Natural Headache Cure using Lemon

There are several natural remedies for various types or headaches. The juice of three or four slices of lemon should be squeezed in a cup of tea and taken by the patient for treating this condition. It gives immediate relief. The crust of lemon, which is generally thrown away, has been found useful in headaches caused by heat. Lemon crusts should be pounded into a fine paste in a mortar and applied as plaster on the forehead. Applying the yellow, freshly pared-off rind of a lemon to each temple will also give relief.

Home Remedies for Dark Skin

Here are some simple home remedies that you can do to lighten the skin tone and get a lighter complexion. However, they must be done regularly and best results are obtained if they are inculcated as a part of daily routine.

Mix 1 tsp of milk powder, 1 tsp of honey, 1 tsp of lemon juice, and ½ tsp of almond oil. Apply on face and wash off after 10-15 minutes. This pack helps bring shine to the skin and also removes tan.

Mix oatmeal with curd and tomato juice and apply on the face. Keep it on for 20 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. It helps remove the tan and lightens the skin.

Place sliced raw potato on the face. It helps reduce blemishes and other marks.

Applying turmeric powder along with lime juice removes the tan. Lime juice is a natural bleach.

Dried orange peels mixed with curd also help reduce blemishes and scars. Wash off this mixture with cold water after 15 minutes.

Soak 4 almonds overnight. Grind into a fine paste using milk. Apply on face and neck and leave it overnight. Wash with cold water in the morning. Do this daily for 15 days, followed by twice a week.

A tbsp of gram flour mixed with 2 tsp of raw milk and 2-3 drops of lime juice works well for lightening dark skin. Apply this mixture and leave it for 15 minutes before washing off. Repeat for 4 weeks and follow up with once a week.

Apply a paste of fresh ground mint leaves and leave it for about 20 minutes. Wash with cold water, continue for 15 days.

Apply a mixture of grated tomato with 2-3 drops of lime juice on the face. Leave it for 20 minutes before washing off. Do this twice a day for 15-20 days for best results.

Dark Skin Causes

The causes for a dark skin or complexion could be many. Some of the most common ones are -

Heredity - People who have a dark skin often have children who are dark-skinned too. The genes seem to pass on from generation to generation.

Hyperpigmentation - In this condition the skin produces too much of the pigment melanin, causing the skin to become darker than usual.

Skin disorders - Conditions such as Lichen Simplex Chronicus is a skin disorder that causes severe itching that leaves the skin thick, dark and patchy.

Sun rays - Over exposure to sun causes the skin to tan. This is a natural mechanism, wherein to protect itself from the harmful UV rays of the sun, the skin produces more of the pigment melanin which shields the penetration of UV rays into the skin.

Dark Skin

Dark skin can be a bane for people who crave a fair complexion. Though a lot of people have naturally dark skin, darkening of skin could also be due to hyperpigmentation and various other reasons. A dark colored skin has more of skin pigment Melanin, as compared to a fair skin. Unfortunately, increased quantity of melanin can cause the skin to look blemished and patchy.

Dark Skin Symptoms

The symptoms for dark skin include a dark brown to blackish skin. This could be coupled with blemishes or dark patches on the skin.

Home Remedies for Backache using Garlic

The most important home remedy for backache is the use of garlic. Two or three cloves should be taken every morning to get results. An oil prepared from garlic and rubbed on the back will give great relief. This oil is prepared by frying ten cloves of garlic in 60 ml of oil in a frying pan. Any of the oils which are used as rubefacients, such as mustard oil. sesame oil, and coconut oil can be used according to one's choice. They should be fried on a slow fire till they are brown. After the oil has cooled, it should be applied vigorously on the back, and allowed to remain there for three hours. The patient may, thereafter, take a warm-water bath. This treatment should be continued for at least fifteen days.

Dandruff treatment using curd

Dandruff can be removed by massaging the hair for half an hour with curd which has been kept in the open for three days, or with a few drops of lime juice mixed with amla juice every night, before going to bed. Another measure which helps to counteract dandruff is to dilute cider vinegar with an equal quantity of water and dab this on to the hair with cotton wool inbetween shampooing. Cider vinegar added to the final rinsing water after shampooing also helps to disperse dandruff.

Common Cold Home Remedies - 2

Common Cold treatment using Ginger

Ginger is another excellent remedy for colds and coughs. About ten grams of ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water. It should then be strained and half a teaspoon of sugar added to it. This decoction should be drunk when hot. Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding the tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice daily.

Common Cold Home Remedies - 1

Common Cold treatment using Garlic

Garlic soup is an old remedy to reduce the severity of a cold, and should be taken once daily. The soup can be prepared by boiling three or four cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water. Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal virtues. The oil contained in this vegetable helps to open up the respiratory passages. In soup form, it flushes out all toxins from the system and thus helps bring down fever. Five drops of garlic oil combined with a teaspoon of onion juice, and diluted in a cup of water, should be drunk two to three times a day. This has also been found to be very effective in the treatment of common cold.

Diet Tricks

Follow our Weight Loss Tips and stay on track to lose weight and stay slim.

• Did you know that simply changing the temperature of the water you drink can speed up your metabolism and burn more calories? Drink hot water!
• Did you know that foods like bran cereal are more dense and will make you more full because your body cannot digest fiber?
• Did you know that certain foods like rice work very well with liquids to expand in your stomach making you more satisfied?
• Did you know that if you cut 3 tablespoons of butter per day from your diet you could drop 1 pound every 12 days just for not eating butter? Let's hope you don't actually eat 3 tablespoons of butter every day though!!!!

Leg Extension Exercise

Leg extension is an isolation exercise that targets the quadriceps muscle.

* Sitting in the machine, place your shins underneath the padded weight section.
* From the starting position, extend your legs to lift up the weight, keeping yourself firmly on the seat
* Then, slowly lower your legs down after you’ve reached a straight leg position.

Lunges

The lunges develops the front thighs and the glutes(Any one of three large skeletal muscles that form the buttock and move the thigh).

* Stand with or without weights at your sides or on your shoulders
* With your feet together to begin, step out with one leg with the heel leading and then bend the leg until your leg form a ninety degree angle
* Push yourself back to starting position then repeat with the other leg

Arm toning exercise

One of the most effective, yet simple arm toning exercise is the push up – and while it’s not glamorous (or even fun for a lot of people), it certainly gets the job done for toning up the arms, especially the triceps, where you get the undesirable "arm flab". While the regular push up works the chest, shoulders and arms, a close grip push up will target your triceps (the back of your arms) more. Here's how to perform a close grip pushup.

* Place your palms on the floor about shoulders’ distance apart, directly under the shoulders.

* With your toes on the ground (or your knees if you're unable to perform a full pushup), push your body up, keeping it as straight as possible.

* Lower your body down, but not all the way to the ground, keeping your movements slow and steady

Arm Slimming Exercise - Flabby Arm Exercise

This is for people trying out to reduce the flabs around the arm.Although there are no exercises that can spot reduce on your body, there are certainly ways to build muscle so that you can burn more fat overall. The only possible and probably the best way to achieve slimmer arms is by lowering your overall body fat. Putting on a little lean muscle mass will go a long way to improve flabby arms.

Best Women's Arm Exercise

There are a number of arm exercises that you can choose from in order to build firm and toned arms. Here are some arm exercises that you can try at home today to start feeling more confident about showing off your arms.

Upper Arm Exercise For Woman

When you want to workout the upper arms, you will want to focus on the biceps and triceps. Some of the best arm exercises you can perform include:

For biceps: barbell curl, dumbbell curl, and preacher curls.

For triceps: close grip bench press, dumbbell kickbacks, tricep extensions, and pressdowns.

Emotional Eating Affects Your Healthy Weight Loss Diet Plan

Most women would probably agree that emotional eating is their biggest challenge in dealing with weight. When emotions fire up, even a healthy weight loss plan put to the test. Being able to distinguish the difference between emotional eating and physical hunger is very important. Here are several emotional eating triggers that can cause you to overeat and subsequently gain weight. Be aware of these triggers and be ready to make positive behavior choices when you find yourself in these situations.

• Anger—whether you are angry at a situation, yourself or someone else you use food to suppress your anger. It’s better to deal with your anger instead of using food to make you feel better.
• Boredom—typically you are alone, you have nothing to do, nowhere to go so you eat to occupy your time. Instead, try to be productive by doing house work, starting a new project or anything else to prevent emotional eating.
• Despair—you may feel like nothing is going right, nothing matters, no one cares, so why care about your weight? Regain a positive attitude and get back on your healthy weight loss diet plan instead of packing on the pounds.
• Loneliness—you may have accomplished something very special but have no one to share it with. You are tempted to treat yourself by overeating to mask the pain of loneliness. Instead of treating yourself with food, reward yourself with things that do not affect your health (shopping, seeing a movie, etc.).

Don't let emotions interfere with your weight loss diet program. You're on the right track to a healthier lifestyle! Stick with your weight loss diet program and you're on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

How to Lose Weight Around Your Thighs

In the next 2 minutes I am going to reveal to you a step by step report that reveals just how simple it can be to tone and tighten your fatty thighs. Every single woman that I know wants to firm and tighten her thighs. I even know some guys that wish to do the same. With that being said, it will do you well to pay close attention to this following article as I will show you the best 3 tips for toning your thighs. Guess what... it's not the "butt exercise machines" that you see in your gym. In order to keep things as simplistic as possible, I think it will be best to just list 3 tips that I know will help you improve your results. Hopefully you will be able to tone not only your thighs but also lose fat around your stomach and burn cellulite in your butt!

How many times have you said to yourself "Ahhhh I hate having to wear 'bigger' pants then I should. I wish I could wear normal pants. I even wish I could wear shorts without feeling embarrassed of ALL THAT EXTRA Jell-O that's hanging around my thighs."

Almost every week of the year I am asked over and over again "How can I tone and rid my legs and thighs of fat?" It has gotten to the point where I need to carry a mp3 player with me to share the answer. I know that losing weight and toning your legs are HUGE goals. In fact, I know that if you accomplish these goals you will feel 1000% better than you do this very moment.

As with weight loss in general, the process that I use to tone and tighten your thighs is very simple, but it is not always very easy. It is going to take a lot of commitment on your part to get the job done right, safe, and efficiently.

There are many methods to achieving a lean, sexy and fit body; but there are only a few principles. I tend to mix and match methods and principles. I feel that this will give you the best overall chance to winning the battle of getting those jeans to fit again. You know the ones that fit last year, but now you have to squeeze every muscle in your body just to get them to button and zip up.

Step 1: Can the cardio

Stop trying to disprove the "our treadmills are built to last" ad. You don't have to run for hours on end, day in day out to see results. In fact if you keep this up you will not only get hurt and not see results but you will come to the reality that the treadmill is actually built to last.

Instead of running for hours a day. You only need to run for a few hours a month. I am a HUGE fan of high intensity intervals. A few ways that you can time your intervals would be run as fast as you can for 1 minute followed by a 2 minute walk/jog. Run as fast as you can for 30 seconds followed by a 45 second-1 minute walk/jog. Run 15 seconds walk/jog 30 seconds. Again as I said earlier, there are many ways to time your intervals. The key is to make sure that your run portion is done at full speed and your slower portion is done at... well a slower speed. The slower speed time is great for preparing yourself mentally and physically for the next 'run fast' period and catching your breath. Your goal is to be able to accomplish 30 minutes of these high intensity intervals.

Step 2: Flat abs do not come from crunches, they come from cooks

It is vital to note, that if you want a toned and flat looking midsection it is crucial for you to not only eat right but also do the right abdominal exercises at the right time. How many times have you seen women constantly doing crunches in the gym, but never see them satisfied. I mean logically if they do a few hundred crunches a day they should have to problem building a tone and sexy physique, right?

If it were so easy I think everyone would have the body of their dreams. The truth is that the most that the crunch squad at the gym will do is build a weak and imbalanced core that will eventually lead to poor posture, herniated disks and still a flabby stomach.

My point in sharing this with you is to teach you that what you have read in all the magazines about doing hundreds of crunches is all lies. There are tons of other fantastic abdominal exercises that will get you much better results, much faster, and much safer.

In addition to doing these other great abdominal exercises you must eat the right foods. This is especially the case for those who only have a few pounds of fat to lose. For those who need to lose more than 30 pounds can get away with not eating entirely perfect. However there will come a time where you will have to eat entirely right in order to continue seeing results.

Step 3: Lunge your way to lean legs and then squat down to sit

Did you know that if you do 3 sets of lunges and 3 sets of squats only 3 days a week you can easily trim 3 inches of fat off of your legs in only 3-6 weeks. As long as you are eating the right foods, accomplishing this 3 inch loss from your legs should no breeze. Make sure to alternate lower body/upper body exercises. In other words, if you want to get results without getting hurt, you better do a upper body dominant exercise after doing your squats and before doing your lunges. Or you can do lunges, upper body exercise, squats.

Top 10 Weight Loss Tips For Women

you've been looking for sound advice on weight loss programs and diet plans, we have some good news for you. We've compiled a top ten list of weight loss tips for women. These tips on losing weight are powerful and proven to get results. Best of all, you won't find any gimmicks or fads here. Only the best, most accurate and scientifically proven health advice made the cut and has been included in this fitness advice guide.

1) Our first weight loss tip for women is simply to exercise consistently. That may seem like common sense, but only 45 percent of adults are actually following their doctor's advice and getting the recommended minimum: 30 minutes a day, at least four days a week. After only four weeks of inactivity the body begins to shed muscle mass, and aerobic fitness levels start to diminish after missing only two weeks of workouts. That's why regular, consistent exercise is our first and most important weight loss tip.

2) Don't focus so much on fast weight loss. Instead, concentrate your efforts on achieving permanent weight loss. While it may be tempting to try the latest fad diet or prescription diet pill, keep in mind that quick weight loss doesn't always equate to healthy weight loss. As a matter of fact, when you diet without exercising, up to half of the weight you lose could be from muscle mass. Losing muscle is the absolute worst thing you can do when you're trying to acquire permanent fat loss, so don't be tempted by the gimmicks promising rapid weight loss. Focus on permanent weight loss through a sensible diet and exercise program, and you'll be pleased with the long-term results.

3) This weight loss tip is perhaps the best free medical advice you'll ever receive: Eat your recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables before indulging in any treats. This diet tip is so potent because it will help you realize better health in so many different ways. First and foremost, consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day will help us lose weight because fiber moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed. High fiber foods also make us feel full sooner and stay in our stomach longer, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Following this health tip will also lower your risk of several cancers and heart disease.

4) As much as possible, eliminate 'white' foods from your diet. High sugar and high carbohydrate foods create an insulin spike that tells our body to start storing fat. They also trigger a blood sugar high, which is inevitably followed by a low. This drop in insulin levels leaves us feeling hungry, tired, and wanting to eat more. Specifically, at the bottom of an insulin crash the body craves more sugar and carbohydrates, setting us up for a vicious weight gain cycle. With this in mind, it's good advice to simply avoid 'white' foods whenever possible. Choose brown rice instead of white, whole wheat bread instead of white, and cut back on goodies made with white processed flour.

5) Actively seek out all the expert advice on health,diet and nutrition that you can find. There are many reputable sources of online medical advice available, and much of it is free. Knowledge is power, and the more you know about weight loss, the more likely it is that you'll be successful in your efforts. Look for free advice and fitness tips from qualified sources like health club owners, physicians, and certified personal trainers. In short, learn all you can.

6) Get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Research has shown that people who sleep only four hours a night have an 18 percent reduction in leptin, a hormone that tells the brain there is no need for more food, and a 28 percent increase in ghrelin, which triggers hunger. This is one weight loss tips that should be easy for anyone to follow.

7) Drink water. Drink LOTS of water. Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies show that a decrease in water will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water can actually reduce fat deposits. Why? The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don't function to capacity, some of the work load is taken on by the liver. The liver's primary function is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy. If the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't function at its optimal capacity. As a result, it metabolizes less fat. More fat remains stored and weight loss / fat loss stops.

8) Although it's not a workout tip or an exercise tip, staying motivated is probably the most effective weight loss advice you'll ever receive. Since each person in different, motivational techniques will vary. However, many have found that charting fat loss progress to be very encouraging. Others maintain that the single most motivating action is to find a friend and commit to exercise together. Whatever method you choose, find a way to stay motivated if you want to write your own weight loss success story.

9) Essential weight loss advice for a woman is to not exercise like a man. That may sound strange at first, but the fact of the matter is that there are several separate and distinct exercise methods available, and not all are proper for women. In fact, some types of exercise could possibly cause women to gain weight (although any weight gain would be from added muscle, not from fat). For maximum fat loss, women should be engaging in not only aerobic exercise but also in light resistance training.

10) Our final weight loss tip is to carefully select vitamins and supplements to help you attain your fat loss goals. There are a million diet pills and weight loss pills on the market, but the vast majority of them may not be appropriate for you and your personal needs. Instead of buying what you see on the infomercials, take the time to research what's effective and what's not. Most importantly, speak with your doctor before beginning any supplement program.Medical Research has given us many breakthroughs in the last few decades, and vitamins and supplements can certainly be a valuable tool in your weight loss toolbox. Take the time to investigate the options and choose wisely.

Protect your skin from the sun

Here are some ways in which you can avoid the sun:

1. Stay away from the sun especially in the middle of the day (approximately from 10 a.m. to four p.m.) when the sun is at its hottest.

2. Block. Use sunscreen lotions or those with Sun Protection Factor (SPF). Using SPF 15 or higher is recommended.

3. Cover up. Hats, sunglasses, sun visors and protective clothing will provide effective barrier to sunlight.

4. Speak out. Help promote awareness regarding sun protection and the dangers of too much sunlight.

So next time you wanted to ride the hype of sunbathing and tanning, remember that no amount of beauty can compensate for your life.

How to have the Best Sleep

If you're waking up sore and achy every morning and your mattress is new, you may need to re-evaluate how you're sleeping, says Scott D. Boden, M.D., director of the Emory Spine Center in Atlanta. Lying flat on your back forces your spine into an unnatural position, which can strain your muscles, joints, and nerves. "Your spine isn't meant to be straight," he says. "It has three natural curves: one in your lower back, one in the middle of your back, and one near your neck." His advice:

• Lie on your side in the fetal position with your knees bent and a pillow tucked between your legs. This will take the most stress off your back.



• If you must sleep on your back, prop a big, fluffy pillow under your knees to reduce the pressure on the sciatic nerve in your lower back.



• Use a small pillow or a rolled-up towel under your neck as long as it doesn't push your chin too far forward.



• Don't sleep on your stomach. Sleeping facedown can exaggerate the arch at the base of your spine and cause strain. Our advice? Sew or tape a tennis ball to the front of your nightgown or nightshirt. We guarantee your stomach-sleeping days will be over.

PNF Hamstring Stretch

PNF (Proprioceptive Neural Facilitation) has a number of therapeutic applications, but you can incorporate it into your own stretching program and stretching exercises. Do your stretch, tense or contract the target muscle, then finally relax and extend your stretch.

For example, to stretch your hamstrings from the common inside hurdler´s stretch, sit on the floor with your right leg extended and the sole of your left foot against your right inner thigh. Keeping your back straight, reach toward your right foot until you feel the stretching. Pause and contract your right hamstring as though you were pushing your heel into the floor, relax your leg completely and reach a little further toward your foot. You´ll find you can get another inch or so out of muscle stretching with this technique.

Flexibility Goals

More flexibility and more stretching are not always better. Work to attain and maintain normal flexibility, unless you need more for your sport or activity. You do not need the flexibility of a gymnast, diver, or ice skater if you are a runner, cyclist, or fitness exerciser.

Also, no matter how much you stretch, flexibility is partially genetic. You probably know if you have the potential to excel in a sport that requires great flexibility. Yes, you can probably improve the range of your karate kicks with some stretching exercises, but stretching through pain can lead to joint laxity and possible injury. So don´t overdo it.

Control Mental Stress

A human mind is very complex to understand, hence no one has tried to know everything about it. Now with machines, if they are huge and complicated, they consume a large amount of power and also emit out a large amount of heat. Well our mind in the same way gets stressed out if worked with tirelessly for a very long time. This is called mental stress. There are various ways in which a person experiences stress mentally:

1. If he or she has been working for a very long time without relaxing.
2. If he or she is forced by an external source to complete a task.
3. If he or she has too many problems in their head.

Here are some very good stress busters which will help you to keep your mind in a placid state:

1. Breathe slowly and deeply. Before reacting to the next stressful occurrence, take three deep breaths and release them slowly. If you have a few minutes, try out a relaxation technique such as meditation or guided imagery.

2. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by stress, practice speaking more slowly than usual. You'll find that you think more clearly and react more reasonably to stressful situations. Stressed people tend to speak fast and breathlessly; by slowing down your speech you'll also appear less anxious and more in control of any situation.

3. Jump-start an effective time management strategy. Choose one simple thing you have been putting off (e.g., returning a phone call, making a doctor's appointment), and do it immediately. Just taking care of one nagging responsibility can be energizing and can improve your attitude.

4. Get outdoors for a brief break. Our grandparents were right about the healing power of fresh air. Don't be deterred by foul weather or a full schedule. Even five minutes on a balcony or terrace can be rejuvenating.

5. Drink plenty of water and eat small, nutritious snacks. Hunger and dehydration, even before you're aware of them, can provoke aggressiveness and exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress.

6. Do a quick posture check. Hold your head and shoulders upright and avoid stooping or slumping. Bad posture can lead to muscle tension, pain, and increased stress. If you're stuck at a desk most of the day, avoid repetitive strain injuries and sore muscles by making sure your workstation reflects good ergonomic design principles. Take our Workstation Quiz to find out how to make your workstation more ergonomically safe.

7. Plan something rewarding for the end of your stressful day, even if only a relaxing bath or half an hour with a good book. Put aside work, housekeeping or family concerns for a brief period before bedtime and allow yourself to fully relax. Don't spend this time planning tomorrow's schedule or doing chores you didn't get around to during the day. Remember that you need time to recharge and energize yourself. You'll be much better prepared to face another stressful day.

Alcohol and Working Out

This is for people who drink alcohol and work out regularly.Never drink alcohol before you work out, even if you´re not going to exercise for several hours. Your reflexes can still be compromised, plus your hydration is affected. Do your run or other workout, rehydrate with water, then have a beer if you must. It´s best to skip the drink completely before a big competition because effects can linger to the next day.

Anger is your worst enemy

Anger is a man's (or woman's) worst enemy, which if you don't keep under control will destroy you one day. A cool and calm mind gives the best suggestions and answers to any kind of problems. Words one said can't be taken back and also words hurt people more than anything else. Here are some ways how you can control your anger:

1. Count to 10 when you are getting upset. Try it and you will really feel better after finishing.

2. Do something that is physically exerting. Instead of punching a wall or a person, go run around the house, or mow the yard. Go for a walk, swim, bike ride, or shoot some hoops. This can provide a physical outlet for your emotions.

3. Find something that is calming. Try deep breathing from your diaphragm. Take 10 deep calming breaths. This can be very soothing for most people. Combine this with step 1 and count to 10 slowly while breathing.

4. Use “I” statements instead of “you” statements. I am frustrated because you didn’t help with the housework, instead of You didn’t help me with the housework. This helps in multiple ways one is your way of thinking is a bit better and you also do not upset the other person so that both parties are angry. Which of course is not a good outcome for anyone.

There are a lot of adverse effects of anger which I will post about later, so keep a watch out for them.

Dance Workouts

Switch it up! Take a cue from square dancing caller and do-si-do and switch partners when it comes to your body building workout routines.

Varying your routines and programs will make your workout routine more exciting and will keep you from reaching a plateau. Try these tips on how to spice up your workout:

• Vary your pumping iron workout plan and target different areas of your body on different days
• Sign up for some swing or salsa dancing lessons
• Try alternating your dance and dumbbell workout with stretching (such as yoga or Pilates)
• Mix in a little tai chi for grace and swimming for cardio-respiratory fitness