Ancient Egyptian Art of Body Sugaring

Body sugaring is a method for removing body hair that is a cheap, homemade alternative to waxing (or shaving). The theory behind body sugaring is that the hair is removed by the root, and when it grows back there will be less of it, and it will be softer and not stubbly as it is if a razor had been used.

Body sugaring is done by making a paste of sugar, water, and lemon juice that has been heated to the softball candy stage.
After you have let the paste cool enough so that it won't burn, you spread it on your skin, cover it with cotton strips of cloth, and then rip the cloth off like one does a bandaid. Most find sugaring less painful than waxing.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
¼ cup water

For detailed instructions on how to make your own solution go to:http://www.care2.com/greenliving/ancient-egyptian-body-sugaring.html

In the future you can reheat the mixture to a warm and not hot temperature (see above), and reuse. Note that reheating will thicken the paste.


Well, as you can see, body sugaring is way too cheaper and less painful than waxing and it gives a smoother effect than shaving with a razor.

Annie’s Luscious Moisturizing Shaving Cream Inspired by Better Basics for the Home, by Annie B. Bond (Three Rivers Press, 1999).

Here is Annie’s favorite simple formula to make and use.

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces almond oil
1/2 ounce beeswax
4 ounces water
2 ounces liquid castile soap
1 ounce glycerin
1 teaspoon borax
1/3 teaspoon grapefruit seed extract
20 drops essential oils: Thyme, lemongrass, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, or lavender--or a combination--are highly antiseptic as well as delicious-smelling.

1. Combine oil and beeswax in a double boiler over medium heat. Once the wax has melted, remove from heat and stir in the water, soap, glycerin, and borax. Blend with a whisk or handheld beater until creamy. Add grapefruit seed extract and essential oils and stir to blend.

Makes 1 cup of shaving cream. This formula will keep 6 months in a glass jar with a screw top.

HELPFUL HINTS: Please be sure to use pure essential oils, not synthetic fragrances. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have a serious medical condition, consult a healthcare provider before using essential oils.

Simple Solutions: Hair Removal

Ever envied on celebrities' smooth and white underarms? There are ways to remove the unsightly hair on our underarms but they are usually painful, expensive and only leaves the skin to be stubble. Most salon waxes are petroleum based, store-bought depilatories contain ingredients thought to be possible carcinogens, and disposable razors clutter up the planet.

Salon waxes are usually petroleum-based and the process is painful, to say the least.

Shaving leaves stubble--and a lot of fallout at the landfill: over 2 billion disposable razors dumped every year really add up!

Better try this eco-friendly solutions instead!

Instead of salon waxing, try this great home formula instead: those who have tried it say that it is a bit less painful than conventional waxing and it's soooo sweet: Ancient Egyptian Body Sugaring Formula

After sugaring or shaving, try Annie’s Luscious Moisturizing Shaving Cream formula.

Prevent Cancer in 10 Ways

All throughout the world, cancer rates have increased terribly and it is very alarming. We might not know that we might be the next in line. However, there are still ways to prevent them.

1. Exposure to toxic chemicals like acids must be limited, wherever possible. Research says that common chemicals are linked to breast cancer. It would be better to use all- natural cleaning and other products today.
2. Evidently, Vitamin D plays an important role in cancer prevention and many of us are woefully deficient.
3. Stop and avoid smoking.
4. Keep your consumption of alcoholic beverages down to 2 drinks a day if you're a man, 1 if you're a woman.
5. Daily exercise is important. Even a 10-minute walk will benefit your health.
6. Keep stress levels low. Relax, manage yourself and simply loving yourself can help too
7. Eat colorfully. Bright colors in fruits and vegetables signals the presence of health-promoting phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory properties. See The Seven Food Colors of Health
8. Drink tea. Some studies suggest that even one cup of black or green tea per day reduces risks of certain cancers.
9. Avoid foods with preservatives. They could shorten your life(seriously). Avoid also foods that have been grilled for long periods of time, and salt-cured foods.
10. Know your fats. Avoid foods high in trans fats or polyunsaturated fats and choose healthy fats instead, like nut butters, avocados, and olive oil.

Seven Food Colors of Health

The natural pigments that make fruits and vegetables so colorful can also help protect your body from common diseases and illnesses as you age. Think color! The bright red of ripe tomatoes, strawberries, cherries, and cranberries; the brilliant orange of carrots; the vibrant green of kiwifruit and kale; and the dramatic purple of Concord grapes.
Scientists in labs across the country have made astounding discoveries about the health benefits of highly pigmented fruits and vegetables, which contain disease-fighting compounds called phytonutrients. These powerhouses act as a rogue police force, fighting off free radicals that cause cancer and a host of other enemies that increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and more. Here's just a sampling of the health benefits of eating colorful fruits and vegetables.

• The red in tomatoes helps reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and other types of cancers.
• The yellow in corn protects against macular degeneration, the number-one cause of blindness in the elderly.
• The orange in carrots and sweet potatoes helps prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol and helps reduce the risk of stroke.
• The green in dark, leafy greens helps prevent cancer.
• The blue in blueberries helps protect memory and motor function as you age, and helps fight cancer and heart disease.
• The purple in Concord grapes and grape juice helps prevent heart disease.

Source(s):
http://www.care2.com/greenliving

BUTT & THIGHS: How to work out exercise tips w/ Doug Jones

Losing Weight: Making it easy

We've got to admit it: losing weight is really hard, especially for overweight people. Every minute one thinks of anything on how to get rid of those fats. A common mistake by people desperate on losing weight is that they "starve to death" in order to achieve the goal.

WRONG!

Well, after months of starving yourself and skipping meals, you've finally lost weight. Sounds pretty good huh? You may have achieved your weight but you become pale and developed sorts of diseases and disorders like ulcer, vomiting and etc.
The process of losing weight is not to starve yourself to death but to nourish your body thin. With patience, perseverance, genuine sincerity and discipline, you could achieve your goal.

Here are the ways to lose weight in a healthy way:

1. Eat Like a Ninja Warrior

The Ninja Warrior Diet is good for people who want lose weight (fat), gain muscle or be healthier. It is good for everyone and unbeatable for weight loss. Here are more reasons to be on the ninja warrior diet. Do you want more self-esteem? The Urban Dictionary also says the following: Ninja's tears cure cancer. Too bad they never cry. Bullets dodge ninjas. Ninjas created the internet. Ninjas invented the wheel-- twice. Ninja don't smoke, but they do use smoke bombs. Ninjas put pants on 2 legs at a time. When ninjas do pushups, they don't push themselves up, they push the world down.

Taijutsu is the ninja art of unarmed combat. The book, Taijutsu (© 1986) by Charles Daniel says (page 5) "Probably the most important area of training that is overlooked is diet." "Unquestionably, one of the main problems with diet in America today is the overeating of meats, sugar and overprocessed foods." "As general guidelines, the following foods are almost always better than the above mentioned. Fish, instead of beef or pork, raw or steamed vegetables instead of overcooked or canned, and fruit instead of donuts, candy, etc." Historical sources show that ninjas also ate brown rice (a whole grain unlike white rice), sesame seeds, buckwheat (whole grain unlike wheat), tofu and seaweed.
Due to heavy mercury pollution, you can avoid fish completely especially if you are pregnant. If you insist on eating fish, limit fish and try to avoid the most toxic bigger fish, like tuna (0.35 ppm), and eat smaller fish like sardines (0.016 ppm), salmon (0.014), whitefish (0.069 ppm), trout (freshwater)(0.072 ppm) and flounder (overfished)(0.045 ppm).

2. Exercise

Muscle burns calories. Fat does not burn any calories. Excess fat shortens life span due the extra burden on the cardiovascular system. Doing cardio today helps you today but not tomorrow or the next day. Doing resistance training (lifting for short) today can help you today and everyday after weight loss. The ninja warrior diet helps to build high quality muscle.
Doing cardio is very good for circulation and losing weight but people under 40 do not need to worry about circulation (cardiovascular problems). Resistance training builds muscles. Resistance training, like lifting weights, does not burn as much calories as cardio, but the extra muscle causes you to burn more calories all the time. With more muscle you burn more calories 24/7 even while you are sleeping as long as you have it. A pound of extra muscle burns an extra 40 calories per day according to Wockhardt Hospital and Mass Builders Newsletter, June 1998.
More muscle means you have a faster metabolism helping with weight loss. Say 2 people weigh the same. One has 100 pounds of muscle and the other 120 pounds of muscle. The guy with 20 pounds more muscle burns 800 more calories per day than the other. So lifting is the most effective (doing more in less time) exercise for losing weight. The purpose of bodybuilding (a type of resistance training) is to sculpt your body (like a sculptor sculpting clay) so it will look exactly the way you want it to look.

Any woman can use it to become thin and not muscular. Just do a little on each body part.

Also rollerblading is a fun cardio exercise to help with losing weight. They tell fat people to walk but it does not get the cardiac rate high enough for weight loss. So do powerwalking (walking as fast as possible with arms above waist [Olympic event]), instead. You can gradually build up to it. There are bodyweight exercises (Hindu squats and push-ups) that are aerobic and bodybuilding. They can be done at home in one spot.

3. Diet: Good Fats & Bad Fats

This has the best, easiest and most effective way to lose weight based on nutrition.Two groups of monkeys were fed the same amount of calories but one group got trans fats. That group gained more weight than the other group and the weight was mostly around the belly and love handle area. Also the omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fats (found in nuts, seeds [like flaxseeds] and vegetable oils) reduced the size of the fat cells according to the International Journal of Obesity. The TV news says that coconut oil, nut butter, canola oil and soy oil help with losing weight.

The omega-9 unsaturated fat, like in olive oil, does not reduce the size but reduces the number of fat cells. Also these fats burn faster and help the body burn fat. The plant foods also have a little saturated fat which burns slower. Fish have some omega-3 and saturated fat but now have a lot of pollution. Meat, poultry and dairy have a lot of the bad saturated fat. So avoid trans fat and lower your risk of heart attacks by 53% and reduce belly and love handle fat. Avoid the bad fat in meat, poultry and dairy. Avoid fish due to the poisons in it. Eat the good fats in avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and vegetables to help in losing weight.

Good fat helps to build muscle while helping to burn body fat resulting in weight loss. The slower that carbs from a food enters your blood, the less fattening it is. Potatoes have fiber which slows down the sugar entering your blood. But a fat like olive oil, added to the potato, makes it less fattening since fat slows down the sugar entering your blood. Avocados are 60% fat but they are always listed among the 10 healthiest foods to eat. So eat them first before you get a craving for fatty foods like ice cream and french fries. A raw vegan bodybuilder says that it is the best food for building muscles. MDs say that the fat in it lubricates the body and is a great natural anti-inflammatory.

4. Good and Bad Carbs (Carbohydrates)

There is a huge difference between good carbs and bad carbs (involving glycemic load). The good ones, like celery and carrots, will never make you fat. The bad ones, like cake, will make you fat. If you dislike fruits and vegetables, fasting a few days can re-set your taste buds so that you love these foods. There was this theory that animals in the wild do not get overweight because they eat all of their food raw. Cooking destroys enzymes in foods which helps you digest and assimilate food. It is no longer just a theory. From many people with all raw food diets we now know you do not become fat from raw foods. People say you should drink a lot of water to lose weight. It is better for losing weight to eat a lot of water. Eat foods containing a lot of water like raw fruits and raw vegetables-- the kind of foods you can juice. You cannot juice french fries, burgers, pasta and bread.

5. How to Eat to Lose Weight and Gain Health

Sit down with a totally empty stomach with a fruit that you love (or combination of them). It could be a combination of watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and kiwis. Then indulge yourself in the natural sweetness and juiciness of the fruit and (going against your brainwashing) eat it until you are totally full. Perfectly ripe avocados melt in your mouth and taste like gourmet ice cream. Avocados and bananas are great for losing weight since they are filling. It is better for digestion to eat the juicy fruits first. I like to eat for dinner first a red grapefruit or orange, an apple, an avocado and then 2 bananas. With the ninja warrior diet, overweight people lose weight and underweight people gain weight and both are healthier.
The way this eating strategy or weight loss strategy works is like a parent telling their child that they can have dessert after they eat their meal. Then they give them an unhealthy, fattening meal. With this you make sure to first feed your body healthy food to give it more energy, vitality and strength. Over time you will desire healthier food to eat because of this which greatly helps in losing weight. If you are having a craving for sweets, you can have a super sweet snack like dried figs and dates (very healthy for you). The unsulphured fruits taste much better and are healthier. If you are constantly craving food, it could be because you are overfed and undernourished (vitamins do not help).

Before a meal, eat as much fruit as you want. It does not need to be digested in the stomach so it passes through. Wait 15 minutes before eating other foods so it can leave your stomach and not have to sit around for hours while other foods digest. This is common courtesy and better for digestion. Eat fruit on an empty stomach. This is the best way for anyone to eat fruit to improve digestion and health. The above applies to what is commonly considered fruit. It does not apply to the other soft fruit (reproductive part of a plant) like tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers which are good in salads. Eating a ripe avocado as the last fruit fills you up with healthy fat so you crave unhealthy fat less. For it to taste great, it must be ripe so it is soft but not mushy.
If you have a sweet tooth it could be because fruit is the healthiest food. So you eat that first. Even a new baby can eat fruit. Eating fruit does not hurt the plant. The sugar in fruit is fructose which has a low glycemic load, meaning the sugar enters the blood very slowly. The faster the sugar enters the blood, the more fattening the food is.

* For details about How to eat to lose weight and gain health visit:http://www.phifoundation.org/

6. Losing Water Weight (This May Be Why You Have Trouble Losing Weight)

Consuming anti-water is just like drinking or consuming less water. But what is anti-water (I made up this term)? If you are dying of dehydration and you come across water that is loaded with bacteria, viruses and parasites that can make you very sick, the water can still save your life. But if it contains enough of this anti-water then it can not help your dehydration at all. With more of this anti-water in it, it will cause you to get more dehydrated if you drink this water. So what is it? Why can't you drink sea water if you are on a raft in the sea and dying of dehydration? It is sodium or the highest source of it-- salt (sodium chloride). Salt has no calories but makes you fatter with water retention. This fatness is not affected by eating less calories or burning more calories.

Note-- the body needs some Na but almost every food contains Na. Like an avocado has 1,400 mg of potassium (K) and 21 mg of Na. The body needs to have a lot more K than Na. The FDA has on their webpage, Healthier Eating (May-June 2005 Issue [most recent]) a chapter called "Lower Sodium and Increase Potassium" (www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/305_eat.html). The book, The Rice Diet Solution (©2006) by Kitty Gurkin Rosati R.D. and Robert Rosati M.D. says that in addition to salt causing water retention, it also stimulates the appetite causing people to eat more. Look at the labels on all these man made foods, like Lean Cuisine, and see how much sodium is in them.