Simplify Your Life

Stress - One of the greatest stresses on our bodies is caused by anxiety. There can be many causes of anxiety in this modern world with workload being central to many.

Is your workload too great, robbing you of the time to do the things that are really important such as spending time with your family, growing your own vegetables, keeping animal companions, travel? You could simplify your life by handing some of the mundane, tedious, dreaded or difficult items to your own Virtual Personal Assistant.

Have you ever calculated how much it costs you to carry out such tasks yourself, at the expense of more important activities? Many busy people take the necessity of a hiring a cleaner for granted. Increasing numbers are realizing that the hiring of a Virtual Assistant is just as important.

I have been providing this service to businesses and training individuals to become VA's for several years and am surprised that still, so few people have heard of this concept. I reduce the workload and unnecessary worry for my clients in Europe, North America and Australia, yet I live in the wilderness in British Columbia. The wonders of modern technology allow me to work in all time zones to suit both my clients and myself.

If this is of interest to you, more information is just an email away!

Sensitive Teeth

Do you suffer from sensitive teeth? I don't any longer. Extremes of temperature whether from cold wind, cold drinks, hot drinks, etc can have a very painful effect in our mouths. It's generally accepted as being a fact of life, yet it doesn't have to be. Since I changed to an organic lifestyle, I am very careful about the toothpaste I choose, as absorption through the mouth is very, very fast.

However, I was distressed at the increase in tooth sensitivity with each winter. Protective clothing for my mouth was my priority - until I started using magnesium as a mouth wash. In fact, most days I use it in preference to toothpaste. I was startled to realize that needing to protect my teeth from extremes of temperature is no longer necessary.

Misting

A misting spray will refresh and hydrate, any time of the year. Mist all over your body after bathing, showering or shaving, or whenever you need an energizing pick-you-up. It will be even more beneficial if you use a refillable dispenser and add a few drops of food grade Vitamin E oil.

Misting is especially effective when travelling by air. Aeroplanes have very low humidity and the forced air ventilators rapidly dehydrate your skin.

If you drink coffee or alcohol, the effects will be even more drastic, so remember to drink plenty of water throughout the journey.

Even when you have to remain seated, keep your circulation moving by doing gentle leg exercises. Rotate your feet at the ankles a few times, then lift each leg, alternately, a few inches off the floor.

Dry Lips

Dry or chapped lips can be very painful and licking will only make them worse, removing the protective oils. To keep your lips soft and smooth, particularly during colder weather apply a moisturizing lip salve or balm. It's especially effective if you also apply the balm before going to bed.

Dry or Cracked Feet

Our feet work exceptionally hard, every single day, with little or no appreciation for the incredible job they do in our lives.  Often, it isn't until the heels crack in the winter that we pay them due attention.

My most favourite health/body treatment is a pedicure and I used to enjoy them weekly.  Living in the wilderness means that such pleasures have to be sacrificed.  Once a week, I treat myself to a magnesium crystals footsoak for maximum foot health and well being.



Follow this with a foot scrub and every evening moisturize really well before going to bed to allow the skin to soften throughout the night.  Wearing a pair of socks in bed will ensure the moisturizer goes into your feet and not the bed linen, especially if your moisturizer is greasy.  This massage bar is not greasy at all and is refillable.  If your feet are in a very bad way, moisturize during the day too.  Only wear natural fibres: wool, silk, hemp or cotton.

Dry Hands

Don’t forget your hands - It is easy for busy people to forget about their hands. Moisturizing is as necessary for the hands as the rest of your skin. Although we know we should use protective gloves, we often forget.

In addition to using hand cream after working in water, apply a generous amount before going to bed, so it can nourish your hands through the night.

Anti-Ageing

Anti-ageing- For those of us over 50 or who work outside, the effects of moisture loss are more rapid. To avoid dry and itchy skin it is even more necessary to use oil based moisturizing creams rather than water based lotions.

It is important to use a gentle exfoliant regularly for the removal of dead skin cells, allowing moisturizers to penetrate and prevent premature ageing

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Guide to Anti-Ageing Beauty Secrets!

Dry Skin

Baths and Showers - Long, hot baths deplete your skin of oils and moisture that are essential for protection and lead to dry skin or itching. Even though bathing appears to hydrate your skin, it is only temporary, causing greater moisture loss than gain. In winter it is better to avoid bathing/showering every day, if possible. Saunas and steam baths are much less ageing.

Body Scrub - Try using a natural body scrub, which will exfoliate, detoxify, cleanse and moisturize in the one treatment. Most commercial shower gels and bath additives use anti freeze (glycol) as the base ingredient, with additional pearlizing chemicals, just to make it look attractive.

When you bathe use coconut or tea tree based bath salts. Gently pat your skin dry afterward and moisturize immediately with an oil based cream. Oil based creams may feel a little greasy compared to water based lotions, but they are far more effective, sealing in moisture and minimizing loss of hydration. 

I have a collection of recipes for beauty and health products, some very old and some very modern.  I am working them into an ebook, but in the meantime,  here is a link to a book with some wonderful recipes.  

Winterize Your Skin

Natural Moisturiser - The winter months are particularly harsh on our skins. This is especially so in drier climates with extremes of cold outdoor temperatures and warm, dry air inside, causing dryness, itching or flaking. Increase the humidity indoors by using a humidifier – even the simple method of keeping a pan of water on the stove will help. You will have to be extra diligent about regular moisturizing applications.

Use oil based, natural moisturizers that absorb quickly into the deep underlying connective tissues to nourish and restore your skin, giving a healthier, more youthful appearance. Natural oil based creams will be far more effective than the water based lotions used during the summer. Moisturizing before going to bed is especially effective, making the most of all those hours for the body to be nourished whilst you sleep. The process of cellular regeneration is most active at night time while you are at rest.

A good tip is to use refillable dispenser for your moisturizer. This not only makes sense economically, but enables you to add a few drops of food grade, Vitamin E oil each time you refill. Vitamin E is the best aid to regenerating wrinkles and scar tissue.