10 Wonderful Ways to Use Epsom Salts

10 Wonderful Ways to Use Epsom Salts

By Annie B. Bond.

Oh, Epsom salt—who knew that such an uninspiring ingredient could inspire such devotion? Epsom salts have amazing health benefits–here are 10 ways to use Epsom salts, including a relaxing bath, a face scrub and a hair volumizer. It’s also a miracle cure-all, helping to remove splinters and reduce swelling of sprains and bruises. One ingredient really does fit all!

I always knew that soaking in a tub full of hot water with a few cups of Epsom salts was good for relaxing muscles and drawing toxins from the body, but I could never figure out why. And it wasn’t until I spent some time at the Epsom Salt Industry Council web site that I learned that epsom salts—made of the mineral magnesium sulfate—are also a sedative for the nervous system.

When magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much more.

Relaxing and sedative bath: Soak in warm water and 2 cups of Epsom salt. Read more about the Amazing Health Benefits of Epsom Salt Baths

Foot soak: Soothe aches, remove odors and soften rough skin with a foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of Epsom salt to a large pan of warm water. Soak feet for as long as it feels right. Rinse and dry. Or try an Epsom Salt Peppermint Foot Scrub.

Soak sprains and bruises: Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups epsom salt to a warm bath, and soak. To tame tendonitis, try these tips.

Splinter remover: Soak in epsom salt, it will draw out the splinter.

Face cleaner: To clean your face at night, mix a half-teaspoon of epsom salt with your regular cleansing cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

Homemade skin mask: Apply the mask to damp skin. For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of non-fat dry milk, the juice of 1 lemon, and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt. For normal to dry skin, mix 1/4 cup of grated carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt. This simple honey face mask works wonders as well.

Skin exfoliator: Massage handfuls of epsom salt over your wet skin, starting with your feet and continuing up towards the face. Have a bath to rinse, read 16 foods for Beautiful Skin.

Remove excess oil from hair: Epsom salt soaks up excess oil from hair. Add 9 tablespoons of epsom salt to 1/2 cup of oily hair shampoo. Apply one tablespoon of the liquid to your hair when it is dry; rinse with cold water. Pour lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar through the hair, leave on for 5-10 minutes, and then rinse. For dryness, here’s how to Repair Your Hair with Olive Oil.

Remove hairspray: Combine 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup epsom salt. Combine, cover and let set for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then shampoo as normal.

Hair volumizer: Combine equal parts of deep conditioner and epsom salt. Warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse.

Adapted from the Epsom Salt Industry Council (Note: Check with a doctor before using if you have any health concerns.)

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/use-epsom-salts-13-wonderful-ways.html#ixzz1ypxgnGPb

Annie B. Bond

Annie is a renowned expert in non-toxic and green living. Named one of the top 20 environmental leaders by Body and Soul Magazine, Annie has authored four books, including "Home Enlightenment" (Rodale Press, 2005) and "Better Basics for the Home" (Three Rivers Press, 1999).

Cooling Summer Epsom Salt Bath

By Melissa Breyer

Epsom salt baths are the best. They make your skin soft as silk, and have an amazing array of health benefits. My favorite perks from soaking in Epsom salt include detoxification, stress reduction, and muscle pain relief–and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Seriously, if there ever was truly a miracle cure, I do believe Epsom salt might be involved.

So I like Epsom salt baths and since I’ve been taking them regularly I feel great. But do I like taking a bath in 95F degree weather? Eh. So I’ve concocted a cooling Epsom salt bath that is the perfect antidote to a steamy, stressy summer day. It’s a bath that incorporates cucumber, fresh mint, and a hint of floral essential oil. Mmmmm.

Cucumbers are a great treat for the skin. They have the same pH as the skin so they help restore the protective acid mantle–they also possess hydrating, nourishing and astringent properties.

I like to throw in a handful of fresh peppermint because it’s growing like bonkers in the garden and I know it’s cooling. What I didn’t know was that, according to University of Maryland Medical Center, peppermint has has a soothing and cooling effect on skin irritations caused by hives, poison ivy, or poison oak; it reduces headache symptoms; and it can be used in the treatment of depression. (So if you’re hot, itchy, depressed and have a headache …)

For some extra summery flower flavor, try a few drops of ylang ylang pure essential oil in the mix.

Here’s the how-to:

To a tub of tepid water add 2 cups Epsom salt, stir in 1 sliced cucumber, a handful of torn peppermint leaves, and 3 drops ylang ylang pure essential oil. Step in, relax, and await small miracles.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/cooling-summer-epsom-salt-bath.html#ixzz1yq69CnuJ

Importance of Epsom Salt Use

Health Benefits of Epsom Salt Baths 

By Melissa Breyer

Most of us know about the importance of iron and calcium for our bodies, but what about magnesium? It is the second most abundant element in human cells and the fourth most important positively charged ion in the body. It helps the body regulate over 325 enzymes and plays an important role in organizing many bodily functions, like muscle control, electrical impulses, energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.

Most of us are deficient in magnesium, so I’m going to put on my wise-granny hat on here and tell you this: soaking in a bath with Epsom salt, which is high in magnesium, is one of the easiest ways to get a boost.

According to the National Academy of Sciences, American’s magnesium deficiency helps to account for high rates of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain, digestive maladies, stress-related illnesses, chronic fatigue and a number of other ailments. Who knew?!

Our magnesium levels have dropped by half in the last century due to changes in agriculture and diet. Industrial farming has depleted magnesium from soil and the typical American diet contains much less magnesium than that of our forefathers. And in fact, the modern American diet with its fat, sugar, salt and protein actually works to speed up the depletion of magnesium from our bodies.

Another factor in decreased magnesium levels has been our focus on getting enough calcium. It’s a delicate dance–calcium depletes magnesium yet calcium functions best when enough magnesium is present. Studies indicate that taking a calcium supplement without enough magnesium can increase the shortage of both nutrients. Researchers have found that many Americans have five times as much calcium as magnesium in their bodies, although the proper ratio for optimum absorption of both minerals is two to one.

With such widespread magnesium deficiency one might think that magnesium supplements would be called upon, but studies show that magnesium is not easily absorbed through the digestive tract. The presence of specific foods or drugs, certain medical conditions, and the chemistry of a person’s stomach acid can render magnesium supplements ineffective.

This brings us to Epsom salt. Known scientifically as hydrated magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt is rich in both magnesium and sulfate. While both magnesium and sulfate can be poorly absorbed through the stomach, studies show increased magnesium levels from soaking in a bath enriched with Epsom salt! Magnesium and sulfate are both easily absorbed through the skin. Sulfates play an important role in the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. They stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and are thought to help detoxify the body of medicines and environmental contaminants.

Researchers and physicians suggest these health benefits from proper magnesium and sulfate levels, as listed on the web site of the Epsom Salt Industry Council:

• Improved heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.
• Improved ability for the body to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
• Flushed toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
• Improved nerve function by electrolyte regulation. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
• Relieved stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
• Reduced inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps.
• Improved oxygen use.
• Improved absorption of nutrients.
• Improved formation of joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins.
• Prevention or easing of migraine headaches.

All this from a bath? Hurray! While there are many different brands of Epsom salt, they are all the same product chemically, and can be found at most drug stores. Add two cups of Epsom salt and soak for at least 12 minutes. Do this three times weekly.

If you are pregnant or have any health concerns, please check with your doctor before using Epsom salts.

Author: Melissa Breyer

Melissa Breyer is a writer and editor with a background in sustainable living, specializing in food, science and design. She is the co-author of True Food (National Geographic) and has edited and written for regional and international books and periodicals, including The New York Times Magazine. Melissa lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/health-benefits-of-epsom-salt-baths.html#ixzz1yppyNpWJ 

HANS: Neurological Integration Comes to the Fraser Valley

HANS: Neurological Integration Comes to the Fraser Valley

At the age of four, Evan Varley was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. He started on applied behavior analysis therapy in addition to physical, occupational and speech therapies as a part of his treatments.

Evan eventually started on the bio-medical approach to autism that included a change in his diet. His mom Claudette Varley tried for two years to get him to eat gluten-, dairy- and egg-free. Nothing worked. "My fear was, he'll end up eating nothing," she recalls. " I need something else that would help heal his gut."

Then in 2011, a breakthrough. Varley brought her son to see a Neurological Integration System (NIS) practitioner at Klinik Vanouver (klinikvancouver.com). NIS is completely non-invasive, an important factor especially for her son. Since his NIS treatment, Evan's constipation, sleep and behavioral issues have largely improved.

Varley decided to try NIS for herself. For 10 years, she'd been taking pills for hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, and sleep issues. After NIS, she has been off all her meds.

After these positive results, Varley became a qualified NIS pracitioner to help others heal. As a registered nurse with 20 years' experience, she is used to assessing patients. " I'm still assessing, just in a different way," she says.

"[NIS] gets to more of the root of the problem, and fixing the root cause as opposed to just looking at the symptom. Three people might come to see her fir allergies, she says, but the root cause might be completely different for each.

NIS has long been popular in New Zealand, Australia and Germany and slowly coming to North America. as far as she knows, Varley is the only NIS practitioner in B.C.'s Fraser Valley.

One fan is Marjorie Perzow, a former nurse and a member of Health Action Network Society (HANS).  "Claudette is professional, pays attention to details in her sessions and is passionate about doing this work," Marjorie wrote.

How does NIS work? "NIS is based on the neurophysiology principle that the brain governs optimum function of all body's systems," says Varley. From time to time circuits in the body become disconnected.  Stressors can be physical, emotional, hormonal, neurological, pathological or structural.

To find the disconnect, Varley runs through a set of over 30 protocols. Different protocols determine the presence of viruses, bacteria, fungus and parasites. There are two new protocols, one for histamine, which helps the body deal with allergens, and virus in bone marrow, which addresses low white blood cell counts.

NIS uses principles of kinesiology and the Chinese meridian system. The client sits with an arm stretched out; Varley does a muscle test while contacting specific anatomical points, like pulse points that correlate to glands and organs in the body.

Once a weakness is determined, Varley taps on the area of the head called the post central gyrus. This "tapping" while still holding the contact points tells the brain to reconnect the neurological circuitry. "Like your fuse has been blown and I'm just reconnecting that fuse."

Kerm Sheenk first visited Varley in June 2011 to relieve her frequent headaches. "After my first treatment, I didn't have a headache for two weeks," Kerm recalled.  She continued to see Varley for the next few months and noticed a marked reduction in headaches.

NIS can be especially helpful with pathogens, hormonal imbalances, mercury toxicity and right/left hemisphere imbalance (presenting as language or speech issues, learning difficulties, ADD/ADHD, autism), says Varley.

Today Evan is seven years old and doing well at school. "He has done above and beyond my expectations."

Claudette Varley, New Leaf Wellness, (604) 850-2511  www.newleafwellness.net

Visit nuerolinkglobal.com for more information about NIS therapy.

Clinic Update

Chiropractic Care:

Unfortunately at this time, chiropractic care is unavailable. We are in the process of revamping this department in order to bring you the most optimum health care possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

New Leaf Staff

Another Way to Enjoy Your Water

Refreshing Citrus-Cucumber-Mint water

Ingredients:
2L water
1 medium cucumber
1 lemon
10-12 mint leaves. 


Directions:
Steep overnight in fridge and drink every day. Great for replenishing your body's water levels, boost metabolism, quench your thirst. Also great for general detox--including clear skin!

H2O 101

Top 11 Health Benefits of Drinking Water

"You will be amazed of the benefits of drinking water as follows:

1. Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories. 
2. Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although many reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.
3. Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity.
4. Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrated.


5. Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. That means you’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises. Water also helps to fuel your muscle.
6. Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.
7. Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.
8. Less Likely to Get Sick and Feel Healthy:Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Water adds with lemon is used for ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. In another words one of the benefits of drinking water is that it can improve your immune system.
9. Relieves Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so will you.
10. Good Mood: Your body feels very good and that’s why you feel happy.
11. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

Functions of Water in The Body

The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size. A rule of thumb, 2/3 of body is consists of water, and it is the main component of human body. Did you know that your tissues and organs are mainly made up of water? Here is the %:

• Muscle consists of 75% water
• Brain consists of 90% of water
• Bone consists of 22% of water
• Blood consists of 83% water

The functions of water in human body are vital. The water:

• Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells
• Moisturizes the air in lungs
• Helps with metabolism
• Protects our vital organ
• Helps our organs to absorb nutrients better
• Regulates body temperature
• Detoxifies
• Protects and moisturizes our joints

Every cell in your body needs water from head to toe. That is why it is so important to drink enough fluid. Take for example, brain consists of 90% of water, if you do not supply enough water to your body, your brain cannot function well, and you will get headache or migraine. Hence, next time, if you feel fatigue and headache, it may be the sign of dehydration.

Harmful Effects and Symptoms of Dehydration

The Harmful Effects Result from Dehydration:

• Tiredness
• Migraine
• Constipation
• Muscle cramps
• Irregular blood pressure
• Kidney problems
• Dry skin
• 20% dehydrated – Risk of death

Symptoms of Dehydration
Here are some of the symptoms that you need more water:

• Dark Urine – Dark Yellow or Orange in Color: Urine is generally pale yellow to clear when you have sufficient water intake. Dark color or strong smell indicates that you need to drink more water.
• Dry Skin: Skin is the largest body organ and requires its share of water.
• Thirst: Thirst is the most obvious sign that you're already dehydrated. It is always a good practice to drink more water when your are not thirsty, don’t wait until you're thirsty.
• Hunger: Most people mistake hunger for the indication to eat more, whereas in actual fact, they may be dehydrated. So before you have your meal, grab a glass of water.
• Fatigue: Water is a source of energy and gives you a boost in energy.

How much water should you drink a day to avoid dehydration? A common approach is drinking 8 glasses of water a day, is it sufficient?


Drinking a healthy amount of water is vital to your health. You can never imagine just by drinking a healthy amount of water, you gain tremendous health benefits, and sometimes you can even throw away your migraine medicine or pain killer.
Before you can appreciate the benefits of water to your health, let’s review the role of water in human body."




Article posted on:  http://www.mangosteen-natural-remedies.com/benefits-of-drinking-water.html

June in Men's Health Month!

Men's Health Week: June 11-17

Father's day is approaching soon, (Sunday, June 18th, 2012) so why not show your love by purchasing a gift card to help with your father's  health and well being at our clinic?!

June is national Men's health month, and June 11-17th is a week dedicated to helping men learn and focus on their health.

Visit this link below to learn more about Men's Health:


http://www.menshealthmonth.org/

Check us out!

Check out our new listing on massage.com (follow the link at the bottom) and give us a rating!!


As we continue to expand and grow within the community, many people are learning of what and who New Leaf Massage & Wellness is.  We ask that you could share us to the people you know, and help others learn about us through your experience. 


Please take a moment to rate your experience at our clinic, and note to new-comers how we can help them! 


We appreciate any and all of your feedback! Thank you for taking your time to help us out!

http://www.massage.com/new-leaf-massage-wellness