Feeling Negative or Listless? Find a Tree…

Have you experienced the benefits of doing this? If you have or have questions, please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

If you think this might help a friend, please pass it on or share it on Social Media. Let’s spread the word and help each other to become stress free!

Feeling Negative or Listless? Find a Tree… was published originally on Basic Balance. More about Marlene McPherson and her work as a Natural Health Practitioner at Essence of Namo.

3 Cool Benefits of an Evening Scalp Massage

If you have a very tight scalp, too sensitive to touch, or grey hair, then this is just the thing for you to do!

Body Brushing for a Quick & Easy Detox

If you find yourself swelling or rounding out a bit, you might need to detox, as it is usually an indication that your lymphatic system is not functioning properly. The toxins that are supposed to be eliminated via the lymph get stuck in the glands and the balance of fluids in between the tissues will be out of whack too, causing orange peel skin, cellulite and also, for instance, the notorious “love handles” over the hips. As with everything there are other factors contributing as well, but for simplicity’s sake, lets keep to the Toxin Overload.
One of the simplest ways of stimulating the lymphatic system, other than massage and exercise, to get rid of these toxins, is to do Body Brushing. This is something that you can do when you have a shower or a bath as a part of that daily routine. All you need is something that is a bit coarser than your usual cloth, sponge or other soap applicator, that you will use to vigorously rub your skin with. There are lots of different types of body brushes with stiff bristles available, but I suggest that to start off with (because it can be quite painful until you get used to it), you can use one of the following:

• A washing glove with a rough, coarse side (preferably from natural fiber)
• A Rubber Brush, with big knobs on
• A Loofah

Use small to medium circular movements, with pressure, over the following areas:

• Upper Legs & Thighs
• Buttocks & Hips
• Upper Arms
• Upper Shoulders
• Upper Chest (above the breasts for women)
• Around under-arm area as far as you can reach backwards

Eventually you want to be doing dry brushing with a stiff bristle brush or a rubber brush, but to start off with you can do it in the water or on wet skin to eliminate friction.
Body brushing stimulates the lymphatic system and loosens up the toxin buildup in the lymph glands. All the small lymph glands drain into big glands under your arms and in your groin, so you need to work around these areas a lot, preferably working towards them to assist the draining process.
To assist the elimination of the toxins that would have now been released into the bloodstream, you can dissolve 2 tablespoons of rock salt, coarse pure sea salt, or 2 handfuls of Epsom Salts in your warm bath water and lie in it for about 10-20 minutes to allow the toxins to be drawn out through the pores of the skin. Pat dry and stay warm afterwards for a while. If you’re not bathing, but showering, allow the warm water to flow over you for about 5 minutes, totally relaxing your mind and breathing out deeply. You can also have a half an hour detox foot bath afterwards to draw the toxins out. Remember to drink extra water to replace lost liquids due to sweating.
You can soap and wash as normal after body brushing if you’re not having a detox bath. Just drink lots of water then to help to flush out the toxins.
Do Body Brushing at least 2 to 3 times per week for the best results. You’ll see results quicker if you do it every day. Persist for at least 2 to 4 weeks. Even better if you can make it and detox baths a part of your weekly routine. It is not only good for lymph drainage, but also helps to get rid of dead skin cells (exfoliation), and stimulates blood circulation.
To prevent lymph and sweat glands under your arms to block up, it is better to avoid the use of antiperspirants, especially those that contain aluminum. It is one of the biggest causes of breast cancer due to its action of blocking the pores and overloading the glands. Aluminum in the system is also one of the causes of Altzheimer’s. Rather use natural body products that contain essential oils (for instance) to combat and prevent bad odor. Keep in mind that whatever you put on your skin absorbs into your body through the skin’s pores.
Remember, our bodies are built to move, and it is muscle movement that pumps the lymphatic system, so exercise and stretching is still the best way to keep your system going!

Reading Product Lables – Things to Avoid

We have to become aware of things that are poisoning our bodies. This is the first in a series that will help you to identify these toxic substances that are a daily part of our lives. We have to become aware of them, so READ YOUR LABLES!

Do a Basic Weekly Detox

It gives your Digestive System a chance to clean out.

Choose a day that you do not have to do any strenuous physical work.

Eat only fruit for a day, any fruit, as much as you want.

This way you still take in nutrients, but you don’t overtax the digestive system and the body can use that energy to clean out and repair.

You can also drink lots of water and herbal teas throughout the day. The water will help to flush out released toxins.

Have a Detox Bath in the evening. You can use 2 handfuls of Epsom Salts or 2T of Crystal Salt or 2T of Mustard Bath Salts in a bath of hot water, soak the whole body for 20 minutes to open up the pores of the skin and sweat the toxins out. Sip water or herbal tea during the bath to replace lost fluids. Get out slowly, pat dry, stay warm and sit or lie down for a while.

How an Acid Imbalance can cause Serious Health Problems

Causes of Illness & Disease Part 3

Acidosis, or the over-acidity in the body tissues, is one of the basic causes of diseases, especially arthritic and rheumatic diseases. Acidosis destroys bones, because the body has to steal alkalizing minerals from them to keep the blood pH from dropping into the acid range. If the acid alkaline balance is upset, cell metabolism suffers, leading to conditions such as fatigue.

The balance of acid and alkaline in our body is therefore essential to good health.

How Bad Body Aligment can Influence your Health

Causes of Illness & Disease Part 2

I’m pretty sure that at some stage in your life you have heard someone tell you to stand up straight, right? And you probably thought, nag, nag, nag! Or you tried to, but couldn’t get it right because you felt more comfortable slouching, ‘cause it hurt to stand up straight, or it was simply too much trouble (I know I did!!)?

How Body Imbalances can cause Illness and Disease

Causes of Illness & Disease Part 1

I’m a firm believer that there is always a reason for everything and if you can find the cause, you can fix it. This is especially true in the human body. If you understand the reason for an imbalance, pain, illness or disease, it can be fixed…it’s really that simple! There is nothing in your body that cannot be fixed, it has the most amazing regenerative abilities. All it needs is the right alignment and the right nutrients, and it will then restore its own imbalances!

There are some basic things that your body needs

Probiotics – The Good Stuff in Your Gut

Pro-biotics, also known as probiflora, is the opposite of anti-biotics. These are the “good” bacteria that are found in the human digestive tract. The gut flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract and that perform a number of useful functions for their hosts.