How to Make Lemon Juice Shampoo

In areas where the water is "hard," meaning that it has a lot of dissolved salts or contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, most shampoos will leave a thin film on top of your hair. This can cause hair to be dull, lackluster and hard to manage. By using a shampoo supplemented with lemon juice, you can counteract this filmy problem and help your hair regain its natural shine. In this article, we will discuss how to make lemon juice shampoo.

Things You'll Need:

* 1/4 cup liquid vegetable-based soap
* 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 lemon
* Grater
* Sauce pan
* Spoon
* Strainer
* Plastic shampoo bottle
* Mixing bowl



How to Make Lemon Juice Shampoo

Step 1
Grate the outside of the lemon's skin until you have a teaspoon of the yellow part of the rind. This is called lemon zest.

Step 2
Heat the soap, lemon juice, lemon zest and water in the sauce pan for two minutes. Do not allow the mixture to hiss or boil. Use medium heat.

Step 3
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. This will probably take about 10 minutes.

Step 4
Strain out the lemon zest. You can catch the shampoo in the mixing bowl.

Step 5
Store your homemade lemon shampoo in the plastic shampoo bottle. You can use this shampoo every day. Rinse thoroughly after every use.

Tips to look slim

There are times when you take a break from your sensible-eating and exercise regime and want to just lie back and enjoy all those forbidden foods. Well then you are bound to put on weight but until you have worked towards reducing the excess weight you can follow these few tips to look slim.

* Stand comfortably erect and stick your stomach in. Good posture always makes you look slimmer.

* Dark colours such as olive, black, charcoal grey, and navy help make areas appear smaller so wear them where you think you need it. For most women it's from the waist down.

* Avoid shiny or heavily textured fabrics. Shiny fabrics reflect light, making any area appear larger. Heavily texture fabrics only add extra weight.

* Sewn-down pleats in skirts and blouses can both create a slimming effect. Include vertical lines in your accessories, such as long chains worn around the neck.

* Avoid extensive use of horizontal lines - belts, boat-collar blouses and border print skirts. These styles can add extra width to your body frame.

* Your best asset is your face; so draw attention to it with scarves and jewellery worn around the face.

* Introduce simple lines, such as A-line skirts, tailor-notched, collared blouses and blazers. The oversized blazer is a great solution for camouflaging large derrieres and hips. Double-pleated skirts and trousers mask protruding stomachs and provide comfort as well.

* If you want to appear thinner incorporate dark, cool and dull colours and textures. Dull textures absorb the light like wool or cotton. Some very slimming colours include black, navy, olive, violet, charcoal grey, chocolate brown, plum, eggplant and burgundy.

Chocolate 'is good for you' ..How?

Chocolate may be better for your health than tea because it contains more of a chemical that could prevent cancer and heart disease, researchers have said.

The findings follow earlier research revealing that moderate chocolate consumption offers health benefits.

The new research measures the amount of catechins - the chemical thought to be behind the benefits - in different types of chocolate.

The substance is also found in tea - leading the researchers to recommend a cup of tea with a chocolate biscuit as one way to help maintain good health.

Chemical diet

The researchers, from Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment, published their findings in The Lancet medical journal.

Dr Ilja Arts and colleagues examined the chemical compounds in a range of foods and discovered that catechins are found in chocolate.

Up until now tea was thought to contain the largest amount but the new research indicates that dark chocolate has four times as many.

Catechins are believed to protect against heart disease and cancer and so eating products that contain them could have health benefits.

In the UK, where more than £3.5bn is spent on chocolate each year - the research is likely to be welcomed by those with a sweet tooth although dentists may be less pleased.


Tea and biscuits

Dark chocolate had 53.5mg of catechins per 100g, milk chocolate contained 15.9mg per 100g, and the black tea infusion contained only 13.9mg per 100ml.

In a later survey, the researchers found that in a sample of 6250 men and women, tea was the most important source of catechins, accounting for 55% of total intake.

Chocolate contributed to 20% of the total intake of catechins.

The researchers said: "Drinking a cup of tea and eating a chocolate cookie might be not only enjoyable but healthy as well."

What is swine flu?

Swine flu is a highly contagious respiratory disease in pigs. The disease is caused by a virus and causes sickness in the animals, but has a low death rate. The virus frequently circulates among the animals throughout the year, with outbreaks more common in the fall and winter.

How do people become infected?
The CDC says the spread of swine flu can occur in two ways: through contact with infected pigs or environments contaminated with the virus; or through contact with a person with swine flu. The CDC has determined that the virus is contagious and spreading among people, but at this time it is not known how easily that happens.

Is this a pandemic?

No, not yet, at least. But it is considered an outbreak, or a sudden increase in the numbers of a particular illness. What caused doctors in Mexico to sit up and take notice was a sudden jump in serious pneumonias at the end of the regular flu season. Tests are under way now to determine how many of these cases might be swine flu.

A pandemic is a worldwide outbreak of disease, typically affecting millions of people. An epidemic is a disease that spreads rapidly and widely in a localized region or country. And since officials aren't sure how many of the cases are actually swine flu, it's still too early to call it an epidemic.

The World Health Organization, one of the groups monitoring the situation and coordinating an international response to the swine flu outbreak, currently has the situation listed as "Phase 3," on a six-step scale, which means that though the disease has affected small clusters of people, the swine flu "has not resulted in human-to-human transmission sufficient to sustain community-level outbreaks."

WHO officials have called the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern," but have so far held off raising the pandemic level any higher. Phases 4 and higher represent significant human-to-human spread of the virus both at a community level and worldwide.
If this isn't yet a pandemic, why the alarm?

Officials don't yet know how contagious the disease is or exactly how it's spreading, but the high number of cases as well as the geographic distribution has them on the lookout for more cases, which are expected to be found. Influenza viruses, like the swine flu, can be transmitted between people by coughing or sneezing, or by touching something with a flu virus on it.

Are Energy Drinks Good Or Bad?

In the world we live in today it does not feel like there are enough hours in the day. Whether it is work, school, or taking care of the kids everyone needs a little pick-me-up every now and then. People look to coffee, Redbull, and even 5 hour energy shots, but are energy drinks good or bad?

The one good thing about most energy drinks is that they do serve their purpose. They will give you a boost of energy and keep you alert for a few hours after consuming them. However, there is usually a crash period directly after the drink wears off. So, if you are only using them for an occasional boost for important situations every now and then, they are probably not too bad for you.

The problems with most energy drinks come with extended use. If you have to start your day off with some sort of caffeine or sugar based energy drink just to be functional, then there can be long term consequences on your body. It gets even worse when you need to keep pumping these substances into your body every few hours just to keep going.

Over use of energy drinks can lead to higher blood pressure, increased heart rate, dehydration, and insomnia. It can also lead to other conditions such as increased anxiety and irritability

As you can see there are two different sides to the energy drinks you will find dominating the drink isle at your local convenience store.

What if I told you there was a way to get all the upsides of an energy drink, without any of the negative side effects? Recent studies of the Brazilian acai berry have found that drinking the pulp daily can lead to increased energy, endurance, and stamina as strong as, if not stronger, than coffee or Redbull .

Tips to prevent those ugly pimples!!

All you have to do is pick up the right stuff for your skin care regime. However tempting it may seem avoid popping or squeezing a zit. Here is a list of things that you can include in your daily routine. It will definitely help you to stay away from other skin problems too. Remember, staying away from pimples is better than curing them.

* Pound and place mint leaves all over your face for 10-15 minutes. Remove all the leaves and wash your face with cold water. Do not rub leaves on skin as it may cause skin irritation if you already have pimples.

* Use multani-mitti (Indian fuller's earth) as a mask if you have very oily skin. Add rose water to fuller's earth. This mask will help absorb oil and prevent pimples. Do not over use this mask. You can use it once a week. Avoid using this mask if your skin is very sensitive and dry.

* Boils Neem leaves in water. Add some plain water for taking bath to this concentrated mix. It is an Ayurvedic remedy for staying away from most of the skin problems.

* Press ice over the swollen pimple. If you have popped a pimple, do not forget to press ice and splash some astringent.

* Consult a skin expert before using any product on your skin. If possible always use Ayurvedic and herbal products. They do not have side effects.

* Wash your face with cold water at least twice or thrice a day and whenever you come back for outside.

* Rub a pinch of turmeric powder while washing your face at least once or twice a week.

* Apply a mixture of tomato juice and honey. Leave it for 10-15 minutes and then wash your face. This will help to prevent pimples and also clear previous pimple marks. Do not use this mixture for sensitive skin

* Prepare a mixture of apple pulp and honey. Apply this mixture on face and let it stay for 15-20 minutes and wash it off with lukewarm water. It is good for getting rid of pimples.

* Apply mixture of honey and lemon juice drops to have a shiny and clear skin

If your skin is allergic and sensitive consult an expert before applying any product or even natural ingredient on your face.
Diet for avoiding pimples

You can even avoid pimples by consuming a balanced diet. Your diet plays an important role for getting a healthier skin.

* Drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water. This will help to detoxify your body and avoiding pimples

* Avoid consuming oily, spicy and junk food as much as you can

* Make fruits and vegetables an integral part of your diet. You can drink fruit juices. If you want to have glowing and red cheeks you can eat red fruits like apples, cherries and tomatoes.

* Have a glass of milk with a pinch of turmeric powder at least once a day

The best way to prevent pimples is learning to love your natural skin. Avoid using cosmetics to avoid chemicals that harm your skin. Another key to have a healthier skin is to staying healthy. Proper skin care products, a balanced diet and regular exercise are ingredients of a good recipe for reducing ageing process and thus avoiding wrinkles. It also helps to prevent pimples and other skin problems.

Use natural ingredients early to stay away from laser treatments later in life. It will not only help prevent pimples but also make your skin glow. Make a few changes in lifestyle to get a pimple-free skin and wake up to a beautiful you.

5 Ways to Kill Your Pain Naturally

How do we address the issue of natural pain relief ? We live in an increasingly hectic world, and many of us have no time for pain management solutions. We may often feel pain, but we don’t know where it comes from or why it’s affecting us – and even if we would like to investigate, we still have to rush to our next meeting, or make the next deadline, or get on that phone call. So we pop a couple of pills, forget about it, and before we know it we’re dependent on ibuprofein and aspirin to get us through the day.

But don’t the drug companies know what’s best for us? Isn’t there a reason that painkillers are so often used, and even prescribed? People give aspirin to kids, and many Americans take aspirin regularly to lower their heart attack risks, so aspirin and ibuprofein should be completely safe, right? Not necessarily. Like any drug, these two daily friends of ours are proven to contribute to increased gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcer irritation – both conditions that worsen with more aspirin, which aggravates any sores already present on the lining of the stomach. And stronger painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin – while they control pain – are habit-forming, which also makes them dangerous. And for many, painkillers are a perfectly acceptable solution despite these risks. But there are alternative methods of pain management out there, and consumers should know their choices before they give their money to massive drug companies.

Read below for some highlights on natural pain management.

White Willow Bark – This wonder bark is a potent source of salicin, a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory used for thousands of years. A derivative of salicin, acetylsalicylic acid (patented by the Bayer company) was synthesized, and is now known as aspirin. If more people knew about white willow bark, profits for aspirin would plummet; that’s the only reason that the bark is a somewhat under-the-radar pain solution.

Sour Cherry Juice – It seems an unlikely candidate for pain relief, but this fruit has an anti-inflammatory effect which can help to reduce pain and contribute to overall muscular health. And this isn’t their only benefit: cherries are also high in helpful antioxidants.

Olive Oil – Although it’s not effective as white willow bark in terms of reducing pain, studies have shown that olive oil contains a natural anti-inflammatory and a regular dose of it can be helpful in a long-term pain management regimen.

Exercise – Some people claim that exercise produces in them a “natural high,” but this is rare except in cases of long-distance runners. However, even though it seems counterintuitive, moderate levels of physical activity can help to alleviate pain and stiffness .

Emotional Freedom Technique – I list this one last, because it doesn’t actually involve ingesting anything, but that doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. EFT is hailed by many as a highly effective pain management solution. It involves tapping on pressure points (similar to acupuncture points) to clear blockages in the body’s natural energy flow. A beginning FAQ and manual can be found here.

All in all, every symptom has a physical cause. This means that pain is usually the result of some kind of misalignment in the body; seeking the source of the misalignment should help to figure out the symptom. We should seek a communicative relationship with our bodies and not just eat a painkiller anytime we feel a slight twinge. This article is meant as a primer; read more articles like it, but most of all, listen to your body and do your own research to find out the best solution for you.