Tips to Bring More Health to Your Life

We all want to live long, healthy and happy lives. There are natural things we can do to improve our chances, none of which cost a lot of money or are particularly difficult to accomplish. It takes practice, repetition and consistency to make your daily plan for healthy living a success.

Be physically active. A daily routine that includes regular exercise is good for your sense of well-being and overall general health. It will help you sleep better, too. A regular exercise program will keep you flexible and strong. As we age, our bones and joints tend to become stiff and inflamed. Regular exercise keeps these aches and pains at bay. Exercise doesn't have to be painful to be good for you. Several periods of light exercise a week will serve you well. Consistency is the real key.

Eat a healthy diet. Be sure to include a variety of healthful fruits and vegetables in what you eat each day. Raw foods are especially good for you. They contain more fiber and nutrients because these things are lost by cooking. Eat complex carbohydrates and fresh, not dried or frozen proteins. Lower your fat intake if it is more than 30% of your daily intake. Three to five servings of carbohydrate in the form of starches and fruits should be included in each meal.

Drink alcohol only in moderation as alcohol can be very hard on the body in large quantities. Just one drink can cause cellular death in several organs such as the brain. Drink mixed drinks that contain fruit or vegetable juice as healthy diluents for the alcohol. Sip your drinks, don't gulp. Enjoy nonalcoholic drinks. Many restaurants that serve elaborate alcoholic cocktails will prepare them without the alcohol.

Learn how to manage stress. Failure to manage stressors in your life can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and a variety of emotional problems. Take time to relax and practice some form of stress reduction each day. Tai chi, a massage, deep breathing, listening to calming music or other sounds and meditation are all effective stress reducers. At the end of the day, some people swear by calming music, soft lighting and a warm aromatherapy bath.

Get the right amount of sleep for you. Any number of studies will tell you that many people don't sleep enough. While it is possible to sleep too much, most of us don't have that problem. Don't use your sleeping room for eating or working. It's important to maintain an atmosphere that lends itself to sleep. If you regularly eat and work in your sleeping room, your brain will recognize the environment as a waking one. Go to bed at about the same time every night. Your brain will get used to slowing down if you do that at the same time. Always end your day on a calming note. You will sleep better and wake the next day feeling refreshed.

Soothe back pain naturally with various essential oils

Acute or chronic back problems can make everyday life a misery. Acute pain may be caused by a pulled muscle or problems with tendons, ligaments or bone. Incorrect posture, lack of exercise and/or obesity are factors that can take their toll on the back muscles. Aromatherapy using essential oils can relieve back pain naturally.

Many people seek relief for back pain by taking over-the-counter pain medications or prescription drugs which often have negative side effects, decreasing overall well-being. Obviously, not all cases of back pain can be relieved by aromatherapy and it is always wise to seek the advice of a medical professional to discuss treatment options, especially in the event of chronic back pain.

Aromatherapy uses essential oils that are extracted from different plants. These essential oils have medicinal properties, which work on the physical and mental levels to address the ailment at hand and to promote healing.

The best form of aromatherapy for back pain is a massage using essential oils. Simply mix a couple of drops of your chosen oil with a carrier oil and arrange to have a professional masseur or aromatherapist massage your back for you. This serves to increase circulation and to relieve the aching and tightness. Massage therapy also helps to relieve stress and promotes the circulation of blood to the area, while the aroma of the essential oils works through the olfactory system.

Best essential oils for back pain

The following essential oils can all be used to treat back pain naturally:

Chamomile oil helps to control muscle spasms and has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.

Lavender oil prevents muscle spasms and inflammation. It also helps to relieve tension, which may contribute to or worsen back pain.

Clary sage is a very soothing oil. It has a calming effect when one is anxious and muscles are tensed up from pain. It has anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. Do not use clary sage if pregnant.

Yarrow has anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties.

Rosemary has analgesic and antispasmodic properties. It is also good for relieving back pain as it improves blood circulation.

Ginger oil can ease back pain and give one more mobility. Blend 1 tablespoon sweet oil, 4 drops wintergreen, 4 drops cardamom and 4 drops ginger oil to make a soothing massage oil.

Peppermint is good for muscle soreness.

Frankincense has anti-inflammatory properties and also acts as a mild sedative.

While you can use any of these oils on their own, it is also beneficial to blend two or more oils together. Do not apply essential oils directly on the skin - blend oils or combinations thereof with a carrier oil first. Optimal aromatherapy blends for relieving back pain include peppermint and rosemary, lavender and frankincense, and chamomile and clary sage.

Take an aromatherapy bath as an effective method to soothe tired, aching muscles and to increase circulation. Add eight to ten drops of essential oils directly to warm bath water and soak for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Massage therapy is good medicine, not merely relaxation

If doctors knew the true causes of health and healing, they'd be prescribing massage therapy to most of their patients rather than prescription drugs. Massage therapy is good medicine, and it's a far more potent healing therapy than most people realize. In fact, I believe that every person, healthy or otherwise, should receive a massage therapy treatment at least once a month.

Why is massage therapy such good medicine? Because it helps move lymph, blood and oxygen to the various organs and tissues in ways that normally don't happen in the bodies of most people. This is especially true for those who don't exercise: for them, massage therapy is critical for maintaining any degree of health.

There's also the "touch factor" of massage therapy that I believe to be remarkably healing. There's something almost magical about the human touch, and its qualities can't be measured with scientific instruments (yet), but researchers know very well that it has powerful physiological effects: touch calms people. It reduces blood pressure, it boost immune system function, and it makes people feel loved. These are very important for those seeking health and healing. (And if you don't believe me, just volunteer at a nursing home some time and offer free hand massages to the patients. I've done this, and you'd be amazed to see the different it makes in the people you're touching.)

The human touch is powerful medicine, which is why I find it so bizarre that doctors seem so afraid of touching their patients. But you don't need a doctor for this kind of healing: find yourself a good massage therapist and get some healing on a monthly basis.

Understand the Meaning of Health, Part II

In Part 1 we discussed the spiritual side of health as well as an overview of the physical, mental and emotional side. Now, let's get into more specifics regarding these aspects of health.

On a mental and emotional level there are many practices that can be beneficial. Meditation again plays a role here, with calming the mind and getting rid of anxiety. Massage plays a big role in also promoting a deep sense of relaxation and in getting rid of stored up stress and old emotions.

Walking in a peaceful place like the beach or in the forest allows the mind time to digest the many thoughts that overwhelm it during normal day to day activities. Listening to peaceful music and having peaceful colors around will also help.

As mentioned earlier, flower essences can play a big role in helping bring people back to balance on an emotional and mental level. In Ayurveda, eating food more of a sattvic (goodness) nature will help calm the mind. Sattvic foods are vegetarian and are fresh and preferably organically grown.

Ayurveda recommends avoiding strongly stimulating herbs such as garlic, onions, and chilies, except in cases of disease such as a cold or flu, where these herbs are very useful. Otherwise, overuse will cause too much raja (passion) in the mind.

For mental and emotional health, it's also important to know one's limits and not push our minds and bodies too hard for too long. Proper rest is important as is not overworking or neglecting one's family relationships.

From a physical health point of view, exercise, stretching, nutrition and massage are the basis of good physical health. Obviously, other activities like not smoking, taking drugs or alcohol, etc. and not having too toxic an environment are also very important as well.

Exercise in general stimulates blood and lymph flow that keeps the circulation going. A person should combine strength building exercises with flexibility exercises. One of the best and most ancient forms of exercise is yoga. Yoga involves stretching and opening up the body as well as stimulating blood and nerve supply throughout the body. Yoga benefits a person's health on a physical, mental and emotional level and can be adapted to suit all ages and levels of fitness. Chi Kung is an ancient Chinese practice similar to Yoga that is also very good for health. As a side note, the literal translation of "yoga" means "to link up with God".

Nutrition is one of the most important factors involved in the overall health of the body. Nutrition is a vast subject and filled with many conflicting philosophies. However, in most ancient and current opinion, the basis of a good diet is a vegan diet of whole, unprocessed foods that are organically grown.

The specifics of what diet is best for you may be best approached by learning your Ayurvedic constitution and then making your diet support your constitution. So, what foods may be helpful for one person may actually aggravate another person. This is why some people may diet for a long time but have no success.

Lastly, getting a massage on a regular basis is one of the other best things a person can do to stay healthy or to increase their level of health. Deep tissue massage and/or acupressure are some of the best forms of massage that get in and unblock the blockages in the flow of chi in the body as well as get deep seated muscle tension out of the body.

Aloha and namaste

Natural home facials give glowing skin

Facials can be a 100% natural, chemical free beauty treat that make your skin glow and your complexion look rejuvenated and fresh. For those who enjoy the occasional facial, there are some excellent chemical free ideas to administer in your own home.


Many spas and salons may offer facials that are full of chemicals and toxins you normally like to avoid. Some of those chemicals might be parabens, sulfates, petrolatum, or phthalates, which are commonly used in even the most expensive skin care products.

You are not guaranteed to avoid these ingredients, unfortunately, even if a product carries an "organic" label. Organic products are not required to exclude additives or preservatives. Therefore, they may contain common carcinogenic additives as well.

For a 100% natural home facial that you can do yourself at home for a reasonable cost, there are a few great ways you can get spa results without the chemical exposure. For example, you can make a deeply moisturizing and detoxifying facial mask out of a few products you may already have in your home.

For dry skin, avocado is excellent for adding moisture and softening the skin. You can puree a fourth or half of an avocado along with a teaspoon of lemon juice. If your skin is in need of exfoliation you can also add a teaspoon of oatmeal. You may also add sugar as an exfoliating agent. If the mixture is too thick, you can add water.

Egg white is very popular as a natural facial mask as well. A popular pore-tightening recipe uses one organic egg white beaten and mixed with five drops of lemon juice. This is a great recipe for tightening and lifting the skin as well. All homemade facial masks should be kept on the face for fifteen to twenty minutes.

If your skin tends to be dry and flaky you may want to opt for a natural scrub for exfoliation and accelerated skin cell turnover. When you exfoliate the dead skin cells, you reveal fresh new skin and you essentially force the skin to produce more collagen.

As mentioned earlier, oatmeal and sugar are both excellent natural skin sloughing agents. Another option is coffee grounds, preferably organic. Their naturally coarse texture and caffeine content have a tightening, lifting, and toning effect. Coffee grounds also have some antioxidant properties that may benefit the skin when applied topically. Coffee grounds are also used as a natural cellulite treatment.

Baking soda is an inexpensive exfoliation option as well. This is a good sloughing agent for acne prone and oily skin. Those with skin abrasions or open sores on their skin will not want to use this as it can irritate and burn open areas.

Tea tree oil is also excellent for oily or acne prone skin. Tea tree oil is well known for possessing natural antibacterial and toning qualities. It acts as a superb toner by itself, and it is very reasonable in the organic variety. It has a clean and unique scent and is very gentle for sensitive skin.

Cucumber is excellent as an under eye soother. Cucumber has been used as a beauty trick for decades to reduce under eye puffiness and to soothe irritated skin. Cucumbers can simply be placed over the eyes, or they can be pureed with egg white and applied to the under eye area for fifteen minutes to reduce the puffy look.

For great natural facials and SPA in Brighton vistit Little Jasmine Therapies in the North Laines