9 Reasons to Use Epsom Salt

Epsom salt, which is not really a salt at all but a mineral compound comprised of magnesium and sulfate, gets its named from a saline spring at Epsom in Surrey, England. Epsom salt has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for a number of ailments and also has many beauty, gardening and household uses.
Both magnesium and sulfate are readily absorbed into the skin which makes the health benefits readily accessible. Over 325 enzymes in the body are regulated by magnesium which also helps reduce inflammation, alleviates hardening of the arteries and improves muscle and nerve function. Sulfates improve the rate at which nutrients are absorbed and help to flush out toxins.
Ease Stress
If you are stressed, you may be deficient in magnesium and you may have elevated adrenaline. When Epsom salt is dissolved in warm water it is absorbed through the skin and can naturally replenish lost magnesium. This magnesium helps the body produce serotonin, which is a mood elevating chemical in the brain.
Magnesium also increases energy and stamina by encouraging the production of ATP – the energy powerhouse of the cell. Bathing in Epsom salt three times a week can help increase your energy, improve your mood and reduce the negative impacts of elevated adrenaline. Use 2 cups of Epsom salt in each full bath.
Eliminate Toxins
The sulphates in Epsom salt draw heavy metals and other toxins from cells which can ease muscle pain and improve cellular function. Adding Epsom salt to your bathwater pulls salt out of your body along with harmful toxins. Add 2 cups of Epsom salt to a warm bath once a week and soak for at least 10 minutes for detoxification.
Relieve Pain and Cramps in Muscles
If you have sore muscles, migraine headaches or bronchial asthma, you may want to try an Epsom salt bath. It can relieve both pain and inflammation. If you are on your feet all day you may want to soak them in warm Epsom salt. It can also help neutralize foot odor.
For Beauty
Try the following beauty treatments that use Epsom salt:
Exfoliating Facial Cleanser – Mix a small handful of Epsom salt with a tablespoon of coconut oil and rub on your face. Rinse and pat dry.
Blackhead Remover – Add a teaspoon of salt and 3 drops of iodine into half a cup of boiling water. Apply mixture to blackheads using a cotton ball.
Skin Mask – For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 organic egg, 1/4 cup of nonfat dry milk, the juice of one lemon and half a teaspoon of epsom salt together. Dampen your skin and place the mixture on your face – avoiding the eye area. Allow the mask to harden and set for about ten minutes – rinse and pat dry.
Home and Garden
Use Epsom salt around your home and garden:
Clean Bathroom Tiles – Get those dim and dirty tiles in your bathroom clean by mixing equal parts of Epsom salt with liquid dish detergent. Scrub tiles with the mixture and rinse well.
Fertilize Plants – Plants need nutrients including magnesium and sulfur in order to look their best. Sprinkling Epsom salt once a week on houseplants, flowers and vegetables will provide them with the nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus they need to thrive.

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/9-reasons-use-epsom-salt/

Healthy Foods

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter may indeed contain fat, but 30 percent of your daily calories should come from healthy fats, for which peanut butter is a great choice. The nutty spread is also a good way to get protein, fiber and vitamin E. The same goes for whole peanuts or nuts such as almonds and walnuts — they're a great way to get your daily dose of healthy fats.



Avocado

So it may seem weird for a fruit (yes, avocados are fruits) to contain fat, but avocados are one of the few produce items that do. Their heart-protecting monounsaturated fats are actually one of the things that make them so healthy. Eating these green guys can help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke — so go ahead and have some of that guacamole.



Bananas

Often bashed for their high sugar and carb content, bananas are a ridiculously healthy fruit that everyone can enjoy. A small banana has the same calories, carbs and fiber as an apple. They also come packed with vitamins C and B6 and good-for-your-heart potassium. Try slicing and baking them for a sweet snack.



Corn

Some folks frown on corn because it's a starchy vegetable. Well, it is starchy — because it's actually a grain! One cup of corn kernels has 5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber (that's more than 25 percent of the daily recommendation) and energy-producing B-vitamins. You can also eat corn in a wide variety of ways — polenta, tortillas and popcorn are all healthy whole-grain options.



Eggs

Eggs do contain some cholesterol, but that doesn't mean they're a total no-no. According to the American Egg Board, healthy individuals can eat up to two eggs per day without significantly affecting blood cholesterol levels. Eggs are also full of vitamins A, D and the antioxidant lutein. Don't skip the yolks; there's just as much protein there as in the whites.



Potatoes

Yet another veggie shunned for its starch content, potatoes are a nutrition powerhouse! A medium potato has 165 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 10 percent of your daily iron and 70 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.


5 Vegetables That Help Dissolve Belly Fat

Doesn’t matter what age you are, everyone wants a smaller belly or at least a flat tummy.  And it seems like with every bite of your favorite foods, we get further and further away from that goal.  But that just means, some other foods need to start being our favorites.  Like these foods that actually help shed off that midsection of yours.  Here’s our top five:
1. Cauliflower According to experts, it’s the fiber in cauliflower that’s going to help you trim your stomach fat. A 1-cup serving of cooked cauliflower has 3 grams of fiber. Adding more fiber to your diet helps you lose weight, says Harvard Health Publications, and reduces your risk of heart disease and diabetes, two risk factors of excess belly fat. It’s not only the fiber in the cauliflower that’s good for belly fat. It’s low in calories, which can help reduce your calorie intake for overall weight loss, including your belly. A 1-cup serving of cooked cauliflower has 28 calories, 0.5 gram of fat, 5 grams of carbs and 1 gram of protein. 2. Squash There are two types of squash, summer squash and winter squash. Both offer specific advantages. Summer squash is good for weight loss because it is the lower of the two in calories. Spaghetti squash is a type of summer squash that is a particularly good diet food. One cup of spaghetti squash has only 42 calories and contains moderate amounts of potassium and vitamin A. It also has 2.2 grams of dietary fiber that can help curb your appetite.
3. Celery
Celery is what is known as a negative calorie food. It contains less calories in terms of nutrition than it actually takes to digest- hence the term “negative calorie food”. In other words, you can actually eat this to lose weight. In addition to being negative calorie, it is high in vitamin C, calcium and is best enjoyed raw. Enjoying fresh celery juice before a meal can even help you lose weight and burn belly fat eating it, as it is said will actually end up burning calories for you.
4. Broccoli When it comes to losing belly fat, non-starchy vegetables are superior to starchy vegetables like potatoes because non-starchy vegetables have a lower energy density than starchy vegetables. Cooked broccoli has 0.3 calories per gram and a baked red potato has 0.9 calories per gram and fewer calories per serving, with 27 calories for a cup of cooked broccoli versus 154 calories for a medium, baked red potato. If you top your potatoes with sour cream or mash them with butter, your belly fat might be here to stay.
5. Cabbage Cabbage is one of those vegetables that has an indirect tie in to belly fat. While it doesn’t burn and help shed belly fat like the other veggies, it does help with one crucial thing: bowel movements. That’s right, cabbage can be used as a natural laxative to keep your body on a regular bowel movement schedule getting rid of extra unwanted weight and waste.






http://blackdoctor.org/495034/5-vegetables-that-help-dissolve-belly-fat/

Loaded Sweet Potato (Healthy)

By: Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN; Reboot Nutritionist

Potatoes are one of my all time, absolute, most favorite foods! What’s my guilty pleasure and number one food craving? It’s potato in almost any form. I’d pass on chocolate for a serving of salty sweet potato fries any day. And while these carb-filled gems are often seen as sabotage for health goals and likened to sugar-sweetened beverages, rest assured, they’re better for you than you may think. In fact, both white potatoes and sweet potatoes have merit; read more here in The Battle of Potatoes.
This week I decided to take a spin on a classic appetizer, loaded potatoes. While traditionally these are filled with added oils, fatty cheese, sour cream, processed meats and other nutrition no-nos, I went “Reboot-style” on mine for a fresh and healthy take that doesn’t compromise flavor or pleasure one bit!
There are substitutions and options listed below for all types of veggie-lovers. And for those who aren’t big veggie fans, this is a great way to get more of the good stuff into your diet.
Sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrients, like antioxidant-based vitamin A, beta-carotene and other carotenoids credited with helping reduce cancer risk, preserving vision with age and keeping the immune system strong. Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of fiber with 4 grams in one medium, baked sweet potato with skin–that’s about 15% of your daily needs. Electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium can also be found in this veggie.
Load up your sweet potato with more plant-based goodness. I topped mine to make it just right for “Taco-Tuesday,” with black beans, red pepper, salsa, tomato, onions, garlic, avocado and fresh herbs. Feel free to swap in other types of beans, nuts/seeds, veggies and herbs of your choice for any flavor or flair. If you include dairy in your diet, a pinch of cheese from a clean source is a nice touch but measure out to keep it to about 1 ounce per potato. Salsa is a great low-calorie, nutrient-rich swap for sour cream. And don’t be alarmed by the size of the potato in the picture… it is organic and did feed my entire family of 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• ½ cup cooked black beans
• ½ red pepper, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp scallions, chopped
• 2 large kale leaves, chopped
• ½ avocado, diced
• ½ tomato, diced
• ¼ cup salsa
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp chipotle powder
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (200 degrees C)
2. Wash sweet potato and stab with a fork once or twice
3. When oven is hot, place sweet potato, whole, on rack to bake for about an hour, until soft in the middle
4. While sweet potato is cooking, wash and chop other veggies well. Drain and rinse black beans from BPA-free can or use ones that you soaked and cooked from dry
5. Once potato is cooked, cut in half and let cool a bit
6. Mix beans, tomato, pepper, onion together in a bowl and add spices, stirring to coat veggies
7. Top potato with beans and veggie mixture
8. Garnish with scallions and salsa. Top with diced avocado

Substitutions:

Sweet potato: Yam, white potato
Black beans: lentils, chick peas, pinto or other beans
Red pepper: green/orange/yellow pepper, eggplant, mushrooms
Onion: leeks
Scallion: leeks
Chipotle Spice: cayenne pepper or cracked red pepper flakes
Avocado: parsley
Salsa: Another type of salsa like verde or mango, hot sauce, cashew cream
Kale: spinach, Swiss chard
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 75 minutes
Servings: 2 

http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/loaded-stuffed-sweet-potatoes/

Onion



Onions are a crucial ingredient in almost any delicious meal. But you might not know that they have some great health benefits, too, and not just when it comes to nutrition! This wonderful bulb can actually be used as a highly versatile natural remedy. Take a look



1. Burns

Simply cut an onion in half and hold it on the burn until the pain goes away. The juices act as an immediate pain reliever, and the onion’s natural antiseptic properties can prevent scarring and reduce the risk of infection.

2. Insect Bites

Applying raw onion to a bug bite will help draw out the poison and reduce pain and swelling.

3. Earache

Place an onion core in the ear canal overnight, and it will soften the wax buildup and alleviate the pain. (it really works!)

4. Fever

Burning up? Place onion slices in your socks while you sleep! Strange as

5. Detox

Since onions absorb bacteria, leaving cut onions around the house can help prevent the flu and other virus-borne illnesses from spreading. it sounds, this has been known to help break a fever overnight.

http://boredomtherapy.com/remedies-using-onions/?shr=true

Cucumbers

Salt

Spreading Salt Around The House. Here’s Why It’s So Incredible!

Salt is such a precious commodity that in ancient times it was used to pay workers. The word salary, is in fact derived from the ration of salt a worker would be given.…

See Why She Spreads Salt Around The House

Salt is such a precious commodity that in ancient times it was used to pay workers. The word salary, is in fact derived from the ration of salt a worker would be given. Then as now, salt is used to liven the taste of food and for many other necessary things. Here are ten ways to use salt around the home:


1.To Clean Chopping Boards A handful or so of coarse salt mixed with the juice of half a lemon is just the thing to scrub a chopping board with to clean and disinfect it.
2. To Polish Brass
To remove an especially stubborn tarnish from brass, use a paste of salt and vinegar. Again, a half a lemon dipped in salt and used as a rub is also good. Rinse with tepid water, and buff dry with a clean, white, lint-free cloth.
3. To Clean Burnt Cookware
If cookware burns, wet the burned area on the pot or pan, apply some salt, and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Then, scrub and rinse. Another way is to fill the pot with water and a handful of salt and let it soak overnight. After the pot or pan has soaked, turn the burner on beneath it and bring the salt water to a boil. This should get rid of the burn marks. Then, wash the pot or pan out. Repeat the process if necessary.
4. To Extinguish Stove Fires
If a pot or pan catches fire on top of the stove, turn off the burner, and extinguish the fire with handfuls of salt or baking soda. Never use sugar, baking powder or flour.
5. To Melt Ice On Walks
Throw rock salt on a path before the expected snow or sleet falls. This will keep the ice from sticking to the surface of the path, especially if it’s made of concrete.
6. To Remove Coffee or Tea Stains
To remove coffee or tea stains from a ceramic cup or mug, scrub it with a salt or a paste of half salt and half white vinegar. Water rings in vases can also be removed by rubbing them with salt. If the vase has a narrow neck and the inside is had to reach, fill it with a strong saline solution and shake it. Then, wash.

positivemed.com|By Anastasia