Female Care » vitamin

Olive Oil for Beauty

Article Poster — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:12:11 +0000

When it comes to beauty, sometimes nature knows best. Olive oil is one of the history’s most-used moisturizers, but just because it’s an ancient solution doesn’t mean it’s out-of-date. Olive oil has so many uses—and according to its fans, it works just as well as (or even better than) expensive products.

For skin, it’s possible to apply olive oil whenever needed for a smooth, dewy complexion. Adding a few drops of lavender essential oil is both aroma-therapeutic and soothing to skin. Also, as a preservative and to improve olive oil’s healthy effects, add Vitamin E: squeeze it from a vitamin capsule to get pure, undiluted Vitamin E benefits (Vitamin E from a bottle is usually not pure, as another oil is used as a carrier for the vitamin).

For a multipurpose overnight solution: Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar, and ¼ cup water. Wet face and apply solution. The vinegar lightens skin, acts as a disinfectant, and loosens dead cells; the olive oil moisturizes.

For hair, massage olive oil into scalp, wrap in a towel for half an hour, then shampoo as usual. This will leave your hair shiny, repair split ends, and ease dandruff problems.

If you experience dry, cracked nails and ragged cuticles, soak hands in olive oil. Not only does this moisturize the nails, but it will help heal dry, chapped skin on your hands.

Use instead of shaving cream for soft, silky legs!

Other facts about skin care with olive oil:

Japanese scientists believe that using olive oil after being exposed to the sun can protect against skin cancer.

The ancient Greeks used to bathe in olive oil.

Pure and Light olive oil has been processed, so it is best avoided for skin use. Instead, look for extra virgin olive oil—organic if possible!

One of the most basic items in your cupboard can be a practical ingredient to your beauty routine!

Vitamin D -The Unique Vitamin

Article Poster — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:37:38 +0000

Sunshine, not food, is where most of your vitamin D comes from. So even a healthy and well balanced diet, that provides all the other vitamins and nutrients, is unlikely to provide enough vitamin D. To get enough vitamin D you need to spend some time outside with some bare skin on most days during the summer months.

How is vitamin D different to other nutrients?

You make vitamin D under your skin when you are outside in daylight, which is the reason vitamin D is sometimes called the sunshine vitamin. By definition, a vitamin is a nutrient that we cannot make in our body. Vitamin D is actually a hormone rather than a vitamin. Very few foods contain vitamin D naturally.

What does vitamin D do in your body?

Vitamin D makes sure you absorb enough calcium for your bones and teeth. Even if you have a calcium-rich diet, without enough vitamin D you cannot absorb calcium into the body. Its importance as a hormone is also being recognised. It helps maintain a healthy immune system and reduces the risk of some forms of cancer. Population studies suggest that lack of vitamin D may increase the risk of chronic health conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

When is vitamin D made in skin?

The amount of vitamin D you make depends on how strong the sunlight or ultraviolet light is. You will make more in the middle of the day than early morning or late afternoon. Similarly you will make more when you are in direct sunlight than in the shade or on a cloudy day. Ultraviolet B rays enable vitamin D to be made, yet sun damage caused by excessive ultraviolet B exposure increases the incidence of malignant melanoma and other skin tumours.

You do not have to sunbathe to make enough vitamin D and most people make enough by spending some time outside on most days in the summer with some bare skin such as hands, face and arms or legs. You need to make enough during the summer to build up a store to last you through the winter.

You will make less vitamin D under your skin:

If you have a dark skin
If you always cover up when you go outdoors
If you are housebound, or rarelyleave work during lunchbreaks
The further north you live
If the air is quite polluted
When you use sunscreen above factor 8

It is possible to make a smaller amount of vitamin D when the skin is covered by fine material, such as fine silk, or 10-20 denier tights. Strong sunshine at the Equator is sufficient to make vitamin D year-round. It is estimated that here in the UK ultraviolet light is only strong enough to make vitamin D on exposed skin in the middle of the day (probably about 10am – 3pm) during the summer months: April to September. Exposing skin for about 20 minutes (but longer for older people or those with darker skin) before applying sunscreen during these times, on most days, will probably ensure you make enough vitamin D to last you the whole year.

Outside these times and seasons ultraviolet light may be too weak to make vitamin D. If you are concerned about the risk of skin cancer, and always use a high factor sunscreen or cover your skin when outside, the only way to ensure a healthy vitamin D status is to take a supplement.

Who may not makeenough vitamin D?

Babies and young children who are growing quickly need a lot of vitamin D
Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers need more than other women.
Pregnant teenagers are vulnerable because their own bones are still developing and they need extra for their baby
The elderly because their skins are not as good at making vitamin D
People with darker skins living in the UK or other northern climates – that is those of Asian, African, Afro-Caribbean and middle-eastern origin. They make less vitamin D than white people do
If you always cover most of your skin when you are outside
Children and adolescents who spend little time playing outside
Anyone who spends very little time outside during the summer – the housebound, shop or office workers, night shift workers.

Which foods contain vitamin D?

Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, pilchards, trout, kippers, eel are the only foods which naturally contain reasonable amounts of vitamin D.
Cod liver oil contains a lot of vitamin D.
Eggs and meat contain small amounts.
Margarine, some breakfast cereals and infant formula have added vitamin D.

What happens if you don’t haveenough vitamin D?

Babies and children can get rickets.
Very young babies sometimes have fits.
Adults can get osteoporosis (brittle bone disease) or osteomalacia which causes pain in their bones.
Adults are also more likely to get breast cancer or prostrate cancer.
Some scientists believe that more people are getting Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and some bowel diseases because of not having enough vitamin D

Who needs a vitamin D supplement?

Anyone with a dark skin, or who covers most of their skin when outside in summer
Pregnant and breastfeeding women need 10 mcg of vitamin D daily. This is to make sure they have enough for their fetus and their breast milk. Babies born with low levels of vitamin D and those who do not get enough in breast milk may have fits or develop rickets. Breastmilk is fairly low in vitamin D but will be very low when the breastfeeding mother is deficient herself.
Breastfeeding babies need 7 mcg vitamin D daily from six months of age.
Formula fed babies need 7 mcg vitamin D daily when they begin to have less than 500mls formula each day.
Young children up to five years of age need 7 mcg daily.

Where are vitamin D supplement savailable?

Vitamin D only supplements are not widely available. Vitamin D is available as part of the children’s Healthy Start vitamin drops (containing A, D and C) and Healthy Start vitamin tablets for pregnant and breastfeeding women (containing C, D and folic acid) which are available from NHS health clinics, children’s centres and some retail pharmacies and are free to Healthy Start beneficiaries.

Vitamin D is included in broad-spectrum one-a-day multivitamin supplements, and in calcium supplements prescribed by your GP to prevent or treat osteoporosis. Can someone have too much vitamin D?

Taking a vitamin D supplement as well as spending a lot of time outside in sunshine will not be a problem. However do not take two or more supplements with vitamin D. Remember that cod-liver oil contains vitamin D and should be counted as a vitamin D supplement.

Always choose a supplement tailored to the age group or condition, as fish liver oils and high dose multivitamin supplements often contain vitamin A, too much of which can cause liver and bone problems, especially in very young children, and the elderly.

Herbs and Supplements to Ease Symptoms of Menopause

Article Poster — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:26:00 +0000

Menopause is the time in a woman’s life that is often referred to as “the change of life.” It is the time when a woman’s body decreases its output of female hormones, which leads to the end of her menstrual cycle. Menopause usually begins between the ages of 40 and 50 and ends around the age of 60. It can also be kick-started by a radical hysterectomy at any age, or a round of chemotherapy that destroys the function of the ovaries.

Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the first of three stages of menopause. It usually occurs between the ages of 40 to 50 and is when a woman’s body begins to produce a decreased level of the female hormones progesterone and estrogen. It can last for a period of two to ten years.

Menopause

Menopause is a time when a women’s body cuts back the production of female hormones to the point where her ovaries cease to release eggs. This is the time when menstruation ceases or is very infrequent until it stops completely. The length of menopause is different in each individual.

Postmenopause

This is the time in a woman’s life after menopause is complete. During this time there is absolutely no menstruation.

Symptoms of Menopause

Every woman has the same symptoms of menopause, though they vary from mild to extremely severe in each individual. Symptoms include anxiety, hot flashes, heart palpitations, bladder problems, dizziness or vertigo, night sweats, insomnia and vaginal dryness. Lack of sexual libido is experienced in some cases.

Herbal Supplements

There are a variety of herbal supplements that can be taken to ease the symptoms of menopause drastically.

Black Cohosh

Black Cohosh eases hot flashes and cramps during the menstrual period of perimenopausal women.

Angelica

Angelica is a natural uterine relaxant. It can be taken to ease all symptoms of menopause.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is also known as natural Prozac. It relieves anxiety, insomnia and depression that are caused by menopause. It cannot be taken with HIV drugs of any kind.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek contains high levels of isoflavones, which are similar to the female hormone estrogen.

Licorice

In times gone by women used licorice for many ailments. It affects the female body in a similar way to the hormone estrogen. Some women find that taking licorice root capsules, or even ingesting black licorice eases menopausal symptoms.

Sage

This herb is another plant that has been used by people for centuries as a medicinal supplement. Some women find that sage eases the symptoms of hot flashes and mood swings when ingested on a daily basis.

Vitamins

Vitamin C and E

Both of these vitamins provide protection from antioxidants and reduce intensity of hot flashes and night sweats brought on by menopause.

Vitamin A and B

These vitamins give menopausal women a boost by aiding and improving the function of the circulatory system.

Hersperidin

This herbal supplement will reduce the symptoms of menopause because of its bioflavonoid qualities.

Lecithin

When used in conjunction with Vitamin E and Evening Primrose oil, Lecithin will help menopausal women produce estrogen. This will reduce hot flashes, irritability, mood swings and night sweats.

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil will help menopausal women by easing all symptoms of menopause with the exception of heart palpitations. Some women may find that when they take evening primrose oil other symptoms ease while heart palpitations seem to become stronger. Heart palpitations will not harm menopausal women, but can cause some discomfort.

Soy Products

All soy products contain estrogenic isoflavones, which is very similar to the hormone estrogen. Soy products help to ease overall symptoms of menopause in women.

Minerals

Calcium and Magnesium

Minerals are essential for women who are menopausal. Calcium and magnesium cause the nervous system to calm and reduce irritability, mood swings and nervousness. If you are taking calcium, it is imperative to take Vitamin D to ensure your body absorbs it.

Potassium

Potassium helps women replace electrolytes that they lose through perspiration and night sweats during menopause. Women can replace electrolytes by eating foods that are high in potassium including bananas and kiwi, or taking a potassium supplement such as pedialytes.

Zinc

Zinc is beneficial to menopausal women because it reduces overall symptoms of menopause and protects against the onset of osteoporosis.

Conclusion

If you are nearing the age of 40, or are in the perimenopause stage of your life, start taking a daily regime of the herbal, vitamin and mineral supplements mentioned in this article. They will ease the menopausal transition and you will feel less great. Remember, menopause is a natural aging of our bodies and if you take natural supplements you will get through it with ease.

Beyond Vitamin C: The Health Benefits of Oranges

Article Poster — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:49:03 +0000

Remember your mother telling you to eat oranges in order to supply your body with much needed Vitamin C? Well, researchers in California have discovered that oranges provide our bodies with other vitamins that help us fight off a variety of health problems.

Oranges are rich in a compound called citrus limonoids, which help to prevent cancers of the breast, colon, lung, mouth, skin and stomach. In laboratory tests animals and human cells both benefited from citrus limonoids in the fight against these cancers.

Chemist Gary D. Manners and a team of scientists at the Agricultural Research Service in northern California are now doing extensive research into the benefits of citrus limonoids to human health. Manners and his team reported findings from research that they have conducted over a number of years. It seems that each time we bite into a slice of orange or drink a glass of orange juice our bodies recognize a limonoid called limonin. It is believed that limonin also reduces cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease and other health problems.

Manners and his team are doing further research on the benefits of limonins in reducing cholesterol levels. Volunteers are taking part in the study and findings are being recorded.

It is important to give oranges to children under the age of two years. A new study shows that children who ate oranges four to six times a week in infancy had a lower risk of childhood leukemia. This may be due to the Vitamin C and anti-toxins present in the fruit that protects the DNA of children from environmental pollution and other factors that lead to leukemia. In addition to oranges, it is also beneficial to feed young children bananas and foods containing turmeric.

For optimum health benefits for the entire family, keep a good supply of oranges in your refrigerator. They are a refreshing healthy snack for people of all ages. Delicious and wonderful to eat, they also protect our bodies from cancers of all types.

Glowing Skin – The Instant Beauty Makeover

Article Poster — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:56:25 +0000

Every day our skin is exposed to the less-than-beneficial elements of dry air and sunshine, and sometimes even harsher environments with pollution. The neglect and abuse of our skin often results in dry and flaky skin that dulls our appearance. An easy and instant do-it-yourself beauty makeover is to create a homemade sugar scrub with quality ingredients which can rival any treatment at an upscale spa.
A proper sugar scrub will smooth out dry skin and gently lift flaky, dull skin and result in radiant, more healthful and youthful-looking skin.
The ingredients needed for this at-home spa experience are:

Fine granulated sugar
Extra virgin olive oil, almond oil or apricot kernel oil
A gel-encapsulated Vitamin E pill
Lavender essential oil (optional)

For enough sugar scrub to make one facial application use ¼ cup sugar. Add this to a small, clean glass or stainless steel bowl. To this, add enough oil to make a smooth paste. To add the Vitamin E, which will add healing qualities to the scrub, gently snip off the end of the gel capsule and squeeze the contents into the paste. Last, if preferred, one or two drops of pure lavender essential oil may be added to the paste and gently stirred in. The lavender essential oil will impart a relaxing aromatherapy-quality to the scrub and also offers antibacterial properties which may aid in improving skin condition.
Gently cleanse face with warm water and soap to remove outer impurities. Next, with skin still moist, apply the sugar scrub with your fingertips in small, circular motions, avoiding the eye areas and broken or irritated skin. After gently massaging facial and neck skin, wash well with soap and water, rinse and pat dry. The skin will now have a soft glow and feel smooth and silky to the touch.
As this homemade product is preservative-free and is all-natural, the sugar scrub may be kept for one or two days, but then must be discarded. If used in the shower as a body scrub, caution must be used to avoid slipping.

Four Ways Seniors Can Fight Fatigue and Restore Energy

Article Poster — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:16:27 +0000

Suffering from fatigue is common among senior men and women, but the good news is you don’t have to stay down and tired. There are several ways you can fight fatigue and revive your energy without the use of drugs or other harmful and artificial methods.

1. Proper Eating

Eating nutritious meals rich with foods that are high in protein, along with fruits for snacking,
is a great way to get your zeal back. These foods are the driving forces behind
your body’s vitality. Some foods that are high in protein include eggs, meat,
cheese and whole grain breads or cereals.

A great source of stimulation that’s all natural is cayenne pepper. You can supplement meals using Vitamin B for added benefit. Be sure to consult with your doctor before taking a new type of vitamin, especially if you are already taking other medications.

2. Plenty of Rest

Getting plenty of rest might seem ironic since you’re already fatigued, however, it does make a difference. Rest at night and try to stay on a schedule.
Staying up late one night and then going to bed early the next will only confuse matters. Your body becomes accustomed to whatever schedule you keep.
Fatigue often occurs when your schedule is not “normal,” and your body copes with this disorganization by telling you to go to sleep when you actually should be working or doing other things.

If you’re having trouble getting to sleep at a decent time each night, try taking a hot bath right before bedtime or drinking a glass of hot tea with a touch of lemon. Play relaxing music or read your favorite book while lying in the bed.
You’ll find yourself pleasantly dosing off to sleep in no time. Your goal is to get your mind off the stresses of the day before bedtime. Do whatever it takes to get relaxed!

3. Meditation and Breathing

Meditation is another way to relax your physique and clear your mind of fatigue.
Practice deep breathing to calm your mind and body in the mornings, midday and at bedtime. Learning to breathe will energize your body while also calming your mind.

4. Exercising to Increase Energy and Build Muscle

Exercise is another great way to increase energy and fight fatigue. Seniors who exercise are normally more energetic, accomplish more throughout the day and don’t have as many problems with fatigue. Exercise stimulates and works your muscles, and after consistent exercise, your body’s ability to move and work
will gradually increase.

Fatigue doesn’t have to get the upper hand. You can overcome fatigue by consistently adding the above actions to your routine each day.

The Importance of Vitamin C

Martin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:42:42 +0000

The body systems of humans are made up of chemicals. The raw materials these systems use to keep our bodies healthy are acquired through the food we eat and the essential substances that our bodies produce. If our diet doesn’t contain enough of certain vitamins, our body systems can’t work properly. This causes our optimum health to decline and we become undernourished or ill.

One of the most important vitamins our bodies need to stay healthy is Vitamin C. The shortage of this vitamin in our diets is universal. Most people don’t eat enough foods rich in Vitamin C, to supply their body with even the minimum amount required to stay healthy. Vitamin C is essential to life. It is used by our bodies for almost all essential functions. The brain, lungs, lymph glands, saliva glands, thyroid, kidneys, small intestines, retinas and pancreas all need ten to fifty times the amount of Vitamin C that is produced by the plasma in our bodies. The heart muscle, the skeleton and erythrocytes require at least ten times the amount of Vitamin C that is produced by plasma.

These statistics show that we need to take Vitamin C supplements in order to keep our bodies at optimum health. A daily dosage of a minimum of 250 mg was recommended by doctors in the US, according to a recent poll. Supplement intake for optimum health was 500 mg a day.

You cannot overdose on Vitamin C. What isn’t used is passed from our bodies through the kidneys.

To keep your body at a healthy performance level, be sure to take at least 500 mg of Vitamin C daily. When you are ill with a cold or flu, take 1000 mg. This will help you to keep healthy and, according to statistics, live longer.

Whiteheads – A Change in Diet is Required

Article Poster — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 05:23:45 +0000

By Annetta Holmes

With the increasing downward spiral of food quality, vitamins and minerals that should be in your food are absent. Add to that processing and poor eating habits and this lack of sufficient nutrients show up in abnormalities of the body. The skin, our biggest organ, is the first line of defense against the microbes that lurk in the air and when changes for the worst occur in the skin it is time to re-assess our diet and to start thinking about supplementing with vitamins and minerals.

The body carries out it’s daily routines of which we are oblivious. However we become aware that all is not well when we start to see disease or deterioration. The body, to keep vital functions going – lungs repaired, heart beating rhythmically, correct pH levels of the blood – will strip less important parts of their nutrients in order to keep you alive. If a nutrient is required to keep your lungs in good repair and the nutrient is not being supplied through your diet then your body will start breaking down healthy cells just to retrieve the correct vitamin or mineral. This puts an added burden on your body. Cells once constructed usually have a certain length of life before they are broken down and new cells made. By depriving your body of its required vitamins you force it to work harder recycling itself. The more deficient your food, the harder the body works which has a knock-on effect as extra nutrients are used up in the break down, re-construct cycle.

Although skin is a protection organ, if the body had to decide which is more important (based on the nutrients available) between the repair and maintenance of heart tissue versus that of skin cells, you can instantly see that any organ or part that is not immediately vital to life would have its nutrients removed. Therefore the outward condition of the skin is a good indicator of the inward deficiencies of the body. Whiteheads are the result of a mild deficiency in vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Whiteheads usually occur with oily hair and skin. Oiliness is prevalent especially in the “T” panel of the face. A whitehead is a small fatty deposit that forms under the skin. It is not similar to a blackhead which is made in an entirely different way.

The solution may seem simple – rush out and buy a bottle of riboflavin. However riboflavin, like the body, is part of an intertwined structure that needs all the components handy to produce a satisfactory result. Vitamin B2 is a member of the Vitamin B group and as such riboflavin cannot be taken on its own. Vitamins work synergistically and the B group especially must be balanced out. If a single B vitamin is taken on its own that vitamin starts to create deficiencies in the B group. It is important to take a good quality B complex and then add a few more milligram’s of riboflavin to your complex.

The B group of vitamins is water soluble so need to be replaced on a daily basis. Choosing the best brand of B complex need not be a difficult task. Beware of buying very cheap brands that have minute quantities of B complex. It is preferable if you go into a health shop, whose personnel are trained in their specific products, and seek advice on a suitable brand.

Also take into account that consuming vitamins from a bottle are part of a supplementation programme. Improving the quality of the food you eat is also of paramount importance. Today, with pesticides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers and long, long storage times in ripening warehouses even fresh fruit and vegetables have deteriorated in health building properties. To counter act that you have to become aware of alternative ways to get the nutrients your body requires.

Buy organic whenever you can afford it. Organic food is grown on whole soils that have been built up with decaying matter and earthworm activity. The castings of the earthworms make nutrients and trace elements available to the plants which are not possible when chemical fertilizers are used. The same applies to meat and dairy. Buy antibiotic and hormone free meat and milk. Beware of meat from animals that are fed chicken litter or other animals. There is a growing sector in the food industry that sees herbivores being fed animal by-products. If you are not sure contact the Public Relations department of the supermarket chain that you buy from and check with them.

Start sprouting in your kitchen. Sprouts are completely poison free and have appreciable quantities of nutrients in them. Your kitchen garden can produce fresh food even if it’s snowing outside. Ensure you buy human grade legumes and seeds from a health shop and not from a seed wholesaler. Many seed companies impregnate their products with poison.

Food is medicine. If you supply your body with fruit, vegetables and meat that has been raised under severely deficient conditions then logically that food will not bring bouncing health to your body. The reverse is true and your quest must be to improve your diet at every turn. With planning you can triple your vitamin B intake. Finding natural sources of B2 is easy if the quality of food is good.

Vitamin B2 can be found in the following foods:

Cheese, egg yolks, fish, legumes, meat, milk, poultry, whole grains, spinach and yoghurt.

The other members of the B group also occur in most of the above foods – as nature intended – so eat widely from the list above.

The body is an extraordinary machine. It repairs and maintains itself and only goes wrong when the ingredients it needs are under or not supplied. To keep your skin glowing and healthy means eating the correct food and supplementing your diet with the vitamins that skin needs. The body requires a myriad of nutrients to keep functioning and producing healthy tissue. The more you understand about them the better your food choices of tomorrow will be.

Don’t be discouraged if your whiteheads don’t disappear quickly. It took you a few years to deplete your nutrient reserves and these need to be re-stocked. Once your body starts to receive the correct nutrients it will begin to repair all the tissues that are vital to life. It may be two or three months before that is done and then the repair will begin in the skin.