Commercials and the media today have us all in panic not to leave the house until we have slopped on layers of sun block, demonizing the sun as the biggest contributor to skin cancer, which actually is one of the many things that effectively fight cancer. I have often wondered what is in most sun blocks, and what else could it be doing to my body other than preventing a sun burn, which not always works. Much of this curiosity hit me after I had realized how permeable our skin is. I do understand that too much sun is not good, we do not want the skin to become burned, and if you are planning to be in the sun for long periods of time, it is very wise to use sun protection, but slopping on layers on sun block every time we leave the house concerns me.

The sun is the absolute best way our bodies receive the amount of vitamin D it needs to maintain optimal health. Sun block does more than prevent sun burn; it also prevents your skin from producing the very important vitamin D, which to me seems like a complete waste of sun exposure. The most natural skin care treatment one can receive is from the sun. The right amount of sun exposure is very critical for not just healthier skin, but a healthier immune system as well.

In just the past 10 years alone many scientists have been exploring vitamin D more and more rapidly, and are amazed how it affects the body. Some experts suggest that over 80% of children and adults are deficient in vitamin D, which deficiency in vitamin D causes the immune system to not do its job properly.

Vitamin D helps the body produce over 200 antimicrobial peptides that fight off infections such as Crohn’s disease. Vitamin D also helps prevent and treat many cancers such as lymphoma, lung, prostate, colon and skin cancer. Scientist and Doctors are beginning to discover more and more benefits of vitamin D, and are encouraging more so today than ever before, not just those who are deficient, but everyone to get their vitamin D levels checked 3-4 times a year.

You may live in an area where you cannot receive the right amount of vitamin D from the sun and are deficient. If this is the case you can take vitamin D supplements, but want to be careful you are receiving the right amount. When receiving vitamin D naturally from the sun the body self regulates the amount it needs through the skin. The body does not do this when taking vitamin D orally. Too much vitamin D can be harmful which is why it is very important to have your blood tested. The optimal level of vitamin D should be between 55-65 ng/ml. There are two different test available, 1, 25 (OH) D, and 25(OH) D. The 25 (OH) D which is also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D is most recommended by doctors as the better marker for vitamin D status.

Most important things to consider when wanting to obtain vitamin D naturally from the sun, is common sense, “don’t overdo it”! For the first few times being exposed to the sun limit yourself to about fifteen minutes or so, before protecting your skin from the sun’s rays, gradually build a tolerance. By midsummer you can spend nearly an entire day outside without getting sunburn, and of course if you are going to be exposed to extreme sun conditions for great lengths of time, then yes, protect your skin, whether it is wearing a hat, clothing, or using a natural sun screen, that is free from harmful chemicals.

Instead of treatments and cures that use chemicals we are taking the time to look into safe and natural alternatives. We love the natural alternatives to better health, weight loss, skin and hair care. This time of year as the weather gets colder, some of us will suffer from dry skin and dry hair. Natural home remedies are once again becoming as popular as they were years ago with our parents and grandparents. A favorite for anyone suffering from dandruff is a dandruff home remedy. If you have a problem with dandruff, try these safe and natural home remedies.

A Dandruff Home Remedy from India

The ingredients you will need are curd, honey and lemon. Use two tablespoons of curd and mix with three drops of honey and three drops of lemon juice. Mix together and apply to the scalp, leave on for fifteen minutes, then scrub for fifteen minutes.

Try Coconut Oil For A Dandruff Home Remedy

The best place of buy coconut oil is at any natural or health food store like GNC. Apply the coconut oil to the scalp and scrub away the dead skin with a brush or fingernails. Next, either hold your head under a faucet of hot water or in the shower under hot water for fifteen minutes. You will have immediate results that will last up to six months or a year.

A Canadian Answer For A Dandruff Home Remedy

This will work wonders for your dandruff problem. Apply baby oil to the entire head in the evening, wrap your head with a towel and leave on until morning then shampoo. Use the baby oil daily until all dandruff is gone.

Another Dandruff Home Remedy From The States

The answer to this dandruff home remedy is lemon juice. It’s best to use the lemon juice in squeeze bottles since it’s easier to control. Stand over either your kitchen or bathroom sink and squirt the lemon juice all over your head and massage. Leave on for about fifteen minutes, then wash your hair. It usually takes no more than two treatments for the dandruff itch to disappear. This is just a temporary cure. Repeat as needed should the dandruff come back.

A Dandruff Home Remedy From The Kitchen

Check your kitchen cupboard for olive oil and almond oil. If you don’t have either one, you can usually buy them at health food or vitamin stores. Mix the two together and apply to scalp and leave on for five minutes. Once it starts to tingle rinse and shampoo.

A Dandruff Home Remedy From The Barber Shop

Here’s an old dandruff home remedy from a retired barber. Add two crushed aspirins to your shampoo when you wash your hair. Leave the mixture on for two minutes then rinse and wash again. This remedy usually works after one treatment.

For a quick fix try aloe vera gel 10-15 minutes before you wash your hair. Leave it on for about 10 minutes then shampoo your hair. Use this on a daily basis to keep dandruff away. On a regular basis try crushing about 10-20 aspirin and mix with liquid shampoo. Use this dandruff home remedy on a daily basis. Soak Fenugreek seeds (purchased from a health food store) overnight in water. In the morning when the seeds are soft, grind them into a paste and apply to the scalp. Leave on for half an hour rinse then shampoo.

Something most people have in their kitchen are thyme leaves. Boil about 4 to 5 leaves in two cups of water for ten minutes. After the mixture cools apply to your scalp and leave on for half an hour then rinse and shampoo. Also, you can make a tea of apple sage and rosemary tea then apply to scalp leave on for approximately 10-15 minutes rinse then shampoo.

There are many natural home remedies for the treatment and prevention of dandruff. Check out your local bookstore for books on herbal and natural home remedies.

Are you aware of the fact that there are actually natural ways to slow down the aging process? There are some people who are around sixty that look like they are not a day out of their forties. Then there are those in their fifties that are able to look like someone in their thirties. However many people are wondering just what these secrets are. You might be wondering if there is really a fountain of youth.

Below are a few different ways that you can work to slow down your body’s process of aging. The first thing that you should try to do is add more of the chemicals for anti aging in your diet. You will want to look for things known as antioxidants. These help you with staying young. Two of the most well-known antioxidants happen to be Vitamin C and A. You will find you can get a lot of the C vitamin from citrus fruits. For the A vitamin you might want to eat more collard greens, spinach, carrots, and squash.

Another thing that you might want to do is work at walking briskly every other day. You should try to keep up the brisk walk for at least twenty minutes and this should be done three days or even more each week. This helps to strengthen your bones in the lower half of your body. This will help to fight off osteoporosis. Walking briskly should take you about a mile in around fifteen minutes. This is a great form of exercise for people who would rather stay away from the more traditional aerobic exercises.

You might also want to look into dieting. The purpose for cutting back on your fat content is because of the fact that it helps to prevent the arteries from having cholesterol clogging them up.  This will also help you with having a body mass index that is normal which is another important factor. Having problems with weight can cause you to be at an increased risk for having diabetes, breast cancer, and also heat disease. These are all things that you most certainly want to steer clear of if at all possible.

You should also work to stop smoking. Many smokers are known to have at minimum one of these things:

·         Lines and wrinkling that is pronounced

·         Gauntness

·         And/or a complexion that is off-color.

There is a plethora of upscale costly hair products that are making big promises in the markets. But before going in for expensive products, you might want to consider some effective hair growth home remedies.

Fenugreek is easily available at almost all the grocery stores. You need to soak it overnight. Now this water solution can be used next morning. All you need to do is to rub this solution onto your scalp and wrap a towel on your head so as to prevent this solution from evaporating. After 2-3 hours, just remove the towel and rinse your hair with clean water. This procedure if repeated daily for about 2-3 weeks can result in considerable hair growth.

The next useful product that is found in almost all the kitchens is olive oil. Olive oil not only enhances the process of hair growth nut also improves your scalp’s condition. You need to massage your scalp with a few drops of olive oil, after washing your hair. This procedure adds an instant shine to your hair and makes your hair healthy. Only healthy hair can grow at a faster rate.

Another best thing that can provide your hair with wonderful conditioning is an egg. All you need is an uncooked egg so that you can extract the egg yolk from it. You can put this egg yolk onto your scalp. Then you need to massage gently with your finger tips for about ten to fifteen minutes. After that you can wash your hair with water. The results are almost stunning. Your hair immediately becomes softer and more lustrous. You can grow healthy hair in a very short time by repeating this process about three to four times in a week.

One of the most popular techniques used for promoting hair growth is the application of coconut milk onto the scalp. Coconut milk when applied onto the scalp results in an increased rate of hair growth. You need to message your scalp with coconut milk and leave it for about fifteen to twenty minutes. Then rinse off with cold water. The most remarkable results can be seen immediately. Your hair will become soft and shiny. Regular application of coconut milk can contribute in significant hair growth.

In case the growth of your hair is being hindered by the presence of dandruff, then just take some coconut oil in a bowl and add a pinch of camphor to it. You need to apply this oil onto the scalp with the help of your fingertips. Make sure that the oil reaches out to all the hair roots present in your scalp. If the process is religiously repeated on a daily basis then within just fifteen days, the dandruff will disappear completely and you will get strong hair roots. For dandruff, you can also make use of lemon juice instead of camphor. Even lemon is equally effective in getting rid of dandruff. Try out any of these effective remedies and you never know it might just work wonders for your hair.

Do you thinking about improving your personal fitness in this New year? Maybe you want to eliminate a few pounds or toning up? Deciding to get better shape becomes one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions around. Buying exercise equipment for your home would really help to make it happen–but it’s easier said than done.

There are various different home fitness products on the market today, from ab machines to treadmills, weight lifting systems to elliptical trainers, and that’s just for starters. With so many choices, which should you select?

In this article, we’ll cover seven easy tips you can follow that will guide you to the best exercise equipment for your needs, and your budget. Read the rest of this entry »