Benefits of Apple Cider for skin and hair

The post below was written by Gaurav Jaggi a fellow blogger from India who contacted me about his desire to write a post on a subject he specializes in. Since I use ACV daily and have also used it on my hair  I figured it would be great to learn and share more on the subject.

ACV for Gorgeous Skin and Great Hair by Gaurav Jaggi

First, let’s just say that we all want great skin and hair; hence we invest so much in hair and skin products.  We can never tell what the perfect skin product is and advertisers don’t make it any easier to know what product to settle for.

Skin and hair differs, so do the products we are supposed to use in maintain them, so what do you do if you aren’t sure what to buy and how do you know if what you buy is really what your hair or skin needs?

Well here is what I think is quick answer to all that: Apple Cider Vinegar

There are numerous Apple Cider Vinegar benefits and it is your solution to great hair and skin for the following reasons:

Fewer Toxins, Great Skin

A liver with few toxins is a great liver and a great liver translates to great skin. Drinking a solution of apple cider vinegar in water up to three times in a day promotes great liver functions. It reduces the toxins in the body making your skin clearer and healthier looking.

 Washing with apple cider vinegar directly also promotes great skin however the ratio of water to apple cider vinegar should be 10% apple cider vinegar dissolved in water and you wash using a cotton wool or a soft cloth.

Shiny Healthy Hair, a Rinse Away

Don’t we all hate having dandruff?  It seems hard, costly and frustrating to try to get rid of dandruff yet there’s a very simple, affordable and effective solution: Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar will offer you shiny looking, bouncy and healthy hair.

Vinegar, first of all, helps to promote the health of your scalp, while the solution of apple cider vinegar can eliminate dandruff and maintain the volume of your hair by reducing hair loss.

Better yet, apple cider vinegar is best for removing styling products that have accumulated over the years from styling your hair.

In order for this to work for you, wash your hair and rinse in the solution of water and apple cider vinegar, make sure the solution reaches your scalp. Let it rest for up to 30 minutes, then rinse. You should do this minimally, once a week.

The Mother, Apple Cider Vinegar

To get the best from apple cider vinegar, you should go for the ‘mother’ – this is basically the suspended liquid formed when you age apples (organically grown), in a wooden barrels, ‘the mother’ is pungent and slightly dark brown and in the light it’s feathery and cobweb like. This is a sign of good ‘mother’

Remember, apple cider vinegar has been used for year for its many medicinal purposes. Raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar contains all the enzymes and life improving nutrients that are good for your health and that of your hair and skin. You can find out more about Apple cider vinegar benefits.

Thanks for reading this article please share with us how you use Apple Cider Vinegar in your daily life and benefit from using it!




N'na

Natural hair: How to transition from relaxers to natural hair

Natural hair: 
How to transition from relaxers to natural hair.
                 10 Tips for easy transitioning
                              by N'na

I have transitioned for over a year before enjoying my natural texture and have learned a few things over this incredible journey. Going natural has taught me more patience than I had and opened my life to so many new things. Below are some of my tips that have made my experience enjoyable.

1) Do not rush to big chop. Cutting you hair is not the only way to go natural.

2) Do your homework and ask a lot of questions.

3)Make up your mind and have peace with your decision.

4) Deep condition you hair at least every two weeks for healthy hair.

5) Continue getting your hair professionally done or caring for it in the best of your abilities. Going natural is not an excuse to neglect your hair. Preferably stick to hairdressers who are experienced in treating and styling natural hair.

6) Get you hair trimmed as needed. Cutting your ends gradually will facilitate its growth and the transition to natural hair.

7) Use products and treatments that work best for you hair. You can use protective styles, products from professional brands with no paraben and/or  kitchen/natural products such as coconut oil, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Shea butter.

8) Love the process and be patient. A transition is just that, a journey to a chosen destination. It's a special time worth enjoying and impatience can influence you to make decisions you might not be pleased with.

9) Surround yourself with supportive people and if the ones closest to you are slow to share you excitement, remain confident in yourself. Our loved ones will always turn around because at the end, all they care about is our happiness.

When you don't get the support you expected remind yourself that it's not personal they just want you to make the right decision based on  their own belief system.

If you are married or have a boyfriend it's important to have his support and his input. Do not neglect your man's opinion and tactfully show him why going natural is best for you. 
I was very fortunate to have my husband's support from the get go but I have always valued his input in the process as we discussed very frequently the beauty of natural hair.  http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-am-coming-out-call-to-naturals.html

10) Attitude is everything. Beauty is a whole package deal. It's not just hair so as you learn to take great care of your hair take great care of the whole you as well.

We would love to learn from you. Are you new to transitioning or have you been doing it for a while? How long? What's your tips to transitioning? Which one of the tips above best relate to your journey?


N'na

Benefits of detoxing: How and why to detox

                              Detox 101 : How and why to detox

Hi there,

I have a few friends who have asked about detoxing recently so I figured it would be great to share some basic tips with you as well.

Spring is around the corner and it's a great time to consider doing a detox and do a " Spring cleanse". Detoxing can ideally be done every 3 months, but doing one early Fall/Winter and one early Spring are good times as well.

So below I am  offering some general tips on detoxing that I hope will benefit and inspire you to detox.

There are different kinds of cleanses you can do and if you have never detoxed before a candida cleanse, a colon, liver and kidney cleanse are generally most recommended to free your body from toxins that have affected your health. Some cleanses can be done in 7 days, 14 days, 21 or 30 days. Embracing a healthier lifestyle and eating habits are crucial to further benefit from your detox.

                                                DETOX 101

Written by N'na. All rights reserved 2012.

Disclaimers: The suggestions below are not to replace doctors' advices. If you have certain medical conditions you should consult your doctor before starting a detox program or eliminating some things from your diet or adding to it.

Why should you detox?

We live a very toxic lifestyle and in spite of our best efforts to make healthy choices our surroundings,foods and cosmetics are loaded with toxins.

What are some benefits of detoxing?

• Cleanse your body from toxins
• Give your organs a chance to rest and work better
• Give you more energy
• Naturally heals your body from certain ailments : you get less  headaches, less diseases and sicknesses throughout the year.

• Better skin and complexion
• Give you a clearer sense of thinking and feeling
• More willpower and more positive outlook on life
• Weight loss (detoxing assits with weight loss because your organs working better once you give your body a chance to release toxins, bacteria, fecal matter etc).

                         
Which organs can mostly benefit from a detox?
Your whole body can benefit from a detox but some organs play a major role in the quality of our health such as:

• the kidneys
• the liver
• the colon

There is actually various kind of cleanses:
Candida cleanses, parasite cleanses, kidneys & liver cleanses, colon cleanses, colonics, lung cleanses, total body cleanses etc.  Each one is beneficial to your health and for optimal health it's recommended to do them all especially if you have never detoxed before.

When to detox? At least twice a year such  as Spring and Fall.

Please consider Fasting. Fasting is probably the best way to detox your body and your mind. It’s important to fast often. Fitting a one day fast weekly/biweekly or a 3 days fast in your monthly schedule are all reasonable endeavor. ( Please consult with your physician before embarking in any fast)

Keep in mind that while you are detoxing you might experience some headaches, you will have to take more frequent trips to the bathroom as your body must flush out many toxins, bacteria, fecal matter etc. Do not stop the detox on account of these as it's actually a proof that the detox was much needed but PLEASE if you suffer from any particular health condition consult with your physician before, during and after your detox.

To Jumpstart your detox.

Gradually eliminate or cut down certain foods from your daily diet.

Gradually add more healthy food and drink more water.

Drink every morning a glass of water with apple cider vinegar, freshly squeeze lemon juice and a spoon of honey.

Eat daily one or more grapefruits and/or apple.

Select a detox program and time frame as you can detox for 3 days, 14, 21, 30 days or longer.

Drink plenty of water to allow your body to flush the toxins.

Drink detox or herbal teas.

Foods to avoid when detoxing

Sugar

Dairy products

Wheat

Gluten: rye, wheat, bran, barley,baked goods...

Caffeine: Coffee, Black tea, sodas...

Other foods: yeast, alcohol, food additive and preservatives, chocolate, high fat foods.

Foods to eat when detoxing

Fresh fruits.

Fresh vegetables. Great detox vegetables includes broccoli, cauliflower, garluc, beets red and green vegetables.

Rice: Brown or basmati rice. Rice cakes, rice crackers, rice pasta.

Other grains:  quinoa, flaxseed, millet can be used instead of rice.

Beans:  Lentils are a great option.

Nuts and seeds:  such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds. Avoid peanuts.

Oils:  Extra Virgin Olive oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil.

Condiments: fresh herbs, sea salt, limited amount of honey, 100 % natural fruits and vegetables drinks, rice milk, almond milk.

Beverages: water, lemon water, herbal teas, freshly squeezed fruits or vegetables juices, smoothies .
                         

Herbs you can use daily to help with your detox: Ginger, oregano, cayenne, fennel, turmeric.

 Garlic: Fresh garlic is great to not only strengthen your immunity but it also cleanses your blood.

                                          Detox products on the market


There are many great products on the markets.

Please do your research before selecting a product. When selecting a product take time to ask questions, explain your goals, research the ingredients included and their roles and be aware of the fact that a detox program will not necessarily feel good at first!

A great website to check is http://www.drnatura.com/

                                  

Detox hygiene

Avoid beauty products that are harmful and loaded with toxins because your skin is your largest organ. Use organic, green or homemade beauty & cosmetics products.

During the time when you are detoxing avoid if you can and if it's not your workplace places such as Nail shop and Beauty Salon or any environment that would expose you to toxins.

Consider dry skin brushing before taking a shower.

Consider oil cleansing to cleanse your face.

Detoxing is about more than food & the body.

Detoxing is not just about food. There are emotional triggers to the food that we eat and habits strongly influenced or influencing our food choices.

Other things to consider when detoxing:

Rest your mind and body more.

Cut down or temporarily eliminate on TV time especially news and TV shows that cause the body stress. Cut down on activities or interactions that are unpleasant and unnecessary.

Train your mind each morning to expect the best.

Refrain from complaining unnecessarily focusing on negative things create more stress on your body.

Take time to start your day with a stretch as stretching allows trapped energy to be released.

Stretch often throughout the day.
see the benefits of stretching http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/05/benefits-of-exercising-stretching.html
the benefits of exercising http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/05/benefits-of-exercising-introduction.html

Walk more during the day.

Spread more love and do good more good deeds.

Smile and laugh more. ( Being scornful, sarcastic and laughing at the expenses of others is NOT what I recommend).

Keep a journal. Record your emotions, your goals…

Keep a gratitude journal. Make time each day to write things you are grateful for and start and finish each day by expressing verbally or in writing something you are grateful for.

DETOX  your environment.

Make time to go through your home, bathroom, closet, kitchen cabinets, home office and remove everything old, expired, useless etc.

In your closet get rid of everything stained, with holes, old and that no longer fit.

Declutter and cleam your space totally. A messy and dirty environment can also trigger stress and expose you to toxins.

Add some green plants in your home to purify your indoor air.

For more ideas please consider reading the following articles:
"The psychology of weight loss"

http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/11/psychology-of-weight-loss.html

"Pampering yourself is good for your health"

http://goodhealthdiva.blogspot.com/2011/01/pampering-yourself-is-good-for-your.html

If you consider fasting:

Disclaimer: Please consult with your physician before starting a fast.

Days before your fast drink plenty of water and eat more fruits and vegetables that are rich in water such as watermelon and cucumbers.

Determine the length of your fast. A meal, a whole day, a few days. Any  longer fast should be supervised.

The way you break your fast is very important. Eat foods that are light such as a fruit, a bowl of soup, a salad and eat slowly.
                       


There's a lot more to detoxing than the information I just provided. This article is meant to be an introduction and offer you some direction.

Detoxing is essential to your health and organs' cleanses such as the Colon  cleanses can improve your health and even assist with weight loss.

Detoxing has the power to heal, alleviate or prevent some conditions, so do it often and enjoy its many benefits.

I wish you a happy detoxing, a great health journey and if you are new here you are welcome to become a Follower, Like the FB page, subscribe for email updates and let us know about your detoxing experience!!!



N'na

Natural hair: Deep conditioning recipe for stronger and healthy hair

I have a simple treatment  that I love to do on my daughter's natural hair and wanted to share with you. The previous post is actually a French version that I wrote to encourage my readers who are not fluent in English to feel welcomed on this blog.
The treatment simply calls  for 1 tbsp of honey and 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil that you would mix with your conditioner. Reserve some apple cider vinegar for your rinse. Here are the simple steps.

• Shampoo your hair as usual
• Apply the mixture of honey, olive oil and conditioner ( you can do that with just honey and olive oil)  to your hair until your hair are fully saturated with your mixture. Sit under a hot dryer or simply leave it on.
• Leave it on for 30-45 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly with water and a little of apple cider vinegar 
• Apply some of your conditioner mixture as a leave in- conditioner and
• Complete your treatment by applying any of the following oils: coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil or any carrier oil of your choosing. I personally stick to the first three simply because they are easier to find.

On my daughter's hair below I applied some almond oil after rinsing her hair and applying a little bit of the conditioning mixture.
Please share with me some of your own homemade hair treats.

Three oils I love using for hair care

Ingredients for this homemade deep conditioning

In the small white bowl honey and olive oil (to mix with or w/o the conditioner) after shampooing




With the shower cap on waiting 30-45 minutes with the deep conditioner on

 



Soft and shiny hair after deep conditioning and Almond oil to seal her hair.


What kitchen ingredients do you generally use for your homemade deep conditionner? Which of the oila listed above do you use most often on your hair?

N'na

Simple and very effective remedy for Food poisoning!

Have you ever had food poisoning?! It's awful isn't it?! The vomiting, the diarrhea, the abdominal cramping, the nausea, the fact that it makes you so tired, the lack of sleep if you are enduring it during the night, the fact that it deplete your body from its electrolytes...Well, I just recovered from food poisoning and I felt that I probably should talk about it and slightly change my agenda for the week. I was planning on sharing the benefits of a homemade skin care scrub. I think that it's more important to share my experience with food poisoning because according to the Center for Disease Control food poisoning causes 76 millions illness in the USA,325 hospitalizations and up to 5,000 death each year. I am certain that many of you are familiar with the many food recalls on the news the past year and the precaution we are asked to take concerning E-coli and salmonellae.

Well, I take great precautions at home, I use vinegar to wash all my fruits and vegetables, even the packaged lettuces, spinach etc. I am very picky about where I eat and when I eat out I stick to the restaurants I am most familiar with and fit my standard of services and cleanliness.  However, for some reasons this is the third time since Thanksgiving that I suffered from food poisoning. The previous times, I had all the symptoms listed above.  This Saturday, I ate in a restaurant that's known for it's Buffet. It was not a Chinese restaurant, it was an American food restaurant that's actually part of a chain.
I normally don't do buffet no matter how good the food might be. If I find myself in a restaurant offering buffet I prefer to eat before or after meeting my party there.  Saturday I did not have the time to eat lunch because I had many errands to run and my family and I had to join at 4pm a group of associates to celebrate a graduation and I truly did not plan ahead for a healthy alternative to eating Buffet food.

I started feeling sick within hours of leaving this establishment. I had an awful night as I suffered from all the symptoms of food poisoning, except the vomiting this time. Sunday afternoon, I slept for hours after coming home from church and I finally decided that I had enough of being sick. So I started researching the Internet for home remedies.
I found more about the risk of food poisoning and only found one helpful site where someone commented that he used straight lemon juice with honey. He propbably suggested that because of honey's antibacterial properties but another person commented that sugar is not something to take when you are figthing an illness as it will just feed the bacteria.  Well, maybe the other commenter is not fully aware that the sugar in honey is different from white sugar and that honey is actually used to heal many health conditions. Anyway, after lot of reading and many divergences of opinions I found something that's more to my liking.

Here it is: 2 spoons of Apple cider vinegar!Nothing more and nothing less.  No kidding, that's it! 
 Well this being said, someone suggested rinsing your mouth with a rinse of baking soda so that the alkaline solution will protect the acid in the ACV, even though I did it I am somewhat questionning that suggestion because ACV is actually considerer alkaline.  I hope I won't have food poisoinning again but it's worth considering the suggestion to add honey. Lemon juice or ACV are hard to swallow and even though I would not mind taking it straight others might want to add honey to protect their throat if anything.

 Now, if you have read my blog entries before, you know by now that I am a huge fan of baking soda and ( apple cider) vinegar.  I felt much better within 30 minutes of taking those 2 spoons of Apple Cider Vinegar.  My mother had suggested that I get some garlic ( because garlic is antiviral and antibacterial). But the AVC was a quick, simple solution because I did not feel like cutting some garlic.
Now, you might wonder why ACV?! Well vinegar is antispetic and kills bacteria/germs so it's a great medicine to deal with the ones wrecking havoc in your body. I had used and recommended ACV for indigestion but never used it for food poisoning until now. I am convinced that apple cider vinegar, baking soda and lemons are the three things you should never run out!
When you don't have any apple cider vinegar you can squeeze 3-4 lemons and drink the juice straight preferrably or add honey if you must. In addition to that quick remedy drink lots of water and get some rest, your body still need them both to heal itself.

Well,  that's it for today, simply sharing a very simple way to knock out food poisoning instead of food poisoning knocking you out! Aren't you glad you are now more informed?!  So the next time you or someone you know suffer from food poisoning share those simple tips. It's easy but it could save a life!


To you better health and your better life.
Love you all and enjoy your week!