5 Weird and Gross Home Remedies That Don’t Work

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

As modern medicine has cures and…well…medicine for most ailments, there are still some that swear by the old home remedies. Many of these work out, though some obviously don’t. Here are some that you might not want to try.

1. Wearing a headband soaked in rubbing alcohol will not cure your headache. In fact, the pungent smell of the alcohol might actually make your headache worse, and high levels of alcohol absorbed through the skin can induce nausea.

2. Taking a warm cabbage and milk slime bath will not help with back pain. I’m happy to hear it, because that sounds pretty nasty.

3. Putting mayonnaise on a burn will not help it feel better. That’s another relieving one. I think most people, after having sustained a burn, would rather not put greasy mayonnaise on their body.

4. Taking apple cider vinegar instead of antacids will not cure heartburn. And it tastes nasty. My general attitude is that if it tastes awful, don’t eat it.

5. Lighting a match by a tick does not safely remove it from your skin. Ticks are nasty enough as it is, but I surely would not want one half melted into my skin. Doctors say that most ticks require manual extraction.

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Great Skin

Posted on May 3, 2011 by admin

Living in and of itself is almost counterproductive when you’re talking about having good skin. The air we breath is practically filled with chemicals and toxins that make our skin miserable, especially in a desert environment like the one I live in. Here are a few tips on how to keep your skin clean, smooth, and healthy.

Lotion
Obviously the best way to prevent skin disorders, dryness, and aging is lotion. Whether you use an off brand or something from Bath and Body Works, lotion is always a good help to anyone seeking good skin.

Exercise
Exercise triggers the sweat glands in your body, which not only temporarily moisturizes your skin, but also keeps the cells in your body healthy and clears out toxins from your skin while you’re sweating them out.

Moderated Sun Exposure
The sun is amazing. There can’t be much in this life better than laying on a beach somewhere soaking up the sun. However, with the sun, either extreme is very unhealthy. Too much exposure to the sun can cause several different levels of problems including the acute sunburn and dryness to a long term risk of skin cancer and the unfortunate chronic leathery skin that you see in some people who didn’t moderate correctly. The other extreme is not enough sun, without getting any sunlight your skin will react negatively. The sun plays it’s part in killing harmful bacteria and giving you essential nutrients. Any imbalance can keep you from having great skin.

Body Wash Choice
Though lotion is one of the bets ways you can help yourself to get good skin, by itself it sometimes isn’t enough. Pairing your lotion with a body wash infused with some kind of moisturizer can help your skin stay healthy, and feel better.

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Can the Blind Hear Better?

Posted on March 25, 2011 by admin

There is common belief that blind people have a higher developed sense of hearing. As the thinking goes, all five of our senses work together and in the event of the loss of one of them the remaining four heighten. We also believe that blind people take a tragic handicap into an advantage. Until recently, there has been no scientific proof that blind people really do benefit from sensory compensation.

There was a study done with both blind and sighted subjects to test pitch perception and position perception. The results were as expected, blind subjects scored better than sighted subjects. However, they did find out that people who have been blind since birth did in fact score the highest.

In another test, the subjects had one ear plugged and then were asked to locate where sounds were coming from in the room. Even though researches knew that you need both ears to locate sound, half of the blind people scored extremely high. The sound was there for all to hear, but the blind subjects had become very sensitive to the information it provided.

There is no guarantee that if you are blind that your auditory senses will heighten. Most would argue that blind musicians benefit because of the heightened pitch perception and location skills to improve a musician’s ability to play in tune.

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Healthy Hair Tips

Posted on January 21, 2011 by admin

For some women, their hair is the ultimate accessory; it can add or detract from your look instantly. Even though reducing chemical treatments and slathering in weekly conditioners can keep our hair softer and less split-end prone, what really matters is our daily handling. So whether your concern is dullness, damage, frizz, or dryness, here are a couple of tips to achieve that “run your fingers through it” hair.

  1. Try to stay away from plastic-bristle brushes. A combination of natural boar bristles on either a round or flat brush are best for dry hair; while a soft, rubber-toothed wide paneled brushes are best for wet hair.
  2. Brush your locks before shampooing. These helps to remove product buildup and scalp flakes, as well stimulates your scalp and promote blood flow.
  3. What kind of water are you using? If your hair is looking dull or hard to style, it might be your tap water. Well water (called “hard water”) contains natural minerals that can leave hair hard to manage and can cause a brassy, orange hue.  Soft water has fewer damaging minerals. To get rid of mineral build-up, once a week us a clarifying shampoo.
  4. You should be getting a regular trim, at least ½ inch every four to six weeks. As the ends of your hair get damaged by everyday handling, they are likely to split.
  5. Use color-protective products. Chemical treatments like color can damage hair because the chemicals have to penetrate the outer layer of the hair to allow the hue to be absorbed. Color-protective products are designed to minimize dryness, keep color true, and prevent damage.
  6. Be careful with wet hair. It stretches and snaps more easily than dry hair.
  7. Deep condition once every two weeks. These treatments penetrate the hair shaft and strengthen strands. Add heat to intensify deep conditioning, as the heat causes the cuticle to open and the ingredients to penetrate.
  8. Pick a good ionic dryer with a nozzle. Ions are atoms with positive and negative charge. These dryers soak your hair in negative ions, which help break up water molecules faster and cut the drying time in half. Using a nozzle prevents fizz because it concentrates the airflow on sections.
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Organic vs. Conventional

Posted on January 15, 2011 by admin

Ever feel confused standing in the produce section of the grocery store, to left is a conventionally grown apple and on the right is one labeled organically grown. Both of them look and feel fresh, and both provide the same vitamins and nutrients.  The conventionally grown apple cost less but the organic apple has a label that says “USDA Organic.” So what does that label mean?

The word “organic” refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don’t use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers may conduct sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

Here are other differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease. Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds. Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth. Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

A recent study examined the past 50 years’ worth of scientific articles about the nutrient content of organic and conventional foods. The researchers concluded that organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs are comparable in their nutrient content. Organic food is going to be a little more pricey compared to the conventionally grown food.

Whether you go totally organic or opt to mix conventional and organic foods, be sure to keep these tips in mind:

  • Select a variety of foods from a variety of sources. This will give you a better mix of nutrients and reduce your likelihood of exposure to a single pesticide.
  • Buy fruits and vegetables in season to ensure the highest quality. Also, try to buy your produce the day it’s delivered to market to ensure that you’re buying the freshest food possible. Ask your grocer what day new produce arrives.
  • Read food labels carefully. Just because a product says it’s organic or contains organic ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a healthier alternative. Some organic products may still be high in sugar, salt, fat or calories.
  • Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly with running water to reduce the amount of dirt and bacteria. If appropriate, use a small scrub brush — for example, before eating apples, potatoes, cucumbers or other produce in which you eat the outer skin.
  • If you’re concerned about pesticides, choose your produce wisely. Domestically grown fruits and vegetables tend to have lower levels of pesticide residue than do the same imported foods. In addition, produce with thick skins or peels that aren’t eaten, such as bananas, citrus fruits and onions, tend to pose less pesticide risk than does skinless or soft-skinned produce, such as strawberries, peaches and pears. You can also peel fruits and vegetables, but keep in mind that peeling generally means losing some fiber and nutrients.
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