This eZine (No. 129)

Wellness:	Green Cleaning Ideas for Your Home
MindPower:	What's Exactly Spiritual Healing?
Beauty:	Professional Makeup Application

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Green Cleaning Ideas for Your Home

By:  Ainsley Laing

When my husband, Dave, and I first started housekeeping together (we are still newlyweds…), he used to shake his head and occasionally comment on my refusal to use artificial chemical cleaning products in the home. Yes, it is a bit unconventional to say the least!  But even he will tell you that he likes that our house is free of toxic chemicals.

Only ten years ago, I too believed the only way to really clean was with smelly household cleaners.  Here’s the story:

Have you heard of the hygiene hypothesis?  First proposed in England in 1989 by David Strachan, it was a possible explanation of why kids raised in larger families have a lower incidence of allergies.  It has been studied extensively and has now been expanded.

The current thinking is that early exposure to bacteria, viruses, parasites etc. are important for the development of a healthy immune system.  This is a radical shift in thinking from the antibacterial paradigm most of us were raised with years ago.

Ten years ago, I had a baby.  I was living in England at the time.  The medical community there was beginning to discuss and apply this new hygiene paradigm.  I was encouraged to breast feed, of course, but also to not worry so much about sterilizing bottles and utensils after the baby was a few months old. 

Naturally, as an over tired new parent, when the hygiene hypothesis was explained to me, I happily followed along.  It did make a lot of sense. After all, babies have lived for thousands of years with lots and lots of dirt around and have thrived. Besides, sterilizing everything WAS a lot of work….

Well, guess what?  At age 10, that same child rarely gets sick and has no allergies so far…even with a genetic predisposition to asthma from both parents!

For me the hygiene hypothesis paradigm shift led to a “re-think” about all the chemicals and insecticides that were being used in and around the house to keep it clean and “pest” free.  It’s really quite incredible what a young child and parents are exposed to in terms of household chemicals these days.  The question is why? If early exposure to microbes is good for baby – why expose a child to pollutants in the name of killing them?

So, the search for healthier alternatives began….

Through trial and error and speaking with other parents who have gone in favor of “green cleaning”, I learned that pretty much all household cleaning can be done using a bit of creativity and things you already have in your kitchen.    Using greener alternatives is easy, inexpensive, good for your family and good for the earth. 

Here are some ideas:

1. Baking soda: Acts as a scrub, polishes metal and deodorizes things. (a must have if you have a baby in diapers).

2. Lemon: Deodorizes, cuts grease, bleaches stains and disinfects. Mixed with baking soda, it removes stains from plastic food storage containers.

4. Salt:  Another scrubber (more course than baking soda)—good for cookware and ovens. Combined with citrus juice it removes rust.

5. White vinegar: Deodorizes and disinfects (again acid). Mix with water and a little dish soap and you’ve got a great all purpose cleaner for windows, floors, bathrooms and all the rest.  Used full strength it fights mold and mildew and body odor in clothing.

6. Olive Oil: Mix two parts oil with one part lemon juice and use as a furniture polish. It smells great.

So, if you are thinking of going organic with the food you eat, why not go all the way and get rid of the pollutants in your house.  You and your family will benefit with better health and more pocket money. If you have children – you won’t have to worry about poisoning.  After all, what’s the worst thing that can happen from drinking vinegar except a tummy ache?

And, when you say you can eat off the floor in your home, you will really mean it!

About the Author:
Ainsley Laing, MS. has been a Fitness Trainer for 27 years and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and Personal Fitness Training. She is also a professional engineer and mom. To see more articles by Ainsley visit http://www.bodyformind.com or the blog at http://www.bodyformind.blogspot.com

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis

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What's Exactly Spiritual Healing?

By: Johny Rider

Spiritual healing techniques and spiritually based health care systems are among the most ancient healing practices. Spirit is the liveliness, richness, and beauty of one’s life. Spirituality is the drive to become everything one can be, and it is bound to intuition, creativity, and motivation.

It is the dimension that involves relationships with oneself, with others, and with a higher power. It involves finding significant meaning in the entirety of life, including illness and death.

The materialism of North American culture of the 1980s has given way to a period of reflectiveness. People are searching for a “wholeness” in their lives and a way to allow their innermost selves to grow and expand. Spiritual healing practices guide people to places within themselves they did not know existed, through techniques as ancient as prayer, contemplation, meditation, drumming, storytelling, and mythology. In consciously awakening the energies of the spirit, people are able to move
toward healing places and sacred moments in their lives.

During periods of stress, illness, or crisis, people search for meaning and purpose in their pain and suffering. They ask questions like “Why am I sick?” or “Why did this bad thing happen to me?” This spiritual quest for meaning can lead to insight and healing or to fear and isolation. In the words of Buddhist philosopher Ken Wilber, A person who is beginning to sense the suffering of life, is, at the same time, beginning to awaken to deeper realities, truer realities.

For suffering smashes to pieces the complacency of our normal fictions about reality, and forces us to become alive in a special sense—to see carefully, to feel deeply, to touch ourselves and our world in ways we have heretofore avoided. It has been said, and truly I think, that suffering is the first grace. Spirituality is not religion. Spirituality, however, is the search for wholeness and purpose that underlies the world’s religions. Remove the dogma, the politics, and the cultural influence from any of the world’sreligions, and you find the same questions, the same seeking, and the same answers. The concept of spirituality does not undermine any religion but rather enhances all religions by illuminating their commonalities and the commonality among all people. It makes us far more similar to each other than it makes us different.

Many traditions also speak of spiritual guides. Some of us think of them as guardian angels, others as Beings of Light who guide people through near-death experiences.

Although no Western scientific evidence supports the existence of angels, one can find phenomenological evidence. Many first-person accounts of near-death occurrences involve angels and similar experiences from people of different ages, from diverse cultures, with different personal and reli-
gious beliefs.

Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db

About the author:
For more information on spiritual healing, alternative medicines and aromatherapy book visit http://aromatherapycourse.googlepages.com/aroma.html

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Professional Makeup Application

By: jikky jackson

While many women turn to the magic of makeup to revitalize their look, too many ladies achieve a result that is very unflattering. Too much eye shadow and that sultry, smoky look turns into the equivalent of a black eye. Not enough blush, and your cheeks look very unhealthy. Choose the wrong lipstick? You can attract the wrong attention, while failing to secure your dream job.

"Too much" makeup, along with poor makeup selection, can be a very bad thing indeed. Heavy application - or even merely a heavy-handed application of a relatively small amount of makeup - can make your skin appear lifeless and flaky.

All of the Hollywood starlets appear on the scene wearing significant amounts of makeup, and they all achieve that perfect look. What's a real-life lady to do? The answer is simple: do as the starlets do - use the same tricks and techniques makeup artists carry in their arsenal!

Building the Right Makeup Foundation

Considering that foundation is the makeup product that comprises the majority of your face, choosing the right tone is critical in creating an attractive look. Professional makeup artists all opt for liquid foundation, which has the most natural, smooth appearance.

Using a makeup sponge, liquid foundation goes on much more evenly, and looks more natural than powder foundation. Powder foundation has a tendency to look patchy, bringing out dry spots in the skin when applied. Thus, choose a good liquid foundation, and you're on your way to a beautiful, made up appearance!

The second element to the foundation is choosing the perfect match for your complexion. The last thing you want is a foundation that appears to be too dark for your skin color. Similarly, a foundation that is too light in color will make your skin seem unnecessarily pale, and this makeup may not conceal any blemishes or skin imperfection.

Professional makeup artists almost never use foundation straight from the bottle; instead, they mix and match several shades to create the perfect color for each individual. Consumers can also enjoy this luxury by working with companies that create custom foundation shades.

Always Choosing Blush

One of the most underrated makeup products, blush is important for every single individual, whether or not you are attempting to achieve rosy cheeks. Once you have applied your foundation, your imperfections are indeed covered - but so are your natural skin colorations. The natural, healthy color in your cheeks is dampened, and thus, you should use blush to revitalize that healthy glow. Remember, blush does not necessarily mean pink. The shades of peach and bronze allow you to achieve the look you desire, whether it is sultry or chic, but still give the underlying appearance of healthy, vibrant skin. Particularly for business or professional events, you want just a touch of blush on your cheeks so that you look awake and refreshed.

Once you selected and purchased the perfect pale blush, use a large round makeup brush to apply. Study the contours of your face and determine where your cheekbones are. You may wish to suck in your cheeks, applying the blush makeup in upwards strokes along the contours. The purpose of blush is to accent those cheekbones to create an illusion that your face looks more angular and slimmer, so follow the line of cheekbones to accentuate them further.

Intelligent Makeup Color Choices

Many professional makeup artists utilize color palettes to select the perfect colors that compliment their clients' skin. Your makeup should follow the same rule. Make sure that you fully understand your skin tone, and choose your makeup colors accordingly. For example, if you have an olive skin tone, you want to avoid yellows and greens, but instead, choose roses and browns.

When you remember that makeup is meant to accentuate - not cover up - your natural beauty, then you can make the right choices that allow your face to enjoy a flawless appearance.

Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db

About the author:
Please check out all of our make up resources by visiting http://www.strawberrynet.com/country.aspx

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For  your health,

Ainsley & Dave