems, dermatologists may have dismissed diet’s impact on acne too quickly. Recent studies show that high-glycemic foods such as refined grains and processed sugars–the mainstays of a typical Western diet–may, in fact, trigger breakouts.

Here’s the problem: High-glycemic fare such as french fries, breakfast cereal, white bread, and soda boost blood sugar too quickly–and the pancreas responds by making extra insulin to bring those sugar levels down. As an unintended consequence, the insulin also signals the sebaceous glands to manufacture and secrete sebum, the oil-like substance that’s carried to our pores via hair follicles. In proper quantities, sebum is a good thing; it flushes out dead cells and keeps your skin lubricated. But too much causes the bacterium P. acnes to over-propagate and jam up the hair follicle. The result? Whiteheads and blackheads on your forehead, chin, and cheeks.

In addition, what Americans don’t eat may prove equally problematic for their skin. For instance, with 97 percent of our grain intake coming from processed rather than whole grains, we don’t get enough of the fiber, zinc, and vitamin B6 that can help curb acne. And the vast majority of US adults fail to get their daily allotment of fruits and vegetables–seven to nine servings–leading to a shortage of blemish-blocking vitamins and antioxidants. Overconsumption of omega-6 fatty acids from processed foods and vegetable oils, coupled with too little of the anti-inflammatory omega-3s found in salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds, compounds the problem, since inflammation (already implicated in heart disease, diabetes, and prostate and breast cancers) may very well damage our largest organ, the skin, as well.

On the bright side, making low-glycemic foods the heart of your diet may zap those zits once and for all. In a 2007 Australian study, researchers examined 43 male acne patients, giving one group a low-glycemic diet of whole grains, lean meat, and fish while keeping the control group on a regimen of high-carb, high-glycemic foods. After 12 weeks, the low-glycemic dieters had far fewer pimples than the control group.

Frestedt didn’t need a study to convince her that dietary shifts can trigger or alleviate blemishes. Shortly before her acne struck, she became roommates with a woman who served buttery mashed potatoes, creamy pasta dishes, rich pastries, and fatty cuts of red meat. Although Frestedt tried to avoid eating these low-nutrient foods, she just couldn’t resist the homemade fettuccini Alfredo and piping-hot rhubarb pie�and her skin suffered. Topical treatments failed to clear the blemishes, but less than two months after moving to her own place, Frestedt was back to her old eating habits. And after a couple of weeks of eating steamed veggies, lean turkey, and whole-grain bread again, she noticed that her oily, irritated skin had begun to clear.

Bad-news foods
Before you declare war on ginger snaps and mac n cheese, know that food affects everyone differently–some people are wired to react more severely to acne-promoting foods than others. For instance, Patricia Janner, 54, drinks two cans of cola every day, frequently feasts on fried foods, and can’t remember the last time a pimple popped up on her face. (Of course, she’s hardly the epitome of health, even with good skin karma.) Meanwhile, Robert Heilmann, 35, says he maintains “a fairly healthy diet,” yet zits sprout on his nose and forehead on a regular basis.

“Not all acne patients are the same,” says Treloar. To determine which foods spell trouble for your skin, Richard Fried, MD, dermatologist and author of Healing Adult Acne (New Harbinger, 2005), recommends keeping track of what you eat in a food log. “Take note of certain foods or types of food you ate four to 24 hours before an acne flare-up,” he says. See how your skin reacts to specific foods and eliminate anything that causes problems.

Foods to avoid
While no across-the-board food prescription will cure acne, experts suggest steering clear of these specific foods and food categories in order to score glowing, blemish-free skin:
Refined grains. Because they are so highly processed, the majority of cereals, breads, and other flour-based foods that we love to eat lack the nutrients, namely zinc, and antioxidants our skin needs to combat acne.

Refined sugars. Candy, soda, pastries, and cookies can be particularly troublesome for those prone to acne. These indulgences spike blood sugar levels, which your body tries to bring down by producing more insulin and male hormones. In turn, these hormones prompt the sebaceous glands to work overtime, resulting in blocked pores and inflammation.

Milk. “If there’s one thing you should remove from your diet if you want clear skin, it’s milk,” says Alan Logan, ND, coauthor of The Clear Skin Diet. Although relatively low on the glycemic index, milk carries a heavy hormone load–even organic milk contains hormones because all milk comes from nursing cows. These hormones, along with a high percentage of calcium, has made milk a suspected acne trigger for decades.

Dermatologists believe milk accelerates the body’s synthesis of androgens, male hormones present in both men and women, which causes the sebaceous glands to crank out excess sebum. You can avoid milk’s blemish-inducing effects without skimping on calcium by switching to calcium-fortified soy milk and other nondairy milks and eating plenty of spinach, collard greens, and tofu.

Vegetable oils. Corn, sunflower, safflower, and sesame oils have far more omega-6 fatty acids than anti-inflammatory omega-3s. This imbalance promotes inflammation, which causes skin cells to clump together and jam pores.

5 acne-zapping foods
Now that you’ve figured out which foods to avoid, you may worry that you’ll face serious food deprivation. But rest assured there are plenty of delicious foods that also help fight acne, including:

1. Whole grains. When it comes to thwarting acne-causing inflammation, fiber-packed whole grains work like a charm. “Whole grains carry a lot of antioxidants,” says Logan. “They also stabilize blood sugar and prevent insulin spikes.” But be careful when perusing grocery store aisles for whole-grain items–crafty label lingo can make a loaf of bread or box of pasta seem like a healthy choice, when in reality it carries only a small percentage of whole grains. Logan advises checking a product’s nutrition info to make sure it’s high in fiber and low in sugar. Even better: Forget wheat and give ancient grains like quinoa and millet a try.

2. Fish. Heralded as the premiere source of omega-3 fatty acids, cold-water, oily fish are loaded with anti-inflammatory eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The Clear Skin Diet lauds oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, anchovies, and sardines as the most potent choices for blemish-free skin.

3. Green vegetables. Packed with inflammation-fighting nutrients and loads of antioxidants, most green leafy veggies contain plenty of fiber, which helps slow the rise of blood sugar after eating.

4. Purple and deep red foods. According to The Clear Skin Diet, foods containing anthocyanins are high in antioxidants and help maintain blood flow to the skin, promoting optimum cell turnover (essential for keeping pores clear). Acai, pomegranates, purple carrots, black grapes, and beets are all great choices.

5. Green tea. Among its numerous health benefits, green tea also helps keep pimples from popping up. It’s chock-full of the antioxidant catechin EGCG, an effective anti-inflammatory. But beware of bottled green tea drinks, which often contain scads of added sugar and calories. -Melaina Juntti, Natural Solutions

Can Positivity Make You Smarter?

Is there a correlation between positive thinking and being smart? Can positive thinking really help increase your IQ and boost your brain power? This post will help explain to you what positive thinking is and what it does to those who consistently imbibe it in their lives.

1. Positive thinking is all about taking action about the wishes you send out to the universe. It’s not daydreaming nor is it wishful thinking. It’s all about knowing what you want and taking the necessary steps to get it.
2. Thinking positive is having a balance about accepting the harsh realities of life and being able to do something about it. It is not about being blinded by the world’s negativity. It’s about acknowledging that there is indeed a lot of bad in his world but instead of ignoring it, action steps are taken to help change it.
3. Positive thinking is focusing more on the positive side of things rather than the negative. It is about maximizing and using the good in everything and in people.

Positive thinking keeps one young and healthy. A research was conducted at Texas University which resulted to the evidence that being positive helps delay debility in older people. Another research was done at North Carolina State University which points out to the fact that negative thinking can constrict brain functions. This really shows hoe crucial positive thinking is to wellness. So if you are keen in changing your life for the better, start by thinking right. Think positive.

For those who find it difficult to do so, there are other external tools that can help you pave the way towards positivity. -Karen Prime (http://more-iq.blogspot.com/)

What Does it Mean to be Happy

What is happiness? What will it take to make you happy? People all over the world look for what it takes to make them happy in their lives, but it seems like a great many people never quite "find it."

Its my opinion that this is part of the problem. Happiness isn't something that's found. Happiness isn't something that finds you either. If it is something that can be found then where it can be found might surprise you.

It's in your mind. that's right, it can be found within the depths of your own mind. It's a choice that you make everyday. When you look around at your life, you make a decision about it. You decide to be happy with it or you don't.

You can choose to look around at all the small annoyances that you that you face and decide that you because of those, you're not going to be happy. A little secret about those little annoyances is that they're always going to be there. No matter what you do for a living , or where you live, or how much money you have, if you choose to focus your energy on these things, you'll likely never find lasting happiness.

However on the flip side if you come to the understanding that there are always going to be those little annoyances, you'll have taken a huge first step toward becoming a happy person. The good thing about this is that you'll find that once you start focusing on the things in your life that make you happy, those small annoyances will become much less influential on your mind and therefore your happiness. You'll find yourself paying more attention to the things that make you happy as opposed to the things that don't, and that will make a big difference in your life. -Justin Bott

Toxins at Bhopal Still Kill Indians after One Generation

It may come as a surprise to learn that the Bhopal disaster of nearly 25 years ago is wreaking havoc upon the health of a new generation of Indians. Hundreds of cases of birth defects and cancer are recorded each year among the local population exposed to soil and water contaminated from this disaster site. It has frequently been called the world's worst industrial accident.

On December 2, 1984 a storage tank at the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, India exploded, releasing about 40 tons of methyl isocyanate and other toxic gases onto the surrounding slums. The gas spread eight kilometers downwind and covered the city of nearly 900,000 people (1). Thousands were killed within days of the accident, while thousands more died over the following years. The death toll ultimately climbed to more than 20,000 and left even more with numerous disabilities and diseases (2).

However, to this day many are still dying and suffering from the lingering toxins inadequately stored at the factory site. After the gas leak, the factory was closed and all but abandoned by the company. To this day, piles of dangerous chemicals can be seen on the site and the rotting warehouses are full of sacks of poisons, which are all being washed deep into the soil with each year of monsoons. From there, the toxins travel in all directions to the wells of 30,000 people nearby who have no other option for drinking and wash water (3).

Independent researchers have reported this nearby groundwater to be contaminated with several toxic chemicals and heavy metals, yet when faced with details of these toxins Union Carbide has said it is not aware of any evidence to support such claims. Furthermore, they have admitted that methyl isocyanate is toxic only so far as to say it is a mild throat and ear irritant (4).

The gas leak was likely caused by the negligence of the Union Carbide in maintaining its equipment. The company operated its Bhopal factory well below the safety standards it maintained at its nearly identical factory in West Virginia. It was able to operate in this way partially because the state of Madhya Pradesh and the Indian government's industrial safety and environmental regulations were lacking or not well enforced (1).

Immediately after the accident, the company tried to remove itself from any legal responsibility, but eventually paid $470 million in compensation to affected people. The average amount paid to families of the dead was $2,200 (5). This is a small compensation considering the large number affected and the duration of the health consequences, which are proving to be more long-term with each passing year.

Since the accident, Dow has merged with Union Carbide and refuses to assume liabilities at Bhopal or the task of adequately cleaning up the toxins left behind. -naturalnews

[(1) Lee, James. TED Case Studies: Bhopal Disaster. American University, The School of International Service. 11 January 1997. Web. 28 September 2009. http://www1.american.edu/ted/.
(2) Rallies held over Bhopal disaster. BBC News. 3 December 2004. Web. 28 September 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_as....
(3) Ramesh, Randeep. Bhopal: hundreds of new victims are born each year. The Guardian. 30 April 2008. Web. 28 September 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/200....
(4) Vickers, Paul. Bhopal faces risk of poisoning. BBC News. 14 November 2004. Web. 28 September 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_as....
(5) E. Broughton, The Bhopal disaster and its aftermath: a review, Environmental Health 4 (6) (2005).]

Curcumin and Vitamin D3 may Dissolve Plaques of Alzheimer's Disease

Research into methods of preventing or reversing the damaging effects on the brain caused by Alzheimer's disease is heating up -- namely with a common spice, turmeric, and something so simple, the sun. A new study by UCLA scientists and colleagues from UC Riverside and the Human BioMolecular Research Institute, cited in the July issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, reports findings suggesting the possibility that Vitamin D3 and a chemical, curcumin, found in the spice turmeric, might possibly not only prevent, but may help reverse damage done by the typical plaques and tangles which are characteristics of Alzheimer's disease.

The theory is that the combination of vitamin D3 and curcumin stimulate the immune system in a fashion that helps clear amyloid beta, the "gunk" that forms the damaging plaques in the brain. This small study used blood samples from Alzheimer's patients, measuring the effects of curcumin and vitamin D3 on amyloid beta. Dr. Milan Fiala, study author and researcher, states: "We hope that vitamin D3 and curcumin, both naturally occurring nutrients, may offer new preventive and treatment possibilities for Alzheimer`s disease."

The promising results of this research could not be timelier. A study was recently released predicting that the number of people with Alzheimer`s disease will double every 20 years. Globally, an estimated 35.6 million people will be living with dementia by the year 2010. According to the National Institutes of Health, in the United States alone, one in seven Americans over the age of 71 will have some sort of dementia. These numbers are especially daunting as the emotional, physical, and financial toll of Alzheimer's disease can be devastating.

The standard protocol for treating Alzheimer's disease is to use pharmaceuticals. Drugs currently on the market are generally only effective when treatment is begun in the early stages. Common drugs for early stage treatment are Aricept, Reminyl, and Exelon. Namenda is a newer drug which offers some relief for persons in the later stages of Alzheimer`s. These drugs (which have many side-effects) can only slow the progression of the disease, not reverse the damage.

In a recently published article in Natural News, Sheryl Waters contributes:

"India has one the lowest numbers of people suffering with Alzheimer's in the world. In fact just 1% of Indians over 65 suffers from the disease while that number is more like 10% in America. For years scientists and Doctors had struggled to understand exactly why this is, but research in to the medical properties of a well known spice may just have provided the answer. Early research in to Turmeric was based totally around the spice`s amazing ability to stop the growth of cancerous cells. But as the spice was investigated further researchers found that it may also prevent the progression of Alzheimer's."

Previous studies involving curcumin demonstrate the protective binding of amyloid beta. This more recent study conducted at UCLA suggests that the addition of vitamin D3 amplifies this positive effect.

An essential nutrient for bone and immune system health, along with psychological well-being, vitamin D3 is synthesized through the skin. Vitamin D3 deficiencies are associated with numerous serious health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and depression.

Perhaps something as simple as a regular sprinkling of turmeric in our meals and regular doses of sunshine may ward off the dreaded disease called Alzheimer`s.

Basmati Rice with Turmeric

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 pinch of thyme
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Melt 1 tbsp butter (or heat olive oil) in saucepan, add onion and garlic, cook until softened.
Add rice and turmeric; stir to coat.
Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, cover and simmer 17 minutes.
Stir in remaining butter and/or olive oil, and remove bay leaf.
Add to the meal a protein and some fresh, organic vegetables, drink of choice, and head out into the sun! -naturalnews

Heal Eczema by Making Lifestyle Changes

Eczema can be a distressing condition which is characterized by inflamed, itchy skin that sometimes develops into open bleeding sores. It can appear at any age and affects approximately two to seven percent of the population. Currently, research indicates that food allergies can be the root cause of eczema. All eczema patients have positive allergy tests. Eczema is a tricky illness with many causes, but with some changes can be reversed.

Two thirds of patients have family history of eczema. Many eczema patients eventually develop hay fever and/or asthma.

Both allergies (IgE mediated which can be tested with your GP) and IgG intolerances to foods (tests completed by nutritionists) are key to treatment.

For most people eczema symptoms tend to worsen:

• When they are under stress or exhausted
• When eating certain foods
• When drinking much tea and coffee
• Exposure to heat
• Exercising
• Exposure to external irritants such as perfumes, washing powders,shampoos and paints
• Pet hairs - especially cat hair
  

However Eczema is most commonly linked to food intolerances and leaky gut. If the illness starts in early childhood, it is often linked to dairy intolerance, eggs, citrus or wheat.

Leaky Gut

Leaky gut is a condition that comes about when the health of the gut is out of balance. Technically leaky gut is where the junction between the cells of the gut lining develops gaps through which undigested food particles get through and enter the blood stream. These particles should not be there and so are foreign to the body. The immune system starts to react to them, producing all types of inflammatory symptoms including joint pain, fatigue, headaches and asthma.

The gaps between the cells of the gut lining come about due to damage in the gut from toxins, parasites, and overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut. Over time, a buildup of stress, chemicals, heavy metals, impacted old faeces, and a high sugar or poor quality diet can all feed the overgrowth of bad bacteria and reduce the health of the mucosal lining in the gut.

All people have good and bad bacteria in the gut, but a healthy balance is about 80% good and 20% bad. When this gets out of balance, the bad bacteria produce toxins which damage the gut lining, causing the leaky gut.

Foods to avoid:

• Cut out all dairy produce, coffee, tea, chocolate, beef, citrus, eggs, wheat, alcohol, peanuts and tomatoes; this is a long list but is guaranteed to improve your eczema.
• Also avoid decaffeinated coffee products - if you are sensitive to coffee, it is not just the caffeine which is problematic.
• Avoid preservatives, additives, pesticides, food colorings, and refined and processed foods which can cause allergies and intolerances which all trigger eczema.
  

Foods to increase

• Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and ideally make them organic so they are free from pesticides.
  

Healing Foods:

• Foods which help a leaky gut include cabbage and fresh ginger, which all help to soothe and heal a leaky gut.
• To help good gut health and avoid leaky gut, foods high in fiber are important because they feed good gut bacteria. These include beans, lentils, garlic, onions, leak, salsify, Jerusalem artichoke, oats and bananas.
• Have oily fish three times per week (salmon, herring, anchovies, tuna, and sardines). These oils are anti-inflammatory, and can reduce the severity and inflammation of the skin as well as help to heal the affected area.
• Pear juice is a good alternative to orange juice.
• Wheat germ oil and avocados are good for skin healing as they are high in Vitamin E.
• Other anti-inflammatory oils that help heal eczema are unrefined organic omega 6 oils, found in nuts and seeds.
• Unrefined olive oil, sesame and walnut oils are good for salad dressings.
• Oat milk, soy, buffalo and rice milk are good alternatives to dairy milk.
• Have a daily vegetable juice with carrot, raw ginger, apple, some cabbage, celery and cucumber - this is a great way to get high dosage supportive nutrients and heal the gut. Beetroot, artichoke, celeriac, celery and radish can also be swapped into your juice for extra help in liver cleansing.
• Seafood is also a good source of zinc and protein, which help nourish and repair the skin
  

Lifestyle changes to reduce stress may be important:

• Yoga, tai chi, meditation or some other form of relaxation is helpful.
• Gentle exercise can help relieve stress, including walking, swimming and cycling.
• Aromatherapy massage with oils soothes and nourishes the skin, as well as helps aid in relaxation.
• Constipation and liver stress are known to cause problems for eczema; speak to a nutritionist for help with bowel and liver cleansing.
• Wear lightweight and airy clothing over affected areas to avoid sweating - especially when exercising.
• Switch to organic, chemical-free soaps and shampoos. Use Epsom Salts and oils in your bath rather than standard bath and shower gels.
  

-naturalnews

Apricot Seeds Kill Cancer Cells without Side Effects

Are apricot seeds a source for a natural substance that kills cancer cells without destroying the cancer victim's health and wealth? The essential ingredient has been called laetrile or vitamin B 17. If there is any merit to it, why is this information being suppressed? Why are people who have been cured or have cured others being censured and imprisoned? Could be there is something to the claims.

Keep in mind that the cancer industry world wide is estimated at a 200 billion dollar a year industry. There are many in various associated positions within that industry who would be without a job if that cash flow dried up suddenly with the news that there are cheaper, less harmful, and more efficacious remedies available. Big Pharmacy would virtually vanish.

What is B17, or Laetrile Anyway?

In 1952, a biochemist named Dr. Ernst Krebb, Jr. in San Francisco decided that cancer was a metabolic reaction to a poor diet, and a missing nutrient from modern man's diet could be the key to overcoming cancer. His research led to a compound found in over 1200 edible plants throughout nature. That compound is amagdylin,

Amagdylin is found with the highest concentration and necessary enzymes in apricot seed kernels. A primitive tribe, the Hunzas, were known to consume large amounts of apricot seed kernels. The hard pit had to be broken to get into the soft kernels. There was no incidence of cancer with them at all, ever. And they had long, healthy life spans. Laetrile was created by simply extracting amagdylin from the soft apricot kernels, purifying it and putting it into a concentrated form.

Amagdylin is a nitrioloside. Nitriolisides are difficult to categorize since they are in foods but not foods themselves. As a nitrioloside, amagdylin resembled the B complex structures, so Dr. Krebb called it B17 since by that time 16 types of B vitamins had been isolated.

Dr. Krebb injected himself with laetrile to ensure there would be no toxic side effects. He conducted further lab animal and culture experiments to conclude that laetrile would be effective in the treatment of cancer. By the way, the FDA standard for drug safety is known as LD 50, LD stands for lethal dose, and the 50 is the percentage threshold of lab animals poisoned to death by the drug tested. As long as the percentage killed is under 50%, FDA will approve it!

Since laetrile is derived directly from a food substance in nature and not chemically developed in a laboratory, it is impossible to patent. And of course it's not toxic. In other words, just as with all natural healing substances, Big Pharma and the AMA can't make a fortune from the substance and from the remedies for the long term side effects. There have been several testimonies from cancer victims who cured themselves by chewing large quantities of the apricot seeds alone.

The seeds are more available to consumers now than laetrile because in 1971 the FDA banned laetrile. Laetrile is difficult, but not impossible, to purchase. The seeds are actually the soft almond shaped, bitter tasting kernels from inside the pits. A few users prefer extracting those soft kernels from the pits themselves. But the soft kernels are available and inexpensive.

So How Does It Work?

Amagdylin contains four substances. Two are glucose; one is benzaldyhide, and one is cyanide. Yes, cyanide and benzaldyhide are poisons if they are released or freed as pure molecules and not bound within other molecular formations. Many foods containing cyanide are safe because the cyanide remains bound and locked as part of another molecule and therefore cannot cause harm.

There is even an enzyme in normal cells to catch any free cyanide molecules and to render them harmless by combining them with sulfur. That enzyme is rhodanese, which catalyzes the reaction and binds any free cyanide to sulfur. By binding the cyanide to sulfur, it is converted to a cyanate which is a neutral substance. Then it is easily passed through the urine with no harm to the normal cells.

But cancer cells are not normal. They contain an enzyme that other cells do not share, beta-glucosidase. This enzyme, virtually exclusive to cancer cells, is considered the "unlocking enzyme" for amagdylin molecules. It releases both the benzaldyhide and the cyanide, creating a toxic synergy beyond their uncombined sum. This is what the cancer cell's beta-glucosidase enzyme does to self destruct cancer cells.

Amagdylin or laetrile in conjunction with the protective enzymes in healthy cells and the unlocking enzymes in cancer cells is thus able to destroy cancer cells without jeopardizing healthy cells. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, kills a lot of other cells and diminishes one's immune system while killing an undetermined amount of cancer cells.

Those cancer cells tend to return elsewhere because the patient's general health was reduced from the pervasive chemo toxins. The cancer industry has declared the bench mark for curing cancer as being cancer free for 5 years. It's estimated that of those who undergo the AMA big three for curing cancer, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, no more than 3% make the 5 year cancer free mark. Besides the treatments' debilitating effects, they are much more expensive!

But for someone with cancer, it takes a considerable amount of daily B17 consumption to enable the amagdylin to reach the cancer cells with beta-glucosidase. That's because some of the amagdylin molecules will be neutralized by the normal cells containing rhodanese.

Many practitioners who use laetrile have an 85% cure rate among cancer victims who did not undergo much of the standard cut, burn, and poison that is main-stream - while the cure rate for those who come to laetrile therapy as a last resort after all that conventional medicine could only have a 15% recovery rate. There is a clinic in Mexico that claims a 100 percent cure rate!

The Medical Mafia's Suppression

Since around 1920, practitioners of alternative cancer therapies and remedies and their messengers have been marginalized, harassed, imprisoned, and even killed. Federal agencies have been used to bring about bogus charges or IRS tax liens that are enforced by US Marshals the way Dr. Gary Glum was hassled for even writing books on Essiac Tea. See Natural News article "Essiac Tea: A Cancer Cure Big Pharma Doesn't Want You To Know About." http://www.naturalnews.com/026928_c....

A young Brooklyn man, Jason Vale, was imprisoned because he refused to stop telling others on TV and in lectures how he cured himself of cancer using those nasty apricot pit kernels! Jason is a more recent public example of the Medical Mafia's grip on the legal system regarding B17. Laetrile, which is non toxic, was banned by the FDA in 1971.

Shortly after the 1971 laetrile ban, a practicing physician in San Francisco, Dr. John Richardson, who had been using laetrile successfully on cancer patients, came to his friend G. Edward Griffin, a published investigative journalist, and asked Griffin if he could write up something to help him and others continue using laetrile on their cancer patients.

G. Edward Griffin's research evolved into his groundbreaking book, World Without Cancer. This book not only explained laetrile and chronicled several cancer cures, but Griffin's investigative nose led him down the rabbit hole and into the underbelly of the cancer industry's efforts at keeping alternative cancer cures from the light of day. That's how he discovered that the Sloane-Kettering Cancer Institute had buried documentation from scientists' research, which proved laetrile was "highly effective" at curing cancer.

Griffin received those documents himself from a Dr. Ralph Moss, who had been told to cover up that evidence and claim that laetrile was worthless. He refused and left his position as PR manager with Sloane-Kettering. Since that time in 1977, Dr. Ralph Moss has gone on to write or edit several books on cancer cure options. It's always encouraging to see an insider come out! Someone else filled Dr. Moss's vacant position and lied the lies about laetrile that filled the medical journals.

And what about those medical journals? Lately, the most prestigious New England Journal of Medicine dropped its standard of not allowing articles contributed to the journal from anyone who was receiving money from Big Pharma, as long as it's less than 10 grand annually. If they didn't drop that standard, there wouldn't be enough articles to fill the journal! Of course, most medical journals are glossy ad forums for Big Pharma anyway.

Both G. Edward Griffin with World Without Cancer and Phillip Day in his book Cancer: Why We're Still Dying to Know the Truth, make it very clear that the cancer industry does not really want a cure. Even non-profit organizations get millions in donations from the brainwashed, huddled masses along with funding for promoting Big Pharma. A non-profit organization can and will have key people working for 6 figure plus annual salaries, by the way.

Doctors mostly do as they are trained and told; medical journals contain false reports and lies. Cancer foundations have breast cancer months or whatever as PR to get people into the disease industry's money mill as early as possible, and at the top, there is Big Pharma. It's all about money and career. Not about public health and "The War on Cancer."

So far in mainstream medicine, it's been a losing battle with more getting cancer than ever. Around 1 out of 3 is destined to get cancer these days, and more are dying from cancer after conventional treatments. Talk about pandemics! All this with lots of cash going their way, enabling some to live a lush lifestyle and others hanging on to their comfy, secure jobs at the expense of our health.

Meanwhile, too many true humanitarian doctors and herbalists and writers concerned with the truth wind up being treated like criminals or nut cases, sometimes with their lives destroyed. That's tragic. And so is the fact that millions suffer and die while being conditioned against using effective and less painless procedures.

Laetrile Treatment

There are many success stories from people using just laetrile or apricot pit kernels. The usual recommendation for prevention is around 5 to 7 over the course of a day. For actual cancer cases use 2 to 3 times that. Some say one kernel for every 10 lbs of body weight. For maintenance after a cure, go back to 5 to 7 per day.

Some laetrile therapists have patients use vitamin B15 tablets and digestive enzymes such as papaya's papain and pineapple's bromalene. Too many apricot pit kernels can create nausea or dizziness. There are no recorded deaths or disabilities from the apricot seeds or laetrile, however. Although some success has been recorded with patients undergoing conventional therapy and using laetrile, it's not recommended. Eventually most of those who combine the two get off the chemo or die anyway.

There are many practitioners and writers who recommend you combine other alternative cancer therapies while taking laetrile or using the apricot pits - especially if you go for it alone at home. It should be obvious to Natural News readers that a foundation of healthy food and less stress is necessary. A fundamental lifestyle change has to be a part of any permanent cancer cure. In addition, a little eclectic mix and match with other alternative therapies seems like a good approach.

For example, Gerson's cancer cure therapy's juicing protocol with the right type of juicer and using coffee enemas to detox the liver could be added with laetrile use. It's hard to go wrong with that healthy combination. See Natural News article on the Gerson Therapy for more details here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/027004_c...

Do your own research by starting with the source links below this article. Those sources are for more than showing the author has done his homework. The author intends for you to use them as a springboard for your own research. Why waste your money and health on toxic remedies when so much is available as alternatives for far less money and negative side effects? -naturalnews