Are We Dying to Look Good: Natural Hair Coloring Ideas

A man with a grey locks is considered distinguished and wise but when a woman goes grey she is accused of letting herself go. In the 1950’s less than 10% of the woman dyed their hair. Today, the number is a staggering 75% or more. This popular beauty habit can cost consumers $75-$200 every 6-8 weeks when having it done professionally. Your first grey hair will typically appear by the age of 34 and by age 50 up to 50% of all Caucasians will have a full head of grey hair. Smoking, poor diet, stress and genetics can all contribute to premature greying.

Dying can be Deadly: Some chemicals used in hair dye products are known to be carcinogenic.

A 6-year study at Yale University has found that women who have spent years coloring their hair do indeed run a greater risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system that claims about half of all its victims.

Another study analyzing hairdressers showed a very marked increase in the incident of upper digestive tract, lung and skin cancer among this group that was continuously exposed to the chemicals in the hair dyes.

We don’t want to leave the guys out of this issue as the number of men dying their hair is on the rise. A study by Xavier University found that the gradual hair dyes like Grecian Formula contained so much lead acetate that the researchers couldn’t wash it off their hands! Lead is a cumulative chemical and even low-level exposure can ultimately result in cancer, brain damage, muscle weakness and depression.

Here’s a specific list of ingredients to watch for in your hair products: 4-MMPD, 4-chloro-m-phenylenediamine, 2,4-toluenediamine, 2-nitro-p-phenylenediamine and 4-amino-2-nitrophenol. Also, some coal tar colors used in permanent dark hair coloring contain heavy metal impurities, including lead and arsenic, both of which can cause cancer and disrupt hormones.

All Natural Alternatives

There are hair coloring products out there that are truly all natural, safe and non-toxic. However, be very careful not to be fooled by clever labeling. Just because Garnier adds in some avocado oil for a healthy shine, doesn’t change the fact that all the same toxic chemicals found in other products are right there on the label.

Fragrance(s)/perfume(s), Silica dimethyl silylate, Trideceth-2 carboxamide MEA, Glycerin, Propylene glycol, Citric acid, Thiolactic acid, 2-Aminophenol, Methylparaben, p-Phenylenediamine, Resorcinol, Cetrimonium chloride, p-Aminophenol, Pentasodium pentetate, Monoethanolamine (MEA), Lauric acid, 3-Aminophenol, 2-Methylresorcinol, Glycol distearate, Ammonium hydroxide, t-Butyl hydroquinone, Laureth-12, Chlorhexidine dihydrochloride, Hydrogen peroxide, Tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP), and Avocado extract/oil. (This is only half the list of ingredients! )

Use real herbs and plant extracts

Good old mother nature provides some great alternatives for hair coloring enthusiasts. A great way to test how a natural made concoction will look is to save some snips of hair from your next haircut and make up a small batch of whatever dye recipe you want to try. Apply the mixture to the hair sample and let it dry naturally (preferably in the sunlight) and see what the results are before applying all over and then having to live with it for six weeks.

Blonde Hair

List of Herbs: Chamomile, calendula, mullein, saffron, turmeric

Make a weekly rinse with any of these as a tea and it will brighten, highlight or add vibrant tones to those with blonde hair washed out hair.

• Steep 1/4 – 1/2 cup of any of these herbs in 2 cups of boiled water for 30 minutes
• Strain out the flowers/herbs and let it cool
• Shampoo your hair and towel dry your hair
• Then rinse with this cooled tea while catching the rinse so it can be reused
• Pour the rinse through your hair about 10 times
• Squeeze out excess moisture and then leave in your hair for another 20 minutes or longer before completely rinsing it out with clean water
• Allow hair to dry in direct sunlight if possible
• Citrus fruits such as lemon can also act as lighteners and brighteners (but don’t forget to test results first).

Light Brown Hair

Rhubarb root is said to attract honey gold tones to light brown hair.

• Pour three cups of hot water over four tablespoons of chopped rhubarb root
• Simmer for 15-20 minutes
• Strain it and pour it through your freshly shampooed hair 10 or more times
• Rinse in clear water and dry in direct sunlight if possible

Brown/Black Hair

Some turn to henna products for covering up those grey hairs. Just don’t use it on color-treated hair as you may be unpleasantly surprised with the results. Like any semi-permanent dye, henna coats the hair and lasts about six weeks. You can buy henna powder from herbal suppliers and health food stores. It’s known as a safe, healthful dye, and will make your hair feel thicker. A word of caution, henna tends to produce a brassy orange-red shade when used alone, so you may want to mix it with a “lighter” herb like chamomile. Henna should not be used by people with white, gray or very light blond hair.

• Put 2 Tbsp – 4 Tbsp henna into a nonmetal bowl (more for long hair)
• Add enough boiling water to make a thick paste
• Stir in a tablespoon of vinegar (which will help release the plants’ colors)
• Let the blend cool for a few minutes
• When the paste is lukewarm, put on a pair of rubber gloves (henna can stain your hands) and massage it into your clean, wet hair
• Comb it through with a wide-toothed comb to insure even distribution of the dye
• Pile up your hair, fit a plastic bag over it and wrap a old towel around your head to hold in the heat
• You’ll need to leave the dye and towel in place from 30 minutes to 2 hours
• When the time is up rinse your hair until the water comes clean, then allow to air-dry
• Use lemon juice to remove any dye from hands or your hairline

Note: The darker your natural hair is the longer you’ll have to wait for the natural dye to take effect

Sage leaves can be used as a rinse to deepen any brunet and brown shades. It is also said to effectively cover gray or dark hair. A sage rinse can be made by steeping a handful of the dried herb in a quart of boiling water for 30 minutes (longer, if you want it darker). Cool and strain it and rinse it through freshly shampooed hair 10 or more times. Then wait 10 minutes before washing the liquid out with clear water. A sage rinse is considered a progressive dye so you should apply it weekly until you get the shade you want and then repeat monthly.

Tag alder bark is another popular hair darkening remedy but it produces a lighter tone than sage, so it works to darken blond hair or to cover gray in hair colors that are light to medium brown. To make a tag alder rinse, simmer one ounce of bark chips in a quart of water for about 30 minutes, then cool and use it as the rinse described above.

You will want to experiment with these different possibilities and come up with the one that is just right for you. You will feel healthier knowing what you are putting on your hair and scalp and keep more of your hard earned money to top it off.

Recommended Reading: Going Gray: How to Embrace Your Authentic Self with Grace and Style

Best All Natural Ready to Use Hair Products

Healthy Living Store

Resources

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12672039

http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsafety/productinformation/ucm143066.htm)

Mielke H, et al. “Lead-based hair products: too hazardous for household use.” Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. 1997;85-89.

http://www.advancednaturalmedicine.com

http://blogs.naturalnews.com/are-we-dying-to-look-good-natural-hair-coloring-ideas/

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/

Life will always throw you curves.......

When you make a decision and a commitment to do something good for yourself, it is like dropping a pebble in a pond. It has a rippling effect. The firmer the decision, the stronger the frequency and wider the range of things that will be reached.

If you want peace, be peace. If you want wealth, be wealth. Think it. Talk it. Prepare yourself to have it. Have faith enough to seek guidance and authority from within.

If you take the focus off having money and getting things, if you surrender anger to understanding, fear to acceptance, and hate to love, the universe will respond by bringing you more of what you focus on. When you shift from the intellect to the spirit, you are bound to find a new way of life. This will be a life dedicated to peace, joy, and compassion.

Be daring! Be bold! Call the things you desire into being so that your life will come into alignment with your greatest expectations. Focus on and affirm the experiences you desire.

Iyanla Vanzant

Vegan Potato Curry

• 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on your taste–I’m a wuss)
• 4 tsp curry powder
• 4 tsp garam masala
• 1 in piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced (a mini food processor is amazing for this)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz)
• 1 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
• 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews, optional

Instructions

1. Put the potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to keep at a simmer and cook until just tender–about 15 minutes.  Drain them and let them steam dry for a bit.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent.  Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, curry powder, garam masala,  ginger, and salt.  Cook for 2 minutes more.  Add the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, peas, and potatoes. Add the coconut milk, dried fruit, and cashews (if using) and bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Serve with some naan.

http://marianhd.com/

How to Eat More and Lose Weight

Go ahead and splurge on that third cup of coffee. Each cup of caffeine you drink gives you a powerful boost -- in your metabolism. The more you drink, the more you'll burn.

As far as food goes, fish is pretty amazing. Ingest 300 mg of fish oil a day and your metabolism will burn an extra 400 calories. Get your fish oil in capsules and you won't have as much fish to filet.

Lean red meat burns calories while you eat it. Your metabolism has to kick into high gear to break it down. Plus, the muscle it builds burns more calories per pound than fat.

Organic fruits and vegetables are pesticide free. Pesticides aren't just icky, they slow down your metabolism. Stick to pesticide-free fresh food and your metabolism will burn faster while you eat.

We all know that water is good for you. But did you know that it also speeds up your metabolism? Water quickly flushes fat and calories through your body so that you absorb less.

Your metabolism has to speed up to return cold drinks to body temperature. Drink 8 ice-cold glasses of water a day and you'll burn an extra 490 calories per week.

The capsacin in hot peppers burns your metabolism along with your tongue. It also curbs your appetite so that you eat less later. So the next time you pig out, spice it up then eat till you pop...or burn out.

12 Bar Blues - Piano Duet with Peter the Elephant - Thailand

Princess Leia loves her pacifier.

OMG! Oreo races to protect Cookie Monster. Now both are looking for a ...

Pie filling, in this case apple, is sandwiched between layers of crescent dough and a bottom layer of sweetened cream cheese, topped with cinnamon sugar. Just delicious and so easy.

Apple and Cream Cheese Dessert

Okay. Ya gotta admit. Doesn't that just look dreamy?

I just happened to have a package of crescent rolls and cream cheese in the fridge when I ran across this recipe in the Best of the Best from Mississippi Cookbook and it sounded so good that it haunted me until I made it!

By the way, if you haven't ever seen them before, the Best of the Best series of cookbooks is another great cookbook source to add to your collection {y'all do have a collection like me, right? Or am I the only cookbook junkie out there?? Anybody? Anybody??}. Whether it's the 'Best of' cookbook from your state, a neighboring state or someplace you've never been, I think you will be pleased with these cookbooks! I have several of them and love them - they all have really great recipes in them. I hope to have all 50 someday!! Check out my review here for Best of the Best from the Deep South. Now, that's a great one for sure!

They are basically compilations of recipes selected from dozens of that state's favorite cookbooks, so you sort of get a well-rounded taste of a lot of different cookbooks for not a lot of money. And they tell you where each of the recipes come from, so if you find several recipes you like from a single source, you know exactly what cookbook to buy. Heck they even give you that information detail in the back of the cookbook. Now, they're plain Jane cookbooks, no pictures, just recipes, but I think that they really are a bargain. Be sure to check them out sometime!

Anyway... back to this recipe. I am obsessed with finding different things to do with crescent rolls anyway, and cream cheese and apples go together so well that this sounded delicious. Well, it didn't disappoint I have to tell ya! This dessert is just a fantastic combination of flavors - the creaminess of the melted cream cheese all nestled into the apples that are sandwiched in between two layers of tender dough, and then the cinnamon sugar sort of caramelizes and creates this kind of crunchy top. Gosh this was good, and so easy too. Give this one a try for sure! Goes great with a hot cup of coffee.

Using fresh apples? Just core, peel and slice and stew them down with a bit of butter for about 15-20 minutes until softened.

What you'll need. One package of crescent rolls, 1/2 of an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, one can of apple pie filling, 1/2 stick of butter, melted, and a mixture of cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top.

Open the crescent roll package, unroll and divide in half, pinching the seams lightly together. Place into a 8 x 8 inch baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Please note that I am using a glass Pyrex baking dish, that I believe gives a better result. Do not reduce the oven temperature!


Mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together and place on top of the crescent rolls.


Spread the cream cheese evenly all across the top.


Layer the apples on top of the cream cheese layer. Be sure to check your pie filling to see if it is regular, sugar free, or low sugar to see if you may want to add additional sweetener.


Add the other half of the crescent rolls on top of the apples.


Pour the melted butter all over the top of that.


And sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture.


Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Check this one out!

Cherry Cream Cheese Dessert - made with cherry pie filling and a nice sprinkle of granulated sugar on top instead of the cinnamon sugar.

Recipe: Apple and Cream Cheese Dessert

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 30 min |

Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 package of crescent rolls
• 1 can of apple pie filling
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter, melted
• Mixture of cinnamon and sugar*

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" x 8" glass baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Hand whip the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together until well blended.

Unroll the package of crescent rolls and cut into even halves. Pinch together the seams and place one of the halves into the bottom of the baking pan. Spread the cream cheese evenly on top of the dough and top that with the apple pie filling. If you are using a low sugar or sugar free apple pie filling, you'll probably want to add some sugar or brown sugar to the apples. Top with the other half of the dough and pour the melted butter all over. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool long enough to set the filling before cutting.

Cook's Notes: Please note that I am using a glass Pyrex baking dish at 350 degrees F. Using fresh apples? Just core, peel and slice and stew them down with a bit of butter for about 15-20 minutes until softened. Let cool slightly before assembling the dessert. This also makes a perfectly delicious easy cream cheese danish when made without the fruit.

Tip: Several of our readers have made this in the 8 x 8 inch baking pan, but doubling the cream cheese and pill filling with great success. Thanks Ann!

Variations: Experiment with other pie fillings - cherry and blueberry are good substitutes with a plain sprinkling on top of regular granulated sugar instead of the cinnamon sugar. Try this with fresh peaches too! Mary from our Facebook page uses a cooked filling of 2 cups peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, a tablespoon cornstarch, rather than a can of pie filling. Thanks Mary! Double recipe for an oblong pan.

How to make Cinnamon Sugar: Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 heaping tablespoon of cinnamon. Place into an old cleaned spice jar with a shaker top and shake well.

Read more: http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2009/06/apple-cream-cheese-dessert.html#ixzz3Wo1qekNc
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives
Follow us: @DeepSouthDish on Twitter | SouthernRecipes on Facebook

Steve Hofmeyr at the Paul Kruger protest.

Sunette Bridges on the possible removal of the Paul Kruger statue

So ye shall Sew....

Great tips and pointers for getting some relief of your varicose veins!

HOME REMEDIES FOR VARICOSE VEINS heart emoticon

In our body there is a huge network of veins, which carry blood from one part of the body to the other part. When some injury happens to even a single vein, the blood flow gets affected. This can further lead to several diseases. Many times the veins get congested due to the blood clots and this can also result in various illnesses.

Due to the injury the veins appear bluish and swollen. This condition is known as varicose veins. This is extremely painful condition but you can get some relief from the pain by trying the various home remedies for varicose veins.

Home remedies for Varicose Veins:

1. In order to keep the blood circulation well within your body, exercising is the only option. Walking, jogging, cycling and swimming are some of the best form of exercising. Even if you perform some sort of exercising for about 30 to 45 minutes a day that will be sufficient to keep your body healthy and fit.
2. Follow healthy eating habits and stay away form junk food, oily food. Limit your intake of sugar and salt. Try to minimize eating ice creams, cheese, tobacco and peanuts.
3. Your diet should consist of vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, whole grains, fish and Soya products. Onion, ginger and garlic are also effective for proper blood circulation in the body. Include them while cooking food.
4. Pineapple is also very effective in the treatment of varicose veins. Pineapple juice should be consumed once a day in case you get varicose veins often.
5. Blackberries and cherries are also effective in preventing varicose veins from occurring.
6. Eat fibrous food, as this will keep the bowels clean. This will prevent varicose veins from occurring and will also keep you away from various other conditions.
7. To keep the blood circulation proper avoid sitting or standing in one position for long time. Take break for five minutes in case your work wants you to sit in one position for too long. This will ensure that all the body parts get proper blood supply. Thus there will no pressure on the veins. This is one of the very effective home remedies for varicose veins.
8. Don’t wear tight clothes. Your body should feel comfortable in what you are wearing.
9. In case you have to stand for long time while working then balance your weight equally on both the legs. Don’t put extra pressure on one leg.
10. Rest is also important part of the day. Take rest whenever possible. Daily sleep of six to seven hours is a must for all of us.
11. Applying castor oil over the swollen veins will reduce the swelling and heal the varicose veins fast.
12. Mix carrot juice and spinach juice and drink it. This will also give relief form varicose veins.
13. Massage the swollen veins with rosemary oil, as this will give relief from the pain.
14. Applying apple cider vinegar over the veins will also give relief from varicose veins.
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1 Miracle Prayer Shocks Everyone...And It Was Given By An ATHEIST!

“If God can change me, He can change anybody.”

Clay Lein was an atheist and he let everyone know when he had the chance. You see, he studied engineering in school and needed proof to believe ANYTHING. This thought process served him well in business but where did that leave Clay when it came to God?

Clay was raised attending Vacation Bible School as a child but as he grew older, he began to lose his need and his faith in God.

“I had a very rational mind. It had to be logical. I needed proof. There had to be evidence. And if there wasn’t proof then it was just something people made up,” Lein siad. “Part of the training for engineers is to be skeptical, to demand data, to want to see evidence.”

Clay got married, earned an MBA and began a successful career at Intel. All of these achievements and the world that surrounded him seemed very concrete and observable. There was no need to believe in something intangible that required you to suspend your scientific mind, he reasoned.

"Why would I need God? I mean, if he even existed why would I have any need for him, he thought."

But his wife pleaded with him to attend church, and he acquiesced because he thought “church was a place nice people go.” All the while he tactfully but firmly let people know he was an atheist.

Then he volunteered at a youth camp and that’s when his skepticism got shattered.

He was asked to pray publicly.

Clay was put on the spot without any preparation and he got nervous. But he quickly figured he could keep up appearances by drawing on his childhood memories from Vacation Bible School. He quickly convinced himself he could fake his way through.

But as he began to pray, something very unusual happened. Words oddly began to flow naturally from his mouth, without him needing to conjure up any memories whatsoever.

The Holy Spirit took over and directed his prayer for each child! By the time he was done, a simple prayer had extended to 15 minutes. And it hit the mark.

One girl was so deeply moved that she began crying.

“In between the sobs she begins to share that her uncle was abusing her,” he recalls. “And that she hadn’t been able to tell anybody else until that moment. That’s when I think something clicked for me.”

Suddenly, “God was relevant and He really wanted to do amazing things in my life,” Clay said. “I became a Christian that day. And I heard a voice, and it wasn’t Charleton Heston, it was more a thought that comes up and often times it sounds like Clay’s voice but it was definitely God. And it said, ‘Try me.'”

This experience didn’t fit into a neat scientific box, measurable by instrumentation or by the five senses. But it was evidence nevertheless that completely upended his skepticism.

Clay began thinking about how God had changed that teenager’s life in just 15 minutes. What would happen if he gave God more than 15 minutes?

“A question I had for God: if you can do that with my life, if I get out of my way for just 15 minutes, what could You do with my whole life if I got out of Your way with all of it?” he recalls.

Clay launched into a new path for his life. He enrolled in seminary and was ordained an Episcopalian minister in 1996.

He served as a deacon in South Carolina and as the rector at a church in Plano, Texas. In 2002, he helped start a new congregation in Frisco, north of Dallas, and it now has 1,400 members. Most recently, he was named rector of the 4,000-member Church of St. John the Divine in Houston.

The display sign outside the church declares: “Changing lives for God in Christ.”

“I’m a poster child” for that declaration, he says. “If God can change me, He can change anybody.”

Wow! Thanks you, Clay for your amazing story.  Our God is a God of second chances and he never gives up on us! God had great plans for clay and he does for you too!  Give God 15 minutes today and see what he does for you.  It's never too late to have a change of heart!

http://www.godvine.com/

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