Healthy Bath Tips

Today I'd like to share four healthy bath tips you can use to save money.

Why spend an arm and a leg on expensive bath products when you can whip up wonderful bath ingredients from your own kitchen?

Ginger Bath

Peel and coarsely chop an inch of whole ginger. Put in an old stocking, tying one or both ends to keep the ginger inside. Place in a tub with very warm running water. A ginger bath will help to detox your body and soothe your skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar Bath

Add half a cup of vinegar to your bath to help combat fatigue and invigorate the body.

Baking Soda Bath

To relieve itching and various skin irritations, add a half of a box of bicarbonate of soda to your bath. A soothing baking soda bath is also great for sunburn.

Milk Bath

Add 1 cup of instant milk powder to your bath to make your skin silky soft. You can also add a few drops of lavender essential oil to relax you before bed.

I learned these healthy bath tips from my friend Victoria, the creator of Tooth Soap.

That's all for today.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Banana

Today I'd like to share some information emailed to me many years ago by a correspondent long forgotten about one of nature's great health foods -- the lowly banana.

If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better snack than a banana.

Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose - combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proved that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

Besides being a quick fix for flagging energy levels during the day, bananas may also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making them a wise addition to your daily diet.

Here are just a few of the conditions that bananas are said to help...

Anemia

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect food for helping to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power

Two hundred students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Depression

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain trypotophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Hangovers

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

So take advantage of one of the best buys in your supermarket and keep a good supply of healthy bananas in your home... all the time!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Vegan Banana Bread

Let's start this week with a healthy vegan banana bread recipe, shall we?

Vegan Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups flour -- whole wheat
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 bananas -- mashed
1 apple -- finely chopped

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350F for 60-75 minutes in a greased and floured loaf pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on its side.

That was easy enough, eh?

If you have a healthy banana bread recipe you'd like to share, just use the comment link below and start typing.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Pineapple Bars

Let's wrap up the week with a terrific little recipe for...

Healthy Pineapple Bars

20 oz crushed pineapple
2 cups chopped dates
3 cup oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup coconut oil

Combine pineapple and dates in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until thickened. Stir frequently. In a large bowl, mix oats, wheat germ, coconut, and walnuts. Stir in juice and oil. Press half of the oat mixture in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Spread the pineapple mixture on top, then sprinkle on the rest of the oat mixture. Press down lightly. Bake at 350F degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into squares. Makes 32.

These healthy pineapple bars will taste better than any granola bar you've ever bought in any store or restaurant in your life!

So give them a try this weekend.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you have a healthy snack bar recipe you'd like to share, click on the comments link below and start typing.

Deep Relaxation

I don't know about you, but I really enjoy states of deep relaxation.

I mean, seriously, what could be better than letting your body melt into a quiet, peaceful pool of utter calm?

Well, yes, that is better, but we're not discussing bedroom matters this morning.

Today I want to give you a natural technique you can use to attain really nice states of deep relaxation.

Ready?

Here we go with a technique shared by the late Declan Twohig...

Sitting comfortably, with eyes open or closed, list (to yourself) three things which you can see, then three things which you can hear, then three things which you can feel.

For example, "I see the color of the wall, I see the person opposite me, I see the color of her hair, I hear the sounds outside the room, I hear people moving about, I hear my own breathing, I feel the cushion underneath me, I feel the air on my skin, I feel my hands on my lap."

Then narrow it down to a list of two things in each sensory mode, and then one thing in each mode.

Tell yourself, "As I count from ten down to one, I can go into a deep, comfortable state of relaxation."

Then count breaths backwards from ten to one and enjoy the relaxation that you are drifting into.

This works most powerfully when the verbal listing within your head is timed in a rhythm with your breathing.

Yes, the technique sounds a little complicated, but give it a try anyway. It only takes a few minutes and it will put you into a state of deep relaxation.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you want a recording that'll drop you into deep relaxation without you having to do anything other than to put on your headphones, click here to learn about my popular Cat's Purr CD. I promote it as a natural sleep aid, but it's also one of the best deep relaxation CDs on the market.

Vegetable Soup Recipe

Today I'd like to share a healthy and easy vegetable soup recipe that I predict you'll add to your soup files.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 head of celery, diced
2 cups of carrots, diced
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup of green beans (fresh)
1 1/2 cup of diced potatoes
3 quarts of low sodium vegetable stock or water
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs dry basil
1 tsp dry parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion, celery, leeks and carrots in olive oil over a medium flame for 2 minutes, add the garlic, basil and parsley and continue to cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the vegetable stock or water, diced tomatoes, diced potatoes and green beans simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary. Serves between 6 and 8.

Whoa, that's an easy and healthy vegetable soup recipe, eh?

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Sitz Bath

I spent the first 52-years of my life thinking a sitz bath was a bath where you sat in the tub with the water up to your waist.

What a surprise to learn back in 2000 when I was reading The Natural Remedy Bible that I had spent my entire life with the wrong conception of a sitz bath.

On the off chance you're as ignorant as I am, and that is an off chance believe me because I can sure be bone-headed sometimes, I'd like to share with you today what I learned about the sitz bath from The Natural Remedy Bible:

"The sitz bath affects mainly the circulation in the lower abdominal and pelvic region. It does so without influencing the circulation in the lower limbs because the legs are not immersed. It serves mainly to disperse congestion in the abdominal and pelvic organs, a common problem for sedentary workers.

"Sitz baths are not to be taken more than three times a week. Convenient plastic tubs that facilitate the use of this application are available, but you can also use an ordinary bathtub.

"Fill the tub about one-third full so that the water covers the upper portion of the thighs, the seat, and the abdomen up to the navel. It is most comfortable to sit crosswise in the bathtub with the feel resting on a small stool set on the floor.

"In this positin, the circulation in the back of the knees will not be restricted. With practice, you will be able to take a sitz bath without having to undress compeltely. To avoid a chill, the upper torso should be clothed, or a light blanket or sheet should be draped over the shoulders and chest."

And now you know everything I know about how to take a sitz bath.

Happy sitzing!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Natural Asthma Remedy

Asthma is a horrible problem for many people. Unfortunately, many of the medications used for asthma relief have side effects almost as bad as an asthma attack itself.

You may find useful one or all of the following natural tips for asthma relief...

• Drink a solution of 1/4 cup onion juice, 1 Tbs of honey, and 1/8 tsp of black pepper.
  
  
• Mix 1 tsp honey with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and take it at night before going to bed.
  
  
• Express the juice from a garlic clove. Mix 10-15 drops in warm water and drink.

People have also reported relief from asthma by using an energy technique called EFT. Click here to download a free manual that will show you exactly how to do EFT.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com