3 Ways To Use Cinnamon in Treating Acne

It can be very difficult to get rid of acne. There are many simple home remedies that can be tried. Some will work more effectively for particular people than others. It can be a matter of experimentation to find the solution that will suit you.

There are several spices that can be applied to the skin to help deal with acne. One of these is cinnamon. The fact that cinnamon has both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties could explain why it has been found to be so helpful in treating acne.

Try these suggestions for applying cinnamon to the skin:

• Mix equal parts of lemon juice and ground cinnamon and apply frequently to the acne.
• Using unheated (raw) honey, mix 3 teaspoons honey to 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Apply to the acne and leave on overnight. Cover if necessary.
• Mix milk and ground cinnamon together and apply to the acne.

For other hints on curing acne with home remedies visit health-home-remedies.com.

Jocelyn

6 Tips Using Egg Shell Membrane

For something that is normally thrown out as rubbish, the membrane lining in an egg shell has some surprising uses. That's right crack that egg and use it as normal. Then, instead of throwing the shell away, peel that thin white skin or membrane out and use it as an aid to healing.

1. Peeling skin next to your fingernails, often called a quick, can get very sore especially if the skin is pulled at or torn off. This tip to solve the problem is magic. Tear off small pieces of the egg membrane and put them wet side down on the problem areas. Leave it there until it dries. Even if you wash it off before it falls off it will have done its job. Check the next day and if there are any areas that are not quite right apply more egg skin. Quite often one application is all that is needed.
   
   
2. Use egg skin membrane on any cut or scratch. It will promote healing. Put the wet side of the membrane on the cut and leave it there until it dries. An alternative method is to spread a little egg white over the top of the membrane after it is in place over the cut and if necessary bandage over that. Using egg skin will bring quick healing without any scarring.
   
   
3. Use the eggshell membrane to draw out blackheads or to clear up pimples.
   
   
4. Use egg membrane on splinters or glass fragments that are difficult to pick out with tweezers. This is a bit similar to using it for blackheads. As it dries it will tend to draw the splinter out a little enabling you to pull it out.
   
   
5. Useful for ingrown toenails.
   
   
6. Try using the wet egg membrane on boils. Keep reapplying until the boil is dislodged.

The membrane lining of the egg shell contains anti microbial substances. This would be part of the reason for its success in these healing situations. Apparently there have been some dressing developed using this membrane for use in skin grafts and burn situations. The healing time when using egg skin membrane is always reduced and scarring is greatly minimized.

If you know of other uses for egg shell lining please share them by leaving a comment.

Be healthy,

Jocelyn

Another List of Banana Benefits

While I am on the topic of bananas, I have a list of other reported health benefits of eating bananas.
Even with these added to the six from yesterday's post, I would be surprised if that were all. I don't really think that we know all the benefits available from any food including the banana.

• Hang over cure - with milk and honey added
• Lower cholesterol
• Stress relief
• Improves nerve function
• Helps in recovery from nicotine withdrawal
• Morning sickness - keeps blood sugar levels stable
• Heartburn
• Helps in calcium absorption
• Protects eyesight
• Anemia - high in iron

Some of the known nutrients in bananas are as follows:

• Potassium - one of the highest food sources
• Fiber
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Selenium
• Iron
• Vitamins B2 and B6
  
• Vitamins C and E
  
• Niacin
• Folate
• Pantothenic Acid

So there you have it. Not only are bananas good for us, they are a very handy package. Already naturally prewrapped, I call them the original fast food.

Enjoy some today and continue in good health,

Jocelyn

6 Ways Bananas Can Help Your Health

Bananas are one of my favorite fruits. As I eat so many of them I thought it was interesting to see what type of health benefits were associated with bananas.

There are many of them and I will not mention all of them here. However I think the ones listed below make a good start.

Depression
Bananas can help to reduce depression. They contain the amino acid tryptophan which is converted to serotonin. Serotonin is associated with improved mood.

Kidneys
Bananas can help you have healthy kidneys. Bananas are high in potassium and a high potassium diet can minimize the risk of kidney stones. Studies have shown that eating 4 - 6 bananas a week can half the risk of developing kidney cancer.

Blood Pressure
Potassium is an essential mineral for the maintenance of normal blood pressure and heart function. The high potassium and low sodium content of bananas is the perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure. Indian scientists have found that bananas contain compounds that have similar effects to anti-hypertensive drugs. They found that eating 2 bananas per day for a week would decrease high blood pressure by 10%.

Ulcers
Bananas neutralize the acidity of the gastric juices. This coats the lining of the stomach, so reducing ulcer irritation. Bananas also contain protease inhibitors that help eliminate the type of bacteria in the stomach that has been recognized as a primary cause of ulcers. Another benefit from bananas in relation to ulcers is that they contain a flavonoid called leucoyanidin. This helps to increase the thickness of the mucous membrane layer of the stomach.

Stroke
It seems that regular banana consumption reduces the risk of dying from stroke by 40%. This is thought to be because of the high potassium content.

Normal bowel Function
The non digestible fibers of cellulose, hemicellulose and alphaglucans in bananas help restore normal bowel activity in either constipation or diarrhea. Bananas are also rich in pectin, which is water absorbent and helps the colon's function of absorbing large amounts of water to enable regular bowel movements.

There are many ways of including bananas in your daily diet. Try to include them as part of your healthy diet plan so you can reap the banana benefits.

Be healthy,
Jocelyn

6 Physical Effects of Laughter

Laughter:

• Makes us breathe faster - sends more oxygen to our tissues
  

• Massages heart and other organs

• Quickens pulse

• Stimulates Cardiovascular system

• Increases release of disease fighting cells in immune system

• Releases endorphins - natural painkillers of the body

6 Illnesses That Happiness Can Decrease

Health Benefits of Happiness

Just as stress creates a negative impact on health so happiness creates a positive impact on health. This is not just the removal of the problems caused by stress but actual improvements in health due to happiness.

Some illnesses that happiness has the potential to either decrease the risk of or limit its severity include:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular disease
• Pulmonary disease
• Colds
• Upper respiratory infections

With those sorts of benefits being happy is worthwhile, not that anyone really wants to be anything but happy. However, judging by the number of unhappy people around, being happy may not be that easy at times.

Even though your particular circumstances may be difficult, finding ways to create moments of happiness can pay big dividends.

Athletes have found that when they get fatigued and feel like they can't continue, if they smile it changes their body. They can have a 30% increase in their performance for the next several minutes. That tells us that even if we have to "act as if", even a pretend smile or laugh can bring some benefits to our health.

Things to do

• Laugh
• Smile
• Maintain relationships
• Make friends
• Do some fun activities
• Go for a walk
• Smell the roses, enjoy the scenery
• Think happy thoughts
• Get proper sleep
• Find ways to replace the worrying thoughts with happier ones

An article by the American Happiness Association says that neuroscience has discovered that optimism is important for the health of our brains. The brain has a center for optimism and if that center is not developed we get depressed. Food for thought anyway.

Be happy,

Jocelyn

A 9 Point Affirmation

Affirmations could be said to be inspiring self talk. Now that has to be better than telling yourself negative stuff or beating yourself up about something.

Here are 5 positive benefits to using positive affirmations:

• Develops a positive attitude to life
• Relieves stress
• Act as motivators
• Helps to develop a happy frame of mind
• Trains the subconscious mind

Over the years I have used affirmations at various times. I remember at one time I had a whole stack of affirmation cards that I would go through a couple of times a day.

In the last little while, I have come across an affirmation, that to me, is the most complete affirmation I have seen. It is like all the affirmations combined into one short statement.

I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious, happy, intelligent and affluent.

I came across the concept for this affirmation in The Master Key System by Charles Haanel. This work, written in 1912, was the basis for the popular movie "The Secret". I have added the last two words to the original affirmation as I felt that it rounded it out more fully.

By memorizing this one affirmation it is easy to use it at any time, many times a day.

Be great,
Jocelyn