16 Natural Remedies To Remove Blackheads Fast

If you have recently noticed (or are fed up of) the dark spots around your forehead, nose or chin, you should definitely get relief from these home remedies for blackheads. These spots are blackheads, one of the common forms of acne. They become black in color because the oil in these minute ‘boils’ react with the air. In fact, blackheads are nothing but the oil that gets accumulated in your skin pores and get hardened due to reaction with air. And why does this happen? When the oil secreting glands of your skin produces excess oil, it leads the pores to get expanded and thickened where the oil gets stored and hardens gradually. Excess oil is usually produced due to hormonal changes like in teenage, during pregnancy, menstruation, menopause and of course when we eat a lot of fried foods and use low quality oil based cosmetic products!

Home Remedies to Remove Blackheads

1. Cinnamon Powder Remedy for Blackheads

The magical spice cinnamon powder can come to your rescue when you are suffering from blackheads too. There are more than one way to use this spice for removing blackheads.

Cinnamon Powder and Lemon Juice Remedy

• Add 1 tsp of lemon juice to 1 tsp of cinnamon powder and mix well.
• Apply this on your blackheads.
•  Leave for 20 minutes and then wash off.
• Do this twice or thrice a day.

Cinnamon Powder and Honey Remedy

• Add 1 tsp of honey to 1 tsp of cinnamon powder, mix well.
• Apply on blackheads at night and go to bed.
• Wash off in the morning.
• Do this daily for 8-10 days or till the time you get rid of these spots.

Cinnamon Powder, Turmeric and Lemon Juice Remedy

• Make a homemade facial cleanser by mixing 1 tsp of cinnamon powder, 1 tsp of lemon juice and a pinch of turmeric powder.
• Clean your face everyday with this.
• Wash off with lukewarm water.

2. Oatmeal Remedy for Blackheads

Earlier, beauticians used to squeeze out blackheads with a little equipment similar to tongs after they gave a facial massage to a woman. This was an undesirable act to do as it was quite potent of giving permanent marks on the skin. However, the blackheads can be removed from your face using some natural scrub and rubbing the area gently with it. Coarse oatmeal seems to be the best thing to use.

Oatmeal, Honey and Tomato Juice Remedy

• Add one tsp of honey and two tablespoons of tomato juice with 2-4 tbsp of oatmeal to get a paste like consistency.
• Use this oatmeal scrub to gently rub your face, give more efforts where you have your blackheads.
• Wash off after scrubbing for 10-15 minutes.

Oatmeal, Yogurt, Lime juice and Olive Oil Remedy

• Mix 2 tbsp oatmeal with 3 tbsp yogurt and few drops of lemon juice and olive oil.
• Mix well to get a face mask.
• Apply this on your face and leave for 10 minutes or so.
• Wash off.

Oatmeal and Rosewater Remedy

• Add rosewater to oatmeal to get a paste
• Apply on your face.
• Leave for 20 minutes before washing off.

3. Lemon Juice Remedy for Blackheads

Lemon juice is a good remedy when it comes to remove excessive oil and bleaching dark skin. The same goes for blackheads because they are made up of oil and make your skin look dull. So use lemon in one or multiple ways as mentioned here.

Lemon Juice, Yogurt, Hone Remedy

• Take lemon juice, salt, yogurt and honey (though there is no prescribed quantity, you may take 1 tsp each or more if you wish to).
• Mix well to get a scrub.
• Rub this gently on your face focusing on your blackheads (don’t be too harsh though). The exfoliating effect will eliminate the blackheads from your skin.

Lemon Juice and Milk/ Rosewater remedy

• Mix 1 tsp of lemon juice with 1 tbsp of milk or rosewater
• Clean your face with it daily.

Lemon Juice and Groundnut Oil Remedy

• Add 1 tsp lemon juice to 1 tsp groundnut oil
• Mix well.
• Apply this to the skin with blackheads.
• Leave for 20 minutes.
• Wash off with lukewarm water.

4. Turmeric Remedy for Blackheads

Turmeric, again a wonder spice, can be used with a variety of ingredients to remove your blackheads and then to give you clear glowing skin with tightened skin pores.

Turmeric and Coriander Remedy

• Wash a handful of coriander leaves, crush them and take out their juice. You should have 1 tsp of coriander leaves juice.
• Mix coriander juice with 1 tsp of turmeric powder to make a paste.
• Apply this to your face, preferably at night.
• Leave for half an hour.
• Now wash off with lukewarm water.
• Be careful enough while you have turmeric on your face or hands. They may give stains everywhere.

Turmeric and Mint Remedy

• Add a tsp of turmeric powder with 2 tbsp of min juice.
• Apply on skin with blackheads.
• Leave for 20 minutes.
• Wash off with lukewarm water.

Turmeric, Sandalwood and Milk Remedy

• Take 1 tsp of red sandalwood paste. You may either get sandalwood powder and mix water to get this paste or rub a piece of sandalwood on stone with some water and collect the paste.
• Add 1 tsp of turmeric powder and 1 tsp of milk to the sandalwood paste.
• Apply this on affected skin having blackheads.
• Leave for 10 minutes.
• Wash off first with normal water and then with lukewarm water.

 

5. Egg White Remedy for Blackheads

Eggs may smell a hell but they are a boon, not only for health but also for oily skin. They get you rid of all the oils (and with it dirt too!) and help you get a clean and clear sparkling face.

• Separate egg white from egg yolk.
• You may or may not add a tsp of honey to the separated egg white.
• Now dip your finger (or fingers) in the egg white and gently apply this to your face.
• Let it dry.
• Once more, apply another layer of egg white and let dry.
• After it dries up, you may want to dab a little egg white on the area where you have blackheads.
• Wait for about 10-15 minutes till the egg white dries up.
• Now take a towel or wash cloth and dip it into warm water, squeeze and cover your face. After a few seconds gently rub your face with the cloth to take off the egg white.

6. Fuller’s Earth remedy for Blackheads

Fuller’s earth is a type of clay used extensively in India where it is called multani mitti. This clay is very effective for oily skin as it pulls out the extra oil efficiently from your skin.

Fuller’s earth and Rose Water Remedy

• Take 2 tbsp (or more) fuller’s earth and mix it with enough rose water to make a paste.
• Apply this pack on your face.
• Let it dry.
• Wash off with water.

Fuller’s earth and Almond Remedy

• Grind a handful of almonds and mix water (if you want, you can use rose water too) to the almond powder to get a paste.
• Add 2 tbsp of fuller’s earth to the almond paste. If needed, add some more water or rose water.
• Apply this to your face.
• Let it dry or leave it for about at least 15 minutes.
• Now, using fingers, rub gently on your face in circular motion as if you are exfoliating. if it is too dry, wet your fingers a little.
• Scrub for about 5-7 minutes.
• Wash off with water.

Fuller’s earth and Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy

• Add 1 tbsp fuller’s earth with 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to make a paste.
• Apply on your face.
• Leave for 20 minutes.
• Wet a cloth or towel in warm water and place it on your face for few seconds.
• Now rub with this wet cloth gently removing all the paste from your face.

7. Vegetables, Fruits, Spices Remedies for Blackheads

Here is an assortment of remedies for blackheads that use different ingredients from your kitchen- veggies, fruits, spices and other things. Use them and say goodbye to your blackheads.

Fenugreek Leaves Remedy

• Take a handful of fenugreek leaves and after washing, crush them to get a thick paste. Use water, if needed.
• Apply this paste on your face.
• Leave for 10-15 minutes.
• Wash off.

Black Pepper and Yogurt Remedy

• Add 1 tbsp ground black pepper to 2 tbsp yogurt.
• Apply this to your face.
• Leave for 10 minutes.
• Wash off with water.

Radish Seeds Remedy

• Ground some radish seeds and add water to get paste.
• Apply this paste on your face.
• Leave for 20 minutes or till it dries.
• Wash off with water.

Pomegranate Peel Remedy

• Roast the peel of pomegranate and ground it to get its powder.
• Add enough lime juice to pomegranate peel powder to get a paste.
• Apply this paste on your blackheads.
• This is not only a good remedy for blackheads but also for whiteheads, pimples, boils and acne.

8. Bentonite Clay Remedy for Blackheads

Bentonite clay excellently pulls out oils and all the other impurities present in your skin’s clogged pores so that you may get rid of blackheads. And that’s not all, the useful minerals present in the clay makes your skin more clean and glowing by assisting in better blood flow all over your face. However, the only problem with this remedy for blackhead removal is that your skin becomes drier. In fact, this is not a problem with those who have oily skin but only for those who have dry or sensitive skin. The only way out for such people is to properly moisturizing their skin after applying bentonite clay to remove blackheads.

How to Use Bentonite Clay to Get Rid of Blackheads

Get this:

• Bentonite clay-1 tablespoon
• Water (for dry sensitive skin) OR Apple cider vinegar (for oily skin)
• Lukewarm water to wash
• Moisturizer

Do this:

• Take the clay and add enough water or apple cider vinegar whatever you are using to it to get a paste like consistency.
• Apply this paste to your face in such a manner that a thin layer is visible on it.
• Let it stay on your face for 10-30 minutes. If your skin is dry, it is suggested to leave the clay mask on your face for minimum time.
• Then wash off with lukewarm water.
• Finally, apply moisturizer to your face to rehydrate it.

9. Baking Soda Remedy for Blackhead Removal

Baking soda is one of the favourite ingredients when it comes to skin problems and blackheads are not an exception. Baking soda is one of the best natural exfoliating agents too and it is this property of soda that comes to your help when you need to get rid of blackheads. Gentle scrubbing opens up your clogged pores and thus not only cures but also prevents blackheads from forming on your skin.

How to Use Baking Soda for Blackhead Removal

Get this:

• Baking soda- 1-2 tablespoons
• Water

Do this:

• Mix enough water with baking soda to get a thick smooth paste.
• Now gently massage your face with this paste in circular motion for few minutes.
• Wash off with water and pat dry your face
• Apply moisturizer.

Precaution: As baking soda can dry off your skin, avoid using this remedy too often. If you have an oily skin, you can repeat this 1-2 times a week but if having dry skin, repeat the process only after 10-15 days.

10. Sugar Scrub Remedy for Blackhead Removal

Sugar scrub is one more very effective exfoliating remedy, almost as effective as baking soda and without any possibility of too much drying of skin! This scrub excellently sloughs off dead skin cells that give you clogged pores causing a host of skin problems like acne, pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads.

How to Make Sugar Scrub to Remove Blackheads

Get this:

• Sugar- 1/4 cup
• Oil (jojoba, grapeseed, olive or almond oil)- 1-2 tablespoons
• Essential oils like lavender or lemon oil (optional)- 2-3 drops
• Tea tree oil (optional, recommended if you suffer from acne too)- 1drop

Do this:

• Mix oil and sugar and mix them well.
• Add 2-3 drops of essential oil if you are using one.
• Add the drop of tea tree oil if you have acne prone skin too.
• To apply this scrub, stir it well before you use it.
• Wet your face and take some of the prepared sugar scrub and apply on your face with the help of your fingertips.
• Massage this gently all over your skin in circular strokes. Do this for few minutes.
• Now wash off with water and apply moisturizer.

Precaution- Don’t overdo this as this scrub is drying too but not as much as baking soda scrub is. You may apply this scrub 2-3 times a week but avoid doing it daily.

11. Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy for Blackheads Removal

Due to its natural acid content, apple cider vinegar is an ideal toner that can help you get rid of blackheads, especially the blackheads on nose as this is one of the areas that get affected by excessive sebum secretion the most. While you can always dilute this vinegar with water and apply it as a toner to remove blackheads, here is a very effective remedy with mint leaves to give you a soothing relief from the itching and inflammation you get when you are in habit of scratching the area affected by blackheads.

How to Make Soothing ACV toner to Get Rid of Blackheads

Get this:

• Apple cider vinegar- 3 tablespoons
• Fresh mint leaves- 3 tablespoons
• Water- 1 cup
• Cotton ball

Do this:

• Crush or chop the mint leaves.
• Add chopped or crushed mint leaves to apple cider vinegar.
• Pour this into a glass bottle and leave it in a cool dark place for a week.
• After a week, strain the mixture and add a cup of water to this.
• Leave it again for 7 days in a cool dark place.
• Your soothing apple cider vinegar is ready now.
• To use it, wash your face at night before going to sleep.
• Take some homemade apple cider vinegar toner onto a cotton ball.
• Apply this to your face and leave it overnight.
• Wash off in the morning and apply moisturizer.

Precaution- If you have dry and sensitive skin, avoid using too much apple cider vinegar. In such case, use more water to dilute the vinegar. Also do not leave the toner to stay on your face overnight. After applying, leave it just for 20-30 minutes and wash off with water. Apply moisturizer before you go to sleep.

12. Homemade Honey-Milk Strip for Blackhead Removal

When you say pore strips, you almost always mean to say a strip made up of some adhesive on a piece of cloth or gauze or some other such material. When place and pat this strip on your face, it gets attached to your skin due to the adhesive on it. And when you pull the strip off your skin, it comes out with all that is there on your skin. You not only pull off the dirt off your skin with this strip but also the plug of sebum and dead skin cells out of your clogged pores. When you buy these strips from market, you don’t know what adhesive is used in it and how far they will harm your skin. The best way to avoid such a situation is to make such pore strips at home with certain natural ingredients that are safe to be used on your skin. And of course, these homemade pore strips are cheaper too. Here is one recipe of making such strip with the help of honey and milk. Both of them are good for your skin and the presence of honey makes it sticky enough to help you strip off the blackheads. These strips are especially effective for removing blackheads on nose.

How to Make Honey-Milk Strip for Blackhead Removal

Get this:

• Honey-1 tablespoon
• Milk-1 teaspoon
• Clean strip of cotton cloth

Do this:

• Mix honey and milk.
• Heat the mixture to warm it up. You may use microwave (5-10 seconds) or any other options to heat it.
• Now blend the warm mixture thoroughly.
• If it’s hot, wait for some time so that it reaches a temperature that is comfortable for your skin.
• Now apply a thin layer of this honey-milk mixture over your blackheads
• After that, pat a strip of dry, clean, cotton onto this layer just like your beautician does when she applies wax on your legs or hands.
• However, unlike your beautician who immediately pulls off the strip, you need to wait for quite some time, for about 15-20 minutes till the mixture dries off on your face.
• Now carefully peel the strip away to remove blackheads along with the honey-milk mix.
• Wash your face with cold water and apply moisturizer.
• Do this once a week and at the most twice a week if you have excessive problem of blackheads.

13. Homemade Gelatine Peel-off to Get Rid of Blackheads Fast

Commercially available or homemade pore strips are effective but some people do not like the messy way of stripping off the blackheads. If you are such a person, there is another way of getting the same result but devoid of any strip. Yes Gelatine peel-off works on the same principle as pore strips do but the only difference is that you don’t strip off but peel off the mask from your face. Gelatine and other ingredients in this remedy get attached to your skin and peel off the dirt, dead skin and sebum plug to get you rid of blackheads.

How to Make Gelatine Peel Mask to Remove Blackheads

Get this:

• Gelatine (unflavoured)- 1 tablespoon
• Any milk (whole milk, skim, almond, soy, milk etc.)- 1 tablespoon
• Lavender essential oil- 1 drop

Do this:

• Mix gelatine, milk and essential oil.
• Heat the mixture using double boiler. You need to just warm this up. Don’t make it hot, just warm.
• When the mixture gets warm, apply a thin layer of it all over your face, avoiding your eyes, mouth and nostrils.
• Leave it for 20-30 minutes or till it dries off completely.
• When the gelatine mask becomes dry, begin peeling it off from one of the sides or the bottom. Work your way up slowly while you pull away from your face.
• Once the mask is removed from your face, wash your face thoroughly with cool water in such a way that no residue is left over your face.
• Apply moisturizer to your face.

14. Green Tea Remedy for Blackhead Removal

How does green tea help get rid of blackheads! Well through its antioxidant properties. These properties help your skin in get rid of dirt and dead skin build-up that cause acne, blackheads etc. To be precise, you should note this- green tea helps reduce oils and inflammation on your skin. In fact, it also helps protect your skin from any damage that might be there in future. While the method given here tells you about how to topically apply green tea to get rid of blackheads, you might as well like to include green tea I your daily beverages menu for its many health benefits.

How to Use Green Tea for Blackhead Removal

• Green tea bags- 2 OR Green tea leaves- 1-2 tsp
• Water- 1 cup
• Cotton ball

Do this:

• Bring the water to a boil.
• Place the green tea bags or add tea leaves to the hot water.
• Let it steep for about an hour.
• Then strain the tea or remove the tea bags and place the tea in the refrigerator for another hour or two.
• Before applying this toner to your face, wash it with mild soap and water and then pat dry your face.
• Now soak the cotton ball in the chilled green tea and wring out the excessive tea.
• Now dab this wet cotton ball on your blackheads.
• Leave the tea on your face for about 15-20 minutes.
• Wash off with water and pat dry your face before applying moisturizer.
• Repeat this process with green tea daily.

15. Epsom Salt Remedy for Blackheads Removal

If you are thinking how to get rid of blackheads naturally and that too overnight, you may get impressed with the efficiency of the humble Epsom salt. It has excellent anti-inflammatory effects but what seems to work is its adsorbing properties through which it can pull out the toxins from under your skin to make it clear. Some people even use iodine with Epsom salt to make this remedy some more effective.

How to Use Epsom Salt to Get Rid of Blackheads

Get this:

• Epsom salt- 1-2 teaspoons
• Iodine (optional)- few drops
• Warm water – 1 cup
• Cotton ball

Do this:

• Mix the Epsom salt in warm water and stir it till the salt dissolves completely in water. You may actually use water with normal temperature as well.
• Add the drops of iodine if using and then let the solution cool to room temperature.
• Soak the cotton ball in this salt solution and apply this to your blackhead affected area.
• Let it stay there for some time, for about 15-20 minutes or till it dries off completely.
• Wash off your face.
• This procedure may be done at night before you go to sleep. And if your skin is not very sensitive, you may leave the salty water on it overnight and wash it off in the morning.

16. Cornmeal Remedy for Blackheads on Nose

This remedy is particularly effective for removing blackheads from nose and chin too. In fact, this is good for all the blackheads that have got deeply embedded in your skin. Cornmeal is a gentle abrasive agent which cleans all the dirt that lead to clogged pores and finally to blackheads, acne, pimples etc. Cornmeal, thus gives you a quick, exfoliating, nourishing, and moisturizing remedy to get rid of these skin problems. You can always mix some cornmeal with water to get a thick paste and apply this to your blackhead affected skin or even massage it gently into your skin and then wash this off with cool water. However, here we give you a remedy that uses some more ingredients with cornmeal to make even more effective in removing blackheads.

How to Make Cornmeal Scrub to Get Rid of Blackheads

Get this:

• Cornmeal – 1-2 tbsp
• Tomato pulp- 1-2 tsp
• Lemon juice- 1-2 tsp
• Honey- 1 tsp
• Rose water

Do this:

• Place cornmeal in a bowl.
• Add tomato pulp, lemon juice and honey to this and mix well. You will get a thick paste but the one which is not smooth.
• Now add some rose water, enough to make the paste smooth but not thin.
• Apply this to your face and leave for a couple of minutes.
• Now using your fingertips, gently massage your face in circular strokes by rubbing this cornmeal paste on your face. Do not be too harsh. Keep it gentle.
• Massage for 2-3 minutes and then wash off your face with lukewarm water.
• Pat dry with towel.

Preventive Remedies to Get Rid of Blackheads

What if you don’t get any blackheads! That’s such a relief! And believe me, it’s not at all tough to make your skin clean and clear like this just with a little care. Here are some ways through which you can prevent blackheads.

Wash your Face with Water Daily to Prevent Blackheads

Yes, the first step to prevent blackheads is to avoid dirt etc. from building up beneath your skin. This can be done as easily as washing your face with plain water gently daily once or twice. This helps excess sebum and dead skin and also dirt to be washed away to keep your pores clear. After washing face every time, pat it dry with a soft absorbent towel and then moisturize it properly.

Use Natural Astringent to Prevent Blackheads

The main function of an astringent is to tighten your pores so that no dirt or dead skin cells could build up in the widened up skin pores. Therefore, one of the ways to prevent blackheads is to use astringent, preferably natural one. Witch hazel and apple cider vinegar are two such natural astringents that can help you prevent blackheads. After washing your face and before you apply moisturizer, apply a little witch hazel. If your face is too oily, you can think of using apple cider vinegar. Just dilute it with some water and then apply on your face.

Steam your Face to Prevent Blackheads

This is important because the heat given to your face through steaming opens up clogged pores, and makes your blackheads loosen up.

• Take a bowl full of hot water.
• Take a towel and cover your head with it.
• Sit down and tilt your head forwards a little in a manner that the steam coming out of the hot water touches your face.
• Use the towel over your head to cover even the bowl so that the steam doesn’t escape.
• Stay in this position for a few seconds or a minute and then remove the towel.
• Repeat after taking a short break of half a second.
• Do 5-6 rounds of this process.
• After you steam your face, pat dry your face with a towel. Loosened up blackheads will fall off in all probability.
• Apply an astringent, natural one as mentioned in the previous remedy.
• If your skin is dry, moisturize it properly.
• Don’t overdo steaming, just once every two weeks is enough to unclog pores and prevent blackheads.

Some Other Tips to Remove and Prevent Blackheads

Here are some other tips that will keep blackheads away from your face.

1. Exercise regularly. Hair follicle pores are not similar to sweat glands that secret more sweat and flush off all the toxins from within. However, when you exercise, you still help minimize blackheads. Sweating takes away all that is over your skin too which includes dirt and dead skin cells provided you clean your face immediately with water.
2. Use mild, preferably natural cleansers. Wash your face with harsh cleansers leads your skin to overreact and produce more sebum. Less sebum or to say lack of excessive sebum means lesser blackheads.
3. Avoid too much of makeup. Chemicals and other residue from cosmetics give you clogged pores that is one of the main reasons for blackheads. Always buy quality products when it comes to cosmetics.
4. Always remove makeup before going to bed.
5. Change your pillow cover and if possible bed sheet too every week. Wash them regularly to clean off any dead skin cells, dirt and oils that your face leave behind on it. This will keep your blackheads away and prevent them from returning.
6. Detoxify your body from within. Toxins and impurities inside your body prevents your skin from breathing freely and also lead to clogged pores and other skin related problems. The simplest detoxification remedy is to drink lots of water every day. And if you want some more, start having green tea.
7. Never scrape blackheads off of your nose or anywhere else on your face. This may further open up the already widened pore. This will mean more blackheads in the coming days.

Taking proper care of your skin is the only way to prevent blackheads from coming back again and again. Be careful and sensitive to the needs of your skin and get rid of blackheads permanently.

16 Natural Remedies To Remove Blackheads Fast

CHEESE & CHIVE CHICKPEA DIP

A creamy and cheesy dip made with chickpea and packed full of protein! A great way to get kids to eat their veggies!

Last week I was staring at a can of chickpeas in my kitchen feeling completely uninspired. I was trying to think of a recipe to get the kids to eat the chickpeas that wouldn’t get thrown back at me! The last few times I put them in rice or a pasta dish they picked them out so I knew it would have to be more inconspicuous than that! 

Then I remembered that I had a tub of cottage cheese in the fridge that needed to be eaten and so I the idea came to me to make a cheesy chickpea dip that I could serve to the kids with some crackers and veggies for tea. Perfect!

The dip was so easy to make. I added the chickpeas and the cottage cheese to the food processor with some grated cheddar cheese and blitzed it all for a couple of minutes. I added a little milk to thin the consistency out and then finished it off with some seasoning and some chopped fresh chives.

The dip was a hit and I’ve already made it again twice since! It’s definitely my new favourite go-to recipe that also happens to be super nutritious. Chickpeas are a really great source of protein, fibre and iron and are a fantastic addition to any family’s diet.

If you try this recipe please do let me know what you think. Or tag me in a picture on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I always love seeing your pictures!

CHEESE & CHIVE CHICKPEA DIP

10 Simple Tips To Cut Carb Cravings For Good

Carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation over the past decade or so as more of us are making the connection between diet and good health. Carbohydrate heavy foods such as bread, pasta and potatoes have all been stigmatised as having negative health consequences as a result.

Bread in particular due to the presence of gluten is known to set off an immune response that attacks the small intestine and impairs nutrient absorption. It’s now estimated that 1 in 100 people worldwide are affected by celiac disease that is a serious autoimmune disorder that causes abdominal bloating, fatigue, irritability, chronic diarrhoea, constipation and more.

Bread is considered harmful because of its high glycemic index and in both white and wholewheat varieties, the glycemic index score is 70 or above – meaning this is a bad carb choice for anyone who wants to manage their blood sugar levels.

Anyone looking to maintain a healthy body weight can also benefit from managing their daily carb intake. While everybody is different in terms of their biochemistry and the ideal percentage of macronutrients their body requires, that should form the basis of their diet and lifestyle – it’s important to understand that most of the body’s nutrients should come in the form of fruits, vegetables and legumes. Whole grains are best avoided as they can be highly processed and a major contributor to inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation has been linked with increased sugar intake and consuming a high amount of cereal grains, especially wheat.

Major diseases such as cancer and heart disease are formed from inflammation in the body. It therefore makes sense that cutting back on inflammatory causing foods can help with preventing the development of these conditions.

So how do you avoid inflammation in the body? Cut out the carbs. Easier said than done however, considering that they often form the basis of so much of the modern convenience diet…Sandwiches, pizza, jacket potatoes, sushi…They might be the easy option but they are also responsible for spiking blood sugar levels sky high, leading to increased inflammation and disease in the body.

The good news is that it really is mind over matter. If you want to cut out carbs then it’s completely possible. You simply have to focus on improving what you can…Below are 10 of the best healthy food tips for cutting out carbs…

1. Instead of choosing cereal, pancakes or bagels – all wheat based products, focus instead on creating a filling and protein packed breakfast. Eggs or tofu with vegetables are a good way to keep blood sugar levels steady. Try a tofu scramble or scrambled eggs. Instead of choosing toast, try them with a side of steamed broccoli or even a baked sweet potato.
2. Increase the fats. Namely, coconut oil. Or avocado. Try eating avocado with eggs, or adding avocado into a smoothie for a creamy texture. Fats such as avocado are also loaded with fiber that can help you to stay feeling fuller for longer. They can also help with lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
3. Avoid sugar laden drinks – including fruit juice. Avoiding juice completely is a good idea as it still contains mostly sugar in the form of carbs. Sugar sweetened beverages are best avoided as they contain around 38 grams of carbs that come entirely from sugar. Having too much sugar in the diet is linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes and obesity, according to various studies. To consume fewer carbs, avoiding sugar sweetened beverages is one of the best things you can do. Instead, try adding slices of lemon or lime to your glass of water to enhance the taste.
4. Reach for the nuts. When you feel like eating something carb heavy such as biscuits, instead opt to choose a handful of nuts – almonds, walnuts and Brazil nuts are a good choice. Almonds are also a good source of magnesium, Vitamin B2 and phosphorus. Magnesium is an essential mineral the body needs and is crucial for energy production, healthy nerve transmission, nutrient metabolism and bone and cell formation.
5. Try Buckwheat Flour. If you feel that life without your morning pancakes or your favourite sandwich is miserable without bread – think again. Making your own homemade bread or tasty pancakes with buckwheat flour (made from a nutritious seed and not grains) is one of the best ways to enjoy all your favourite foods – without any of the unwanted side effects on your health. Simply replace the wheat flour with buckwheat flour (see recommended below) and you’re good to go.
6. Add Quinoa. This is a nutritious seed containing 8 grams of protein per cup and twice as much fiber as most other grains. A bowl of quinoa when filled with roasted vegetables, avocado or fish can provide a balanced meal.
7. Add Lentils. Legumes (lentils) are an excellent source of protein, fiber, B-vitamins, iron, zinc and magnesium. Eating beans regularly is associated with a decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, colorectal cancer and there is also evidence that it can help with weight management. Black beans, Chickpeas, Mung Beans and Red Lentils are all excellent legumes to include more of in your diet. Fed up of beans? Then why not try something different – pasta made from legumes! Yes, really…! Legume pasta is a healthy and nutritious alternative to traditional wheat pasta, giving you all of the texture and taste of your favourite Italian food – without any of the negative side effects.
8. Add Cauliflower. This cruciferous vegetable is very low GI, containing only 25 calories per cup and is a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese and phosphorus. Cauliflower makes an excellent substitute for many foods – including cauliflower crust pizza bases, cauliflower rice (blended cauliflower florets) and cauliflower bites (instead of chicken wings). Try shredding cauliflower and adding various herbs and spices to marinade and give it plenty of flavour.
9. Add more Greens. Increase the salad at lunchtimes and ditch the bread. Adding more green leafy vegetables into a bowl with asparagus, artichoke, kale and mixing with your favourite avocado oil, a little sea salt and fresh herbs can make for a healthy, delicious and filling alternative to sandwiches.
10. Keep Apple and Cucumber Slices As Snacks. Thinly sliced apple and cucumber are low calorie and hydrating foods that can satiate you whenever you feel like reaching for a bag of crisps, biscuits or bread. Try keeping a jar of almond or pumpkin seed/flaxseed butter close by so you can dip the apple or cucumber slices in whenever you get peckish.

 

Follow these tips and see how your carb cravings start to diminish. Do you have any other top recommendations to cut your carb cravings? Leave them in the comments below…

10 Simple Tips To Cut Carb Cravings For Good

5 Exercises To Stay Healthy Into Old Age

Staying active is a vital part of keeping healthy and well. As we age, our body goes through various biological changes and one of the most significant is the decrease and loss of muscle mass. When muscle mass is reduced, it leads to weight gain. This is why strength training is encouraged especially as we age.

Exercise has many positive benefits on your health and wellbeing, but if going to the gym seems offputting then you need to look at why. What exercises do you enjoy that you can do every day to improve your state of health and wellness? Take your pick from the list below…

1. Walking

Walking is a simple exercise with many health benefits. This gentle low-impact exercise can help to strengthen the heart, lower the risk of disease and even help you to lose weight.

Free and available to everyone, walking is an activity that everyone can include in their daily routine. Boost your energy levels, get more Vitamin D and tone up your bum, legs, tum and thighs.

The Stroke Association says that a brisk 30-minute walk every day can even help to prevent and control the high blood pressure that causes strokes, reducing the risk by up to 27 percent. More good reasons to put on your walking shoes!

 

 

2. Cycling

Cycling can protect the body against serious diseases such as stroke, heart attacks, cancer, depression, diabetes and even arthritis and obesity. Cycling is a healthy, fun and low-impact exercise that is suitable for all ages.

Cycling is great for strength and stamina and can be a time-efficient mode of transport to move around while getting healthy.

Cycling to work can also replace sedentary time spent sitting down in a car, or on the bus or train.

 

 

 

3. Swimming

Swimming is an excellent exercise for muscle strength, building endurance and improving cardiovascular fitness.

A gentle low impact exercise, swimming is ideal for people of all ages. Swimming has both physical and mental benefits for your wellbeing.

Anyone looking for a full body workout should consider swimming as nearly all of the muscles are used during swimming. It can also keep your heart rate up while taking some of the impact of stress off the body.

 

 

4. Rebounding

Rebounding on a mini trampoline is one of the best exercises for improving health. Rebounding provides an excellent boost for lymphatic drainage and immune function. It’s twice as effective as running without placing extra stress on the knees and ankles.

Rebounding is an excellent exercise for increasing endurance on a cellular level by stimulating mitochondria production (responsible for cell energy), while improving the effects of other forms of exercise.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Yoga

Yoga is a gentle series of exercises that can help to improve flexibility, while building muscle strength and better posture.

Draining the lymph and boosting immunity are two other important factors that yoga can bring to boost the health of your body.

Anyone who wants to stay lean and supple should consider yoga. From headstands to downward dog, triangle to savasana, the beauty of yoga is that it’s adaptable for all fitness levels – from beginner to advanced, there is something to suit everyone.

Studies show that the benefits of yoga don’t just impact on the physical, they can also benefit one’s emotional and mental health too.

Exercise has many amazing benefits for health. Yet if you can’t move as easily as you’d like or experience limited mobility, there are other options available such as isometric exercises that can help to maintain muscle strength. Another option is to do daily chair exercises (ideal if you have a lower body injury or disability). It’s worth asking your doctor or physical therapist to discover what works best for you.

Whatever your fitness level or current state of health, movement can greatly improve your overall sense of wellbeing and for this reason alone, is a vital activity to perform on a daily basis. Do you have a favourite activity to get you moving? Let us know in the comments below.

5 Exercises To Stay Healthy Into Old Age

These 8 “Harmless” Habits Are Sabotaging Your Health

Everyone knows that smoking, binge eating, and couch potatoing are habits that will eventually damage your health. But there are also those habits that we may consider harmless but that are, in reality, just as bad, if not worse, for your health. These sneaky habits, we’ve learned to accept as normal, have managed to creep into our lives and slowly chip away at our health. In case you were wondering what little habits you should try to avoid in the future, take a look at this list of 8 little things you may be doing daily that damage your health.

Skipping breakfast

Today’s research disagrees with the notion of breakfast being “the most important meal of the day.” However, the fact is that skipping breakfast for many means compensating with unhealthy and large meals later on. If you eat a protein and carbohydrate-rich meal at the beginning of your day, there’s less of a chance you’ll end up binging once that day is ending. Besides this, eating one or two large meals during a day instead of several smaller meals puts you at risk of acid reflux according to many studies. Eating breakfast is important to prevent bingeing, but also to give your brain the glucose it needs to kick start. So, if you were wondering how to improve your memory, make sure never to skip breakfast.

Not being diligent about oral hygiene

Sure, you brush your teeth every day before going to work, but that’s not enough to keep your oral cavity pristine. Many of us have a bad habit of skipping teeth brushing before going to bed or munching on snacks in between meals which all set the stage for periodontal disease. But poor oral hygiene won’t just cause cavities and gum disease; it can also damage your heart. This is because bacteria in your mouth can travel the bloodstream and attach to any damaged area in your heart leading to inflammation. This condition is known as endocarditis and can be potentially fatal.

Not sleeping enough

If you are someone who’s in the habit of skipping on sleep to finish life obligations or because you like spending your nights staring at your smartphone, then you may be at risk of diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Adults need around 7-8 hours of sleep every night to feel recuperated. Sleep is an important physiological process in which the body goes through important metabolic changes. Studies show that insufficient sleep is associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as cognitive impairment. To stop wreaking havoc on your metabolism, make sleep a priority in your daily life.

Spending too much time on social media

Social media is fun, entertaining, and helps you connect with a wider community. However, social media use has a dark side that can show on your mental health. According to a study recently published in the journal Depression & Anxiety, young adults with the highest reported frequency of use of social media were at a much greater risk of depression. A different study even found that social media use is strongly tied to sleep disturbances. Limiting your time spent on social media may ward off depression and anxiety by reducing your chance of comparing yourself to others – a common habit of social media users.

Using refined oils

Corn oil, palm oil, and other refined types of vegetable oil (vegetable shortening included) were once marketed as a healthier alternative to lard and butter. But these oils, which are so common in today’s households, are now proven to be dangerous for your health. This is mostly because they contain too high of a ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids. An article published in Nutrients explains that this unhealthy balance of important fatty acids in our modern diets are the leading cause of obesity and related diseases.

Taking supplements

Taking supplements daily to correct possible nutritional deficiencies or to improve aspects of your health seems like a good idea at first. However, the problem with supplements is that they don’t have to pass strict safety regulations like the ones set for foods and drugs. As a result, many nutritional supplements contain harmful ingredients that could cause liver damage. In fact, a review recently published in Hepatology stated that 20% of liver injury in the US are caused by dietary supplements. The majority of cases was caused by green tea extracts and multi-ingredient nutritional supplements. However, not all supplements are harmful. For instance, a doctor will often prescribe a pregnant woman iron supplements to meet the higher demands for iron during pregnancy week by week.

Using the ATM

Ok, so you may not use the ATM daily, but you probably use it weekly or a couple of time a month. This practice is something most of us don’t bother thinking about. But if you think about it more deeply – an ATM in a big city is used by a lot of people and seldom gets cleaned, and we know what that means. Studies have even found that ATMs are ridden with bacteria. Washing your hands after withdrawing money from an ATM or using an antibacterial gel can reduce your risk of disease.

Complaining

Guy Winch, Ph.D., who is a licensed psychologist, explains in his Psychology Today entry that complaining can have a negative impact on our mental health. But most of us aren’t aware that we do often complain to almost anyone we meet during a single day. The reason why complaining is so damaging to your mental health is that it causes you to focus on the problem instead of the solution. In the end, all that complaining creates a mentality of being victimized, hopeless, and always in trouble. However, all this doesn’t mean that you need to stop complaining for the sake of your mental health. The problem lies in how you complain – complaining can occasionally be a healthy emotional outlet and in itself a necessary step in problem-solving. The problem with complaining only occurs when you complain incessantly because you’ve made it a daily habit.

Conclusion

These 8 habits, which many of us have learned to accept as normal, can harm us in the long-run. To take good care of your health and well-being, make sure to avoid or limit all of these. Other than that, avoiding habits traditionally considered bad for your health such as smoking and excessive alcohol intake is also advised.

 

 

These 8 “Harmless” Habits Are Sabotaging Your Health

7 Ways To Use Coconut Oil That You’ve Never Heard Of

The sweet-smelling oil has so many other uses—beyond moisturizing and sautéeing your garden veggies.

Season cast iron

Your grandma probably taught you how to season cast iron with lard or duck fat to make your favorite skillet last forever. But coconut oil is a good substitute if you’d rather stay away from animal fats. It’s also stable at high temperatures and won’t cause stickiness.

Wash clothes

While we wouldn’t recommend tossing a straight spoonful of coconut oil in with your whites, you can use it to make homemade laundry soap. Coconut oil works well for this because it’s shelf-stable and produces a good lather in the final product.

Heal cuts

Coconut oil is an antiseptic, so it can help cuts heal faster. Some people are using it in place of traditional over-the-counter drugstore salves—just dab it on your wound and cover with a bandage.The antibacterial and antifungal properties in coconut oil make it a great remedy for scrapes and scratches. I’ve used it in place of Neosporin when I cut myself cooking and healed quickly. Be sure to wash the area first with water and hydrogen peroxide. If you have a giant cut you’re going to need something stronger, but for minor cuts and scrapes around the house it makes a wonderful addition to your first aid kit.

Hydrate your skin

Coconut oil makes a soothing base for homemade body scrubs. In a small bowl mix up a few tablespoons of melted oil with sugar. Add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil and you have a spa worthy scrub in minutes! Exfoliating the skin 2-3 times a week helps to strengthen the immune system and keep skin extra smooth.

Clean makeup brushes

It’s important to clean makeup brushes on a regular basis. Dip the bristles in a little bit of melted coconut oil. Use a paper towel to rub the brush until the makeup is off. Rinse in warm water and let air dry.

Condition your hair……even your dog’s coat!

Coconut oil is wonderful for the hair. It helps to nourish dryness and combats frizz by soothing hair cells. Coconut oil is packed with vitamin E, is deeply conditioning, and super restorative to annoying split ends. Use it in a hair mask to hydrate or even dab on the ends of long hair to prevent further breakage.You may have heard about using coconut oil to deep-condition your hair, but don’t keep all the benefits for yourself. After giving your dog a bath, work some coconut oil into his coat to make it shiny and soft. The oil will also help moisturize dry skin and cut back on that unsavory wet-dog scent.

7 Ways To Use Coconut Oil That You’ve Never Heard Of

How to Use Curcumin to Prevent Cancer and Diabetes Naturally

Curcumin, native to India and Southeast Asia, is the most important component of the spice turmeric. It is the active ingredient, creating that vibrant yellow color found in curry. But aside from brightening our food, curcumin plays an important role in our health. In fact, it’s been used in both ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.

Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer agent. It helps modulate the body’s levels of glutathione, an important intracellular antioxidant. Studies have also shown that it’s effective in fighting conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease; and, according to the National Institutes of Health, curcumin is effective in both acute and chronic inflammation. Read on to see what else curcumin can do for you.

FIGHT CANCER Curcumin fights cancers at the cellular level and appears effective in combating all types of cancer and tumors. In some cases, it helps prevent the transformation of healthy cells to tumor cells; in other cases, it might inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. Research also shows that curcumin works well as an adjunct for many traditional cancer treatments, including radiation and chemotherapy.

PREVENT DIABETES Studies have shown that curcumin is useful in preventing type 2 diabetes; it significantly lowers glucose levels and insulin resistance. Turmeric, the spice curcumin constitutes, helps maintain proper function of the pancreas, which helps the body properly regulate insulin formation. Turmeric might also help control cholesterol and unwanted fats in the body—both of which may lead to diabetes development if not properly managed.

SUPPRESS ARTHRITIS Because curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory, it helps reduce damage to bones and cartilage. It may also benefit type 2 collagen synthesis, thereby improving joint function. Curcumin even has the potential to cleanse the body of several enzymes that may create joint inflammation.

COGNITIVE EFFECTS Some researchers claim that many cognitive issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease, can be prevented with regular curcumin use because curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier. Curcumin plays an important role in decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress, which many researchers believe contribute to Alzheimer’s. Studies have also demonstrated that curcumin decreases amyloid plaque build-up in the brain.

WHERE CAN I FIND CURCUMIN? Curcumin comes in powdered or capsule form—and you can find it as a tea or in ointments. If you rely on your diet as a source of curcumin, note that it takes approximately five curry meals to get the equivalent amount of curcumin contained in one standard capsule. When looking for the right supplement, consider the source. Make sure that it’s a natural source (free of synthetic compounds), bioavailable (several companies have developed processes to enhance bioavailability), and that it’s GMO- and pesticide-free. Also, look closely at the other compounds contained in the supplement. Although there is a full spectrum of curcuminoids (and many have similar properties), be sure to consider the other additives. Many researchers consider curcumin to be very safe, even at high doses. The recommended dose is approximately 900 mg per day and should be taken with food to help with absorption.

 

How to Use Curcumin to Prevent Cancer and Diabetes Naturally

How to Lose Weight on Face

Chubby cheeks are good only in rhymes! Ask those people who have these chubby cheeks and double chins on their bloated faces. They just want to get rid of all the face fat. But how to lose this fat on face? While losing weight is always a task that needs determination and continuous efforts, losing weight on face needs a lot of extra efforts. In fact, a bloated face is not only a matter of looks but it may indicate a serious health issue. Let’s see why we get a fat face!

Causes for Facial Fat

Here are the top reasons why your face looks all blown up when you see it in the mirror every time, more so in the mornings.

Junk Foods

Whenever you eat those burgers and pizzas, try to evaluate the nutrients in them! Did you find any? They are pure ‘junk’! You need all the vitamins and minerals and other essential nutrients to look at your best. To be specific, lack of vitamin C and beta carotene can make your face bloat. Not only this, whenever you eat such foods, you are pushing carbohydrates and salt into your system. These two things too cause puffiness of face. So, start having balanced diet full of nutrition. Fruits, vegetables and herbs are good for losing weight, not only on face but from all over your body!

Dehydration

This is due to water retention. When your body craves for water and doesn’t get it, it tends to retain water. Face is one of the areas where your body can retain more water. So, start drinking lots of water. If it isn’t possible for you, have more of watery fruits and vegetables as well as healthy drinks.

Aging

When you age, the hormonal changes inside your face leads to bloating and puffy face. However, it’s not too hard to delay these aging symptoms. Just eat right (the nutritious balanced diet) and exercise a lot while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Alcohol

Do you drink a lot? If yes, expect your face to become puffy and fat. Why does this happen? This is because alcohol dehydrates your body. This leads your body to again retain water which makes your face look fat. So, cut back on your alcohol consumption.

Heredity

Sometimes it may be your genes that give you a fat face. While you cannot do a lot in such a situation, you can at least try to tone your facial muscles with some toning exercise.

Medical conditions

Facial fat is not always due to the above causes. It can be a symptom of something that’s not right in your body. For example, kidney problems, sinus infections, allergies, insect bites, mumps, dental issues, edema etc. Take steps to treat these conditions and you’ll get rid of your facial fat.

Now when you know what might be causing your facial weight, you may definitely try to eliminate that cause and lose your facial weight. But the question is, how to do so?

How to Lose Weight on Face

There is a three pronged approach for losing face fat:

• Lifestyle and diet changes
• Face exercises
• Home remedies

Lifestyle Changes for Losing Facial Weight

Drink Water

This is the most essential step you can take to keep yourself away from body weight, including facial fat. Drinking enough water throughout the day will keep your body hydrated to a level where it would not require to retain water and give you a bloated appearance.

• Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily
• Have more water based fruits and vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, watermelon etc.
• If you can’t drink plain water, have healthy drinks like fruit juices, herbal tea, vegetable smoothies, soups etc.

Limit Salt Consumption

Salt leads to water retention in your body. This happens because your body tries to dilute the salt with larger amounts of water. This not only makes your face look fat but also leads to serious health issues. Too much salt intake puts pressure on your heart and may lead to heart failure or stroke over time. You may also get kidney problems due to excessive salt consumption. So, stop taking too much of salt. But how?

• Cut back on processed and fast foods. They are loaded with salt. Instead have more fruits and veggies.
• Avoid sprinkling salt on each and every food item you eat. All natural foods have adequate amounts of salt. You need not add more salt to them. It is a matter of few days only when you will start liking foods with low salt levels.
• Have lots of water to help your body flush out the excessive sodium you have stored in your body through salt intake.
• Have natural diuretics as they eliminate sodium and water from your body. Cranberry juice and cabbage are good examples of such natural diuretics.
• Eat more potassium-rich foods. Potassium balances sodium in your body by flushing out water and sodium out of the body. Bananas, carrots, spinach, raisins etc. have high amounts of potassium in them. Have them daily.

Have Balanced Diet

Wholesome diet loaded with all the essential nutrients will not only reduce facial weight but will help you lose weight from all over your body.

• Have more fresh fruits. Avoid having canned or preserved fruits. They might contain sugar, sodium or other preservatives that can further lead to bloating and weight gain.
• Have more vegetables. Fibers in the vegetables help eliminate toxins from your body which is essential to lose weight. They also give you all the essential minerals and vitamins.
•  Don’t skip meals and eat your meals regularly, preferably on the same time every day. This helps in better digestion. As you might be knowing, indigestion is the cause of almost all the diseases.
• Eat smaller meals many a times instead of 2-3 big meals. This will help boost your metabolism so that you get rid of fat.

Avoid Junk Food

Processed as well as fast foods, all are junk foods. Avoid them. This would help you avoid excessive salt and carbohydrates. You should know that unhealthy carbohydrates are a big reason for fat as they lead to bloating.

• Avoid packed foods
• Avoid processed foods
• Reduce the frequency of visits to restaurants.
• Eat more home cooked food
• Eat more raw foods, fruits and vegetables by adding them in salads
• Instead of such snacks as cookies, biscuits, popcorns etc. snack on dry fruits, peanuts, date, coconut etc.

Take enough Rest

Lack of sleep can give you puffy eyes, dark circles, saggy skin, fine lines and wrinkles etc. all of which can make you look aged and sometimes bloated. So, have enough rest by sleeping for adequate time every day. Also, not taking rest breaks during work can make you over stressed that will lead to various medical conditions including bloated body and face.

• Take breaks from work frequently.
• Sleep enough every day.
• Try to go to bed at the same time everyday and wake up at the same time in the morning, even on holidays. This sets a rhythm of your body and you can sleep easily.
• If needed, you can learn some meditation techniques. Calming your nerves and mind can give you deep rest and relaxation.

Correct your Posture

If you are in a habit to sit wrongly, correct it now. Hunched back can make your face look fat. Additionally, it also leads to double chin. Always stand straight. Do not bellow your face down while talking or walking. This can make the fat get stored in your chin area.

Exercise

Exercise is the healthier way to keep your body fit and fine. When you exercise regularly, you help your body work naturally. Your metabolism improves and you start losing weight. When you lose weight, it is obvious that fat on your face too reduces.

• Move your body daily, be it walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, do whatever you like, but move it.
• If possible, do intense exercise, at least 2-3 days a week, such as cardio, aerobics, yoga or any other such exercises.
• When it comes to facial weight, you also need to do face exercises. The next section deals with this elaborately.
  

Face Exercises to Lose Weight on Face

Here are some face exercises that can help you lose fat from face.

Lift your Chin

Chin lift works up all the muscles on your face. You not only tone your facial muscles but also the muscles of your neck.

• Sit or stand straight
• Take your head back so that you can see the ceiling.
• Keep on looking at the ceiling while you pucker your lips as if you are going to kiss the ceiling
• Hold this position for 10 counts
• Relax
• Now repeat for 5 times.

Do Fish Face Yoga

This exercise tones up your facial cheek muscles and thus helps you a lot when it comes to lose facial weight.

• Sit or stand straight
• Suck in your cheeks
• This will make your lips pucker in a way that they would look like a fish face.
• Hold for 10 counts.
• Relax
• Repeat 5 times

Release your Jaws

This exercise will help stretch the muscles around your lips, jaws and cheeks giving you a toned face which is free of puffiness.

• Sit or stand
• Keep your lips closed while you act as if you are chewing something
• After a few seconds, open your mouth wide. Keep your tongue pressed against your bottom teeth.
• Hold for 5 counts
• Relax
• Repeat for ten times.

Blow Air

This is one of the best face exercises that works up your cheeks, chin and neck muscles. You can easily get rid of chubby cheeks, double chin and thick neck.

• Sit straight on a chair
• Look towards ceiling by taking your head backwards, as much as you can. This will stretch the muscles of your neck.
• Now pull your lips as if you are going to whistle.
• Blow out air from your mouth while counting till 10
• Relax
• Repeat again, for 10 times.

Smile

This can be the happiest exercise you can do to tone your facial muscles. Toned muscles will ultimately help you burn fat.

• Smile the widest smile you can
• While doing so, resist your smile by pushing the cheeks down with your fingers
• Relax after a few seconds
• Repeat 5 times

Home Remedies to Lose Face Fat

Apart from changes in your diet as well as lifestyle and exercising your facial muscles, you can take help of certain home remedies that can help you get rid of your facial weight.

Give your Face the Cold Therapy

When you apply cold water or something frozen on your face, you actually help constrict the blood vessels. This reduces puffiness in that area. So, if you apply something cold over your face, you will reduce puffiness of face.

Get this:

• Water
• Ice cubes
• Large bowl

Do this:

• Take a large bowl and fill it with water till halfway
• Now add ice cubes to it
• Close your mouth and eyes, hold your breath and lower down your face into the bowl. Be very careful.
• Hold your face there only for 5-10 seconds or even lesser, till the time you don’t feel uncomfortable.
• Repeat for 3-5 times.
• Alternatively, you can soak a wash cloth in the chilled water and place it over your face for few minutes.

Use Cucumber to get rid of Puffy Face

You can eat as many cucumbers you want, it will only help you lose weight. The interesting part is that you can also apply cucumber or its juice to your face. The water in the cucumbers soothes and refreshes your swollen face.

Get this:

• Cucumber

Do this:

• Cut the cucumber is roundels.
• Lie down
• Place these slices all over your face.
• Relax for few minutes.
• If needed, change the slices.
• Let them be on your face for 15-20 minutes or more.
• Alternately, you can extract the juice from cucumbers.
• Soak a cotton ball in this juice and wipe your face with this.
• Let it dry out on its own.
• Again apply cucumber juice with the help of soaked cotton.
• Keep doing this for 15-20 minutes.
• Finally wash off your face with cool water.

Lymph Drainage Facial Massage reduces Face Fat

Massage is always an effective way to  tone your body parts and face is no exception. When water retention and excessive  fluid build-up is behind your bloated face, lymph drainage massage is what can give you a slimmer face. Massaging your face will stimulate blood circulation and drain the lymphatic build-up to help reduce water retention. Lymph face massages help drain lymph nodes which in turn restores balance to your facial contour by reducing water retention.

Get this:

• Oil (olive/coconut/wheat germ/ginseng)

Do this:

• Apply oil on your face and neck.
• Starting at your chin, gently massage your face with upward strokes in circular motion.
• Do 5-10 strokes.
• Now, using your fingertips, gently tap from the corners of the lips and slowly move towards your ears
• Repeat 10 times.
• Finally, using your fingers or thumbs, massage your jaw line with upward strokes.
• Repeat for 5 times.

Clay Mask to Lose Weight on Face

Clay masks can effectively contract the facial skin and tighten it to give you a youthful face without puffiness.

Get this:

• Bentonite clay- 1 tbsp
• water- 1-2 tbsp
• Ground oats- 1 tbsp

Do this:

• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to get paste like consistency.
• Apply this all over your face
• Let it sit there for 15-20 minutes
• Wash your face and pat dry
• Apply moisturizer to avoid dryness.

Tips to Manipulate Face Fat

Sometimes the situations are not in your hands, you cannot do much. For example, when your face is fat due to genetic reasons, you can simply adopt ways to make your face look slimmer. The healthy lifestyle and exercises can ensure that you do not get more fat on your face but the fat already there could not be reduced for obvious reasons. In such situations, you can at least adopt some tricks to make your face look slim. Here are some tips to do so.

Make up Tricks to make your Face look Slim

• Use contour colour one or two shades deeper than your skin tone. Lighter colours enhance your facial features. So avoid using them.
• Create an illusion of slim cheeks. Apply the contour shade in diagonal line from the middle of your cheek toward your ear. Always blend well. When you place your contour shade higher,  your cheekbones appear to be sharper.
• Use  bronzer along the jaw line, this will define the area. Blend the shade for seamless contour. This hides your double chin
• Be careful about your eyebrow shape. Keep them higher and with more pronounced arch.

Hairstyles for Fatty Face

If you wear a wrong hairstyle, your chubby face can further become rounded and fuller. To avoid this condition, choose those hairstyles that will make your fat face look slimmer.

• Layers of varying lengths- Mix the layers. Short layers, medium layers and long layers, all mixed up layers will give your face a textured effect.
• Bob hairstyle- A chin length bob style is what is needed by those having a round chubby face. It will make your jaw line stand out and give a slimmer appearance to your face.
• High buns- These buns make your face look longer and longer is always slimmer!

Don’t shy to experiment with the hairstyles that your stylist says will make your fat face look slimmer.

Don’t believe the myth of spot reduction

If you are overweight, face this- you need to lose all your excess body weight. Then only can you reduce fat from your face. There’s nothing called spot reduction. It’s true that you can build muscles of a specific body area but you cannot reduce fat from only a specific area. Fat has to be reduced from all your body! So, take steps to slim down your body weight and you’ll see you have also got a slimmer face.

For this, exercise and maintain a calorie deficit.

If you need 2000 calories a day, eat it but spend around 3000 calories. Then only will you reduce fat.

• Reduce your calorie intake. Instead fatty and fried foods, have more fruits and vegetables.
• However, do not cut too much calories at once. This can send your body into starvation mode.
• Exercise regularly, daily.
• Do strength training exercises 4-6 days a week. Don’t go for a session lesser than an hour.

That’s it! You can lose weight on face but you need to do it wholeheartedly and lose weight from all of your body.

Don’t lose heart, lose weight from face. All these ways to lose fat from face will also make you healthier from within. It’s not only about losing fat, it’s about losing the bad habits and following the right ways to live and stay fit!

How to Lose Weight on Face

How to Fight Drowsiness Naturally

So, you have been feeling sleepy and lethargic all the time! You are not alone. More and more people are joining this ever increasing community of drowsiness. This sleepiness during the day can make you irritable and hamper your normal routine. Most of the people look for coffee and energy drinks to fight off drowsiness. Caffeine may help you stay awake for a while but what about all those side effects that it brings on with it? You are becoming unhealthy by fighting your drowsiness this way, with caffeine! Let’s find out the healthier ways to fight drowsiness. But stop! Let’s first have a look at causes of drowsiness.

Causes of Drowsiness

These are the common causes of drowsiness in daily life:

• Sleeplessness (due to stress, depression or other medical condition or any other reason)
• Sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy)
• Insomnia
• Hypercalcemia (too much calcium in blood)
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyponatremia (low blood sodium)
• Diabetes
• Odd working hours (night shifts, working at weekends or for continuous long hours)
• Migraine
• Other body pain
• Medicines (such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antihistamines)

Apart from the above causes of drowsiness, there are certain serious causes too that need immediate medical attention such as head injury, hypovolemic or hemorrhagic shock, meningitis, stroke etc.

How to Get Rid of Drowsiness?

Now comes the obvious question, how to fight drowsiness! The first step towards this is treating the cause of your drowsiness. See the above list of causes of drowsiness and determine what can be the cause for your drowsiness. Is it stress, insomnia or odd working hours? Or something else?  If you can’t get the clue, take help of your health care provider and discuss your routine as well as any other problem that you might be facing. If your drowsiness is caused by certain drugs, they can be changed by your doctor. Once you have identified the cause for your drowsiness, take help of the below remedies to combat drowsiness.

1. Follow a regular sleep schedule

This is a must. Because you are not sleeping enough or not sleeping at the similar time everyday, your body rhythm is getting disturbed. Adequate sleep and undisturbed sleep are the key to stay refreshed throughout the day. This will help you keep away low energy, fatigue, depression and stress.

So, how much to sleep and when?

You need between seven to nine hours of sleep every night. This will make you function at your best and will not make you sleepy during daytime.

Now comes the question, when to sleep for having that quality sleep which will not bring in drowsiness during day! It is said that you should aim at going to bed somewhere between 8 PM to 11 PM depending upon whether you are a night owl or a morning lark! However, don’t go to sleep after midnight because till few hours before midnight, your body gets the best deep sleep. As you move towards morning hours, your sleep becomes lighter. It doesn’t matter whether you have slept at 10 PM or 3 AM, you are bound to get lighter sleep in the ‘near morning hours’!

This may be a bad news for workers who have to do night shifts, but that’s what nature has ruled for us!

• Go to sleep between 8 PM to 11 PM, not later than that.
• Sleep for at least 7-8 hours every night.
• Maintain a regular wake up time on weekdays as well as weekends. You may get up an hour later on weekends but don’t make it too late. If you everyday get up at 6 AM, you may afford to get up at 7 on Sundays but not at 10 AM! This disturbs your body’s rhythmic sleep cycle.

If you are a night shift worker, the above might seem to be impossible for you. What to do then? The next remedy is for you!

Sleep tips for night shift workers

If you are among those who have to be alert at night so that others can sleep peacefully, congratulate yourself for doing such a noble task! But that doesn’t mean that you need to suffer from health disorders or face drowsiness on days when you are lucky to have a day shift! Here are some sleep tips for night workers so that they may have a regular sleep schedule adjusted to their body rhythm.

Change your sleep schedule three days before your work schedule changes.

Suppose you work from 4 pm to 12 am, and after three days, your work shift will change to 10 pm to 6 am. Now, if you sleep from 2 am to 10 am, postpone your sleeping hours for 2 hours, three days before your new work schedule starts.

• On first day, go to sleep at 4 am and sleep till 12 pm.
• On second day, go to sleep at 6 am and sleep till 2 pm.
• On third day, go to sleep at 7 am and sleep till 3 pm.
• On fourth day, when you start working from 10 pm to 6 am, go to sleep at 8 am and sleep till 4 pm.

Now, sleep everyday at 8 am and wake up at 4 pm. When your work schedule changes after a month or so, again change your sleeping schedule by changing your sleeping hours three days in advance.

Maintain regular sleeping schedule on weekly off days

Your weekends may not match the weekends of other members in your family. But the rule is the same for all. Maintain the usual sleep and wake-up schedule on these days too. This tells your body when to feel sleepy and when not to. If you, the night shift worker too, maintain a regular sleep schedule, you will not feel drowsy during your working hours.

Take help of your family and tell them not to disturb your sleep due to phone calls and visitors when you sleep.

Rotate your shift duty clockwise

First of all, try to avoid frequently rotating shifts. However, this can’t be always done when in job. But try to convince your management about rotating your shifts clockwise. This means your shift should rotates from day shift to evening to night rather than rotating in a reverse order.

Request your manager to schedule your next shift in a manner that it starts later than your present one. This will help you sleep better in coming days and you will also be able to stay alert during work.

2. Get sunlight or bright light

Sunlight regulates your biological clock; it makes your body alert about work time. However, it might not be always possible for you to get sunlight, thanks to your ever shifting duty times. In such times, keep your workplace brightly lighted. This will fight off drowsiness and keep you alert. Circadian rhythms or the body’s internal clock control our sleeping and waking cycle. These rhythms are in turn, controlled by a part of our brain which is influenced by light.

However, on the way home from work, you should try to avoid bright light so that you may fall asleep easily once you reach home. Also, use blackout blinds or heavy curtains so that sunlight gets blocked when you sleep during the day.

Uninterrupted quality sleep is essential to fight off drowsiness.

3. Exercise to avoid drowsiness

Get some exercise daily, preferably in the morning. The adrenaline rush will help you stay more alert. One of the major causes of drowsiness is not getting sufficient physical activity. Our body is made to work and rest and not to rest always. When you do not move your muscles and all that’s inside your body, you become sluggish. So, make it a habit to exercise daily for at least 30 minutes. This will also make you sleep better at night. Avoid exercising close to bed time though! This will hamper your sleep and make you more sleepy the next day. But what exercises to do?

• Walk for 30-40 minutes daily
• Jog for half an hour or hit the gym and use an elliptical trainer
• Swim for 20-30 minutes
• Running is a good exercise
• Cycling too can help
• Do aerobics or yoga
• Dance to your heart!

In short, do whatever you feel like but move your body for at least 30-40 minutes a day.

4. Use Acupressure Points for Sleepiness, Drowsiness

When you feel sleepy and need to become alert, you may also take help of acupressure along with right breathing. This stimulates your nervous system and makes you alert almost instantly.

Press GV 26 Acupressure point

It is situated at philtrum- the vertical groove between the base of your nose and the border of the upper lip.

• Press the center of this point with your index finger firmly
• While holding the point, inhale deeply, hold for a couple of seconds and exhale slowly.
• Repeat this three times.

Press GB 20 Acupressure point

It is situated underneath the base of your skull, at the back of your head.

• Bring your thumbs underneath your skull bones at both ends
• Tilt your head back while inhaling deeply
• Again inhale deeply and tilt your head back, some more
• Do this third time, taking the head a little more backwards
• This makes three repetitions with head tilting a little more each time while you inhale thrice.
• Relax
• Scratch these points for a couple of minutes using your nails. Keep inhaling deeply while scratching

Rub B 23 and B 47 Acupressure points

These points are situated at lower back.

• Take your hands to your lower back.
• Now briskly rub the points at your lower back with your thumbs, up and down
• Do this for a minute

Press and Rub St 36 Acupressure points

It is located four finger widths down from the bottom of the knee cap, along the outer boundary of your shin bone in the leg. This is also called the energy point and rejuvenates you.

• Hold the point with both your hands and press firmly.
• Using your knuckles, briskly rub up and down.
• You can do either of the above.

You need not stimulate all the acupressure points discussed above. Do any one or two, or all, whatever makes you alert and fights your drowsiness. You can do them in any order.

5. There’s nothing wrong in a cup of coffee or tea

Caffeine is bad but only when taken in excessive amounts. If you feel drowsy after lunch, there’s no harm in having a half a cup of coffee or black tea. However, some people report problems in falling asleep at night due to tea or coffee taken in the afternoon. So, check by taking only a little amount for a day or two. If you can’t sleep properly due to this caffeine intake, discontinue having it in the afternoon. You may also have a cup in the morning but not in the evening or late evening as it might hamper your sleep at night.

The best thing would be to have a cup of green tea instead of coffee or black tea. Green tea too boosts energy for hours and help you fight drowsiness.

6. Don’t skip breakfast

This is the most common reason of feeling drowsiness due to low energy levels. You don’t eat for almost 10-12 hours after your dinner and if you skip breakfast in the morning, how’s your body going to get its fuel! However, don’t just overload yourself with heavy foods.

Have a balanced breakfast consisting of fruits, cereals, lean protein and some really energetic foods such as nuts. All this will help you get the required energy to survive the day without sleepiness!

7. Avoid having heavy lunch to fight drowsiness

Always have healthy and balanced diet

Junk food, spicy and fatty foods make you feel sleepy. They are also harmful for your health. Have healthy foods always. Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Cut back on simple carbohydrates like refined flour and white rice. Instead of these, have complex carbohydrates like whole grains and brown rice and that too in limited amounts.

Your snacks should also be healthy. Have nuts, fruits, peanuts, dry fruits, salads, sprouts and other such healthy foods as snacks. Make it a point not to have a heavy lunch. This will help you in a major way to avoid drowsiness.

8. Keep your work interesting

When you do the same thing for a long time, it becomes boring and you feel sleepy. Change your activities several times. You might be having different types of works to do during the day. So, mix them all up. Whenever you feel bored while doing a work, switch to another and come back to the previous work after some time to complete it.

If, however, you have only one type of work to do, try taking breaks in between. A chat for couple of minutes with your colleague, a short walk for 5-10 minutes, splashing cold water on your face, reading an interesting thing for few minutes, all can help you break the mundane feeling of a routine work. This helps fight off drowsiness.

9. Drink plenty of water

Dehydration can make you feel tired. And when you are tired, you ought to feel sleepy. So, drink enough water throughout the day. If you can’t have lots of water, substitute it with healthy drinks.

• Plain water
• Flavored water made with a dash of lemon juice or mint leaves or both!
• Herbal tea
• Clear soups
• Coconut water
• Watery fruits and veggies like watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes etc. They also serve as healthy snacks!
• Fruit juices

10. Stretch your body

This is not similar to your daily exercise. Stretching your body when you are feeling sleepy in the office will instantly make you alert. You don’t need to get a yoga mat or to go outside to do these stretches. Just do simple stretches while sitting on your chair or standing for a minute or two.

• Pull your hands together behind your back and while doing so, stretch out the front of your body. Breathe deeply for sometime and let go of your hands. Do this a couple of times and you will no more feel drowsy.
• Stretch your legs straight while sitting straight.
• Stand up and sit down without using your hands. Do it over and over again for a few minutes.
• Shrug your shoulders while inhaling deeply. Lift them high up to your ears, hold for few seconds and release them. Do this for a few times.
• Make air circles with hands. Clench both of your fists while stretching both the hands out in front of you. Make circles in the air clockwise and then anti-clockwise. Shake out the hands.
• Release your upper body. Inhale deeply. While you exhale, turn to your right and grab the back of your chair with your right hand and grab the arm of the chair with your left hand. Use your grasp on the chair to help twist your torso around as far to the back of the room as possible. Hold the position for few seconds then come back and face forward. Repeat with the other side.
• Hug yourself. Place the right hand on your left shoulder and the left hand on your right shoulder. Breathe deeply while releasing the area between your shoulder blades.

11. Keep your surrounding interesting

So that whenever you feel drowsy, you can look at those things which make you alert and happy. For example, keep the photographs of your loving family on your desk. Look at the photograph and think about your kids or wife. How you will meet them in the evening or what special can you do for them later in the evening to make them happy. As soon as you engage your mind in something that makes you happy, you will become alert. You can also hang beautiful pictures of fascinating cars, flowers, scenery or whatever makes you feel happy.

12. Use aromatherapy to fight drowsiness

Scents can keep you alert. You may use wax melt warmers to keep yourself refreshed with your favorite fragrance or use essential oils. Sprinkle a drop or two of some scented oil on to your handkerchief and sniff it. Such fragrances as of peppermint, eucalyptus, and lemon can help keep you alert.

13. Try taking a quick nap

If nothing helps you beat the drowsiness, try a quick nap. It can dispel drowsiness and get you back on track.  However, it can be done only if you have some space or time in hand. Taking a short 10 minutes nap can make you more alert and it also improves your performance. Its a myth that taking a nap makes you sleep for hours, or you may wake up feeling even worse. The fact is that naps taken for too long or too late in the day can disturb your body’s inner clock and make you feel awful. If you nap for only 10 to 20 minutes, you stay in a lighter phase of sleep and wake up without feeling groggy.

14. Listen to music

The music that charges you up. Listen to some upbeat music while you work. This will not let you feel drowsy. It can be anything- a dance number, rock or pop music. But avoid listening to soothing and relaxing music. These kind of music makes you feel sleepy as you get relaxed.

15. Quit smoking and alcohol

Nicotine and alcohol, both are stimulants that can affect your quality of sleep. When you don’t sleep properly at night, you are bound to feel drowsy during the day. So quit smoking. Limit your consumption of alcohol and better avoid having alcohol on weekdays.

16. Check your medicines

Some medicines can affect the quality of sleep at night. Talk to your doctor and see if your pills could be keeping you up at night. Getting restful sleep at night is essential to fight daytime drowsiness.

There are so many ways to fight drowsiness. Find out the one that suits you the most and get rid of your daytime drowsiness.

How to Fight Drowsiness Naturally

Home Remedies to Help You Conceive

More and more women today can seen asking, ‘how to get pregnant naturally!’ Infertility is a rising problem of present day. When a woman is not being able to conceive naturally even after months of trying, it tells that something is not right inside her body and she needs to work upon this. In fact, sometimes, it is not infertility that stops a woman from getting pregnant. It is the lack of correct resources or nutrition that is not provided to her body.

Why a woman can’t conceive- the causes of infertility

There are many causes that lead to infertility in a woman. To name a few, hormonal imbalance, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis, Anovulatory Cycles, physical blockage, inadequate hormone production, short luteal phase, lack of lutenizing hormone, high levels or prolactin, etc. All these factors come in between a woman and her wish to have her own child, naturally!

Apart from the bodily and medical conditions mentioned above, there are certain other factors that lead to problems in getting pregnant. These include poor nutrition, environmental toxins, and certain lifestyle habits. Age is not that big a constraint when a woman wants to conceive before menopause. However, old school of thought does say that it is difficult for a woman to conceive after mid 30s but women these days are getting pregnant even at the age of 45! And that too naturally!

If you did not know, some changes in diet and lifestyle can prove to be a boon when it comes to fertility. The below home remedies for getting pregnant naturally are not only useful for conceiving but also for addressing such issues as PMS, cramps, fatigue, heavy menstrual periods and other hormone related problems in women.

Diet Remedies to Conceive Naturally

1. Get Proper Nutrition to Conceive Naturally

Your body knows best when you should get pregnant. And if it lacks the required nutrition, your body will never allow you to get pregnant! If you don’t get proper nourishment from the right dietary sources, you’ll remain under-nourished. This means you will not get the essential fats and proteins that are required to conceive naturally. Often, in an attempt to lose weight, women start having low fat, high fiber diet. You need everything- carbs, protein, fats, minerals, vitamins- so that your body gets all that is essential to produce hormones essential for a pregnant woman.

2. Eat good sources of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are not bad at all. They are one of the essential foods your body needs, not only for conceiving but also for basic functioning of the body. Just that you need to separate good from bad. Don’t have bad sources of carbohydrates like sugar, grains and processed foods. Have it from vegetables, fruits and starchy sources.

• Sweet potatoes
• Potatoes
• Taro root
• Squash
• Other vegetables
• Chickpeas
• Bananas and mangoes
• Other fruits (all fruits are sources of carbohydrates too)
• Legumes

3. Have Healthy Fats

Fat is also not all bad like the image it has! Our body needs fats, especially saturated fat. This is essential for body to keep functioning. Sufficient saturated fat means reduces levels of lipoprotein that may otherwise, give rise to heart disease. Good fat is also needed to keep our bones healthy because saturated fat is essential for calcium absorption. Liver, lungs, brain, nerves, immune system, all need fats to function.

When it is about a woman who wants to conceive, fatty acids are required to regulate hormones, increase the blood flow towards uterus, reduce sensitivity to a hormone called prolactin (it suppresses ovulation), increase egg white cervical mucus (it assists the sperm reach the egg) and to keep ovulation cycle normal.

Have fat from good sources though, such as from the following:

• Coconuts and coconut oil
• Olives and olive oil
• Butter
• Grass-fed meats
• Eggs
• Avocado
• Nuts

In an attempt to have fats, don’t start eating fried and junk foods or the refined oils. Keep it natural and get your share of essential fats from natural and healthy sources like those described in the above list.

4. Get Adequate Protein

Protein is needed for conception, it’s an essential requisition. In a research report presented to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a diet rich in proteins was said to have positive effects on fertility of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. When they consumed high proteins and low carbohydrates, they had better quality eggs and embryos. So, when trying to get pregnant, consume more protein and less carbohydrates, at least from three months before when you plan to conceive. Get your protein from these sources:

• Poultry
• Eggs
• Lean meat
• Fish
• Dairy
• Legumes
• Nuts and seeds
• Wheatgerm

5. Eat lots of Vegetables

In normal conditions, eating up to three servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily is important for all of us. It becomes more important to have lots of vegetables and fruits when you try to conceive. Eat these vegetables more if you want to get pregnant naturally:

• Dark leafy greens like spinach, romaine, arugula, and broccoli. They are rich sources of folate, a B vitamin which improves ovulation. Leafy greens also increase libido naturally.
• Maca root is said to increase fertility in both, men and women by boosting energy and immune system. It provides vital minerals and nutrients that your body needs for conception such as iron and iodine.
• Yams have a substance that stimulate ovulation and thus improves fertility.

6. Drink enough Water to help yourself Conceive

Water is the basic substance essential for our survival and lack of water in your body can hamper its normal functioning. This may also lead to difficulties in conceiving. Adequate water inside your body ensures that your uterus stays healthy. It also increase your cervical mucus. The sperm attaches itself to cervical mucus when they are on their journey towards egg. By drinking enough water throughout the day, you can improve your chances of getting pregnant. Your urine should be clear or lightly colored. If not, it means you are not drinking enough water!

Foods to Avoid when trying to Conceive You not only need to concentrate on healthy foods but also on avoiding certain foods that can reduce your chances of getting pregnant.

7. Avoid Sugar

Refined sugar is the most dangerous form of carbohydrates. It makes it difficult for your body to keep insulin levels under control even when you do not suffer from diabetes. A high carbohydrate diet often leads to some level of insulin resistance and thus it is a complete ‘NO’ for women who are trying to conceive. The healthy foods discussed in the earlier section help your body become more sensitive to insulin. This further helps production of other hormones as well as proper functioning of your body.

• Don’t have foods and drinks having high fructose corn syrup
• Avoid desserts made with refined sugar.
• Don’t use sugar in your beverages like tea etc. If needed, use honey or jaggery, the safer and natural sweeteners.

8. Avoid too much Caffeine

Have no more than 2 cups of caffeinated beverages in a day. Excessive caffeine consumption leads to fertility problems. Caffeine hampers your body’s ability to absorb iron. It can also lead to dehydration. All these can collectively either make it impossible for you to conceive or can increase the risks of miscarriage and preterm birth.

9. Avoid Alcohol

If you don’t want to altogether avoid drinking, limit your consumption of alcohol. Not more than a drink or two is what you must aim for. Heavy drinking leads to irregular periods, problems in ovulation, and abnormal levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones. All this makes it harder for you to conceive.

10. Avoid Fish rich in mercury

While fish is a good source of protein, many fish are not for those who are trying to get pregnant because of their high content of mercury in them. When there is high level of mercury in your blood, it affects your fertility. In fact, high mercury levels affect the fertility of men too. Even if you are successful in conceiving, the mercury will stay in your system for more than a year and may cause harm to the development of brain and nervous system of you unborn baby. So, avoid eating the following fish high in mercury:

• Marlin
• Orange roughy
• Tilefish
• Swordfish
• Shark
• King mackerel
• Ahi and Bigeye Tuna.

11. Avoid Soy

Soy contains a compound which is similar to estrogen, the female hormone. High levels of estrogen may negatively affect fertility. The phytoestrogens present in soy have been shown to interfere with endocrine function. This leads to various fertility problems. Even the processed soy foods have large amounts of aluminum gathered from the high pressure processing system. It is toxic to the nervous system. Soy, thus, is not at all good for women who want to conceive.

Lifestyle Remedies to Conceive Naturally

12. Quit Smoking

There are at least two reasons why you would immediately like to quit smoking:

1. Smokers take longer to conceive
2. A smoking woman’s eggs are more prone to genetic abnormalities

These are the findings of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Apart from the two specific reasons for stopping smoking to get pregnant, there are some more ill effects of smoking on a pregnant woman and her fetus. Smoking puts you at a higher risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. Not only the mother-to-be, even father-to-be has to quit smoking otherwise he would have lower sperm count and motility (swimming speed) as well as more sperm abnormalities.

13. Get enough Sleep

Sleep is essential for proper functioning of our body and all its internal organs as well as systems. It has a crucial role to play in the production of hormones. Many studies have found out that women having low melatonin and serotonin levels also have a shorter luteal phase. This phase can be defined as the time between ovulation and menstruation. A shorter luteal phase means lesser chances of getting pregnant.

Not only his, when you are deprived of sleep, your body cannot properly regulate adrenaline, cortisol and insulin. This makes conception even more difficult.

So, take every necessary step to get a good night’s sleep. If needed, take nap during the day too.

14. Do Adequate amount of Exercise

Neither too much nor too little! Do just the right amount of exercise every day. If you are obese, you need to lose weight because this can help you in conceiving. However, you must also have some fat in your body. Having too little body fat may make your body go into an anovulatory state. Your BMI should be between 18 and 30. BMI less than or more than this range can lead to irregular or missed periods which is certainly not good when you want to get pregnant. When you are abnormally underweight, you run the risk of not ovulating altogether. On the other hand, being extremely overweight can further lead to such pregnancy complications as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, birth defects and even a c-section.

If you cannot think of ways to moderately exercise and keep your weight at optimal levels, get help of your doctor, nutritionist or expert yoga or physical trainer who can deal with the weight issues of a woman trying to conceive. The key to optimal weight for a woman who wants to get pregnant, however, lies in the following factors:

• Eat right
• Have plenty of nutrients through healthy sources
• Exercise moderately
• Drink plenty of water

15. Keep away from Stress

If you are too stressed or trying too hard, your chances for conception gets lesser. Stress affects your system in many ways. Stress not only affects the functioning of the gland hypothalamus which regulates your appetite and emotions, it also negatively impacts those hormones that are responsible for releasing eggs from your ovary. Too much stress delays ovulation or does not let you ovulate. This will certainly not help you get pregnant. Stress may, in fact, affect your partner’s fertility too!

In a research report published in the journal, Human Reproduction, it was stated that conception is much more likely to occur during the period when couples felt good, happy and relaxed.

So, if you want to conceive, avoid stress. Try to be happy with your partner. While there can be different ways for you as a couple for being happy, you may also consider the following tips to get rid of stress:

• Massage. It works to decrease your body’s physical signals of stress like heart rate and brain waves.
• Acupuncture. It was experimented in an in vitro fertilization procedure. Those women who got an acupuncture treatment just prior to and just after an embryo transfer into the uterus, had a good success rate.

While it is not true for everyone but reducing stress is a good idea when you want to conceive. In fact, reducing stress is good for overall health. It makes you feel good and enjoy your life.

16. Reduce exposure to Toxins

You have to safeguard yourself against all types of toxins- environmental as well as those you consume, knowingly or unknowingly! Exposure to toxins is surfacing as one of the major causes for infertility, both among men and women.

• Quit smoking, including tobacco and marijuana smoking
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid caffeine (or limit its consumption)
• Reduce exposure to plastic products. Avoid canned foods and use metal bottles instead of plastic ones. Even aluminum containers have plastic lining inside them.
• Reduce exposure to toxic metals like lead and mercury
• Reduce exposure to chemicals at workplace as well as household chemicals
• Stop using conventional cosmetic and beauty products. Go for those that don’t have toxic materials in them or don’t use cosmetics at all!

Removing toxins from your life is not only essential to help you conceive but also for healthy pregnancy and your baby’s health.

17. Change Medications that impair fertility

There are many medicines that affect fertility. Check with your doctor and see if you are taking such medicines that are stopping you from conceiving. Some of such medicines and drugs include the following:

• Antibiotics
• Certain hormones
• Antidepressants
• Some pain-relieving medicines
• Chronic use of narcotics impact fertility of men
• Steroids
• Antidepressants

Ask your doctor to change the medicines if he finds them coming in your way of conception.

Herbal Remedies to Get Pregnant

Most of the women will successfully conceive once they take care of their diet, nutrition and lifestyle habits. However, some women may need to use further home and herbal remedies to conceive. Sometimes, certain supplements too can help you get pregnant.

18. Raspberry Leaves

Containing flavonoids, tannins, and elagic acid in them, raspberry leaves are pleasant-tasting herb. They taste more or less like black tea. However, you are saved from all the caffeine that black tea contains. Raspberry leaves have been used as fertility herb traditionally due to their high nutrient value. It is a good source of calcium and is a good tonic for uterus. While it is available in capsule form, you can make a delicious tea with raspberry leaves.

Get this:

• Raspberry leaf (dried) – 1-2 tsp
• Water- 1 cup
• Honey (optional)

Do this:

• Pour hot water over dried raspberry leaves.
• Cover and let it steep for 10 minutes
• Add honey if using and stir well
• Have it warm.
• You can have 2 to 3 cups of raspberry leaves tea daily even during pregnancy.

However, it is always recommended to consult your doctor before taking any herb or supplement to avoid any complication in pregnancy that might be exclusive in nature for you.

19. Nettle Leaf

Stinging nettle leaves are highly nutritious with a number of minerals in them. It has plenty of chlorophyll which can nourish adrenals and kidneys. What more, a warm cup of tea made with nettle leaves is a great stress buster. As you now know, stress can stop you from getting pregnant. So, this uterine tonic can be had for its added advantage of reducing stress. You can steam and eat these leaves in salads and pastas, add them in soups or stews, or get them in form of extract and capsule. But nettle leaves tea is what will make you stress-free in a major way.

Get this:

• Fresh nettle leaves- 1 cup OR dried leaves- 1 tsp
• Water- 1-2 cups
• Honey (optional)

Do this:

• Wash the fresh leaves properly
• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil
• Add a cup of fresh leaves to this
• Boil for about 5-10 minutes
• Then simmer for another couple of minutes.
• Put off the flame and cover the pot
• Let it steep for a few minutes if you want it a little more stronger
• Strain and add honey if using
• If using dried leaves, simply pour hot water over them, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes.
• Strain, add honey or have it as it is
• Have 2-3 cups of nettle leaves tea a day before conception and during pregnancy

Consult you doctor anyways before you begin drinking any herbal tea during pregnancy.

20. Alfalfa

Alfalfa is a great herb for conception. It can be said a herb with high vitamin value due to the presence of vitamins A, D, E and K as well as 8 digestive enzymes in it. Alfalfa also contains trace minerals. It is a phytoestrogen which balances the estrogen present in your body. When estrogen is high, phytoestrogens that bind the receptors work to block the estrogen from binding. On the other hand, when estrogen is low, phytoestrogens bind with enough potency to help boost activity, however, not as much as real estrogen would. Phytoestrogens are useful to treat PMS, one of the causes due to which you cannot conceive. However, don’t eat a lots of alfalfa as they sometimes lead to depletion of essential minerals like calcium and magnesium.

 

Home Remedies to Help You Conceive