 I’m a sucker for a good hair rinse, and lately I’ve been experimenting with how to use horsetail -or shavegrasss – (Equisetum arvense) for softer, shinier hair. Horsetail is full of silica, which gives your hair a lustrous, flax-like sheen and softness, not to mention strength. In fact, silica has such a penchant for strengthening that many chicken feed mixtures include a form of silica so the chickens lay eggs with stronger shells. So if you have weak hair, hair loss, or split ends, horsetail is for you. Its antifungal properties make it fantastic for many scalp issues, as well.
So, how the heck do you use it? If you’re purchasing it commercially, go with the organic stuff. Horsetail likes to grow near water on wet sand, and if the herb is harvested near contaminated water, it’s not something you want to be using. I recently purchased a batch from Frontier Co-op, and I’m quite pleased with it. Prepare a decoction by boiling a tablespoon of the herb in a cup of water for 15 – 20 minutes. (A simple tea-like infusion isn’t enough for it.) Allow it to cool, then strain it. When you’re done washing your hair, pour the decoction over your head and allow it to stay on up to 15 minutes before rinsing it back out. Try this once or twice a week, and see how horsetail works for giving you strong and shiny hair.
 If you got a new Kindle for Christmas this year, you’ll want to feed that baby a healthy diet; I recommend Herbs Gone Wild, my herbal remedy ebook. And for today only, it’s free. Every Kindle deserves a great start on its new electronic life, and Herbs Gone Wild is filled with leafy greens, herbal goodness, and remedies that are natural and pure as the driven snow. And it’s free. Which is great, because if there’s one thing a Kindle likes, it’s being filled with ebooks. Good ones. Funny ones. Ones with cute baby owls on the cover munching bright pink echinacea blooms.
So snag your copy now, while it’s hot. And did I mention FREE?
Herbs Gone Wild – Ancient Remedies Turned Loose FREE on 01/06/12 only, through 12 midnight, PST.
Please enjoy today’s special guest report on why hard water isn’t so bad, and Happy New Year!
 Water is crucial to our survival, and something that most of us don’t get enough of each day. In our attempts to be more healthy and drink more water, several of us spend thousands of dollars a year on bottled water and other pricey filtration systems. Another growing trend to give ourselves the best water possible is the installation of a water softener.
Many people believe that hard water, which is generally full of certain minerals such as calcium and magnesium, is bad for them. They want better tasting water that will also give them a much more rich lather when they shower. While a water softener will definitely provide a homeowner with a better lather, they should really weigh the pros and cons before choosing to install one. They may find that a rich lather isn’t worth the additional costs at both your health’s and wallet’s expense.
The Health Factor
While many believe that soft water tastes better, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is better for you. In fact, soft water is often stripped of many beneficial minerals including calcium and magnesium, which your body needs to function naturally. However, this isn’t the worst of it.
Water that is processed using traditional water softeners must be run through iodized salt in order to make it softer. That iodized salt often increases the amount of sodium in your water, which ultimately increases your sodium intake. While a bit of salt is good for you, too much can lead to other conditions such as hypertension and high blood pressure.
The Costs
In addition to lacking minerals and extra salt, traditional water softeners also lead to pipe corrosion due to the large amounts of salt they use. So not only will you have to pay for regular maintenance and salt, but you can expect to have to replace your plumbing as well – which isn’t exactly cheap.
We all want great tasting and healthy water, but that doesn’t mean that you should have to pay an arm and a leg for it. Sometimes the best water can come right from your tap. However, if you find that your water really is too hard and is causing build up in your pipes or leading to poor tasting water, consider installing a salt-free water softener. These types of devices require very little maintenance and don’t require you to pour pounds upon pounds of salt into your water regularly. They will soften your water, but without giving you the detriment of a diet high in sodium.
 While it may sound like a complicated process, learning how to make your own natural homemade toothpaste couldn’t be easier. Chances are, you already have some of the ingredients rattling around your kitchen; and if you don’t, they’re easy to find and inexpensive.
Here’s the recipe:
2 Tbs. baking soda
2 Tbs. organic coconut oil
1/2 tsp. organic raw honey
3 – 5 drops essential oil such as spearmint, peppermint, cinnamon or clove
Just a dash of sea salt or Kosher salt
Dump all these ingredients into a bowl and smash it all with a fork, mushing the coconut oil into the mixture until it looks just like – well, just like toothpaste. Scrape all the well-mixed paste into a glass container with a tight fitting lid and use just as you would your regular, expensive, and not-so-natural paste.
That’s it! You’ve just learned how to make a natural and homemade toothpaste at a fraction of the cost of store bought brands and is safe enough for even the youngest teeth in the family.
 The amount of daily stress and anxiety you experience as a modern mother is nothing short of incredible. It’s hard to believe that day in day out you are able to not only complete all of your daily tasks, but do so with a smile.
But that stress does start to add up, and no matter how strong you are, there is a limit to how much you can handle regular stress without it starting to grate on you. It’s important that you find ways to de-stress every day so that you can avoid any serious mental health consequences.
The problem is that it’s hard to find the time. It would be nice if you could spend two hours every day to relax in a scented bubble bath and get a deep tissue massage, but chances are you can’t, so you need to find relaxation techniques you can fit into your hectic schedule. Below are several quick relaxation techniques for the busy mom.
Relaxation Techniques
- Deep Breathing – Total Time: 5 to 7 Minutes
How often do you find yourself feeling as though you never get a chance to truly take a relaxing, deep breath? Deep breathing is actually a very effective relaxation technique. By taking full, controlled breaths you are able to relieve stress and tension and experience a sense of calmness around you.
There is more than one type of deep breathing. But an example of a deep breathing exercise involves sitting on a chair with your back straight, with your hands resting gently on the chair arms or on your lap and your eyes gently close (not squeezed shut). You breathe in very slowly through your nose, for 4 full seconds, and try to feel it in your stomach first and your chest second. Wait a few seconds and then slowly exhale through your mouth. The exhalation needs to be very slow and controlled, and take roughly 5 to 8 seconds letting out all of the air in your lungs.
Repeat the process 10 to 15 times. As you get used to the breathing exercise, you can increase the number of repetitions to 20 or 30. The breaths should be calming. If you have asthma or feel any shortness of breath, stop and try again later. Breathing exercises take very little time out of your day and can introduce some calmness into your otherwise busy world.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Total Time: 10 to 20 Minutes
Research has found that muscle tension can contribute to mental stress and anxiety. So a common relaxation technique is to relieve that muscle tension. Progressive muscle relaxation is simple in principle, but it does take some practice to do correctly.
The basic idea is that you first tense up a muscle before the muscle can be relaxed. As an example, try squeezing your hand in the tightest first possible – so tight that you feel a great deal of pressure in your fist while you’re squeezing – and hold it for 10 seconds. Then let go. After a few seconds the muscles in your hand start to become more relaxed than they were before you squeezed. By applying continues tension and then releasing it, the muscles start to relax.
There are several additional techniques necessary to make this effective. First, you need to breathe in while you’re applying tension, and breathe out when you’re releasing it. Second, you need to make sure to only do one muscle at a time, in order to get the full benefit of tensing that muscle. Third, you should start from the bottom of your body and work your way up (feet to face). Finally, focus your energy and attention on the tense muscles and the feeling you get when you release them. Progressive muscle relaxation is a mental process in addition to a physical process.
Always be careful not to over-exert yourself if you have any potential for injury. For example, if you have back problems, don’t over-tense your back and focus on the other muscles instead. Once the process is over, your physical body should be more relaxed, and your mind should follow.
- Meditation – Total Time: 5 to 30 Minutes
Finally, you should also consider meditation. It may be hard to find 30 minutes of your day to sit in a quiet spot and simply meditate, but even 5 minutes of meditation can have calming effects. The key is to make sure that you can find a location that allows you to relax your mind – a place without disruptive noise, and where no one can bother you while you’re in meditation. We all want time alone. Meditation gives you that time in a way that can help you relieve some of your regular stress.
Finding Time to Relax
You have a busy schedule, and it’s often difficult to fit in long relaxation time. But treatment for anxiety and stress is something you need to find time for, otherwise the stress will build and cause problems with both your health and your quality of life. The above strategies take only a few minutes out of your day but will have a lasting impact on your life.
About the Author: Ryan Rivera suffered from serious stress and anxiety. His hope is that everyone can one day experience a stress free world. To learn more about stress and anxiety, visit www.calmclinic.com.
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Breast Cancer Awareness & Women’s Health
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