Category: Health & Wellness

Indigestion Issues?

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Health & Wellness

Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia, is the uncomfortable feeling you get in your belly usually during a meal or after. It usually comes with bloating, nausea or vomiting, belching, and gas. In some cases, you can feel it while or after having a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). It can occur after eating spicy or fatty foods, food high in acidity, and from overeating. It is usually the symptom of an underlying problem like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), ulcers, gallbladder disease, or irritable bowel syndrome just to name a few.

If you are having indigestion issues and are tired of taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, you might have already started looking into natural remedies to help you overcome those issues. There are many natural remedies to choose from, but there are a few that stand out the most and actually top of the list when helping ease the pain and comfortability of indigestion and all that it brings.

There are some preventive measures that can be taken to minimize indigestion symptoms. These would be the first line of defense to combat indigestion. Such as frequently eating smaller meals. You can do this by eating a small meal or snack every 2 to 3 hours. Also, eating at a slower pace can help your indigestion; it also reminds you to eat more mindfully. Limiting your caffeine intake and increasing your water intake are also good ways to help with indigestion. Make sure not to eat too late in the evening, this actually causing the heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion that you are working to combat. Adding whole foods to your diet such as lean meat, fruits and vegetables are a great way to get your body healthy and avoid upset stomach and avoiding spicy foods.

Sometimes it can be hard to remember to do all these things (especially avoiding spicy foods in my case), so there are other natural remedies out there that will help with indigestion as well. These are the top few I found while doing my research:

  • Baking soda – acts as an antacid
    • Mix about 1/2 a teaspoon baking soda with a cup of water.
    • Can drink up to 2 to 3 times daily.
  • Ginger – promotes healthy digestion
    • You can add ginger as a spice to your meal.
    • You can make yourself a ginger tea to drink.
    • You can add 2 teaspoons of ginger juice and 1 teaspoon of honey to a warm cup of water to drink.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – has alkalizing effect
    • Mix a tablespoon of ACV and a teaspoon of honey in a cup of water.
    • Can drink up to 2 to 3 times daily.
  • Fennel Seeds – contain volatile oils that help reduce nausea and control flatulence
    • In a cup of hot water, add 2 tablespoons of fennel and leave it to steep for a while. Strain the water and add a teaspoon of honey. Can drink up to 2 to 3 times daily.
    • You can chew a spoonful of fennel seeds.
    • You can dry roast, grind, and sieve fennel seeds. Take 1/2 a teaspoon of this powder along with water. Follow this remedy twice daily.
  • Chamomile – calms the stomach and soothes spasms in the intestinal tract
    • You can take a half-teaspoon chamomile tincture up to three times daily.
    • You can have a nice cup of chamomile tea.
  • Peppermint – the oil soothes intestinal muscle spasms and helps relieve nausea
    • You can take one or two capsules containing 0.2 milliliters of oil per capsule three times a day, between meals.
    • You can have a nice cup of peppermint tea.
  • Aloe vera juice – reduces inflammation
    • If you have a 1/2 cup of aloe vera juice before a meal, it will settle your stomach.
    • It is also a laxative, so be mindful that you will probably need to be near a bathroom.

There are plenty more remedies out there, what are some you have tried?

20 Ways To Make Your Day Healthy. Pick At Least One Daily.

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Health & Wellness

There is an amazing article I found by Cure Joy about ways to make your day more healthy. The best part about this list is that you have things to choose from that you can implement on a daily basis. It is always hard to start new routines, that is why being able to choose which you will implement on any given day is really beneficial.

These 20 ways are actually not all that bad or hard to follow through on:

  1. Wake Up Before Sunrise
  2. Don’t Skip Breakfast
  3. Exercise For An Hour
  4. Drink 2 Glasses Of Water 5 Times A Day
  5. Cook A Meal At Home
  6. Get Off The Internet
  7. Walk Briskly For An Hour
  8. No Junk Food
  9. Get 8 Hours Of Sleep At Night
  10. Procrastinate
  11. Bike To Work
  12. Ditch The Elevator
  13. Drink A Cup Of Green Tea
  14. Laugh Out Loud For 10 Minutes
  15. Do 10 Repetitions Of Sun Salutations
  16. Breathe Deeply For 10 Minutes
  17. Take A Stroll Barefoot In Grass
  18. Give Sugar A Pass
  19. Go Green
  20. Call Up An Old Friend

 

Source: https://www.curejoy.com/content/ways-to-make-day-healthy

 

Benefits & Uses of Coconut Oil

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Health & Wellness

For a long time, coconut oil has been used to for so many different things. It is one of the oils I like to use for numerous reasons. I love all the benefits coconut oil has and there are still more uses being discovered.

To date, there are over 1,500 studies proving coconut oil to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Coconut oil benefits and uses go beyond what most people realize.

–Dr. Axe

One of the main ways I use coconut oil is for my hair. I use it for hot oil treatments. It moisturizes my hair and scalp, keeping dandruff at bay, and helps stop breakage allowing it to grow healthy. I use coconut oil in just about every hair treatment mask or oil I make at home. It has healthy fatty acids (lauric acid, capric acid, and caprylic acid) needed for a healthy lifestyle. Coconut oil is safe to use topically and to ingest. It is also a really good substitute to use when cooking instead of butter or cooking spray. Coconut oil has antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Coconut oil is safe to use topically and to ingest. It is also a really good substitute to use when cooking instead of butter or cooking spray. Because of the good fats in coconut oil, it can actually help lower your cholesterol levels and help fight high blood pressure when ingested. It also helps you digest your food. It strengthens the immune system because it contains antimicrobial lipids and the healthy fatty acids I mentioned above.

Coconut oil is also good for your skin. It is filled with antioxidants that help relieve dry skin and is good for skin infections like eczema and dermatitis for example. You will find that a lot of products have coconut oil in its ingredients for this reason. It is also a carrier oil which means you can easily add essential oils and other beneficial oils to it.

I also like to use coconut oil for oil pulling in the mornings when I first wake up. I scrape my tongue first and then for about five to ten minutes I pull coconut oil in my mouth. It is almost like using a mouthwash but has greater benefits. Since coconut oil aids in the absorption of calcium by the body, it helps in developing strong teeth. It also stops tooth decay and reduces plaque from forming and gingivitis.

The benefits I have mentioned are just to name a few and give examples of how I myself have used coconut oil. Should you want to look up recipes for inspiration or just want to know more ways coconut oil can benefit you, check out these following websites:

You can start small when incorporating coconut oil into your lifestyle for the first time. I started with a top/down approach myself, using it in my hair first. Try not to overwhelm yourself by trying a ton of recipes at once, focus on one and take notes on any reactions. Also, be sure to talk to your doctor prior to making any changes. It is always best to know your starting markers to see how much coconut oil can improve your life.

Until the next post,

Namaste!

CPR & First Aid Training Complete!

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Health & Wellness

I am getting all my ducks in a row to be able to provide the best information I can.

Today I completed my CPR & First Aid training. In the health & fitness world, it is a must. On top of that, it is always a good idea to have basic training for what to do in case of an emergency.  I highly recommend going through the training yourself when you can.

I used International Open Academy (IOA) to complete my training and they have a sale going on right now that you can take any class for only $19 using the promo code NYSALE. It surely does not hurt to have life-saving training up your sleeve!

Sister Science Experience

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Ayurveda

Getting ready to start the year off on a good note. Let’s all do what we can to stay positive and keep pushing towards healthiness and greatness. Bringing in 2017 with new goals and plans. Looking forward to new and fun things starting with this first journey: Sister Science Experience.

Sister Science: Beyond Asana is an in-depth and intimate experience into the world of Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy. This program is a Karma Service Centered 100% Free Experience for our global community.

So far, I am enjoying the program and implore you to register and give it a try!

https://www.facebook.com/events/217431135346324??ti=ia

Energies & Their Importance

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Ayurveda

Chakra – The Sankrit word for wheel or disk

In terms of Ayurveda, yoga, or meditation chakras are the energy wheels that are aligned along the spine; starting at the base of your spine and going all the way up to the crown of your head. There are seven (7) main chakras and the energy that travels between the chakras is called Prana — vital life force energy.

When your chakras are balanced, energy flows seamlessly through your body and you feel great. However, when your chakras are imbalanced, one might experience things such as headaches or anxiety. The seven (7) main chakras are:

  1. The Muladhara is the chakra of stability, security, and our basic needs. It encompasses the first three vertebrae, the bladder, and the colon. When this chakra is open, we feel safe and fearless. This chakra is represented by the color red.
  2. The Svadhisthana chakra is our creativity and sexual center. It is located above the pubic bone, below the navel, and is responsible for our creative expression. This chakra is represented by the color orange.
  3. The Manipura chakra means lustrous gem and it’s the area from the navel to the breastbone. The third chakra is our source of personal power. This chakra is represented by the color yellow.
  4. Anahata. Located at the heart center is at the middle of the seven and unites the lower chakras of matter and the upper chakras of spirit. The fourth is also spiritual but serves as a bridge between our body, mind, emotions, and spirit. The heart chakra is our source of love and connection. This chakra is represented by the color green.
  5. The Vishuddha chakra is the fifth chakra, located in the area of the throat. This is our source of verbal expression and the ability to speak our highest truth. The fifth chakra includes the neck, thyroid, and parathyroid glands, jaw, mouth, and tongue. This chakra is represented by the color blue.
  6. The Ajna chakra is located in between the eyebrows on the forehead. It is also referred to as the “third eye” chakra and is our center of intuition. We all have a sense of intuition but we may not listen to it or heed its warnings. This chakra is represented by the color indigo.
  7. The Sahaswara chakra or the “thousand petal lotus” chakra is located at the crown of the head. This is the chakra of enlightenment and spiritual connection to our higher selves, others, and ultimately, to the divine. This chakra is represented by the color violet/purple or white.

droz-7chakras-infographic-720

 

Friday! Splurge Day!

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Health & Wellness

Okay so this is the day I cheated myself. I ate late, more than once and had beers and cocktails. Oh My!

Not a great idea, but everything I had was amazing. I found a hidden gem near my house! Our very own neighborhood brewery! One way to keep your stress down is to just go in your neighborhood and try a place you’ve never been before. You are allowed a reward day for all the hard work you put in throughout the week. I definitely did that. Fridays are usually the day I pick. After a long week of work and all the tasks that are completed, sometimes it’s really needed.

Splurge days are always fun, just have to make sure not to overdue it. You don’t want to feel horrible the next day because you stuffed yourself the night before. It’s best to still enjoy things in moderation. Rewards are needed when you workout and eat right all the time. You treat it as an incentive to keep up the good work going forward. So make sure you set a splurge day to reward yourself and your health will continue to improve.

A Must Share – 21 Ways to Nourish Your Mind & Body

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Health & Wellness

Good Morning!

Ever wonder why there are so many ways to take of not only your body, but your mind and soul/spirit too? Well I found something that pretty much lays everything out there for you in a nutshell.  These findings in the photo shared are actually what motivated me to want to share the information I’m learning. I myself, have already begun to follow some of the suggested ways mentioned in the photo below. I struggle with inflammation, insomnia, depression and anxiety and also finding out what would help me combat these ailments and still lead a healthy and productive life.

Now as always, the information given is just a suggestion (or a stepping stone). However, I encourage you to try incorporating some of these soulful ways into your life and routine. They literally make a world of difference. Let me know how it goes.

 

Learn how to manage stress!:

Ayurveda. What is it?

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Ayurveda

Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest healing systems, beginning in India over 5,000 years ago. Its principal belief is that all things are connected, whether living or not. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that literally translates as “the science of life” or “the wisdom of life” or “the knowledge of longevity”. According to Ayurveda, in order to be healthy your mind, body, and spirit have to be aligned and balanced with the universe. Being healthy is not just the exclusion of disease in the body.

Ayurveda has a few basic principles:

  • Reaching your unique state of balance in your whole being (body, mind, spirit) is fundamental to your well-being.
  • There are 3 doshas (that describe who we are): vata, pitta, and kapha – I’ll get into these more in future posts.
  • If you are imbalanced, get rid of what’s causing the problem. If you are still experiencing imbalances, counteract with opposite (ei. spicy foods cause indigestion so eat something less spicy).
  • Always support your digestive system, it is here that the good nutrients is absorbed and the bad waste is expelled.
  • The universe is made of the 5 basic elements air, water, fire, earth, and space.

When you hear about Ayurveda, mostly it’s about learning about your body’s unique composition of the principle energies (doshas) and keeping them balanced. Vata (space & air) is the energy of movement, pitta (fire & water) is the energy of digestion or metabolism, and kapha (earth & water) the energy of lubrication and structure.

Mask Day!

by Brittany M. Edwards, posted in Beauty

Okay, so it’s always a good decision to take care of your body on the inside and out. I decided, for myself, that I would try a head-to-toe approach. So I literally started with my hair: finding a good regimen, products to use, and to maintain its healthy appearance. (I’ll make other posts about my hair revelations later, but I was too excited about this face mask).

Today is about my face!

I have found one amazing Dead Sea Mud Mask by Pure Body Naturals! OMG! I love this mask! Not only does it make my skin feel amazing, it’s all natural! I can actually pronounce every single last ingredient in the mask, which is usually a rough task. I must say, my face has never felt this clean and refreshed. I definitely can see how it’s a number top seller on Amazon.com. I will definitely be using this mask every week for a deep cleansing, to shrink my pores, and help with keeping acne at bay. 

I definitely recommend this buy!