Lifestyle Choices

THE BEST SITES FOR ROOMS IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

• Reverse these directions for the southern hemisphere.
• Sitting room:South facing for late morning and afternoon sun.
• Kitchen:Southwest facing for morning and afternoon sun.
• Dining room:East or west facing for morning or afternoon sun.
• Playroom:West facing for afternoon sun.
• Bedroom:Southeast facing for morning sun.
• Bathroom:Any direction which allows the most light.
• Study:West or northwest facing for reflected light. Storage/garage:West or north facing for late afternoon sun.
• Studio/office:North facing for reflected light.
• Exercise space: East facing for morning sun or west facing for afternoon sun.
• Meditation or sanctuary: East facing for sunrise or west facing for sunset.

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Good health, which is the basis of a long and happy life, is a state of energy balance. Energy in its undifferentiated state or potential is known by the Chinese as Tao. Tao is manifest in all things through the dynamic interaction of the two polar energy forces, yin and yang. (more…)

Baths have been taken since time immemorial to improve both health and looks. Continuing in this tradition, bath oils, in which essential oils are used, are the most popular of our preparations.

An aromatic bath is not only useful for the wonderful aroma it creates, but also for the numerous therapeutic properties in the various essential oils. (more…)

Essential oils are absorbed through the skin and penetrate its deepest layers. The main property of all essential oils is that they are highly antiseptic, though at different degrees, depending on the essence chosen. They help speed up the removal of old skin cells and thus encourage the production of new cells.

Essential oils help muscles to regain a healthy condition and aid the soft tissue to get rid of excess fluid and waste materials or, if required, to restore lost hydration. They also act as blood regulators, improving the blood circulation. With the help of pressure points on nerve centres, the essential oils help to regulate the nervous system, making it more alert to impulses and quicker to react. (more…)

While drinking plenty of pure water will help to keep your skin hydrated and facilitate the release of toxins, you can also take advantage of the purifying benefits of water externally through the use of saunas, steams, and special cleansing baths. A daily bath or shower removes surface perspiration and toxins. But you don’t want to dry out your skin or upset the natural protective acid mantle. Use gentle vegetable oil soaps and lather up only where you absolutely need to. A thorough scrubbing with warm water and a loofah or rough washcloth is all you need over most of your body to remove dry skin cells and refresh your skin. Be sure to install a water filter on your shower if your tap water is chlorinated. Your skin and your hair will be much softer and you won’t be absorbing chlorine, which is a potent toxin. (more…)

Proper cleansing can be the most important part of your skincare routine! Not only is it absolutely necessary to get your face clean without irritating your skin (often a delicate balance), but you can also treat your skin by the way you wash and the soap or cleanser you use. Your bath or shower can be your best friend, your greatest indulgence and your most important key to excellent health and a great, young appearance.

Getting the product right!

Your skin is by nature slightly acidic (with a pH of about 5.5). Until recently, most soaps and cleansers were the opposite — slightly alkaline. The result was dry skin! With advances in cosmetic chemistry, no longer do you have to choose from only harsh, alkaline products. (more…)

In the busy lives we lead today, people often shower rapidly. We can benefit greatly, however, from the luxury of relaxing in a bath. This time can be a real beauty treatment — for your face, your body, and your soul! To get the most out of your bath or shower and to appreciate these relaxing minutes of your day, here are some suggestions:

1 The ideal temperature for showering or relaxing in your bath without becoming drowsy is about 95°F (35°C). The steam is very good to open the pores of your face for a thorough Cleaning. (It’s also therapeutic if you have a cold with congestion.) (more…)

More than three out of four women shave their underarms, bikini area, and/or legs to remove excess hair, and almost all men shave their beard. The secret of a good shave is closeness with comfort. An understanding of hair growth and a proper shaving technique are important. As a dermatologist, I often see shaving-related problems such as irritation or pseudofolliculitus (pimples). (more…)

Everyone suffers at some time from dry skin. When your skin is dry, you reach for a moisturizer. But effective moisturizing involves more than just day cream or lotion.

When doctors look at dry skin under a microscope, they see that it is actually an accumulation of dead cells adhering to the skin’s surface. These cells are made of the protein, keratin, which can absorb water, changing from dry, tile-like flakes to smooth, plump cells. Natural, moist, supple skin depends upon the complex interaction of these surface cells with the environment, with water, with your body’s secretions, or with moisturizers you apply. (more…)

There are three kinds of permanent hair colourants: vegetable dyes such as henna, metallic dyes such as those used to gradually cover grey hair, and the aniline dyes or oxidation tints, which include most of the colourants used professionally in salons.

The Vegetable Dyes

Henna is the best-known, since its use dates back thousands of years. Taken from the Lawsonia plant, which is indigenous to Africa and Asia, henna varies in colour depending on which country it comes from. It can be strong orange in colour, as Moroccan henna, or a deep red, as the henna that comes from Iran — the most sought-after in the world. The plant is harvested, dried in the sun, and then crushed into a greenish powder, which is what one puts on the hair. It coats the hair shaft’s cuticle a reddish colour. (more…)

Go to the seaside to bury yourself under the sand and gather salt. Salt is necessary for the balance, in volume and osmotic pressure, of the extracellular fluids. Everyone must have his daily dose of it. In therapeutic treatment, by strengthening the action of other elements, unrefined sea salt combats a number of deficiencies that cause humoral, glandular, and nervous imbalances.

The natural magnesium contained in sea salt is a precious remedy. Iodine in its natural state acts favorably on the thyroid gland. Bromine soothes the serves without weakening the nervous system. Salt, intermediate between earth and sea water, also contains traces of catalytic elements, such as gold, copper, nickel, and cobalt, as well as particles of clay. It goes very well with treatment by clay. Like clay, it attracts and absorbs sickness and is a pole that attracts substances with negative radiation. (more…)

What does cooking do to food? When properly carried out, it greatly improves the flavor. Cooking changes the chemical composition and often makes the foods more digestible. The heat helps to destroy many harmful germs. But do not overlook the fact that one serious type of food poisoning known as botulism may arise from the use of vegetables that have not been properly canned or preserved.

Under proper, germ-free conditions many foods can be preserved indefinitely, such as in canning. However, one should be careful when opening a can not to introduce germs into the food from outside. Carefully wash the container before opening it. (more…)

Rain and snow are the original sources of all our drinking water. Raindrops are formed from the heavy vapor that arises from the sea. As the clouds pass over the land, they condense into drops of rain or flakes of snow. We are all familiar with the fact that a rainstorm clears the air, washing it clean and free from dust and smoke.

Raindrops are usually free from germs, although they may contain a little dust and perhaps a few harmless microbes. Trouble starts when the raindrops strike the surface of the earth. The rain that collects on cultivated fields, farmyards, and city streets may contain many different kinds of germs, some of which are harmful to man. Many of these germs found on the ground have come from the digestive organs of animals and human beings. These are the bacteria that often cause serious intestinal diseases.

But the trouble is not always with water that falls onto the ground. People who use tanks and cisterns must also be careful. Roof water may be almost as badly contaminated with germs that have found their way there by dust blowing up from the street. There is also the problem of germs from the droppings of birds. Tank or cistern water should always be boiled or sterilized. (more…)

It is equally important that every home be provided with adequate facilities for the proper disposal of wastes. Those who live in large cities usually have this provided for them unless some emergency intervenes. But people who live in more isolated areas may have to provide their own facilities. How they handle this problem may determine in a large measure the kind of health they and their families will enjoy.

Proper sanitary disposal of body wastes is one of the first laws of health. Wherever human beings live, there are flies. And flies flourish on waste materials. They often carry dangerous germs and bring misery into many homes because of the diseases they continually spread around.

In large modern cities there are usually adequate facilities to meet these needs. In villages and smaller towns, whatever system is available may be woefully inadequate. People living on farms and those who own mountain cabins and beach cottages are often in need of advice as to how to meet these particular needs. The same is true on campgrounds and other places where people may stay for a few days or weeks at a time. Usually, the more isolated the area, the greater the need. (more…)

Living in a large city is not always safe. Wherever large numbers of people are gathered together, there is always some risk of infection. During an epidemic it is easy for disease to spread quickly from one person to another. The more dense the population, the greater the danger.

Out in the country the risk of infection may be somewhat less. The protective forces of nature often help to prevent disease. Many germs are destroyed by the heat of the sun and by the drying effects of the wind. The cold days of winter may also help to eliminate some harmful bacteria. But a few germs may still be there after the snow has melted. This is more apt to be true where the winters are short and relatively mild. (more…)

If a magnet is going to work for you, it can happen within hours when quality magnets are placed over the damaged area. Normally weexpect to see improvements within 1 -7 days, when you are directly treating the site of pain.

A wristband or sufficiently strong bracelet is fine if you have hand or wrist pain, or if you want tomaximise your general healthand detox you body. You will keep it there, as it is easy to wear there. But there is little point in relaxing and promoting blood flow to your wrist if your problem is your lower back! (more…)

Salon facials help turn good skin into great, but they can be very costly. Why not learn to give yourself one at home instead? The following facial is adapted from one offered at a famous New York City salon:

1. Cleanse skin with cleansing cream or lotion; remove with pure, facial-quality cotton. Don’t use synthetic cosmetic puffs; they’re too rough for the face.
2. Place loose camomile tea leaves in a pot of water and bring to a boil; remove pot from the heat. Transfer liquid to a large ceramic bowl.
3. Lean face a comfortable distance over the bowl; the steam should feel hot but should not burn. Drape a thick towel over your head to keep the steam from escaping. When the steam is gone, strain the liquid from the bowl and place it in the freezer until very cold.

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Your poor feet! Walking, running, dancing, jogging, basketball and pogo sticks, stiletto heels and pointy toes—do they ever get a rest from all the abuse they’re forced to take? The tips below will help get your feet looking—and feeling—their very best, day or night. You don’t have to visit a fancy beauty salon to benefit from these footwise suggestions.

1. For swollen feet that are really beat, soak in cool salt water for five minutes. Dry carefully and moisturize.
2. To step up circulation, soak feet for five minutes in shallow footbath or tub of warm water; switch to cool, and keep soaking for an additional five minutes. You’ll be ready to dance the night away.

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One of the most subtle but nonetheless powerful of our five senses is smell. Perhaps it is precisely because we don’t have a very highly developed olfactory sense when compared with other animals that what we do smell has a particularly potent effect on us. A pleasing smell or fragrance can linger in the mind and in the imagination like a haunting melody and trigger memories and feelings in a highly visceral way. Learning to appreciate and use fine fragrances is part of the development and refinement of this elusive sense, and one of the most alluring aspects of becoming a woman.

The cosmetic use of fragrance has had a long and varied history. For instance, it is known that Cleopatra used perfumed oils to enhance her legendary beauty. Later the Greeks and Romans refreshed themselves between courses at banquets with the application of water that had been perfumed by flowers. (more…)

Varicose veins are the most serious enemies of leg beauty. But they are not the accident of nature that many women believe. The problem is virtually unknown amongst native populations living on a diet of natural unrefined foods. But studies show that as soon as our highly refined Western diet of convenience foods arrives in a country, varicose veins start to appear. The hidden constipation that results from living on the average Western diet lacking in natural fiber from whole grains and raw vegetables is one of the prime causes of varicose veins, for uneliminated wastes in the intestines put constant pressure on the blood vessels supplying blood to and from the legs. Long-term overweight is another factor in the development of varicose veins. (more…)