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Great recipes for aromatherapy oils!

June 17th, 2008

As far as I can remember, I used to love fragrances.There has even been a time when I broke two bottle of my mothers favorite perfumes to see what would happen if I mixed them up.

Sadly, non of those experiments worked( and I did get a tremendous whacking for the breakage of the bottles) but I did manage to get educated about the science of aromatherapy when I grew up. Aroma therapy deals with the fragrances of perfumed oils to soothe or even treat-the human body and mind.

And all of you must have felt the effect.Isn’t the scent of a warm cup of coffee oh so relaxing on a tired and wintry morning?

Basically essential oils are highly purified natural plant extracts.which form the life-blood of the plant, protecting it from any type of infections, cleansing injuries and delivering oxygen and nutrients into the cells as well as boosting and protecting the plant.These purified oils are also used to promote overall health, vitality, and longevity.They can also support and tune up immune, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, digestive, nervous, and other body systems.

Although these essential oils are readily available there is no regulatory authority to control the oil formation and distribution. Very little can be done to prevent mislabeling, misrepresentation and adulteration. You have to very careful or people can suffer from reactions like dermatitis to diarrhea to fever from the contaminated essential oils.

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Posted in Aromatherapy

Herbal recipes for baby and you

June 15th, 2008

I really love to make stuff. And the Internet is the best source of finding totally great recipes for making useful stuff. As you all know by now, that I have a two-year old toddler who drives up and down the wall sometimes . But he’s darling and he has really sensitive skin. Even the mildest soap or baby wipes made him break out in the weirdest red dots all over his body. The doctor informed me that the he had a mild eczema which could not tolerate harsh chemicals.So its been a kind of nightmare finding a good soap, shampoo and baby wipe formula for him.

Here are a few good recipes I’ve managed to find and have successfully used to keep Baby Preston’s skin clean. I can guarantee that they do work. Let me know whether they worked for you!

Baby wipes mix-Mix I/4 cup of baby shampoo,!/4 cup vegetable oil and 2 cups water an in empty baby wipes container. You can add lavender essential oils to give a good perfume. Mix well and then soak any good quality tissue roll in the mixture after removing the central cardboard.

Milk bath-Mix one cup of milk powder with one cup cornstarch and add two drops of lavender essential oils.Most babies have dry skin and this perfumed mix is guaranteed to soothe dry skin and moisten it. Do not use essential oils on children less than six months of age.

Oatmeal baby bath- For a lazy person like me, this one was kinda surprising.Just powder one cup uncooked oatmeal in the processor and add two drops of essential oil to your baby bath. Amazingly soft skin!

Baby cream-Use about four ounces of beeswax and heat gently on the stove without burning, add three and a half fluid ounces of apricot oil mixed with four ounces of zinc oxide in the form of a paste and beat continuously until it cools. You can also add perfumed oils for scent although its not really necessary.

Keep in touch for more on herbal baby products as well as for mommies!

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Posted in Herbal Recipes

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A few ways to be healthy, wealthy, and wise

June 15th, 2008

Want to be healthy but don’t know how to start. Here are a few science-backed ways to enjoy life to the fullest with a few smart choices,

  • Red wine is a great antioxidant with the best protection against cardiovascular disease, tooth decay, and wrinkles. According to a 40- year-old Dutch scientific study wine drinkers are more likely to live longer as compared to non-drinkers.
  • Opt for fish. Oily fish like mackerels and salmon contain a larger amount of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids which plump up the skin making it smoother and healthier. They may also reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s disease, increase the IQ of children, and protect the cardiovascular system.
  • Drop some kilos with constant exercise. Even 30-mins of brisk walking is sufficient to keep the body fit and healthy.
  • Eat a lot of oatmeal. Oats contain an important material called as beta glucan which boosts the immune system. There are also a group of complex carbohydrates which don’t cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. Oatmeal acts like a sponge scrubbing away the excess cholesterol present in your blood.
  • Eat a balanced diet of fresh fruits and vegetables. And try to eat brightly colored veggies which are rich in healthy fiber, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
  • Pop a few supplements. No one, no matter how experienced, can really eat a balanced diet. So try to pop a few multivitamin capsules or extra supplements to keep your requirements fulfilled.

Finally try to be more optimistic. There’s nothing more off putting to others than a negative attitude.

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Posted in Featured, Stress and Relaxation

Negative calorie foods

June 14th, 2008

OK, I’ll be really frank. One of the biggest reasons people fail to complete a diet is because of the food deprivation. When you are constantly bombarded with images of food and food–related products, it becomes a little difficult to stick to a diet of veggies and unpalatable veggies at that!

So when a close friend of mine started raving about the negative-calorie foods diet, I wasn’t really impressed.

Been there, done that, didn’t work, was my attitude.

But imagine my surprise, when she actually managed to stick to the negative calorie foods diet and lose weight in the bargain. I thought, its time to take a peek at this. A diet which promises to allow you to eat unlimited amounts of selected food so that you can lose weight while eating only those foods, sounded boring. But anything to lose a few pounds!

I did do a little research and here’s what I found,

All foods have calories and they have to be broken down to provide energy to the human body. No food is actually without calories. But according to nutritionists a few foods have calories so tightly tied up that the body expends more calories then the food actually contains to break down the food. So the energy used by the body to digest the negative calorie food is more energy than the food actually contains! The logic being, more the food you eat, more energy utilized by the body and concurrently more weight loss by burning calories.

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Posted in Diet and Weight Control

Foods to fight osteoporosis

June 13th, 2008

A good calcium intake is essential to increase the strength of bones. Dairy products are necessary to the body as they contain a good source of calcium. Vitamin D is also required to increase the incorporation of calcium into the blood and into bones. So which types of foods are good for increased calcium uptake into bone? Here’s a comprehensive tip list.

  • Oil-rich fish, eggs, and yolk are all rich sources of dietary calcium.
  • Magnesium plays an important role in pulling in calcium into bones. Good sources of dietary magnesium and calcium are found in liver, nuts, sunflower and sesame seeds, almonds, bananas, and green leafy veggies.
  • Increase your intake of vitamin K to have denser bone and fewer fractures. Vitamin K is naturally found in kale and broccoli.
  • Eat less salt as salt can leach the extra calcium from your bones weakening them.
  • Moderate you intake of vitamin A, as large quantities can weaken bone.
  • Do regular weight bearing exercises and stop smoking.
  • Don’t drink more than three glasses of alcohol a day and keep a single day of the week free of alcohol-intake.
  • Large quantities of fizzy drinks will up you phosphoric acid blood levels and to balance it calcium is drawn out of bones. So avoid soft drinks all together.

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Posted in Diet and Weight Control, Herbal Recipes, Uncategorized

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