TRY THESE NATURAL REMEDIES

Coconut and bulge

Studies have showed that coconut oil is packed with medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that prod the liver to burn body fat 50% faster than normal. When women eat two tablespoons of coconut oil, fresh coconut meat or coconut milk daily, they can effortlessly shed up to three pounds every month.

Ginger and Triglycerides

According to researchers, a daily dose of ginger can cut your production of artery-clogging fats called triglycerides by 27%. Plus, it’s twice as effective as aspirin at preventing dangerous blood clots -- ginger dampens inflammation, which is a key step in stopping the formation of clots.

The more reason Indonesia grows and consumes, more ginger than almost any other country in the world. Aside cooking it, they use it to make ginger tea, candy, bread and a host of other tasty treats.

Garlic and viral invasions

Researchers suggested that just jazzing up your diet with a daily clove of garlic could cut your risk of viral infections as much as 43% , even if you’re surrounded by sniffling, sneezing loved ones. Garlic is packed with allicin, an immunity-boosting sulfur compound that sabotages the growth and spread of invading germs.

Honey and sinus/throat infections

The natural antibiotics and enzymes in unpasteurized honey (but not the heat-treated kind) destroy almost 100% of bacteria and viruses on contact -- and that includes the bugs that cause painful sinus and throat infections.

Just mix two tablespoons of unpasteurized honey into your daily coffee or tea to prevent (and help fight) these painful infections. For best results, choose a dark-coloured honey as they contain up to 20 times more antioxidants than light-coloured clover honey.

Aloe Vera and skin rashes

Aloe can reduce redness, speed healing, increase your skin’s moisture level and strengthen its resistance to irritants like chemicals and soaps. Not only does this reduce itching and dryness, it prevents future rashy flare-ups.

If you are having skin issues, look for aloe vera cream or gel in your health food store and apply three times daily to rash-prone areas.

Pamper your skin with honey

www.benefits-of-honey.com

I have heard so much about people spending thousands of Naira to buy different types of cream (concoctions?) for face, neck and body all in a bid to look younger than their age. However, some are doing it just to maintain their skin complexion.

I have tried my hands on some of these things but, I can tell you, there is nothing like going natural. After all, many of the beauty products also have traces of natural ingredients in them.

I am going the honey way, first. Honey has the ability to absorb and retain moisture. It has natural antioxidant and anti microbial properties. Honey absorbs impurities from the pores on the skin, making it an ideal cleansing agent.

Before you decide to use honey on your skin, you must be sure it is pure and not adulterated honey. A simple way of testing is to observe how liquid honey comes down into a glass of water. Pure honey does not immediately dissolve in water; you will notice that it takes a bit of effort to stir it in the water to dissolve the lumpy bits, whereas adulterated one tends to dissolve easily as you drop them into the water.

Here we go with some DIY recipes to pamper your skin.

1. Cucumber-Honey Toner:

Puree 1 cucumber in a blender, drain and collect the juice. Add 2 teaspoons of honey into the juice and mix. Pour the mixture into a bottle. Apply on the face and neck area with a cotton pad in the morning and at night. Air dry it and rinse clean. Store the bottle covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

2. Honey-Apple Toner:

In a blender or food processor, combine 1 peeled, cored apple with a tablespoon of honey and pulse until smooth. Apply mixture to face and allow it to stay for 15 minutes, then rinse.

3. Honey-Oats Face Scrub:

Combine 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon finely-ground almonds, 2 tablespoons dry oatmeal, and some lemon juice or yogurt to a luxurious and exfoliating facial scrub. Massage mixture gently onto face, then rinse with warm water. This blend gives a deeply emollient cleansing to the pores of your face. Almonds and oats are superb softening exfoliants.

4. Gentle Honey Cleanser:

Mix 1⁄4 cup honey, 1 tablespoon liquid soap and 1⁄2 cup glycerin (found in drug stores). Apply gently on to face using a face sponge. Rinse with warm water and pat face dry.

5. Hot Honey Bath:

Perhaps the easiest natural skin care recipe using honey -- Add 1/4 cup of honey to your hot bath water for silky and luscious skin. This is especially good for dry skin.