28Jul/090
Make An Easy Lotion For Your Skin
Years ago I found out how incredible easy it is to make lotion. It is so inexpensive and organic that I wondered why anyone would even consider spending a dime on the chemical rich lotions on the market.
Besides I had an added incentive, I have eczema, so I am extremely sensitive to what I put on my skin. Making my own lotion was a great alternative for me.
To begin, for a lotion base all you need is water, oil and an emulsifier. An emulsifier is simply an ingredient that blends the water and oil together. Here is the base that I begin with to make my lotion:
½ cup distilled water ½ cup oil (I usually use olive, almond, macadamia nut, or grape seed) 1 TBS liquid lecithin
You can experiment from here by adding essential oils, combining other oils; you can steep beneficial herbs into your water before you add your oil, etc…
Here is a nice winter lotion to get you started:
½ cup distilled water ½ cup olive oil 1 TBS lecithin 6-8 drops of geranium oil 2-4 drops Myrrh oil 400 IU Vitamin E oil (1-2 open capsules)
Geranium oil is good for supporting balance and rejuvenating dry skin conditions and for wrinkled and matured skin. Myrrh is a gentle oil that is effective in replenishing moisture.
Vitamin E oil is an excellent antioxidant and helps to protect the skin as well as a nice preservative.
Blend all ingredients in the blender either on whip or cream. You will have a nice creamy firm lotion. Add more water to make a lighter lotion. Store in the refrigerator in hot climates or store in a cool place. Shake well before use.
Enjoy your lotion. Hopefully this little recipe will inspire you to become creative!
28Jul/090
Slovenia Wellness Resorts – 6 Low Budget Insider Tips
Slovenia is known for its healing thermal and mineral waters. They have been used since Roman times. Besides the benefits from the natural springs, Slovenia has several major health resorts with wellness programs. Some have become specialized wellness centers that offer classical massage, complementary therapies from the Far East, stress-reduction, beauty, nutrition and weight loss programs, just to list a few. The options to choose from are infinite.
Let us take a closer look at a few of the most popular wellness destinations designed to pamper you... physically, mentally and spiritually.
Podetrtek in eastern Slovenia offers a healthy, unpolluted environment. The Olimia Thermal Spa is truly a marvel, offering therapeutic thermal waters and water parks, as well as massage, fitness classes and beauty services. One of their specialties is an on-staff allergy specialist who uses bio-resonance therapy. The nearby hotels are surrounded by nature trails for hiking and biking. In the nearby town of Olimje, a monastery lays claim to being the third oldest pharmacy in Europe. Even today, the monks prepare their creams and tinctures from nearby wild herbs.
In 2003, the Balnea Wellness Center opened its doors. It is located inside the Dolenjske Toplice Health Resort. Beautiful scenery and three thermal springs are among the many offerings at this modern wellness resort. Laguna houses the thermal water pools and whirlpools for your relaxation. Oaza houses Finnish saunas as well as Turkish and Japanese baths for gentle relaxing cleansing. Alternatively, you may choose to lounge in the misty atmosphere of the tropical garden. Don't forget to visit the Aura, where you can choose any one of a number of massage techniques. The resort offers a wide variety of outings and other activities from underwater massage to archery. Make sure you see what is on the agenda before you arrive.
"Wellness in the Heart of Thermal Springs" is the title of the program at the Terme atež Thermal Spa. This spa is designed in the classical manner, and is the largest natural health spa in Slovenia. They have several programs dedicated to relaxation and rest. These thermal springs are among the hottest you will find in Slovenia. Take your choice of Roman-Irish baths, Finnish saunas and Turkish baths. Choose amongst several massage techniques as well. With eleven outdoor and five indoor thermal pools, including whirlpools, wave pools, water slides, a slow river and more, there are more than enough aquatic activities to choose from. There are also athletic activities like squash, tennis, bowling, fishing, biking and boating at the spa. Nearby, you will find an 18-hole golf course at Mokrice Castle.
Besides incredible healing thermal pools, Terme Palace Portorož offers five individual wellness centers, each focusing on something different. The Thalasso Center offers fango (salt pan mud), algae therapy, and brine and seawater baths. A complete selection of massage therapies is available at the Massage Center. Beauty therapies and regimes are offered at the Medical Beauty Center. Physical therapy is available at the Physiotherapy Center, and the Thermal Recreation Center offers covered swimming, saunas, a sun terrace, a tepidarium, a fitness studio and a play area for children. Nearby you can enjoy a rousing game of tennis, practice your golf swing at the local driving range or relax with a game of mini golf. You can even walk along the beach at sunset and enjoy the Adriatic shore.
The Wai Thai Center for traditional Thai massage is also located here, inside the Morje Hotel. Specially trained Thai massage specialists can offer different types of traditional massage, suited to your individual needs. The floating chamber and solarium are interesting treats, as is the steam sauna. The in-house beauty center offers natural treatments for your face, hair and body.
Located between Portorož and Koper you can find the Strunjan Health Resort, which is part of the Krka Zdraviliš a group that also owns Dolenjska Toplice, mentioned above. Offering specialized seaweed treatments and thalasso therapy (a combination of seaweed, sea fango, seawater and the Mediterranean climate), they will do a custom program just for you.
More than fifteen natural thermal and health resorts and wellness centers you will find all over Slovenia, in addition to the few we have mentioned here. If you are looking for a wellness vacation, you cannot go wrong choosing Slovenia... it has so much to offer.
11Jul/090
Wellness Programs, Health and Wellness and Wellness Tips
Thousands of men and women all over the world have reduced their chance of getting stress-related diseases through wellness programs and general health and wellness. Corporations in the Western world have been recently implementing voluntary wellness programs in order to create healthier happier employees. This may mean providing facilities where employees can practice their fitness regimes as well as providing wellness tips through trained professionals and tailoring routines for all of the individual employees. The benefits of reducing the stress in our every day lives is endless.
Health and wellness is so important because it affects all aspects of our lives. Information is available through the Internet, media, and of course the references of our friends and family. Wellness programs suggest we use whole food supplements, Chinese herbs and the ayurvedic medicine of India. Wellness tips are a great way to start experimenting on what best works for you. This is a free guide to all alternative healing products and information so you can find exactly what you are searching for.
We provide a guide that allows you to find many qualified alternative healing providers as well as an abundance of wellness tips. You will be able to create wellness programs that are specially customized for you and your entire family. Remember, balance, health and wellness can drastically improve all areas of your life. Imagine living completely pain free and stress free, the possibility is there and available to you.
http://www.wellness-supplements-vitamins.com/wellness-programs.html
10Jul/090
Weight Loss and Stress in Midlife Women
Weight gain is common in midlife women and isn't just the result of too many calories and too little exercise. Oh, if it were only that simple! There are many physical and emotional factors involved. Women gain weight for different reasons and what works to help one lose, might not do a thing for another. Maybe that's why "diets don't work". Weight loss plans need to be tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual. If you're saying, "No matter what I do, I can't lose weight", consider adding stress reduction to your weight loss program.
Stress and the adrenal glands play a major role in midlife weight gain. Briefly, the adrenal glands react to stress by releasing cortisol into the bloodstream. The kind of stress doesn't matter to the adrenals. It can be physical, emotional, environmental, bio-chemical or even imagined. Since midlife women experience stress in multiple aspects of life on a daily basis, cortisol remains elevated for sustained periods. It settles in the fat cells causing weight gain, typically around the middle of the body.
Elevated cortisol also effects thyroid function. And, it's no surprise that compromised thyroid function is associated with weight gain. High cortisol prohibits a normal response to the thyroid hormone signal which is sometimes called "thyroid resistance". This resistance impacts other hormone receptors like insulin, progesterone, estrogens and testosterone, requiring more hormones to create a normal effect. The connection between elevated cortisol and insulin resistance is yet another cause of weight gain. Stress clearly creates a vicious cycle!
To help balance cortisol levels and nurture your overworked adrenals, avoid stimulants, alcohol, refined sugars, carbohydrates, processed and fried foods. Eat smaller portions more frequently. Include lean, hormone free meats and dairy, vegetables, legumes, high-fiber grains, leafy greens and fresh fruit. Drink plenty of pure, fresh water every day to help flush toxins from the body. Utilize supplements and herbs to nurture the adrenal glands. And, take time each day to rest, restore, reevaluate and reinvent yourself for the next chapter of life.
While eating well and getting plenty of exercise are essential for good health, consider reducing stress and learning effective stress management techniques an important part of your weight loss program. Journaling, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, self-hypnosis, guided imagery, breathing exercising and listening to soothing music are just some of the ways to support healthy weight loss through relaxation. It's also important to take time to address unresolved emotional stressors like conflicts at work and in relationships, feelings of guilt and unhealed wounds from the past.
For midlife women, losing those extra pounds means much more than looking better. Other benefits include more energy, better sleep and a reduced risk of hormone related conditions like elevated cholesterol, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Obesity in midlife is also associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. Maintaining a healthy weight will add years to your life and enhance the quality of each and every day. You deserve it and you can do it!
8Jul/090
Weight Loss Detox Diet
One of the reasons why a person gains weight is because of the body's inability to cope with the increased rate of toxic substances intake into the body. Even though our body has an effective natural detoxification system, today's environment makes it hard to keep the body clean. Pollution, cigarettes, alcohol, double sized burger and super sized drinks; these are major contributors to our daily intake of toxic substances. These toxic substances will remain in our body and lead to weight gain. So, in order to loose weight, we need to periodically detox our body with a weight loss detox diet to get rid of the accumulated waste.
A weight loss detox diet is not like most of the fad diets available nowadays. This diet makes you lose extra weight and also ensures that all your bodily toxins are flushed out of your system. What makes this diet different from the rest is the fact that it uses normal, everyday food in its recipe to help you loose weight. Of course there are pills and supplements made from natural herbs to help you but you can definitely diet without the use of these herbal pills and save money along the way.
To reap the full benefit of a detox diet will requires determination and discipline. It may be hard for some who are used to heavy meal full of unhealthy ingredients but it will reward you with a multitude of benefits if you see it to completion. It will also revive your body and your digestive system as well as all your other organs so that your body starts to digest food properly again. A detox diet will also strengthen your immune system leaving you healthier and you will get sick a lot less. By freeing or reducing the workload of the body's detoxification system, we are freeing up more energy for other daily activities and you will feel energized.
There are currently a few reputable weight loss detox diet that will assist in cleansing your body and that will benefit you with a loss of weight. The main focus here should be to detox your body rather than loosing weight. Loosing weight is part of the benefits that you will gain once your body is cleansed of the accumulated waste.

















