Tag Archives: nature

If Life Gives You Lemons…

Posted by Healthy Wealthy Help in Healthy Living and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If life gives you lemons…add them to some warm water. The following article is by wellness educator, Ashley Pitman.

Why You Should Drink Warm Water With Lemon

The way you start each day is incredibly important. Whether you’re a mom, a coach, a writer, a small business owner or a yoga teacher, what you do first thing in the morning matters.

 According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down.

Ayurveda invites us to get a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature’s rhythms, balance the doshas and foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline.

Your mind may say you have to check emails, take the dog out, get the kids out the door, that you can’t be late for work or that you just don’t have enough time to cultivate your own morning rituals.

But, if you can only make time for one ritual that will improve your health, let it be this…..

Start the day out with a mug of warm water and the juice of half a lemon.

It’s so simple and the benefits are just too good to ignore. Warm water with lemon:

1. Boosts your immune system 

Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain and nerve function and helps control blood pressure.

2. Balances pH

Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they’re alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). As you wellness warriors know, an alkaline body is really the key to good health.

3. Helps with weight loss

Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster. And, my experience is that when I start the day off right, it’s easier to make the best choices for myself the rest of the day.

4. Aids digestion

The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving. Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.

5. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic

Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.

6. Clears skin

The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well.

7. Hydrates the lymph system

This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue. When your body is dehydrated, or deeply dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can’t perform all of it’s proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on. Your adrenals happen to be two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and along with your thyroid, create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by your adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in your body, helping you stay hydrated. Your adrenals are also responsible for regulating your stress response. So, the bottom line is that you really don’t want to mess with a deep state of dehydration!

Adopting just this one practice of drinking a cup of warm water with lemon in the morning for a month can radically alter your experience of the day. Don’t be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a new light.
Like I said, the recipe is really simple—a cup of warm (not hot) water and the juice from half a lemon.
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It’s Not Easy Being Green…Or Is It?

Posted by Healthy Wealthy Help in Healthy Living and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Going Green

10 Ways We Can Help Make a Difference

Today is Earth Day, so it would seem to be a good time to think about what we can do in our day to day lives to help make a difference in the world around us. In January we make our New Year’s resolutions and look for ways to make a change in our lives, hoping for better health, a better job or less stress. Some resolutions are small, others are big life-changing challenges.

New Year’s resolutions are often broken, especially if they are hastily made without thinking through the logistics. Perhaps today would be a good day to make some resolutions for “going green” in the upcoming months. Earth Day is a great time to remember and appreciate nature, as well as learn ways to protect and care for our environment. Everyone can find a few small ways to help do their part.

Going green is a great way to start off the new year, but it’s such a broad term that the specifics of how you’ll go green could end up taking a back seat to daily life. Instead of making a broad generalization, choose a few specific ways to green your life in 2012.

Not Sure Where To Start? Here Are 10 Suggestions to Help You Get Started…

1. Banish paper and plastic bags from your life. Always carry at least one reusable bag with you and it will soon be as routine as grabbing your keys when you head out.2. Switch your monthly bills to e-billing. Even if you print them out at home, you’ll eliminate the postage carbon footprint and reduce paper use (no envelopes and annoying “special offer” inserts).3. Before you throw anything away, ask yourself if you can use it in a new way or if someone else could use it.

4. If you’re replacing appliances in 2012, pay a little more for the most efficient Energy Star models — they’ll save you money in the long run.

5. Walk more, particularly if your destination is less than 30 minutes on foot. It’s good for your health and the environment.

6. Take public transit. Students often have a transit pass included in their fees, and some cities even have free public transit, so use it!

7. In the market for a new car? Choose a green hybrid or electric.

8. Go vegetarian one day a week. The livestock industry is a huge greenhouse gas emitter.

9. Refuse to buy foods that are unnecessarily packaged, such as fruits and vegetables.

10. Buy a water filtration pitcher and refill your own bottles instead of buying bottled water.

These are just a few of the ways you can commit to going green in the new year. Just remember: It can be a challenge as you adjust to a new way of thinking, but it’s worth sticking with it.

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Fresh Face

Posted by Healthy Wealthy Help in Skincare and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How To Protect Your Skin From Harsh Weather

The climatic conditions during winter are completely different from that in summer. The cold and harsh weather will leave your skin dry, chapped and cracked. Our skin gets dry because of the heated air indoors and the cold weather outside.

So we have to take care of our skin and adopt some healthy tips to save your skin from the harsh winter. Here are some tips which will surely help you to keep your skin flaw less, soft and healthy this winter.

1. The first and most important thing is to eat health and drink loads of water and keep your body hydrated. Once you are healthy it will surely show it on your face. So eat lots of fruit and healthy food.

2. Exercise regularly which will warm you up and it will also keep your muscle limber. Exercise will increase the blood circulation and it will bring a glow to your face. It will also help to boost your immune system, which will help you fight off nasty cold and other disease.

3. Apply a good moisturizer which is suitable to your skin type. Carry your moisturizer wherever you go and keep moisturizing your skin. Don’t let it dry. Also, use a quality lip treatment to prevent chapping.

4. Use a good sunscreen. Don’t avoid sunscreen just because its winter.

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