Blaine561's Social and Health Commentary

The first ever Victoria’s Secret Garden scent I smelled was Endless Love. Since that first time, I have fallen in love with this line of body lotions. I have always had problems when it came to choosing a scent that would suit me and that would last for at least an hour. When I first tried Victoria’s Secret, I knew that I had found a keeper.

You can use the body lotion any time you wish but I think the most effective way is to use it right after you take a bath or a shower. That way, your skin is clean and no dirt or grit will ruin the feel of your skin. The body lotion really smoothens your skin. With continuous use you will see the effect even more.

The scents add another dimension to the body lotions. If you really like the particular scent, you will appreciate the fact that they stay on for a long long time. My original criterion was that the scent last for at least an hour. I got at least 5 times as much as that. Even if you engage in physical activities and sweat a bit, the scent is not totally lost.

The Silkening Body Lotions come in different bottle sizes. You can also find them in tubes. The packaging is quite appealing to eyes. Personally, I prefer the tubes. If you use it often – as you most probably would – an 8.0 ounce bottle will probably last for a month or so.

My problem is that out of the whole line, there are only a couple of scents that I like. These are Endless Love and Vanilla Lace. All the other scents are either too fruity or too sweet for my taste.

Another thing is that for everyday use, these products do not come cheaply. However, Victoria’s Secret stores usually have promos wherein you can get a several bottles for a low price. Online stores also offer a wide array of scents with reasonable prices. The smart thing to do is to grab several bottles of your favorite scent and stock up on them when you chance upon a sale.

If you are looking for a body lotion that markedly improves your skin’s texture, then try one of the many Victoria’s Secret Garden Silkening Body Lotions. In addition to supple skin, you will end up smelling lovely throughout most of the day.

Apple is a great fruit widely being used for cakes, pies and many health care products too. Everyone is familiar with the context ‘ An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ which is very true. Due to its useful components it has got a new found respect. The properties of the apple are mind-boggling. It has been increasingly used for shampoos, conditioners, face wash and many more. It is a true candidate of hair and skin care.

Home Based Recipes

Having Braeburn apples can protect you from the UV rays. It is one of the best qualities of apple which has components to protect you from UV rays.

Grind 1 cored and quartered apple in a blender. Add 1 tsp. honey, sage to the mixture. Refrigerate it for 10 minutes. Apply this mixture on your face. Keep it for 30 minutes and later rinse it. This can be used for normal skin.

Mix 1 tbsp apple juice with 5-6 drops of lime juice. Apply this on your face. Keep it for 15 minutes. Wash it with cold water. It is very good for oily skin.

Grate an apple and keep it in the refrigerator to cool. Apply this grated apple on your face for 15 minutes then rinse it with cool water. Works well for dry skin.

You can remove overnight blemishes by dabbing apple cider vinegar on your face before bed. A rejuvenated and radiant skin will await you in the morning.

Age spots can be lightened by patting areas with apple cider vinegar before bed.

Take 1/2 peeled cucumber, 1 egg white; 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. lime juice, 1/2 tsp. apple mint leaves and a drop of lime essential oil. Mix the ingredients into a smooth paste except the essential oil which is added last and mixed well again. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Apply it on your face. Leave it for 20 minutes. Wash it with warm water for a great effect.

Cut 1 apple in small pieces and liquidize it. Mix 1 tsp honey and sage to this liquidated apple and blend it well. Apply it on your face and relax for 15 minutes. Once done rinse it and pat dry.

Take 1/2 peeled and sliced apple, 1 tbsp. honey, one egg yolk, one tbsp. ascorbic acid, vinegar and 2 tbsp oil. Blend these ingredients for smooth paste. Apply this paste on your face, till dry and wash it lukewarm water.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

If you are looking for a way to light up your night life, look no further than your local lingerie store or boutique. Simply changing your typical bed time clothing from a frumpy pair of shapeless pajamas to a sexy outfit that leaves little to the imagination can jump-start your love life! Your partner will be more than happy to show his or her appreciation once you appear in that next-to-nothing negligee that is stunningly sexy. If you are unaware what types of lingerie you have to choose from, look no further!

1.) Teddy’s – Get the 411 Now

If you think of a teddy as a cherished childhood toy, think again! No kid ever had a teddy like one of these (and if they did…their childhood was obviously better than yours!) A teddy is a one piece lingerie item, quite similar to a one piece bathing suit. Usually, the legs are high cut and can be a thong in the back. A teddy is much like a body suit. Usually, teddies are quite fitting, so you may need to ensure you have the proper size before buying.

2.) Baby Doll – Put some heat in your nights

Although the name sounds sweet, baby doll lingerie can run from the wholesome to the steamy. A baby doll is generally a very short night dress, often made from some wispy, see through material with a great deal of lace, ribbons, and bows. This piece of lingerie is loose fitting and usually sleeveless, but may have short flutter sleeves.

3.) Chemise – Sexy is as sexy does

Many individuals picture a chemise as the traditional piece of lingerie. This lovely piece of sleepwear can be used for sleeping, where the teddy probably will not last the night. A chemise can be made of any material and is a sleeveless, short night gown. Usually a bit more fitted than a baby doll, a chemise can be a simple cotton gown for hot summer nights or a sultry silk number for heating up the nights.

4.) Pyjamas – Not necessarily for sleeping anymore

Although pyjamas may not seem sexy numbers to wear to bed, think again! Pyjamas are nothing more than a top and bottom worn together as a pair. Slink into a superb pair of silk pjs and surprise your significant other in bed! A pyjama set is perfect for wearing around the house, so that you can display a bit of modesty outside the bedroom that the other types of lingerie usually do not allow.

Laser hair removal has become one of the most popular techniques for removing unwanted body hair. Much of the reason this technique has become popular is that it has the capability to permanently remove unwanted hair, without causing a lot of pain. However the procedure is fairly expensive, and you may have to visit a clinic multiple times to get the results you desire. Also, laser hair removal will not work for everyone as its effectiveness is highly dependant on skin pigmentation.

Laser hair removal works by shining a laser onto the skin where it gets absorbed by the melanin pigment in the hair follicles. Ironically, nobody is exactly certain what causes this hair removal process to work. But it is believed that the heat generated at the hair follicle by the laser breaks down that follicle so that it will no longer grow hair. In some cases it is possible that the follicle may be damaged but not permanently destroyed. Since hair grows in cycles in some cases people have had hair come back after undergoing laser hair removal. The laser can be modulated so that it goes through the skin and directly to the hair follicle without causing significant pain or discomfort.

Laser hair removal does not work for everyone. Results will depend on your skin type. Generally speaking, the results are best with people who have fair skin. However if your skin is too light colored it still might not work. For people with lighter hair, or people with little melanin in their hair it might not be as effective. Be sure to fully understand the benefits to your skin type before paying the money to try laser hair removal.

The laser hair removal procedure is quite simple. A practitioner will guide the laser over the body areas to be treated. Typically this will take about one hour for an entire set of legs.

In order to prevent the skin from getting burned various gels and cooling sprays are rubbed onto the area to be treated prior to the laser beam directed towards the hair follicles. When you have the procedure done you’ll wear protective goggles to prevent any possibility of the laser impacting your eyes. This removes one of the potential dangers that could exist by having a laser used on your body in this fashion.

Laser hair removal is effective at removing hair all wide range of body parts. Effective areas that are treated include the legs, chest, back, under arms, and facial hair. The chin and the upper lip are the most commonly treated areas.

Laser hair removal can be quite expensive, especially if you have a large area to be treated. In many cases it will take four or five treatments to get the results you are looking for. However, laser hair removal offers a superior alternative to other more painful or less permanent techniques of removing unwanted body hair.

If you are considering trying this technique to remove unwanted body hair, be sure to research practitioners in your area and ask for references. Laser hair removal might be the right solution for some people. But for others laser hair removal will not be as effective. For those who are not good candidates for laser hair removal, or anyone else who is concerned that the procedure might not yield permanent results, electrolysis might be a better alternative.

Two French celebrities can be credited (or blamed) with the transformation from pale to tan. In the 1920s, as fashions were freeing women from confining clothes, thanks in part to designer Coco Chanel, she inadvertently gave the fashion world another new trend: while cruising from Paris to Cannes, she obtained a suntan, probably by accident. Soon, fashionable women everywhere threw away years of tradition to be tanned.

Tanning, dermatologists have found, makes the skin give off endorphins. These opioid compounds make a person feel good. They are the reason endurance runners report “runner’s high.” Could there really be such a thing as tanner’s high?

Various reports suggest that frequent tanning may be a type of substance. Researches says the idea came from skin cancer patients who couldn’t stop tanning!

Addictive Tanning Can be Dangerous!

It is well known that tanning can be addictive. Exposure to tanning salon rays increases the damage caused by sunlight. This occurs because ultraviolet light actually thins the skin, making it less able to heal.

Unprotected exposure to utltraviolet rays also results in premature skin aging. A tan is damaged skin that is more likely to wrinkle and sag than skin that hasn’t been tanned. Over time, you may notice certain undesirable changes in the way your skin looks and heals. According to some skin specialists, skin that has a dry, wrinkled, leathery appearance early in middle age is a result of UV exposure that occurred in youth.

Tanning Safely!

How do you tan safely? Self tan with a Sunless Tanning Lotion! You get great golden tan without the dangers of Sun burns or cancer!

Recent research shows, furthermore, that while DHA provides only minimal SPF protection against the sun’s shorter-wave, UVB rays, higher DHA concentrations that turn the skin darker may provide extra protection against the sun’s longer-wave, UVA rays, which, like UVB, are linked to premature skin aging and skin cancer.

But you can’t assume you’re adequately UV-protected just because your skin turns darker. At best, the DHA in self-tanning lotions offers protection equivalent to an SPF of only 2 to 4. The Skin Cancer Foundation maintains that SPFs of 15 or higher are required for adequate protection. So even if a product has a high concentration of DHA, it must also contain an SPF 15+ sunscreen if you want to be properly protected. And remember, even if the lotion contains such a sunscreen, the protection lasts only a couple of hours, not for the duration of the color change.

So the Best way is to self tan with a sunless tanning product! Find out more about Self Tanning!

The holiday is almost here and you know what that means! That means that it is time to start thinking about getting her that perfect necklace. All women fall over themselves to get a heart necklace. The heart shape is the universal symbol of love and this holiday season is the season for you to get the love of your life her very own heart shaped necklace.

You have a few different choices, many actually. It seems like the heart necklace is getting more and more creative all of the time. Who knew that there were so many things to be done with a simple heart design? It is amazing what these jewelers come up with and they are all so gorgeous.

There are a multitude of gem choices for you to choose from as well as metals. You can choose silver, platinum or gold. I have even seen some magnificent copper heart necklaces out there in stores. Of course the two top sellers as far as gems go are rubies and diamonds but that does not mean you cannot choose a different stone. If the love of your life loves aquamarines or emeralds then choose them, whatever will make her the happiest of all is the way to go.

There are also a few different places that you can go to buy your heart necklace. There are the typical offline stores that are a favorite among many and there are the stores online. When it comes to online shopping you can choose a retailer, a wholesaler or even an auction site. Each of these types of stores have their own pros and cons. My advice is to check out all of you options in order to see where you can get the best price on the most gorgeous heart shaped necklaces. Chances are you will find the best deals online so start there.

Body scrubs can turn your standard morning shower into an invigorating and rejuvenating spa experience. An exfoliating body scrub cleanses your skin while gently buffing away dead skin cells to reveal a radiant new layer of young, smooth skin. Most body scrubs are made of small, rough grains suspended in moisturizing, gentle bases. The grains, which are sometimes salt or sugar crystals, flecks of walnut, or even sand, exfoliate your skin by helping to loosen dead skin cells so that they can be rinsed away. The base helps care for the live skin cells left behind by providing a gentle, protective layer of moisture that will help your skin glow with health and beauty.

Body scrubs are traditionally a luxury item, and are priced accordingly. Designer body scrubs can cost upwards of twenty dollars for a few ounces. Homemade body scrubs are inexpensive and easily made out of all natural ingredients. Because you don’t need to worry about keeping a body scrub fresh if you plan to use it right after you make it, your scrubs can be pure and gentle without any of the potentially damaging chemicals or preservatives that are found in many commercial scrubs. For a pampering and soothing bath time treat that will give your skin a radiantly fresh look for just a few dollars, try making your own body scrub.

To make a scrub, all you need to do is to pair a naturally abrasive ingredient with a soothing and moisturizing base. The most popular and practical abrasive for homemade body scrubs is sugar. Sugar’s small grains and ability to melt easily make it the least damaging abrasive, so you can be sure that your sugar based body scrub will help your skin rather than harm it.

To make a gentle base for your invigorating and exfoliating sugar, start with your favorite fruit. Strawberries, mangos, and bananas are three classic body scrub ingredients that will soothe and protect your skin. For every two cups of thoroughly mashed fruit, add a tablespoon of sugar. For extra soothing power, add a tablespoon of rich honey which will give your skin a luxurious shine.

For the best results, apply your homemade body scrub in the shower after gently cleansing your skin. Use a circular motion to buff away dead skin cells, and pay extra attention to rough areas like elbows and knees. Allow your scrub to linger on your skin for three to four minutes so that your skin can absorb the nutrients from the fruit, and then rinse away your homemade scrub in lukewarm water. Pat your skin dry gently to seal the moisture into your newly revealed fresh layer of glowing skin.

I remember as a child being fascinated by a small aspect of a much larger fairy tale in Jack and the Beanstalk. I guess I have never really been enamored with conquest and really thought that Jack was a thief, but I loved the hen that laid the golden eggs.

The original source of course was Aesop, who told a tale with a moral core in The Goose that laid the golden egg. A man and his wife had the good fortune to possess a goose that laid a golden egg every day. For a while they were happy and lived well, but then they became impatient with how quickly they were accumulating their wealth. So they thought that if the goose could lay such a fine egg of gold, it must be lined with the precious metal. If they cut the goose open, they could get the gold all at once. Of course we all know what happened, the goose was just a goose and there was no gold inside.

For Aesop, the moral of the story was much wants more and loses all. I think there is also a hidden message, true gold comes from the process of creating.

You, my dear Diva, are a Golden Goose. Each day you lay multiple golden eggs throughout your life. They are often disguised as meals for loved ones, staying a little later at work to help your boss or co-workers, volunteering at the church or PTA, working on your cross-stitch or scrapbooking or on a passion of your heart. Everything that you do, each and every day, that brings a blessing to another is a golden egg. Like the goose in the story, you know how to lay the eggs. How well do you care for the goose?

If you are at all like me, and I think you are, we are very, very hard on the goose. Instead of recognizing all the golden eggs she has laid, and being thankful, we, like the greedy man and woman in the story, expect more, more, more. It is time that we honor the goose and forget about the eggs. If the goose is well cared for, the eggs will come, won’t they! Here are 7 lucky tips for the care and feeding of the golden goose:

1. Take one day off a week from work. The Sabbath is there for a reason,even God rested. “and on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested…” Genesis 2:3

2. Feather your own nest. I have the most wonderful bed linens, I feel like a princess every night when I go to bed. I have 2 feather mattresses and a silk, down comforter. I bought them at a discount store we have called, Tuesday Morning. Scour the town for one of your own. You will sink into luxury and know you are special, each and every night.

3. Nurture another golden goose. Identify a friend or a loved one running on fumes. Pick up her kids after school, take over the scout meeting for her, bring her a home-cooked dinner (just double your batch) and leave it on the step. Why do we have to wait until we are struck down with a catastrophic illness or event to reach out to each other? Let’s start a prevention program with our circle of women before the goose is cooked.

4. Feed your spirit daily. Find a quick, easy message that inspires you every day. One way with us is to sign up for the Daily Diva Word, it’s a free, quick pick me up that comes in your email.

5. Turn off the noise. Have a quiet time each day to shift gears. If you work outside of the home, plan just 15 minutes of alone time in your car before you pick the kids up, or rush to the store. Get a great CD or tape and play it, all alone in your car as you change states from employee to mom, wife or sane woman.

6. Become a Teacher. The only way that we ever learn anything new is from someone else. As you begin to value yourself as the Golden Goose you really are, you’ll begin to notice other women struggling to do it all. Share what you have learned with them and what helps you feel good about yourself.

7. Never Mistake the Egg as the Gift. We have become a society that values things more than people. It is often joked, tongue-in-cheek that you are only as good as your last accomplishment. That is the ultimate lie. We are not a collection of the things that we do, the sale that we make, or the goal that is conquered. You are the gift. You are the Golden Goose. The egg is just the last thing you created.

Wherever you are right now in your life, please stop for a moment and hear this truth. The true gold lies not in the outcome or accomplishment, it is in the process of creating. When you give yourself a little space and care for the golden goose inside you, you will once again lay a golden egg. Don’t worry, there is no where to go, you have everything you need for the blissful life you desire. You just forgot where the true gold lives—inside of you.

All the best,

Maureen

PS To help you remember the gold that you are, I’ve created some postcards for you to download. Two to keep and two to share with another Golden Goose that needs encouragement. Please visit us at www.distinctivelydiva.com/goldenegg.html to download your free postcards.

Special thanks to D. L. Ashliman for the translations of Aesop’s Fable, The Golden Goose. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/goldfowl.html#aesop

Almost every woman has, at one time or another, felt so fatigued she wanted to cry. But for some women, and for a variety of reasons – including menopause, caring for a new-born, working odd hours, chronic anxiety, and poverty, to name only a few – fatigue is a constant, not an occasional, problem.

Stimulants don’t really give us more energy, though they are what many women turn to when they feel too tired. Stimulants create false energy, leaving us more exhausted at deeper levels. One more cup of coffee, one more soft drink, one more jolt of fear increases energy, to be sure. But these choices also deplete our bones of their minerals, weaken our core energy, and prevent truly restful, restorative sleep. Even herbal stimulants, like cayenne and guarana, are, well, stimulants. They push us too hard and erode our long-term health.

Are there ways to boost energy that are effective and healthy? My guide, Grandmother Growth, gave me some ideas of how to help myself when I feel bone-tired. And I gathered together the best remedies I know, plus the wisdom of my Wise Woman friends, so you can help yourself too, when you are too weary for words.

“Fall into my arms and sleep,” offers Grandmother Growth. “You don’t have to make things happen; they will happen on their own. Let me hold you. Let go. Don’t resist. Rest. You are working hard. You are delving deep and changing yourself. Of course you are tired. Change is hard work. Rest in my strong arms. Let go. Give your weariness to me. Let go of all that worries you. Surrender yourself into my strength. Take courage from me. Let me support you. Let me ease you. Let go.”

Extreme fatigue indicates a profound need to do nothing. Ask family and friends to give you a day totally off … and take it! Barricade yourself in your room if need be (or, like the cartoon character Sylvia, in the bathroom).

BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF

The internal processes that occur during puberty, motherhood, menopause or any other profound change in your life require tremendous amounts of energy. Even if you provide yourself with very high quality nutrients and use your energy wisely, you may still feel unreasonably tired. Many cultures offer newborns and moms a quiet, alone month or more, allow menopausal women to retire for a year or more while they Change, and give grieving parents/partners/children/friends time off from responsibility. If yours doesn’t, if you can’t, at least be gentle with yourself.

Give yourself a break: every hour, take a 60-second break. Breathe deeply; stand up and stretch; drink a glass of water or some herbal infusion. Schedule a regular time to meditate or take a nap every day. Small frequent rests help more than an extra hour of sleep; but do both if you can.

Set aside an hour a week to do something indulgent for yourself: a long soak in a hot bath, a manicure, a walk alone in a beautiful place. Nourish yourself and you will have more energy to give to others.

Treat yourself to a massage once a month. (It need not break your budget; find someone willing to barter for a skill or product you have.) A skilful massage releases tension, helping you get more benefit from your sleep and downtime, thus liberating more energy and helping you begin the upward spiral into increased vitality.

“Lower your standards.” This advice, though difficult to hear, has been one of the most important guidelines for me in choosing a life that delights and energizes me. It helped me choose to let the floor go unswept, the dishes unwashed, the bed unmade, while I gardened, or studied, or even just went for a walk in the woods. When I do the things I want to do I have LOTS more energy. What are you doing that saps your strength and erodes your delight in life? Find a way to quit, or at least cut down on the time you devote to it.

LIST TEN GOOD THINGS ABOUT FATIGUE, LAZINESS, LETHARGY, AND PROCRASTINATION

I’ve found laziness to be my best guide to efficiency; lethargy has stopped me from taking foolish risks; and procrastination helps me find more efficient ways to proceed. Love and honor your fatigue for helping you conserve energy and giving you the time to find creative new ways to do the same old things.

SEAWEED

Seaweeds of all kinds help restore energy by nourishing nervous, immune, and hormonal systems. Make it a habit to eat seaweed as a green vegetable at least once a week. Try kelp in your oatmeal, wakame in your beans, kombu in your soups, hijiki salads, toasted dulse, sea palm fronds, and deep-fried nori!

ROOTS

Counter that tired-every-day feeling: get down and get grounded energy from roots. Try a tincture of ginseng, siberian ginseng, yellow dock, or dandelion roots. A dose is 10-20 drops of any one root, taken with meals.

TIRED BLOOD?

You may need more iron: eat a spoonful of molasses or try a dropperful of yellow dock tincture several times a day.

STIR IT UP! DON’T JUST SIT THERE!

Energy is attracted to energy. Get moving this way: stand up, feet shoulder-width, knees relaxed. Swing your arms toward one side, then the other. Let the shoulders and hips move as you twist your upper body. Let your arms move freely. Continue for a minute or two. Then, start rocking your tail bone, your whole pelvis, forward and back, forward and back, again for at least a minute. Alright!

GREEN IS THE COLOR OF PLANT ENERGY

The plants with the deepest green give you the most energy. A daily cup of nettle infusion increases energy without wiring your nerves. Nettle strengthens the adrenals, allowing you to tolerate more stress with less harm. And it nourishes your immune system, too.

To make it:

• Put one ounce of dried nettle leaf in a quart jar.

(Leftovers may be used as a hair rinse or fertilizer for your houseplants.) I drink several quarts of nettle infusion every week. It helps me have the energy to teach all day and write for hours each evening.

OATSTRAW

Oatstraw infusion builds deep energy for the next day, especially when you have been riding an emotional roller coaster. Oatstraw nourishes the nerves, easing anxiety and improving our ability to live with uncertainty. Make it like the nettle infusion, using a full ounce of oatstraw to a quart of boiling water. OK to drink it hot or cold, with honey or miso, or any other addition (juice, coffee, whiskey) you desire. Remember to refrigerate the infusion after it has brewed 4-8 hours, even if you don’t get a chance to strain the plant material out.

EAT MORE

When you’re too tired to eat, you get more tired. (If this sounds like an old wives’ tale, remember that old wives were the wise women. But, actually, it’s the latest scientific thinking.) In addition to at least one really good meal a day, eat high quality snacks hourly.

Though it seems contrary, St. Joan’s wort (Hypericum) tincture relaxes the nerves yet increases energy. A dose is 25-30 drops several times a day, including before bed. You’ll sleep better, ache less, and wake up with more energy and a brighter outlook on life.

Warming herbs such as ginger and cinnamon increase energy (but may increase hot flashes, too). Make a tea with 1 cup/250 ml boiling water and 1/2-1 teaspoon (1-2 grams) of the powder of any one of these.

Very tired women need more fuel, that is, more fat, in their diets, and best if the fats are also natural sources of vitamin E: avocados, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, tahini, and olive oil are good food sources. Herbs rich in vitamin E include nettle, seaweeds, dandelion, and watercress.

B vitamins build energy. Find them in whole grains, organ meats, sweet potatoes, avocados, egg yolks, fish, and whey. Both oatstraw and nettle infusions are good sources of B vitamins, as are red clover blossom infusion, peppermint leaves, and fenugreek seeds.

Low levels of potassium, iron, and iodine contribute to fatigue. Celery, cabbage, seaweeds, nettle infusion, and red clover infusion are excellent sources of potassium. Molasses, chocolate, seaweeds, nettle infusion, and dandelion leaves are all superb sources of iron. For iodine, seaweed shines, but sea salt, mushrooms, and greens grown in gardens fertilized with seaweed also supply significant amounts.

AVOID

Some women report greater fatigue on days when they’ve eaten frozen or raw food. Traditional Chinese Medicine says eating raw or chilled foods, especially cold drinks and raw juices, contributes to fatigue because you have to use your internal energy to warm up the food before you can digest it. The more tired you are, the greater your need for well-cooked foods, like nourishing herbal infusions and healing soups.

I avoid wheat grass juice, green barley powder, spirulina, and all blue green algae. None are as nourishing as nettle infusion, and all are considerably more expensive, more difficult to make yourself at home, and more likely to be sold through multi-level marketing.

“Energy-producing” foods/drugs/herbal supplements such as coffee, guarana, caffeinated drinks, and excessive amounts of black tea or chocolate will create greater fatigue in the future.

“Rest your head down on me,” crones Grandmother Growth. “For this moment, rest in me. Let the energy of the earth infuse you. Let my energy carry you. Let yourself be enough. Let go.”

Unwanted hair is a problem for both women and men. While historically women have primarily sought out professional assistance for hair removal, more and more men are seeking such services in the 21st century. The preferred method of professional hair removal at this point in time for both men and women rapidly is becoming laser hair removal.

There are a number of definite benefits to obtaining professional laser hair removal as opposed to some of the other common methods of dealing with unwanted hair. The only major drawback to professional laser hair removal really appears to the cost associated with the process. However, as technology has improved, the costs associated with the laser procedure has become to drop over time.

The most basic, primary benefit of laser hair removal is found in the fact that for most people only one treatment is required. Once a person submits to the laser hair removal process, unwanted hair normally is removed permanently. In a few isolated cases a person does have to come back for a follow up treatment. With advances in laser technology in the past decade, repeat appearances for additional sessions is becoming more rare all of the time.

The fact that unwanted hair can be removed permanently in most cases through laser hair removal contrasts starkly with other treatment regimens. As an example, waxing to remove hair continues to be used by a considerable number of women and men who want to banish undesired growth. For many people, waxing is at least a monthly if not more frequent process.

Another of the benefits associated with laser hair removal is found in the fact that it is largely pain free. In some instances, a person who has undergone this procedure will experience some skin irritation following the procedure. Certainly, there will be some mild yet temporary redness of the skin following laser hair removal. However, the procedure itself is painless.

Again, you can contrast the pain free removal of unwanted hair with waxing. Depending on what part of your body is being waxed, the process of hair removal in that fashion can be downright painful. Other forms of hair removal, such as shaving, can irritate the skin for a significant period of time. Rashes and other types of unsightly skin blemishes are common following the shaving off of unwanted hair at certain locations on body.

Laser hair removal is also a convenient and time saving method for dealing with unwanted growth. As mentioned previously, more often than not one treatment will work to permanently rid a person of unwanted hair. While a single session under the laser will take longer than one waxing treatment, when all is said and done you will end up saving a great deal of time by undertaking laser hair removal as opposed to other forms of hair removal. You will not need to make continual appointments and interrupt your already full schedule to deal with unwanted hair growth.

In the final analysis, more and more people are turning to laser hair removal as the most reliable, convenient and reasonably priced alternative for the removal of unwanted hair. Indeed, most experts in the field of cosmetics and related services believe that in the very near future, laser hair removal will be the primary means through which both women and men deal with the permanent removal of unwanted hair growth.