Healthy - Your Natural Health Expert » Tips

Red onions help prevent heart disease

hfox — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:32:42 +0000

New research from Hong Kong has found that the humble red onion can help prevent heart disease. It helps remove bad cholesterol from the body. Cholesterol is a key factor in causing heart attacks and strokes.
Red onion maintains levels of good cholesterol in the body that help protect against cardiovascular diseases. For many years, onion has been known to have healthy benefits including preventing cough and cold, cancer and heart disease.
“The results support the claim that the regular consumption of onion reduces the risk of coronary heart disease”, says Zhen Yu Chen, who was in charge of the research. Some parts of the world where onion consumption is high have even been shown to have much lower cancer rates.

Words: Sarah Luisa Thiele

Spice up your life

hfox — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:41:17 +0000

Turning turkey leftovers into a tasty curry can have hidden health benefits. Chinese research recently found that capsaicin, the ‘spicy’ compound found in chillies, can help relax blood vessel walls, which in turn lowers blood pressure. Studies have found chilli can boost your metabolism too.

Sugar scrubs

Author — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:15:23 +0000

This year I’m overhauling my lifestyle and I’ve started with my beauty regime. Instead of having a bathroom bursting at the seams with lotions and potions and scrubs and rubs, I’ve started making my own body scrubs out of sugar, olive oil and essential oils. The oil stops the sugar dissolving (which happens if you use a base of body lotion) and you can change the essential oils to suit your mood and your skin. I’ve adapted the ‘recipe’ to make special scrubs for my hands and feet and they’re really working! My skin is softer than it’s been in ages. I’m saving loads of money, and even better, I know exactly what’s gone into what I’m using.

Sarah bell- via Facebook

Cranberry Cleanser

Author — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:05:32 +0000

Cranberry juice is well loved by women, and is known for its internal benefits, often used for bacterial or urinary infections. Cranberries are also fantastic to use as an ingredient in a homemade facial mask, along with plain yoghurt, honey and clay. Sounds like a yummy breakfast, (minus the clay!) The texture of the cranberries and their properties as a super fruit help awaken your skin, whilst the yoghurt creates a smooth and antibacterial concoction. The recipe can be appropriated to suit the desired consistency and texture

Mix and blend:

½ teaspoon of green clay

1 teaspoon of natural yoghurt

1 teaspoon of honey

¼ cup of cranberries

¼ cup of cranberry juice

Leave on for 10-15 mins, rinse off and tone and moisturize as usual

Lizzie, London

Tea tree goodness

Author — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:01:22 +0000

Pure tea tree essential oil is great for a number of uses. It works when applied directly to spots. It also works as an anti-anti-microbial – you can add a few drops to your detergent to kill dust mites/bacteria or add it to water and spray on carpets for same purposes. Tea tree oil can be added to a bath to treat teenage skin, or to relax and clear up your sinuses if your feeling blocked up

Jasmine Lovell, Coleford

Homemade waxing

Author — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:25:53 +0000

Create a pampering parlour in your front room

Simply mix sugar, lemon juice and water. Heat the mixture and stir until all the ingredients have dissolved to a caramel- like consistency. Let it cool down before you apply. Leave on for around 20-30 seconds then peal off using cotton or muslin strips. The mixture is a lot more haphazard and sticky than pre-bought waxing strips, but saves a bundle on beauty costs!

Sophie, Exeter

Delicious dates

hfox — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:51:30 +0000

I love to pick up a big bag of dried dates and freeze handfuls of them. I eat them like toffees, straight from the freezer. They’re even better in a bowl with yogurt, honey and nuts on top!

Bev Meadows, Lancashire

Jojoba cleanser

hfox — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:40:10 +0000

I use pure jojoba oil to remove eye make-up, including waterproof mascara. Simply put a few drops onto a cotton wool pad and sweep over your entire eye area. It removes all traces of make-up, protects the delicate skin around the eyes and conditions your lashes and eyebrows.

Angela Hobbs, London

Minty soother

hfox — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:30:41 +0000

A dab of toothpaste is a great emergency soother for insect bites.

Joni Cooper, by email

Amazing arnica

hfox — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:37:40 +0000

I had an operation at the end of last year and to help my recovery I took arnica tablets a few times each day. I also used arnica cream on my surgical scars to help them heal. My doctors and I are very happy with the appearance of the scars and how they have healed so neatly.

Pam Hyde, by email