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Archive for December, 2009

All thanks to hormones your complexion may act up to during pregnancy. If you have had clear skin all along, pimples, acne, etc seems like unwanted guests. On the other hand, acne, pimples, etc prior to your pregnancy, your skin might just clear up. Irrespective of the situation, you can start by keeping your skin clean and moisturized. And if pimples, acne, start to appear, do not pick, squeeze, scratch or pop them. You make things worse for your skin by risking scars. Speak with your doctor if acne becomes worse.

Acne prevention pointers

- Wash your face twice a day with mild cleanser. Exfoliate but do not scrub your skin.
- Exercise to reduces stress, increases blood circulation and oxygen penetration to your skin
- Do not squeeze, pop, scratch or pick at your pimples, as this can make the infection spread.
- Drink adequate amount of water each day to help detoxify the body from the inside out.
- Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and drink loads of water to maintain healthy skin. Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates
- Avoid oil based cosmetics and clean your cosmetic brushes in warm soapy water.
- Avoid exposing your skin to too much sunlight, heat or cold.
- Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing as it can trap sweat against the skin.

Acne Remedies

- Apply lavender or tea tree oil on the acne affected area. These essential oils are natural antibiotics destroying a broad range of microorganisms and reduce redness, itchiness and stinging. Try a steam facial of boiling water mixed with couple of drops of tea tree oil. When you are finished, splash your face with cold water, to help close the pores again.
- Cut fresh garlic clove in half and put it on the affected area.
- Put a tsp of lemon juice and ground cinnamon on the acne.
- Apply vinegar to the face with a cotton ball and let it sit for ten minutes and then rinse with cold water.
- Lemon or any citric fruit are good natural exfoliates. Squeeze a lemon or citrus fruit into a bowl and soak a cotton ball in the juice. Apply the lemon juice to the face and then leave for 10 minutes before rinsing with cool water.
- Beat one egg white and apply it on the face for 15 minutes and then rinse with cold water. Egg white with large amount of proteins and fatty acids replenishes the skin and tightens the pores.
- If you see a pimple starting to break out on your face, rub an ice cube on the affected area.

What was once ridiculed as a bizarre fad in health has been widely accepted as a way of life for many people. This ‘fad’ however has been in practice for over 5, 000 years and is known as Yoga. Though it is recognized as a form of exercise, some specific poses unique to this method of physical culture have been highly recognized and recommended in the drugless healing cycles for centuries.

With a sensible and proper diet with emphasis on Fruits and Vegetables (the Mucus-less diet), these specific ailments listed below can each be alleviated with a consistent and wise execution of the poses recommended.

1. Acne: Sun Salutations, the shoulder-stand and its counter-poses, head to knee poses, Peacock poses and Abdominal Isolation.

2. Arms (Sagging): Sun Salutations, Incline plane pose, Bow Pose, Wheel pose and the Balancing Poses (peacock and Crow)

3. Asthma: Deep abdominal breathing, Shoulder-stand, bridge and fish Pose, Bow Pose and Corpse pose (Abstinence from animal products and ALL processed foods strongly required! Fruits and Veggies Only!)

4. Back-Ache: Sun Salutations, Fish pose, bow pose

5. Bad Breath: Sun Salutations, Inverted Poses, Bow and Balancing Poses, Cleansing fire Pose and Breathing exercises. (Short fasts and Restricted Occasional juicy organic fruit diets are recommended)

6. Body Odor: Sun Salutations, the Shoulder-stand (15-20 Minutes after the poses are practiced, use a warm damp rag to wipe the pubic regions)

7. Bust and Chest (firming): Sun Salutations, Bow, Crow pose

8. Chin-(prevention of double chin): Fish, Wheel, Sun Salutations

9. Common Cold: Sun Salutations, shoulder-stand and her counter- poses, Breathing Exercises, Nasal Irrigation (Avoid Dairy, Grain and Animal Products and of course Processed Foods, this is a good time to do a short fast!)

10. Constipation: Inverted Poses, Sun Salutations, head to knee Poses, Bow Pose, the balancing poses (Peacock and crow variations) (Fiber Rich Foods- Dates, celery, melons etc)

This concludes the first part of the 3-part series on how to use Yoga and a Proper diet to alleviate health symptoms.

Working as a nurse in the emmergency room you meet a beautiful variety of people. Among those for whom I feel a special sympathy are those with bipolar. They can of course be quite the characters: some hear voices, some live on the streets, some have an extraordinary sense of humor, some love to sing and entertain… and much more. One thing bipolar patients have in common is that they take heavy medications, particularly antidepressants that have many side effects. To whatever question you ask these patients, the answer will often be, “Well, I have bipolar.” As if this one sad fact is sufficient explanation for all possible questions.

But the word “bipolar”, of course, does not explain everything, and this is particularly true for women having problems with hormonal changes. For example, one woman had a hysterectomy because of severe bleeding, then had to go on hormone replacement therapy. After a couple of months she completely “lost it”. She became convinced that she had to move far, far away and take up missionary work – to the alarm of her concerned family. Bingo. She was put on antidepressants and given the convenient label of “bipolar.” Well – she took her antipressants cross-country with her and ended up living on the streets with the homeless. Rescued finally, by some good friends, she was brought back home, where she if now off most medication, trying to stay as sane as possible, and still saddled with the heavy label of “bipolar.”

Many women in and around menopause go haywire… but is that necessarily bipolar? I often wonder at how strongly hormones can affect mental health, as is often the case with women after childbirth, with the so-called ‘baby blues’. Often due to the hormone progesterone easy to fix with natural progesterone cream. Likewise, women – and men in their own hormonal midlife crisis – often get depressed. But should this really be any surprise? After all, so many things are changing at this point – it’s like adolesence all over again, but in reverse! New sensations and a new view of life… letting go of the old ways and struggling with the new… There can be a lot of confusion with many challenging questions demanding to be lived. Unfortunately, many take the easy road and simply dodge the whole thing. They accept being depressed and can even console themselves with the mantra, “After all, I’m bipolar.”

One solution might simply be to use common sense. Bipolar or not, it’s essential to take in enough essential amino acids and different forms of protein. Many people’s protein intake is limited and unvarying: just red meat, chicken and eggs. If you read Dr. Eric Braverman’s book “The Edge Effect”, you’ll see that we need protein from many sources, including meat, poultry, nuts, eggs, fish, dairy, beans, and vegetables.

This approach is helpful for all of us, but especially for those with bipolar – whether it’s the real thing or not. Dark chocolate can be helpful too, offering some of the same benefits as such antidepressants as Prozac and Paxil, but with no side effects. Just as healthy foods are vital for growing children, they are crucial for anybody going through big changes or having a difficult time. So be sure to eat well and exercise, and study Dr. Braverman’s “The Edge Effect”. Give yourself what your brain needs to function well and create harmony in your being. Don’t worry so much about your bipolar – or the bipolar label. Apply your thoughts to the constructive self-healing that is possible.

Common sense is not so common. Good luck with finding what works for you!

Warmly, Pieternel