My Morning Elixir

This lemon, chia, and apple cider vinegar drink is how I start each morning! My morning elixir has lots of health benefits, but most important to me, it gets me in a healthy mindset for the day.

Here is what drinking this drink every morning has done for me:

Helped my chronic heartburn. I had a rough pregnancy with a lot of vomiting—my esophagus hasn’t healed from it (and I’m not sure it ever will), and I get a lot of heartburn. On days when I drink this drink? No heartburn. When I skip it? Holy heartburn hotel. Seems counterintuitive considering two of the ingredients are acid, doesn’t it? Many folks believe that heartburn and acid reflux are actually caused by your stomach having too little acid instead of having too much.

Kickstarts my metabolism. When I skip my morning elixir, I can go hours without feeling hungry. Like full on skip breakfast, forget to eat, bad for you kind of un-hungry. When I get up in the morning and drink this? Within 15 minutes or so, my tummy’s all like “Alright, kid. That was awesome. Lets have more healthy food!”

My skin is awesomer. I’ve never had great skin, not bad, but not the glowing, fresh, healthy skin you see from truly healthy folks. It never bugged me until I started to show some signs of aging. The more wrinkles and grey hair I got, the more I wanted my skin to feel healthy. It’s my subtle way of saying to the world, “Hey, I may be getting older, but I’m still healthy and bonkers awesome.” When I drink this stuff? My skin actually has a glow to it. I’m not going to be on the cover of any magazine anytime soon, but I can see and feel the difference. And that’s all that matters.

Gets me in a healthy mindset. This is my favorite benefit! This is all psychosomatic, and that’s why it’s such a huge win. When I get up in the morning and make time to make my elixir and drink it, it’s like a switch flips in my brain. Today will be a healthy day. Because I drank my elixir. When I start the day with a healthy decision, it makes it easier to make more healthy decisions. Health begets health. Even if you don’t want to do the full elixir, just getting up and drinking a glass of water in the morning will give you the same mind trick!

Now, there are a ton of other benefits listed out there if you just Google “benefits of lemon water” or “benefits of apple cider vinegar” or “benefits of chia seeds”. But that list up there is what I really notice from drinking this personally. And those changes are impactful enough for me, that I want to share my elixir with you!

Before I dig into the “recipe” (it isn’t really), I do want to give you a few notes on ingredients. Some things to keep in mind when shopping for your ingredients:

Apple Cider Vinegar: You’re looking for raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. I use Bragg’s (affiliate link) because it’s readily available—they sell it at my regular grocery store in the salad dressing/vinegar aisle. You want to avoid using the regular apple cider vinegar that has been filtered and pasteurized (the clear stuff). The healthy enzymes and bacteria from fermentation are good for you, and filtering and pasteurizing the vinegar removes those.

Lemons: I choose to use organic lemons, because I figure that if I’m drinking something for my health, avoiding as many pesticides as possible is a good idea. I use half of a lemon in the morning in my elixir, and then I usually squeeze the other have over a salad at lunch.

Chia Seeds: One of the great things about chia seeds being so popular—you can get them almost anywhere now! You want whole chia seeds, and either white or black will work.

Water: If you’re really anti-added chemicals, you’ll want to use purified or filtered water. I personally just use warm tap water. There are lots of different articles out there about the temperature of water you should drink, and it seem there are advantages and disadvantages to just about every temp range. I personally use warm water, because I’m almost always chilled when I get out of warm bed and head to the cold kitchen!

When I first started drinking it, I’d add about a teaspoon of raw local honey (lots of health benefits to that, too!), and then slowly stepped the honey down. Now I drink it without sweetener, and I love it. To your health, my friends!

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon whole chia seeds

- Juice fo ½ lemon

- 1 tablespoon raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

- 1½ cups warm water

Instruction:

- Mix all the ingredients together. Let rest for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chia seeds have formed a gel. Drink up!

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This Natural Recipe Will Make Your Facial Hair Disappear Forever

Many women face the problem with unwanted hair on the face, which can be very annoying and   problem for their confidence. Therefore, those women use many options such as waxing, bleaching or even shaving to get rid of the unwanted hair. Laser is also an option, but not everyone can afford it. Luckily, there is a natural solution to this problem, which women in the Middle East have used it for centuries. It is very effective and you can do it at home.

It is a mixture which not only removes the hair, but it also soothes the skin and makes your skin look healthy and shiny. The components of the mixture are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Every woman should pay enough attention to skin care because skin is the largest organ of the body and what you put on your skin goes directly into the bloodstream.

Ingredients:

- 1 tbsp of oats porridge

- 2 tbsp of lemon juice

- 3 tbsp of honey

Method:

Mix all the ingredients and apply the mixture on the area where you want to remove hair. Leave it for 15 minutes, and then wash it with warm water. Afterwards, apply face cream. You should repeat this procedure 2-3 in a week. After a month, you will be surprised by the results. The hair will disappear completely.

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Natural Botox for Wrinkles: Homemade Recipe

You shouldn’t spend your money on any sort of creams to get rid of wrinkles . You have in your own kitchen three simple and natural ingredients that will help you get rid of wrinkles in a natural way as possible and in a very short time. 

Ingredients needed:

– Half a banana

– 3 teaspoons of yogurt

– 1 tablespoon of honey

Preparation:

Mash banana after you baked it for 10-15 minutes. Mix the crushed banana with yogurt and honey until you get a smooth paste. Apply it on face and leave on for 15-20 minutes. Wash your face after with warm water first, then with cold water.

Bananas are rich in nutrients, which are very useful for the skin. The substances that are found in yogurt are effective for stretching the skin while honey will provide the required hydration. This mask suits all skin types and can be used daily, until you notice an improvement.

The results will not be seen in a day or two – this is a natural mask and its effect is usually slower than cosmetic products which are bombarded with chemical elements. If you use this mask every day, we assure you that after three weeks you will be surprised by the result.

You can use this recipe after a day on the beach, as it will soothe and hydrate the sunburned skin and will stop the exfoliation process.

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Get Rid of Wrinkles Naturally

We all pay attention to the wrinkles around our eyes and neck but we mustn’t forget our mouth. They could formed be from years of laughter, or stress or generally life, but fine lines start appearing around our mouth when we’re 30 years or older.

Other causes of wrinkles forming around our mouth could be due to smoking and exposure to the sun without sunscreen and wind. If you have dry skin, wrinkles could form faster due to dehydrated skin. All you have to do to combat this is to prepare a cream with calendula, beeswax and olive oil at home.

The ingredients that you will require are 200 grams of beeswax, 750 ml of olive oil and fresh marigold flowers. Take all three ingredients and let them boil in a vessel of water for around 1 – 2 minutes. Just a note of caution, the marigold flowers should be completely dry before boiling them. Let the mixture rest overnight, and then just reheat & package them into containers the next morning. Using this homemade cream daily on your problem areas for at least a period of two weeks will greatly reduce your mouth wrinkles.

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Get Rid of Stretch Marks with Homemade Oil

Stretch Marks are formed as a result of swift stretching of skin or weight changes. They can be commonly seen on waist, lower back, breasts, thighs, arms, buttocks and hips. In the middle layer (dermis) of the skin, stretch marks start developing when the connective tissue is stretched due to the expansion and contraction of skin resulting in the formation of a fine scar.

The following are useful home remedies to treat stretch marks.

1) Warm olive oil and rub gently on the affected area. This improves blood circulation and stretch marks will get reduced.

2) Apply coconut oil and massage for 15 minutes.

3) Mix equal quantities of Lavender Oil, Almond Oil, and Chamomile Oil and apply on stretch marks.

4) Tea Tree Oil has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Massage gently with Tea Tree oil regularly.

5) Cocoa butter softens and smoothens thereby breaking the scar tissue of the stretch mark.

6) Vitamin-E oil is a wonderful therapeutic stretch mark treatment.

Improving Skin’s elasticity and strength is the best way to avoid the formation of stretch marks.

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Ever Hear of Oil Pulling?

The practice of oil pulling helps fight gingivitis, plaque and those nasty germs that cause bad breath.  It  works exceptionally well, in fact,  and makes the teeth nice and white without  having to use the harsh chemicals found in a lot of oral care products.    You can use whatever vegetable oil you prefer, but I like coconut oil for its antibacterial properties.    This type of oil also contains  an antimicrobial agent called, “lauric acid” that helps prevent tooth decay.   

Ayurvedic practitioners use different oils for different body types, so if you know a practitioner, consult with him or her.  Otherwise, use whatever oil you wish. 

Sometimes, I use sesame oil, which I also like a lot.

How to do oil pulling:

1. Put one or two tablespoons of coconut oil into a small dish, or as much directly into the mouth and skip step #2, because it only takes a few seconds for the solid oil to melt.

2. If you prefer, place the dish containing the oil into a larger one filled with some hot water to quickly liquefy the coconut oil.

3. When the oil is liquified, place it into your mouth…but do not swallow it!  Swish it around in your mouth for around 20 minutes.  I do it while I’m checking my morning email and going over the day’s tasks, because 20 minutes can seem like a VERY long time unless you otherwise occupy your mind.

4. Dispose of the  in a garbage bin.  Do NOT spit into sink unless you want to clog your pipes.

5. Rinse out your mouth with warm water.

6. Brush your teeth.

7. Brush them again.

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How to Reduce Pore Size

Large pores can be quite upsetting. They make your skin look imperfect, dull and unsmooth. Though, pore size is genetic, it is possible to reduce their appearance. They may vary depending on the type of skin you have. Aging, sun damage, improper hygiene, use of bad/low quality products and cosmetics can make your pores bigger in size.

Luckily, you don’t have to suffer for the rest of your life with large pores. The following remedies will help you fight the problem of enlarged pores and reduce pore size.

Cleansing to Reduce Pore Size

Cleansing

Cleansing skin is the first step in preventing enlarged pores, breakouts and irritation while maintaining the integrity of the skin’s structure. Always cleanse the skin first thing in the morning to remove dead skin cells and embedded oil. A bar soap, cleansing gel, or cleansing oil works to remove pore clogging residue, keeping the complexion clean and supple while minimizing the occurrence of enlarged pores.

Steaming

Steaming the facial skin is a wonderful way to open up the pores and remove the dirt and debris that is clogging them. For a do-it-at home steam session, place your head over a pot of hot water with a towel draped over the head and the shoulders. Be careful to avoid hot water burns. Steam the facial skin for five to ten minutes. Follow with a light moisturizer.

Baking Soda Exfoliation for Large Pores

To close large pores, mix two tablespoon of baking soda to a cup of warm water. Apply this baking soda toner on nose, chin and forehead to remove dead skin cells and get clear and closed pores.

Salt and Buttermilk

Buttermilk has lactic acid, which is a skin exfoliant, and hence great for treating dead skin cells and grime that could be trapped inside large pores. Take buttermilk and add some salt to this. Mix to form a paste and rub on the affected area for a few minutes. Leave it on for fifteen minutes after this. Rinse off with water. This will help in keeping the skin free of dirt and excess oils.

Ice Cubes

Ice cubes are excellent for shrinking the pores and they are an instant remedy that can be used before you use your makeup. This will help in leaving the skin smooth looking and also prevent the makeup from entering the pores and cause problems like acne and infections.

Take an ice cube and after washing your face thoroughly, rub it all over your face and neck for a few minutes. Ice cubes will constrict the blood vessels and pores and will give an even looking and less porous skin before you apply makeup. This can be done every time after you wash and clean your face so that dirt and grime do not enter the large pores.

Tomato Toner

Tomato paste or juice can help to cure large pores problem in a fast way. Tomato has excellent astringent qualities, which help to eliminate extra oil and shrink the apparent size of large skin pores. Place the paste or juice of tomato on your face for 20 minutes and wash off.

Other Home Remedies to Reduce Pore Size

Oatmeal Mask

Oatmeal (when used as a face mask) is an effective and natural way to fight the problem of huge pores. Since oatmeal is known to be hypoallergenic, it does not clog pores. Make a mask containing oatmeal, honey, apple cider vinegar to minimize pores, tighten skin and enhance your skin complexion.

Honey

Honey is famous for its medicinal, cosmetic and healing properties which makes it a favorite among most people. It can be used on the skin for natural toning and closing of the pores and also reducing the excessive oiliness of the skin which is among the main factors for open pores in the first place.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is another natural toner with astringent qualities that can be used for closing large pres. Apply a diluted solution of apple cider vinegar after cleansing your face and wiping it thoroughly. Allow it to air dry before applying makeup.

Egg White

Egg whites work as natural dryers of the skin and thus they greatly help in shrinking the pores and helping with the problem of open pores. They are excellent to lighten the skin and also help in unclogging the pores as they pull out the impurities from the pores.

Fuller’s Earth

Take two tablespoons of fuller’s earth and mix it with one tablespoon of honey and milk. Combine all these ingredients properly. Apply it all over your face. Wash off after 15-20 minutes with cold water. This will nourish your skin, and lessen the open pores.

Tea Tree Oil to Shrink Pores

Tea tree oil is a powerful home remedy to fight oily skin, acne and shrink the large and open pores. To unclog pores, mix 3 to 4 drops of tea tree oil in one cup of water. Pour the lotion in a clean spray bottle. Spray this versatile toner over your face twice a day. Clean your face of any impurity or make up before applying the toner. You can also use cotton to apply this natural toner to shrink large pores.

Sandalwood

Take one tablespoon each of sandalwood and turmeric powder and add a few drops of almond oil to it. Make a paste of all three ingredients and apply gently over your face and around the neck. Leave it for 20 minutes and wash your face with cold water. It will revitalize your skin and minimize the occurrence of open pores to a great extent.

Papaya Mask

To tighten the big pores, you can try papaya face mask. It will help to shrink the facial skin pores. Make a smooth paste of raw papaya and gently scrub your skin in circular motions. Let it sit on your face for 20 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water.

Rose Water- Cucumber Juice

Mix a few drops of rose water in cucumber juice and dab it on your face, and rinse after 15-20 minutes. This will lessen your open pores. Moreover, silica in cucumber improves the skin texture and gives you a fair complexion.

Almond Meal

Applying almond meal to your skin helps refine pores and diminishes their appearance. Make your own almond meal by pulsing 1/3 cup almonds in a blender until you achieve a powdered consistency, or purchase almond meal at well-stocked supermarkets and natural health stores. Combine two parts almond meal to one part water to create a thick paste, and spread gently over enlarged pores in an even layer. Leave the mixture on for 30 minutes, rinse with tepid water and pat your skin dry. Repeat the treatment two to three times a week for the best results.

Sugar and Olive Oil Scrub

Take 2 tablespoon of sugar; add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients and gently rub on your face for 20 to 30 seconds. Clean it with cool water. For better results, use this remedy once in a week.

WARNING: Don’t Pick!

When your pores are clogged, there is nothing harder to fight off than the desire to pick and poke and prod. Just don’t! When you are pulling and squeezing your skin, you can cause trauma to your pores which can leave them permanently enlarged. Plus, you’re adding dirt and oil from your hands to the mix which can cause breakouts and infection. Let the products work for you.

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5 Ways to Remove Dark Circles Under Your Eyes Fast

Dark discoloration of the skin under the eye is largely called dark circles. It's also referred to as dark shadows or rings. Some of the chief causes behind the creation of dark circles are genetics, dry skin, aging, prolonged crying, physical or mental stress, unhealthy diet and lack of sleep. Both women and men of various age groups can have dark circles. Dark circles aren't a severe skin problem, but they make people seem tired, exhausted and older. You can simply remove ugly shadows under your eyes using these easy home remedies.

Here are the top 5 ways to get rid of dark circles fast.

1. Almond Oil

Almond oil is an excellent natural ingredient that's so helpful for the sensitive skin around your eyes. Daily use of almond oil will help fade the under eye circles. Additionally to almond oil, you can apply vitamin E oil to erase dark circles under the eyes.

2. Cucumber

Cucumbers have mild astringent and skin-lightening features that help heal those raccoon eyes naturally. Additionally, they have a refreshing and soothing effect.

3. Raw Potato

There are natural bleaching agents in potato that can aid lighten dark circles and eliminate puffiness around the eyes.

4. Rose Water

Rose water holds amazing ingredients for skin care. It restores the skin and has a soothing effect on tired eyes. Thanks to its mild astringent qualities, it also works as a great skin toner.

5. Tomato

Tomatoes also have bleaching features that can lighten skin to a great extent.

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How to Treat Wrinkles Around Mouth

Aging is a natural process. As we reach a certain age, our skin loses its natural elasticity and the skin starts to develop wrinkles. Usually wrinkles develop at the mouth area. Wrinkles can make one look five or ten years older. Aside from aging, other possible causes of wrinkles are excessive sun exposure and limited facial expression. In addition, the most common causes of wrinkles around the mouth area are cigarette smoking, excessive use of straw when drinking and puckering up your lips.

It appears that, there are people who age gracefully. Even at 50 they do not develop wrinkles. Some say that they follow a specific beauty regimen so that they will not develop wrinkles. If you are concerned about your looks and you want to get rid of the wrinkles around the mouth, here are some tips:

Lifestyle Modification

You may do some lifestyle adjustments just in case you are starting to develop line or wrinkles in the mouth area in order to slow it down. If you are not used to wearing sunscreen, better start now. Sun damage can cause wrinkles to develop. There are so many skin products with SPF offered in the market. You can benefit from SPF 15 or greater. SPF can help combat the negative effects of UVA and UVB rays. Quiting from smoking is yet another way to help fight wrinkles. Smoking is harmful not only to the skin but to the other organs as well. Besides, puckering your lips to hold the cigarettes can also increase your likelihood of having permanent grooves around the mouth. Nicotine is the cause of the decreasing of collagen in the skin according to researches.

Homemade Facial Masks

Facial masks are also known to reduce the number of wrinkles around the mouth because it keeps your skin hydrated and plump . Homemade facial masks are easy to make. Using avocado on your face at least twice a week can work wonders. Strawberries can also be used as facial masks. These berries are packed with vitamin c, antioxidants and salicylic acid. They can help improve your skin texture and appearance. It also helps lock in moisture and remove dead skin cells.

Laser Therapy

If you are truly bothered by the wrinkles around your mouth, you can seek medical advice and check if laser treatments will benefit you. There are two types of laser treatments that are used in managing wrinkles. First is known as the ablative laser resurfacing therapy. This type of laser treatment is very intense. More often than not, the recovery time is long and you may need six months to recover. The laser beam destroys the outside layer of the skin or the epidermis. It heats up the dermis, the skin layer below the top skin. This procedure also stimulates the growth of collagen fibers. We all know that collagen help slows down the aging process. The new skin will form as the damaged skin heals. The new skin will appear smoother and tighter than before. With just one treatment, you can see immediate results. Again, the recovery time is longer.

The second type of laser therapy is known as the pulsed light treatment. This one is less intense than the previous laser treatment. It does not harm the uppermost layer of the skin but only warms the dermis. The recovery time for this kind of treatment is shorter.

Wrinkles around the mouth can be very stressful. Thankfully, there are many treatments available today that can help get rid of mouth wrinkles. Consider the above, if you wish to lessen or reduce lines and creases in your lip area.

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Home Remedies for Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus can be a chronic problem for many people. It can affect one of more of the toenails and lead to poor appearance of the nails and spreading infection. Toenail fungus can be a particular problem for those with diabetes. Your physician can help you to find remedies for fungus infections of the nails.

What Causes Toenail Fungus?

Toenail fungus is caused by microscopic organisms that can grow in dark and damp places. Feet are the perfect breeding ground for fungus organisms because they remain in socks and shoes for long periods of time, away from sunlight and often damp from sweat. Fungus can also be picked up from public areas like swimming pools and locker rooms.

Aging often brings nail fungus problems because nails grow more slowly as people age and have a poorer blood supply. Men acquire nail fungus infections much more often than women do. These infections also tend to run in families.

Home Remedies That Can Work on Yellow and White Toenail Fungus:

Many home remedies have been used for years to inhibit the growth of toenail fungus:

• Simple household vinegar can be used as a foot soak, with 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water. Soak the feet for up to 20 minutes daily.
• Many people use medicated chest rub applied directly to the toenails daily to stop the fungus growth.
• Isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen hydroxide applied directly to the affected nails several times a day can also help to clear up the infection.
• Other people have success with tea tree oil, available at health food stores, to treat the nails.
• Others try anti-fungal creams and even dandruff shampoos to treat toenail fungus with some success.

Traditional Medical Treatments

• Before you have laser treatments, your physician may also prescribe a number of other methods that are available for nail fungus. The physician may file the surface of the nail and prescribe topical medications can be applied to the nail over a period of time.
• Oral medications such as itraconazole can be helpful. Generally, you take this medication for 6 to 12 weeks. It gradually grows a new nail free of fungus and can take up to 4 months to see successful results. An anti-fungal nail lacquer called ciclopirox is also available.
• This compound is applied to the affected nail and surrounding skin daily for 7 days. Then, it is removed and a fresh coating is applied. It can take up to a year for complete eradication of the fungus.

If the infection is severe and causes chronic pain, surgery may be necessary to remove the nail. A new nail will grow in within a few months.

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Top 7 Causes of Back Acne

It usually returns round age 30, in Case you've had teen acne. I understand, it sucks. This occurrence is typically experienced by every 1 in 5 girls between the ages of 25 and 40. Here a few explanations for why you could be facing grownup back acne and a few thoughts about what you may do about it.

1. Hormonal Imbalance

Back acne in girls will aggravate a couple of weeks or days prior to the beginning of the period. This can be due to the increased quantities of hormones in the blood flow around that time. Menopause at times additionally brings pimples and acne back.

High levels of testosterone in men additionally triggers back acne. Which can be the reason you'll frequently see individuals who lift weights that take lots of medications that add testosterone to the bloodstream will be impacted by this.

2. Worry And Tension

In today's lifestyle, avoiding tension and strain is a challenge by itself. Scientists have found a correlation between stress and acne flareups. Pressure indicates the mind to make higher levels of the hormones 'androgens' and 'cortisol', which stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce increased quantities of oils, thereby clogging pores and causing skin illnesses including back acne.

Having the ability to control your rates of pressure is just another wonderful strategy to remove back acne in the home swiftly as it is something which you can begin commanding right now and you don't have to wait days to get a treatment to start out taking affect in your skin. Some ways I've done this naturally will be to meditate for a few minutes a day also to do a brief yoga routine. It truly does wonders to your skin and general well being.

3. Diet

Our diet today is made up of all kinds of hormone-enriched products, which causes an imbalance in our standard hormone amounts. Consider all those meats along with other products which can be poured with nutritional supplement and abnormal compounds to cause them to become larger, last longer and taste better.

Sugary, dairy product, and a lot of chocolate ingestion may also lead to acne in the face area and back. It is because higher consumption of such foods could cause an imbalance within the body leading to breakouts. It's not very much that chocolate is causing your back acne, but the spike in blood sugar in the body does throw it into an imbalance.

4. Genetics

In case it runs in your family, prepare yourself to handle the brunt of the acne. It is often discovered that individuals having a blood relative that has back acne is genetically predisposed to developing it, and it might likewise continue through maturity. But this doesn't mean you have to have pimples on your back forever. There are various natural back acne treatments that work for folks, aside from genetics or age.

5. Side Effects Of Drugs

You may be causing your acne unknowingly because of some medicine your taking. If you assume a particular medication trips your acne or makes it worse, go through the side effects of the medication and when acne is certainly one of them, ask your physician to prescribe you a distinct medication if at all possible.

There are plenty of drugs that are likely to cause acne in some individuals. It's not a really common complication, but it can occur. One more way to learn if that drug or nutritional supplement is tripping breakouts would be to find out when you began getting acne again, or quit taking it to get a couple weeks afterward getting back on it to see whether that is causing pimples to form.

6. Undiagnosed Medical Conditions

At times, mature back acne is because of an inherent medical complication. Insure your physician constantly chooses appropriate history of your signs and symptoms. After the illness is diagnosed and treatment is commenced, the acne regularly subsides.

This also goes for the food which you eat or any beverages that you have on a regular basis. Record that, should you're feeling that there's something unique once you place it into your body causing your back acne as time goes to find if its the perpetrator and keep your eye on your skin.

7. Artificial Skin Products

Makeup products, oily lotions, and lubricants which are oil-based will lead to the clogging of pores which trips acne. Consistently see the labels in the merchandise you purchase. Be certain that they are oil-free, non-acnegenic, and non-comedogenic. These will help open pores and exfoliate the skin.

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5 Effective Home Remedies for Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are unaesthetic marks that usually appear in areas with fat deposit, such as abdomen or hips, after a sudden weight loss. Over time they turn from pink or red to white.

There are several ways of getting rid of stretch marks. On one hand, you can opt for laser treatments, which diminish the marks. However, they are quite expensive and the results are influenced by the type of the skin and the ‘age’ of the scars. On the other hand, you can choose from a variety of effective homemade remedies that are much cheaper.

Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter helps you combat and prevent the stretch marks. Apply cocoa butter with regularity and you will soon notice that your stretch marks have diminished and your skin is smoother.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a very popular ingredient, used to treat different skin conditions, among which stretch marks. Use Aloe Veera gel on a daily basis, in order to reduce these unaesthetic marks.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E has proven to be a very effective element in skin care. In this sense, it also improves the condition of your stretch marks, making them less noticeable. Apply vitamin E or soap with vitamin E content on your skin everyday, in order to have positive effects.

Lavender Oil

This essential oil has been used for a long time in eliminating stretch marks. Apply lavender oil 2-3 times a day and you will soon observe positive results.

Personal remedy

Combine vitamin E with ¼ cup of Aloe Veera and ½ cup of olive oil. Apply the remedy with regularity and you will not only reduce the marks on your skin, but you will also prevent them from appearing again.

Consequently, stretch marks can become a real burden for women who like to be beautiful and have a perfect skin. However, you can reduce their effect by using natural remedies, which are quite cheap, instead of laser treatments which are more expensive and sometimes are not that effective.

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How To Get A Smaller Waist In Just A Week

Do you want to achieve that hourglass figure just like your favourite actress? Has a slim waist been your dream, and do you often feel it is something impossible to achieve? Well, this post gives you those superb tips that can help you get a smaller waist; and that too within a week!

Wondering how to get a smaller waist in a week? Read to know!

1. Alter Your Diet:

Scientific studies conclude that eating whole grains, along with fruits and other vegetables helps you reduce the amount of fat you consume. Consuming whole grains is healthier as they contain no preservatives. This is one of the best ways to get slimmer within a week. Remember that fruits sometimes contain high amounts of sugar and eating too many fruits can be counterproductive.

Doctors say you need to reduce 3,500 calories from your diet to lose one pound. The threshold for healthy weight loss is 2 pounds a week, so don’t starve yourself with fad diets. Eat healthier, not lesser.

2. Drink More Water:

Another important thing to do when trying to lose weight is drinking more water. This helps prevent your body from getting confused between thirst and hunger. To limit the tendency to binge on food, drink more water. It is good for the skin and hair as well.

3. Focus On Quality, And Not On Quantity:

Usually, people who diet tend to not eat anything, as opposed to eating healthy foods that don’t add excess fat or sugar to your body. The secret to dieting is eating more healthy meals, which do not add excess calories to your body.

4. Build Your Chest And Shoulders:

The best way to make something smaller is by making things around it look all big. Similarly, when you exercise your upper curves, i.e. your shoulders and chest, the waist appears slimmer.

You can consider performing shoulder and chest exercises.

5. Clothing:

Another fail-safe way of getting that slim waist is to wear clothes that draw attention to your waist. Wearing a waist belt can be a good way of doing this. Your belt can be wide, jeweled, skinny or braided! When you wear one of them over a dress, they provide the illusion of an hourglass figure, which automatically makes your waist look smaller.

These are just some simple ways on how to get a smaller waist in a week. Please tell us about your own clothing hack or any particular exercise you have used to reduce your waist size. Tell us about your experiences by leaving a comment below.

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10 Weight Loss Rules To Live By

Incorporate these tips into your daily routine to maintain your ideal weight or if you are currently overweight, these tips will help you significantly shrink your waist size.

1. Eat More Veggies

Not only are vegies low in calories and packed with nutrients, but they also have a high thermic effect, meaning they use a lot of energy just to digest (particularly if eaten raw or as close to raw as you can manage).

2. Train with challenging weights – in the 6 to 12 reps range

Adding lean muscle (called hypertrophy) is achieved with challenging weights in the rep range of six. Hypertrophy is the process of increasing the number of cells within an organ or tissue (such as muscle tissue), thereby increasing its overall size. If you train with higher reps, you surpass this stage and train your muscles for endurance rather than lean muscle gain.

3. Eat Plenty of Protein

Protein is the building block of muscle tissue (among many other tissues in the body). When you are training hard, you need to ensure you are getting enough protein to aid with recovery and repair of your muscle cells in order to achieve hypertrophy. Protein will also help keep you fuller for longer and it has a thermic effect, meaning that it takes additional energy/calories to digest, so it’s also great for fat loss.

4. Reduce Carb Intake

You can’t burn fat in the presence of insulin and every time you ingest sugars or carbohydrates, your body releases insulin. Yet carbohydrates are beneficial for brain fuel and your body’s preferred energy source, as well as for muscle recovery – so don’t eliminate them. The best time to eat carbohydrates is around your training times – before, and especially after, a challenging workout.

5. Eat Enough Food

One of the biggest mistakes women make is not eating enough to fuel their body and assist with their fat loss and lean muscle gain goals. You need to eat regular meals packed with protein, some complex carbs, lots of vegies and some good fats. Starving yourself is only going to slow down your metabolism and see you gain weight long term, making it harder to get it off and keep it off.

6. Train minimum once a week with weights

Muscle growth occurs through adaptation. You need to stress the muscles often enough to elicit the adaptation response. The muscle gets stronger and bigger due to the stress placed upon it. Training also needs to be challenging.

7. Get Enough Rest and Sleep

Many overlook the importance of sleep, but if you don’t get enough sleep, you can’t function properly and this has two negative outcomes. The first is that you are unable to work to your full potential or hard enough in your training sessions. The second is that when you are tired, it messes with your hormones, making it much harder to resist cravings.

8. Don’t overdo the Cardio

If you want to lower your body fat and gain lean muscle, too much cardio is counter-productive – especially the popular long, slow kind such as long-distance running or cycling. Muscle wastage occurs when performing a lot of long-duration cardio, so instead try two to three short, high-intensity sessions and only add longer, more moderate sessions as a last resort. The aim should always be to do as little cardio as possible if body recomposition is your goal.

9. Hide the Scale

When you change your body recomposition for the better, you add lean muscle weight (while reducing fat weight) so you may not see a huge drop on the scale but you will definitely see it in the mirror and by how your clothes fit.

10. Stay Motivated

Body recomposition takes time – 12 weeks is a great time frame. If you are looking for rapid ‘weight’ loss, you will find yourself losing precious muscle tissue instead of fat. Stick with it and you’ll see results!

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Home Remedies for Anxiety

Anxiety, feeling fearful, worried, angry, or nervous, is a common human emotion. It is uncontrollable and can stem from many other issues such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Common symptoms of anxiety are fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, restlessness, inability to concentrate, sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and dry mouth.

Home Remedies for Anxiety:

Home remedies are more effective in treating anxiety as they offer long-lasting results without side effects.

1. Almonds

Almonds are rich in zinc and vitamin B12 which help prevent anxiety. This process relaxes you before bed to reduce stress.

Process:

• Soak 10 almonds overnight in water to soften.
• The next morning, peel off the skin.
• Blend almonds, 1 cup of warm milk, a pinch of ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg until smooth.
• Drink regularly before bed for best results to reduce stress.

2. Oil Massage

Message deeply relaxes and calms the body while eliminating toxins, making you feel better both physically and mentally.

Process:

• Use sesame, coconut, sunflower, or corn oil for best results.
• Warm the oil and rub all over the body, especially the scalp and bottom of the feet.
• Massage before taking bath in the morning helps to calm down in the day.
• You can massage before going to bed also.
• Massage regularly to get relief from anxiety.

3. Baking Soda

Baking soda calms nerves to rid anxiety.

Process:

• Add 1/3 cup of baking soda and 1/3 cup of ginger to warm bath water.
• Soak for 15 minutes.
• Shower immediate after.
• Repeat regularly to get rid of tension.

4. Anti-anxiety Elixir

This integrative elixir balances your overall energy level. Lemon juice reduces blood pressure by strengthening capillaries, ginger calms your stomach, and honey controls blood sugar instability.

Process:

• Mix 1 teaspoon each of lemon juice and ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of honey.
• Drink three times daily for best results.

5. Valerian

Valerian is an herbal supplement which reduces anxiety by making you tired. Take one capsule in the evening as you are preparing for bed. Combine valerian with chamomile or lemon balm for added results.

6. Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is an old remedy used to relieve stress and anxiety. Take 600 mg of lemon balm in tea or capsule or tincture form daily for best results. Combine lemon balm with chamomile or valerian for added results.

Note: Taking more than 600 mg at a time can cause anxiety.

7. Passion Flower

Passion flower is a sedative herb which helps nervous restlessness and anxiety. It contains beta-carboline harmala alkaloids which elevates happiness-promoting chemicals. Take 45 drops of passion flower extract or a 90 mg tablet daily. Do not consume more than a month.

Note: Do not take sedative herbs while pregnant.

8. Tea

Tea has a calming effect on nerves to rid anxiety. Dried rosemary herbs, chamomile flowers, or green tea are all very effective options for making tea.

Process:

• Steep 1 – 2 teaspoons of your preferred herb in a cup of warm water.
• Drink regularly twice a day.
• Add sugar or honey to enhance flavor, if desired.

9. Proper Diet

Diet plays a key role with anxiety. An anxiety attack can be attributed to low blood sugar, therefore eating healthy food can help control anxiety.

• Eat whole grain foods, seaweed, blueberries, green leafy vegetables, acai berries, maca root, chocolate, walnuts, and almonds.
• Avoid fried foods, high glycemic carbs, alcohol, unrefined sugars, and coffee.
• Eat Eggs and bread as a breakfast because they have proteins and natural source of choline (the deficiency of choline causes the anxiety).
• Eat food that contains omega 3s (fish oil) to prevent depression and anxiety. Eat 2.5 milligrams of omega 3 fatty acids daily for 12 weeks. Foods rich in omega 3s include oily, cold water fish, salmon, anchovies, sardines, and mussels.
• Eat food containing magnesium, vitamin B12, zinc, and anti-oxidants to control anxiety.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Celery contains large amounts of potassium and folic acid which prevent nervousness. Eat 2 cups of either raw or cooked 2 weeks to prevent anxiety.

Tips to reduce Anxiety:

• Deep breathing helps rid anxiety. Sit in a comfortable place, close your eyes, and focus on breathing deeply.
• To help you relax, try yoga, meditation, listening to music, taking a cold bath, or watching movies.
• Make sure to sleep for at least 7 – 8 hours every night.
• Write in a dairy every day to help identify what causes stress and anxiety.
• Exercise is good for health and effectively combats depression and anxiety.
• Lavender calms your mind and body, instantly relieving anxiety.
• Avoid alcohol and smoking as these increase anxiety.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy helps to control anxiety and stress levels.
• Make a habit of visualizing everything in a positive way. This helps prevent anxiety.
• Walking in the forest for 20 minutes helps lower stress hormone levels when compared to walking in urban areas.
• Sunlight provides essential vitamins to the body. Enjoy the sunshine to wash away anxiety.
• Learn to manage your time affectively to avoid stress.
• Plan your day in advance to avoid anxious situations.
• Take small breaks during the work or school day to calm your mind.

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