healthy

5 Reasons Why You should Start Using Coconut Oil

22 octubre, 2019 by Admin

Natural oils are known to have many benefits on skin, hair and body. However, Coconut oil may just be the best of all, in terms of healthy properties.

Wether we use coconut oil for cooking or beauty purposes, this fruit is incredibly popular. Let’s get to know 5 reasons why you should integrate this healthy remedy in your daily routines.

Increases Your Metabolism

¿Por qué deberías empezar a usar aceite de coco?

According to recent findings, consuming coconut oil does increase your metabolism. It is is rich in fatty-acids, mainly medium-chain triglycerides. Once absorbed by your body, they can burn calories a lot faster.

Protects Your Skin

Although it is dangerous to expose your skin to the sun with oil on it, coconut is the exception. This fruit-based oil actually protects your skin from UV rays. Hence, it may not provide the same protection as sunscreen, one study actually found that it blocks about 20% of the sun’s UV rays .

In addition, it has healthy properties also work as anti-inflammatory. It’s effective when it comes to treating skin irritations. A study that targeted children with eczema, 47% of those treated with coco oil noticed major improvements.

Improves Dental Hygiene

Do you suffer from bad breath? Well, you can use this marvelous oil to treat that. In fact, with its antibacterial properties that can help treat infections, it’s a powerful weapon against bacteria. In a study regarding the benefits of coconut oil on dental hygiene, swishing for 10 minutes reduced gum bacteria as effectively as rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash.

Moisturizes your Skin

Besides protecting your skin, coconut can also be used as a moisturizer. Though it’s not recommended for oily skin, due to the fact that it increases the skin’s oil, you can use it to help repair cracked heels.

If you put a coat of thick coconut oil on your heels, every night put on socks and let it sink overnight, you will end up having very smooth heals.

Reduces Belly Fat

Finally, who wouldn’t like to have a beautiful flat stomach without exercising? Well, working out is definitely an important factor in loosing weight and toning bodies, but adding coconut oil to your diet can do the trick as well.

In a recent study, women who had been consuming coconut oil on daily basis, had a significant decrease in waist size.

Photos: Unsplash

Washing Your Hair Daily Is Actually Bad For You

14 septiembre, 2019 by Admin

We can do anything to have a shiny hair. Hair masks, the most expensive shampoos and conditioners, and even top finishing products. However, having a healthy, shiny hair may be requiring a little less effort.

Studies have shown that washing your hair frequently is not good. In fact, they recommend you to wash it once or twice a week. You can find out the why and how in this post.

Why does washing your hair daily damages it?

According to Carolyn Goh, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA, hair produces natural oil called sebum. It works as a moisturizer and a protection agent for the hair and skin. Excessive washing results in trapping this oil and causing product residue.

Nevertheless, some cases do require more »shampoo time». The same researcher agree that if you have very fine hair, or you sweat daily (obviously if you exercise) then you may need to wash your hair more frequently. Humidity also plays a role in making your hair look dirty quickly, and if you have an oily scalp, then you have to use more shampoo than regular hair types.

How can we replace using too much shampoo?

Even though dry shampoo is the easiest alternative, it’s not exactly the healthiest option. Immoderate use of it can lead to clogged pores, dandruff, and irritated skin. Happy Hair is a book published on amazon, and that offers simple replacement to shampoo, in order to have a healthier hair.

Eggs: Whisking a whole egg in a cup then pouring it on your hair is a magical treatment. The water should be cool (not hot nor cold) for you to get a clean, soft and shiny hair.

Clay: Known to be a natural remedy for both hair and skin. Applying clay with some boiling water on your hair, then rinsing it off has amazing results. Not only does it clean like shampoo, but it acts as a conditioner as well. Two in one!

Lemon: This fruit could come in handy and not only in the kitchen. Lemon is an anti-bacterial agent, so it can help you get rid of dandruff. Squeeze a whole lemon into a cup, then pour it on your hair before showering. Leave it for about 10 minutes, then rinse it off with templed water. Lemon can also help lighten the color of your hair for a blonder look.

Photos: Pixabay

Soft Glowing Skin This Summer In 5 Easy Steps

21 junio, 2019 by Admin

You are super excited about your next summer beach vacation, but absolutely horrified at the thought of taking pictures due to that new planet that just popped up on your face. With the heat and humidity causing *endless sweat* that can clog pores, it can be hard to have flawless skin in the summer. These 5 easy steps will help you to get glowing in no time.

Exfoliate For An Immediate Glow

One of the easiest tricks to getting skin that literally glows in just a matter of minutes is by exfoliating. Using a nice sugar scrub or body scrub will help to slough away all the dead skin cells and peeling sunburnt skin to reveal your fresh face underneath. Just remember to not over exfoliate- too much can actually dry out and strip your face of natural oils. A safe bet is two to three times a week.

Switch Up Your Moisturizer

In the winter months, our skin is typically dry and in need of more moisture, so heavier creams are ideal for these months. However, if you’re still using that same bottle from January, or no moisturizer at all, we’ve found your main culprit for breakouts! You might feel like you’re skin is «moisturized» from all the sweat you produce, but sweat is high in sodium which dries out your skin. This can leave your face looking patchy and red. To keep your skin supple (and not overdo it so that you’re a literal greaseball), try using a lightweight oil-free moisturizer that has SPF. Simple and smart!

Hydrate From Within

While hydrating your skin with a good moisturizer is key, the best hydration starts from within. Yup, with water! It’s easy to forget to get your daily 8 glasses (or more) during the hot months, but doing so will flush out toxins in your system. The result is a fresher looking you all around!

Wash Your Face (And Body) With Cold Water

You might already be showering in cold water as a cool relief from the heat, but if you aren’t you should do so ASAP this summer. The hot air and humidity combined with an extra dose of both from a hot shower work to dehydrate your skin. This in turn can cause unwanted breakouts. Plus, the cool water can provide an immediate «wake up» on days you’re feeling sluggish.

Up The Antioxidants

The amazing powers of antioxidants are endless, and when it comes to your skin these damage fighting molecules can do absolute wonders. Antioxidants can help protect your skin from damage caused by the sun, improve inflammation, and increase collagen necessary to keep your face smooth and wrinkle free.

That said, you can get your much needed dose of antioxidants both from external serums, which admittedly have a hefty price tag, or the easy cheap route- eating them! Many foods that are common in summer are packed with antioxidants, like mangoes, cantaloupe, and berries. Snack up- your skin will thank you!

Photos: Freepik and Unsplash

How to get a flat stomach (effortlessly)

5 noviembre, 2018 by Admin

It’s safe to say we are probably all tired of seeing impossible diets and super complicated exercises to obtain the perfect bikini body. Yet we all dream of having a flat stomach.

We bring you 10 basic tricks to achieve this successfully. Plus, with these tips it won’t be a capital sin if you skip any from time to time. What else can you ask for!

1. Leave fizzy drinks in the past

It doesn’t matter if it’s “light” or if it has a low sugar content. Fizzy drinks are straight up a no-go. They make you prone to inflammation and they don’t add anything positive to your health.

The bubbles in it can cause serious cardiovascular disease, as well as thousands of other diseases due to the toxins it contains. Refrain from these harmful drinks.

2. Chewing gum is double trouble

To constantly be chewing gum can lead to an excess of gastric juices, which can in turn lead to a build up of gases. This is what makes our abdomen swell up leaving us feeling like a balloon.

In addition, besides the secretion of gastric juices, the sole fact of chewing gum causes you to ingest air. Double trouble!

3. Replace your smoothies with fruit

Fruits are filled with healthy fibre, however, if you churn them to make a smoothie, the only thing left is glucose. This happens because we remove both the skin and the soluble fibre, getting rid of most of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

4. Careful with some vegetables

The green-leaved and the cabbage-type vegetables tend to make your stomach swell up even though they are essential to your diet. So if you are one to easily feel swollen, refrain yourself from eating these types of veggies.

If you decide to eat them anyway, the best thing you can do is steam them, and mix them with spices like cumin or fennel. You should also remember that chewing your food properly really helps prevent puffiness.

5. Eat slowly

Eating calmly might not seem very important but it actually does make a difference. Not eating your food as if you were Speedy Gonzales can provide you a sense of satiation causing you to ingest a smaller quantity of food.

In addition, it helps digestion and regulates glucose levels, as well as preventing gases. This happens because when we chew slowly, we start digesting food in our mouths. So if we don’t do this, food enters our stomach without having been digested previously, and a rotting process begins. This, in turn, causes gases and swelling.

6. Drink enough water

One of the biggest bodily issues that concerns women is liquid retention: a build up of water which can cause an increase in weight of up to 4kg. The solution is increasing your water intake. Fighting liquid retention by drinking water can seem counterproductive, but it really is the best way to go.

Drinking 2 liters of water a day gets rid of toxins and cleanses your organisms. Hydration help decrease your liquid retention.

7. Sweeteners are forbidden

Though sweeteners might seem like the perfect substitute for refined sugar, they are actually very hard to digest. Substitutes like sorbitol and mannitol are also linked to inflammation of the abdomen. You can opt for more natural sweeteners like stevia, but they should not contain any added ingredients.

8. Add proteins to your diet

Proteins are in charge of repairing your muscle tissue, meaning that if you increase your protein ingest, you will be able to tone up your abs.

No matter how much you train, if your body does not have ‘material’ to work with, it won’t be of any use. You should nourish your body enough in order for it to repair its muscles after you exercise. Some examples of foods that are protein-rich are: peanuts, prawns, salmon, turkey breast, etc.

9. Say goodbye to processed foods

Processed and ultra processed foods are extremely harmful for your health, as they contain very toxic ingredients like refined sugars, damaging fats, high amounts of salt and all sorts of additives.

These types of foods are addictive, which is why we often feel the need to eat a hamburger, but never seem to crave a piece of fruit.

Processed and ultra processed foods are also the number one cause of thousands of health problems, and they are causing you to gain weight. You can say goodbye to a flat stomach if you keep eating processed foods.

10. Move your body

One of the most effective exercises to get rid of abdominal fat is the famous “plank”. An effective example of it is doing five 30 second series, with a 30 second break in between.

You should work out at least 3 times a week, mixing it up between stamina and strength trainings.

Photos: Unsplash and Pixabay