Archive | HEALTH AND WELLNESS

5 Eco-Friendly Self-Care Practices

Self-care is essential in ensuring your physical, mental, and physical health are in good shape. However, more often than not, some self-care practices may be detrimental to mother earth. Nevertheless, there are several effective ways you can practice self-care without leaving any damage on your environment. So, how can you ensure you take the necessary self-care steps and also save the earth? Well, here are a few eco-friendly self-care practices to help you achieve this! 

Have a toxic-free spa day

What better way to practice self-care than to treat yourself to a spa day of facials, mani-pedis, and relaxing oils? For an eco-friendly spa day, you should consider using a vegan facial mask. Vegan facial masks contain natural extracts to give you radiant skin while protecting the environment. For your manicures and pedicures, several beauty brands on the market offer toxic-free nail polish to give your fingers and toes some healthy, eco-friendly TLC. Finally, it would be best if you consider women’s CBD oil for your massages. Not only are they organic, but these oils also increase your relaxation and destress your tensed muscles. 

Declutter your home

Sometimes, life can be overwhelming, and your home is usually proof of this. From your kitchen to your bedrooms, the overload of items displaced across the room or filled with things you do not need can affect your physical and mental help. According to researchers, decluttering is beneficial to your mental and physical wellbeing. A decluttered home makes you feel safe, reduces stress and anxiety, and increases self-esteem as it gives you a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. Therefore, take some time to put your cluttered rooms in order. Donate old items such as books and clothes. You can also recycle recyclable items to play your part in saving the earth.

Take a refreshing, anti-inflammatory hot bath

A hot bath with oranges, lavender, Epsom salt, and grapefruit? Sounds great! Hot baths are remarkable for their relaxing and inflammation reduction tendencies. However, creating a natural citrus bath is even better! Soaking in a tub of vitamin C improves your immune system and gives your skin an envious elasticity and smoothness. Furthermore, since the properties in such a hot bath are natural, they do not affect the standard of water that is later recycled to be sent back to households.  

Take a break from your phone

It sounds impossible, but it always seems impossible until it’s done! With how dependable people are on their phones, it is always challenging to take a hiatus. So much time is spent strolling through social media, and, more often than not, this affects your emotional and mental health. Giving yourself a break from your phone once in a while is another effective self-care practice. Use time you would have spent on your home doing other things you enjoy, such as reading a book, listening to music, developing a new skill, meditating, or going for a walk. To avoid spreading panic, you should do this into consideration and perhaps let your loved ones know you would be unavailable for a while. 

4 Natural Ways to Enhance Your Beauty

If there is one thing everyone wants to do, it is to look and feel like they are at the prime of their life for the longest time possible. The thing about this is, you do not have to do a lot to ensure that you look beautiful. In fact, most of the things you need to do will not involve harsh chemicals that might damage your skin. Here are some natural ways that can help to improve your beauty.

Drink Water

While you might have heard this several times, it is a mantra you need to live by. The more water you drink, the clearer your skin looks. The reason for this is, water flushes out the toxins that might be in your body. Mayo Clinic recommends that you drink 3 to 4 liters of water every day. The other good thing about drinking water is that it is a free way to get good skin, and you do not have to spend money on anything other than a cool water bottle.

Exfoliate

Another natural way to ensure that you keep looking beautiful is to exfoliate. Exfoliating ensures that the dead skin is removed and your pores stay open. There are exfoliating brushes in the market if you do not want to use any product. You also have the choice of using a scrub to aid in it. The good thing about exfoliating is that you do not have to do it on a regular basis. Once or twice a week is more than enough.

Use Natural Products on Your Skin

One of the main causes of skin breakouts in most people is the products they use on their skin. Many of the products in the market are laden with chemicals that do more harm than good. Fortunately, there are many quality skin cream products made from natural ingredients. You can get started by using products like LilyAna retinol cream and ensure that all other products you use on your skin are natural. There is very little chance of your skin being affected when you use such products.

Eat Healthily

Another easy and great way to maintain your beauty is by eating healthy. You are what you eat, and if you eat the wrong kind of food, it will show on your skin. Therefore, ensure that you eat a balanced diet and pack up on plenty of fruits and vegetables. Cut down on junk food as the excess oil might get to your pores and clog them. Another bad habit you need to cut off is consuming a lot of alcohol and cigarettes. These two have dehydrating effect on your skin and are bound to make your skin age faster.

Maintaining beautiful and healthy skin is not as hard as many people make it sound. The best thing you need to do when you get started with your skincare routine is to know what works for your body’s needs and how to meet them. Ensure you use organic skincare products and incorporate them into your skincare regimen. They will keep your skin vibrant and smooth for days to come.

Hip, Hip Hooray for Pomegranates

We eat a ton of fruit in our home, each week we pick up the freshest local organic fruit that we can find. There are fruit that we purchase even if it isn’t local, for instance, pomegranates.
 
My mom loves pomegranates and I remember being a little girl and her giving me half of a pomegranate. I remember thinking it was a very odd fruit and I wasn’t sure that I would like it. However, I loved it.
 
Eben has been eating pomegranates since he was a toddler and whenever we go marketing he always asks if we can get them. TIP: If you cut/peel it in a bowl of water, there is no mess! Delicious and amazing! 
 
Last weekend, we stopped at Costco on our way home from Boulder. Costco had a crate of six giant pomegranates for $12. Wow! A bargain, compared to the $5 a pomegranate that we pay at our local fancy grocery store. They are giant too, about the size of a softball.

Do you love pomegranates?
How do you prepare them?
What do you think of the giant ones I found?

Compelling Reasons To Add Honey To Your Winter Healthcare Regimen

Americans consume about 1.3 pounds of honey per person per year. And while most think of the substance as nothing more than a sweet treat, there are actually a surprising number of health benefits of honey that many people overlook. Here are just a few reasons to consider adding honey to your winter healthcare regimen.

Cleans Wounds

It’s no secret that winter weather often comes with an unavoidable and imminent risk of slipping and falling on an icy sidewalk or driveway. Fortunately, the healing powers of honey can work to help you recover from any cuts or scrapes you may have after a fall or other minor injury. While it’s not a miracle cure, it’s antimicrobial properties can help keep wounds clean and heal them faster.

How exactly can you use honey to treat a wound? It’s easier than you think.

“After cleaning the wound, put honey on one side of gauze or a clean cloth, and lay it onto the wound. Or pour a thin film of honey directly onto the wound and put the gauze over that. Either way, seal the honey in with surgical or duct tape on the edges of the bandage. Clean and repeat twice a day,” explains Commonsensehome.com.

Can Improve Oral Health

Many people may be shocked to hear that despite honey’s sugar content, it still has positive oral health benefits. That’s right — the honey present in sugar does not harm your teeth — that is, as long as it’s 100% raw honey. Anything less is almost certain to be mixed with high fructose corn syrup, which is known to cause cavities like other sweeteners.

Raw honey, however, can be used as a form of tooth decay prevention in addition to treating gum disease. According to an AACD survey, virtually all adults (99.7%) surveyed believe a healthy smile is socially important, but it’s undoubtedly medically important as well. And fortunately, certain types of honey are known for their cavity prevention abilities as a result of their microbial properties.

Furthermore, if you have an infection or inflamed area in your mouth, honey can work its antibacterial magic to ease pain and discomfort associated with the infection and help to flush out the bad bacteria that caused it.

Don’t Forget…

Unfortunately, not all honey is created equal. The key to reaping these fantastic health benefits of honey is investing in the right type of honey. As mentioned earlier, it has to be completely raw honey with no fillers such as high fructose corn syrup. Ultra-filtrated honey should also be avoided, since the process of refining it removes many of its healing properties.

Finally, it’s ideal to know exactly where your honey comes from. Always try to buy locally to ensure that your honey is not being altered or processed in any way.

According to current data, the U.S. needs about 52,000 more primary care physicians by 2025 to meet our healthcare needs, and even though honey isn’t necessarily a miracle cure, you never know if it could save you a trip to a healthcare professional this season. Of course, for more severe injuries and health issues, it’s always best to consult a doctor before attempting any DIY treatments.

6 Ways to Boost Your Health and Wellness When Working From Home

Pre-pandemic, up to 50% of the U.S. workforce held a job compatible with remote work. Now, millions of Americans are working from work for the first time. While working from home can certainly make you more productive, it can also take a toll on your health and wellbeing. The lack of physical boundaries between the domestic and the professional can leave you thinking about work when you should be relaxing.

To help give you back some self-control over your wellbeing, here are a few ways you can boost your health and wellness even while working away in your quarantined hobbit-hole.

1. Get your greens in

When you’re working from home, it’s all too easy to forego making a healthy lunch. Instead, you might find yourself reaching for ready-to-go snacks that are high in salt or sugar content so you can quickly get back to work instead of taking the time to really get in the vitamins and nutrients you need for the day. To maintain your health and improve your mood, make sure that you’re not treating your meals like a chore. Opt for organic fruits and vegetables that are good for you that will help your body thrive. Organic veggies also make for great snack options so instead of nabbing a bag of chips or a granola bar on your way to your desk, grab a bag of baby carrots or some cut celery instead.

2. Set up a designated work area

You don’t necessarily need to set up a home office when you’re working at home. But you should definitely have a designated work area. The reason for this is that, once you move away from your work area, you’ll be able to relax. If your work area is also your relaxation area, then thoughts about work will continue to plague you as you try to read or watch Netflix. A designated workspace also helps you keep your professional work organized. Storage and data security are important and you don’t want to mix up work notes with your out-of-work to-do lists.

3. Take active breaks

It’s all too easy to forget about taking a break when you’re working from home, especially if your home is plenty comfortable and cozy. But it’s important to remember that your body needs some rest from sitting for so long. Throughout the day, remember to get up and stretch. Doing a few strengthening exercises during those breaks can also help to get the blood pumping.

4. Avoid work communication during non-work hours

If you have flexible hours, you might feel the urge to use them to stay on the clock on certain days longer than you originally planned to respond to emails and stay in correspondence with co-workers. However, those emails will still be there during the next business day. Remember to clock out of your work mindset at the end of the workday and don’t give in to urges to keep going. Your rest is important.

5. Use a calming app at the end of the workday

When you’re working from home, it can be tricky to separate the professional and the domestic even when you have a separate work area. Consider using an app like Headspace or another calming meditation app to help put your mind at ease after you clock out for the day. Even if you meditate just for a few minutes, the small transition will help you leave your work on the table instead of carrying it with you throughout the rest of the day. Just be sure to check app reviews before you download anything new as some apps have recently been removed from Apple App stores and Google Play.

It can be challenging to help ease your mind and keep your body happy when you’re working from home. By following the tips above, you can help to boost your health and wellness even while remote working.

6. Keep the home clean and organized

We are all influenced by our surroundings. When working from home, the knowledge that there are problems with the home could lead to mental distractions. While a tidy and uncluttered property should be at the top of your agenda, it’s not the only issue. Infestations are another potential problem, not least because they can damage work equipment and cause sick days. Asking how do you get bed bugs? is the first step to stopping the issue. After all, prevention is the best form of protection. Alternatively, if they do enter your home, you must treat the issue ASAP. When your mind is free from distractions, you’ll be far better placed to focus on your work. Perfect.

It can be challenging to help ease your mind and keep your body happy when you’re working from home. By following the tips above, you can help to boost your health and wellness even while remote working.