Lifestyle Choices

Infection

Certain food poisoning bacteria other than staphylococci can infect food and grow in it without detectable taste or smell. Then, when the food is eaten, these germs gain access to the gut of the consumer, multiply there and cause a typical gastroenteric form of poisoning.

An example of this type of infection is that caused by the Salmonella group of bacteria. These germs are normally carried in the gut by pigs, poultry, cows, bullocks, sheep, domestic animals and rodents, and, to a lesser extent, human beings. Eggs (especially duck), egg powder and milk can also be affected. (more…)

The activities of the body-mind are engendered and maintained by the vibrations of the environment. Certain vibration frequencies are picked up by our sense organs. Colors, light, sounds, and the resistance of matter are manifestations of the same energy, segments perceived in a continuous range of waves.

We are sometimes conscious of these phenomena, and sometimes not. The same can be said of the waves picked up by our skin, the palms of our hands, and the soles of our feet. Not all human beings pick up energy in the same way, because many receive vibrations from the environment badly or incompletely. (more…)

Every woman has two kinds of energy, male and female. Male energy is like the sun—invigorating, stimulating, creative, and powerful. The male postures in yoga call forth this dynamic energy and release it.

Female energy is recuperative, calming, nurturing, and gentle. The female postures are restoring to body, mind, and spirit. Yoga attempts to release male and female energies and ultimately to fuse them in union—to integrate the person.

The first four postures are male. They are done standing and they revitalize you. The last four are female and calming. In order to achieve the best balance and effect, it is best to do them in the order in which Geoffrey recommends them. (more…)

1. When you breathe, breathe with your whole chest and abdomen too. Most of us breathe only with the top part of our body, which means we are not fully lowering the diaphragm and expanding the lungs and so are not making use of their full capacity. This kind of restricted breathing stifles emotional expression and is often linked with anxiety, depression, and worry. To check for abdominal breathing, put your hands on your tummy. Does it swell when you breathe in and sink when you breathe out? It should. Lying flat on a firm surface, practice breathing fully and gently until you get the feel of it.

(more…)

The Causes

Although allergies and allergic reactions to particular substances are not inherited, a tendency to them can be. If, for instance, both your mother and your father suffered from allergies, you have a 57 percent chance of them too. Approximately 15 percent of all women are said to be highly prone to allergic reactions, 25-30 percent are less easily sensitized (which means they will react adversely only to some substances, sometimes), and 55-60 percent are relatively allergy-free or only rarely prone to allergic reactions. But, on the whole, allergic complaints are on the increase, and cosmetic dermatitis and skin sensitivities are leading the field. For instance, in one study of skin ailments in the mid-seventies it was found that where, four years before, only 3 percent of the patients in Britain seen by dermatologists were suffering from skin reactions, in the space of a very few years it had risen to 14 percent. (more…)

Hard Skin Softener

Mix a tablespoon of coarse sea salt with a tablespoon of almond oil, and rub vigorously into the hard, horny areas. Then hop into a bath, adding a little more oil to the bathwater, and soak the well-rubbed areas for at least 10 minutes. Then rub the hard skin away with a pumice stone. After your bath soothe the worked area with a good cream or lotion.

Mask for Horny Skin

This is particularly good for roughened hands and heels.

2-4 cups soapwort, flowers, roots and leaves, steeped in 2 litres (8 cups) boiling water

250 ml (1 cup) pawpaw, mashed OR

2-3 slices pineapple, mashed

half an avocado

250-500 ml (1-2 cups) bran

4 scented geranium leaves, minced (more…)

Consider first the lowly lemon, one of my favourite fruits. Its place in natural cosmetics is paramount. The lemon serves as a whitener, skin softener, cuticle softener and remover, nail cleaner, smell and stain remover, and skin toner, restoring the acid coating the skin needs.

Once you have used lemon juice in cooking, save the squeezed halves. Dig your nails into it and rub the pulp and skin all over your hands, or feet, paying particular attention to rough heels. You can use up every bit of its goodness. Massage your feet with the skin, and rub the inner white pith over your nails, softening the cuticles.

Lemon Brandy Hand Lotion

This is a very old softening and soothing lotion for rough, chapped hands. It keeps well, too, as the brandy preserves it.

125 ml (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice

125 ml (1/2 cup) white wine vinegar in which a few sprigs of basil have been steeped

      250 ml (1 cup) brandy

(more…)

During winter, the relative humidity of the air declines and there are cold, drying winds. Central heating systems keep us warm but dry out the air, splitting wood furniture and doors which have lasted unharmed in the homes of our hardier ancestors. The skin loses its moisture and contracts until it splits apart just as the bottom of a recently drained lake will lose its shiny muddy surface and split into a pattern of small pieces. The earliest changes are just an accentuation of the fine surface lines but with further damage, cracks extend deeper into the skin and the surface is scaly. The skin looks and feels rough and may be itchy and sore. When the splits penetrate into living layers of skin they are extremely painful as anyone who has accidentally cut their finger-tip knows. Further damage causes more redness and swelling until the skin is weeping, completing the picture of hand eczema. (more…)

The skin on your hands, knees, elbows, and feet is not as delicate as the skin on your face. Still, like the skin on your face, the other skin on your body can look its best with a regular skin-care program.

Your hands express a lot about you. Like the skin on your face, the skin on your hands is constantly exposed to the elements, as well as to dirt and detergents. The skin on hands can easily become dry, chapped, and wrinkly. Your nails, too, can become dry and brittle. But with a little care, it is easy to make your hands soft and smooth, and your nails strong and hard.

Helping Hands

Detergents are found in dishwashing liquid and other household cleansers as well as (more…)

Hand and foot care

It is common to spend a lot of time and money on our face and hair and to neglect our hands and feet. Hanging off the end of our limbs, they go about whatever we put them through and it is only when they are injured or sore that we tend to pay attention to them.

Hands are exposed to all sorts of things from weather to harsh soaps and detergents, various foods, gardening and washing and all the other 101 tasks they perform. Feet have to carry around your whole body weight all day, they are often squashed into ill-fitting shoes and endure all sorts of harsh environments like sand, rocks, salt water, swimming pools, gymnasium showers - you name it. If you have ever taken the time to give your hands or feet a manicure or pedicure, you know how good it feels to pamper them a bit. (more…)