Guest Posts
The Weight Loss Secrets of Apple Cider Vinegar
Yep, you caught me talking about apple cider vinegar again. This time we’re checking out the weight loss properties inherent in the stuff – can this stuff get any better? I’m pretty sure it can and will. But before I get too far into bragging about it, let’s focus on why it makes a fantastic addition to any weight loss regimen. What’s the Secret to Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss? There are numerous theories on how the apple cider vinegar actually works to promote weight loss – although nobody knows for sure. Some believe it is a natural appetite…
Apple Cider Vinegar is Great for Treating Acne and Other Skin Ailments
If there’s anyone who can brag about the benefits of apple cider vinegar (and often does), it’s me. From being a favorite instant heartburn/indigestion remedy of mine to its successful removal of a hideous mole from my back in just five overnight applications, I’m most definitely a diehard fan. But wait — there’s more! ACV is also useful in many other ways, including a treatment for acne. Let’s check it out! Apple cider vinegar is uniquely suited to treat a variety of ailments, especially on the skin According to Deborah Burnes, “Fermentation is used to make the (apple) cider into vinegar. During this…
Why and How to Make Super Cheap Easy Peasy Baking Soda Shampoo
Why on earth would anyone want to wash their hair with baking soda? Well, for one thing, using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) on your hair is considered by some to be the opposite of washing it (stay with me here). For those who prefer to avoid the unnecessary expense, natural oil-stripping chemicals, and unbelievable amounts of (likely) toxic fragrance involved with most store-bought shampoos, baking soda shampoo, also known as ‘poo-free or “no-poo” shampoo is the ideal solution. Some of the biggest unwanted elements you can avoid with ‘poo-free shampoo include DEA/Diethanolamine, sodium laurel sullfate, parabens, artificial color, scents, and dyes.…
The Healing Benefits of a Raw Food Diet
Why Try a Raw Food Diet? Although some refer to the raw diet as the “anti-diet”, and prefer to call it a lifestyle promoting the consumption of whole foods in their natural state, the raw food diet has in any case spread like wildfire since its inception. Raw food in its purest form, fresh-picked from the tree or pulled out of the garden, is believed by advocates to brim with naturally present enzymes and nutrients easily absorbed by and beneficial to the body. In their opinion, it is and has always been the ideal food for the human body. In addition…
Why and How To Do The Optimal 3-Day Cleanse
The Optimal 3-Day Cleanse What is a 3-Day Cleanse and How Can I Do It? While numerous types of “3-Day Cleanse” detoxification diet variations exist today, the most well-known type is considered to be a structured program best done either on a long weekend (from Friday through Sunday) or otherwise during vacation time or similar “off days.” The premise for the cleanse in general is that the body needs a chance to take a break from the normal diet’s toxins in order to “relax the liver, detox the kidneys and adrenals, and enhance digestion.” Although some detox programs recommend longer periods of…
Functional Medicine’s Comprehensive, Customized Approach to Health Care
At a time when conventional health care in the United States is under greater scrutiny than ever, the concept of functional medicine has emerged with a new and different approach entirely. With a greater focus on the underlying, root causes of illness from a tailored, individualized perspective, this form of alternative health care is growing more popular by the day. Let’s take a look at why! What is “Functional Medicine?” To summarize, we looked first for a definition of the practice from the Institute for Functional Medicine website. There it is stated, “The Functional Medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered,…
The Health Benefits of Water Fasting
Is a water fast worthwhile? Very few people would even consider attempting any type of severe caloric restriction at all, let alone a fast consisting only of water. But, believe it or not, some folks are sold on the concept of water fasting — not only trying it once, but incorporating it (even for extended amounts of time — like 40 days!) into their lifestyles. They claim it’s an excellent way to detoxify the body due to the body’s “self-cleaning” mechanisms which, simply put, come into play when the energy expended on food digestion is halted. Health benefits like reducing the symptoms of (and even reversing…
Elimination Diet: Say Goodbye to Trigger Foods
The latest “diet” doing the rounds is the Elimination Diet. The word “Diet” has always brought to mind all the foods you will have to give up for your health, and the Elimination Diet is no different. The key difference being that this diet has as its focus not weight loss, but an alleviation in symptoms that cause unpleasant health conditions and metabolic irregularities. Like they say, knowledge is everything. And now, as more and more people become health-conscious and self-aware, the elimination diet is becoming the go-to solution for everything from headaches to metabolic issues and seasonal allergies to…
Om: Meaning and Its Divine Secrets
If you are into yoga or pranayama or meditation, chances are you will already have been introduced to Om. It is a spiritual symbol in the Hindu religion and has significance as a sacred symbol. You might not know that it is also a chant or a mantra that is prevalent in other faiths like Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. The curious curl that you are familiar with is actually om as written in Sanskrit. Especially in Hinduism, Om is seen as one of the foundational symbols. Often found in the beginning of all the holy scriptures in Hinduism, it is…
Dosha Types: The Fault in our System
Dosha – you might have heard that word when you visited a local Ayurvedic practitioner, or at the yoga class, or in some holistic medicine conference. Ayurveda has long since proposed the three dosha theory: based on several factors like season, time of day, lifestyle, diet, and in some cases, genetics, doshas can literally be translated to “flaws” or “faults”. These are essentially imbalances or overproduction of three components in the human body: breath or vata (which equates to air as the element), bile or pitta (acid, which equates to fire), and fluid content or kapha (which equates to water). Ayurveda argues that…
Sleep Deprived? Sleep-friendly Tips and Tricks
Sleep, ah, that elixir we need every single day. Having trouble sleeping? Waked up tired every morning because quality of sleep leaves a lot to be desired? Always grumpy? You’re not alone. Millions of us suffer from inadequate sleep, sleep deprivation, months of accumulated sleep debt, and all the baggage that comes with it. This may well be the scourge of the digital generation. We are almost never offline, and sleep is becoming more of an unattainable goal with every new technological marvel we discover. But is technology solely to blame? Not really. It may well be the tipping point…
Meditation Techniques for Beginners
The benefits of meditation have been in evidence for centuries now. Meditation techniques have been tried and tested for decades, and continue to evolve. And ways to meditate are now more innovative than ever before, thanks to technological advancements. For example, even if you don’t stay near a gurgling stream or a waterfall, you can go online and just look for an audio or video file to help you in your meditative process. But if you have never tried meditation before, it can seem daunting. How do you get to that state of stillness, where your mind is emptied of…
