If eyes are the windows to the soul (and an excellent indicator of overall health) there’s good reason to make sure they’re looking vibrant and healthy this season. And with abundant holiday stressors—plus potentially scant shut-eye—it’s even more important than ever to care for your peepers. Luckily, DIY tricks and natural ingredients can smooth out lines, calm puffiness and tackle the dreaded dark circles, according to Sunny Subramanian, coauthor of The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty (Robert Rose, 2016). Take a peek. PUFFINESS, REDNESS The Cause: There is a range of reasons you may experience unsightly red or swollen areas around the […]
Whether you’re making a beeline for the mistletoe or the dessert table, establishing lip care as a priority during the dry winter months can ensure your mouth stays in tip-top shape all season long. And, although the weather may be partially to blame for less-than-soft kissers, chapped lips are the result of other hectic holiday season habits, too. (Poor food choices, anyone?) Your lips are red for a reason: The skin and moisture barrier isn’t as thick or strong as other parts of the body. So pay attention when they tell you they’re damaged and follow these natural lip tips. […]
Milk thistle, a liver cleansing herb, was so important to early American settlers that colonists brought it over from Europe as part of their traditional medicine supply. Milk thistle grows throughout the world – in Africa, Australia, Asia, the U.S. and South America. The mature plant boasts identifiable bright purple flowers. Milk thistle is also commonly called silymarin because of the health-promoting antioxidants, particularly silybin. It really is a tonic for the liver and is used to treat toxic liver damage caused by alcohol, chemicals and even chemotherapy. It has been used in ancient medicine and among herbalists to treat […]
Inflammation in the body is a good thing … until it’s not. When you suffer an injury or an infection, your body’s immune system quickly dispatches healing cells straight to the source. If you sprain your ankle, for instance, you will almost instantly see and feel the symptoms of acute inflammation, which can be remembered with the acronym PRISH: pain, redness, immobility, swelling and heat. This type of inflammation is an essential part of a healthy immune system; it signals that the body is attempting to heal itself, and any pain and immobility you experience are a warning to you […]
Pumpkin spice may be the seasonal flavor du jour (or du decade!), but there are several science-backed reasons why peppermint should top your flavor list this holiday. Not only does the fresh taste of peppermint offset and brighten many of the season’s more indulgent choices, but it also comes with compelling health benefits. An aromatic herb in the mint family, peppermint is a cross between water mint and spearmint, and it’s most often used as a flavoring in breath mints, candies and other foods, and brewed as a caffeine-free tea. The leaves of peppermint contain several essential oils, including menthol, […]
Specialized eating plans are no longer that “special.” In a recent Nielsen survey, 31% of responders said that they or someone in their household avoid certain foods
Under the sea, vibrant, diverse ecosystems used to flourish. But today, coral reefs, also known as “rain forests of the sea,” are at risk. Whether on the shore or inland, consumerism—from plastic waste to chemical sunscreens—is harming ocean health. But could there be blue skies ahead for our blue waters? Maybe, but that depends on us. “People are waking up and recognizing that our lifestyles are having such a significant impact on the ocean that we can’t ignore it anymore,” says Vicki Nichols Goldstein, founder and executive director of the Inland Ocean Coalition and Colorado Ocean Coalition. “No matter where […]
Obesity, autism, mental health problems, IBS, allergies, auto-immunity, cancer — Does the answer to the modern epidemic of ‘Western’ diseases lie in our gut? According to author and biologist Alanna Collen, you are only 10% human. For every one of your cells, there are nine impostors hitching a ride. You are not just flesh and bone, but also bacteria and fungi. And you are more ‘them’ than you are ‘you.’ Your gut alone hosts 100 trillion of them and until recently we thought that our microbes didn’t matter. This is all set to change as the latest scientific research tells […]
Q: With every change of seasons, the skin on my hands and around my nails gets really dry and cracks. It’s so painful. What can I do to prevent this? “Changes of season can bring about a lot of skin changes,” says Dr. Caroline A. Chang of Dermatology Professionals in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Temperatures rise or drop, and the air’s moisture content may change drastically. Irritants in the air can also cause skin dryness. Research published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, for instance, shows that pollen may provoke both contact and atopic dermatitis. If you know which seasons […]
Specialized eating plans are no longer that “special.” In a recent Nielsen survey, 31 percent