14 Excellent Uses for Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil comes in a pint-sized bottle, but it’s much more powerful than its diminutive size lets on. This essential oil is extracted from an Australian plant and is a natural antiseptic, reduces infections and treats many ailments. It also works wonders with cleaning and sterilizing items around the house. Today you'll learn at least 14 different ways you can use this cure-all essential oil.

Household

1. A clean home - Keep your household sparkling with this natural all-purpose cleaner. Mix two cups of water with two teaspoons of tea tree oil and store in a spray bottle. It cleans many surfaces without staining, and, in fact, lifts stains. It leaves materials such as

wood, linoleum, stone, and ceramics sparkling.

2. Remove mildew and mold - Mildew and mold sprout quickly and can become a problem fast. Tea tree oil has antifungal properties and cleaning the affected area with it can not only superficially remove the dirt but also kill off the underlying bacteria, ensuring that the mold doesn’t come back. Mix one cup apple cider vinegar with a few drops of oil.

3. Fresh laundry – You can happily dismiss the overpriced, chemical detergents that can be hard on clothing material and embrace tea tree oil. Keep your laundry soft and give it a lovely fresh and natural scent. Use or make unprocessed laundry soap along with 2-3 drops of tea tree oil, which has antifungal and antibacterial properties that can quickly disinfect fabric dirt.

4. Eliminate unpleasant odors - Often unwanted odorous smells float around the home and it’s hard to determine where they’re coming from. Get rid of these unpleasant smells by spraying with an essential oil mix. Mix a spray bottle with water and several drops of this oil. It works well on litter boxes and garbage bins. Since tea tree oil is antiseptic, it disinfects the sprayed areas too.

5. Keep your toothbrush clean – Your toothbrush helps keep your mouth germ free but since it’s often wet, damp or warm it’s logical that bacteria and other germs might form on it. Tea tree oil can sterilize your toothbrush from unwanted germs that might stick to the bristles or handle. Apply two drops of the oil to the brush and rub clean with your finger. Afterwards rinse the brush thoroughly.

Skin problems

6. Treat acne - Get rid of unpleasant skin blemishes with tea tree oil without any ill side effects. Many treatments for acne use peroxide, which dries the skin. Tea tree oil doesn’t strip the natural oils from the skin so you won’t experience dryness. Apply the oil to a cotton ball and use this to treat acne or pimples.

7. Relieve the suffering caused by boils and blisters - Reduce the period of time you suffer from these uncomfortable skin problems with some tea tree oil. When applied daily, this essential oil speeds up the recovery time and can offer soothing relief. Dip a cotton ball in the oil and apply this directly to the boil or blister. You can repeat this treatment 3 to 5 times a day. The oil’s antiseptic properties also reduce your chances of the blisters or boils becoming more infected.

8. Get rid of warts - Warts are uncomfortable and embarrassing. Luckily you don’t have to live with them. Apply two drops of the oil directly on the wart, once in the morning and once before bed. You can cover the area with a bandage to ensure the oil stays in place.

9. Relieve symptoms of ringworm - Ringworm is another skin ailment that causes intense itching. Use tea tree oil to relieve the itching sensation. Apply a couple of drops directly to the affected area and do this three times a day. If you have sensitive skin, mix the tea tree oil with clove oil. The oil’s antifungal and antibacterial properties can also fight this bacterial skin infection. 

10. Soothe sunburn - Sunburn is an unfortunate pain that just won’t quit. Sooth the stinging sensation it causes with this natural relief. Create a paste of 1 drop tea tree oil with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and massage onto the burning area. The tea tree oil helps remove the sting, and can reduce any blistering or peeling.

11. Soothe psoriasis - This itchy skin condition can be treated with prescription medication, but sometimes these fail to fully keep the irritating symptoms from making life uncomfortable. You can soothe the scratching sensation with a tablespoon of clove oil mixed with 10 drops of tea tree oil. Gently massage this mixture into your skin. Apply three times a day to help reduce the painful itching.

Other aches or pains

12. Keep the bugs from biting - One of the annoyances of enjoying the great outdoors is that bugs think your skin and blood taste nice. While humans find tea tree oil pleasant, insects can’t stand the smell. Prevent bugs from attacking your skin by creating a natural repellent. Combine one quart of water with 15 drops of tea tree oil. You can store this mixture in a spray bottle and periodically
spray yourself. You’ll find yourself enjoying a bug-free outdoor

experience.

13. Help with an earache - Earaches are painful and hard to treat. They can make it difficult to sleep or concentrate during the day. This soothing essential oil can help with this. Warm two tablespoons of the oil and drop them into your ear. You will notice an immediate difference. Make sure not to overheat the water as you don’t want to burn your inner ear. You can apply this treatment several times during the day, repeating as necessary.

14. Nail fungus killer – Tea tree oil can naturally kill the fungus associated with athlete’s foot, nail fungus or eczema. Cut and file down the nail, and clean the affected area thoroughly. Apply the oil directly. This treatment will not work in one day and so you need to apply it twice a day for up to two months. After the oil dries up, you can apply a paste of cornstarch on the affected area to prevent the fungus from spreading.

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11 Reasons To Include Pumpkin In Your Diet No

 Pumpkins are huge fruits that are thought to have 

originated in North America. They are exceptionally 

healthy, so it's quite unfortunate to think that they are 

often overlooked as a source of fiber. They are also 

full of important disease-fighting vitamins and a 

whole host of other essentials.

That's why it's time to read up about the fantastic 

benefits of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds, and allow 

yourself to be inspired with some ideas to include this 

luscious treat in your dishes!

Benefits of Pumpkin Pulp:

1.  Boosts vision

Pumpkin contains high amounts of vitamin A, 

which is directly linked to our optical health. 

The plentiful nutrients found in pumpkin pulp 

sharpen your vision, particularly in dim light. 

Regular consumption of pumpkin is also said to 

slow down visual decline brought about by conditions 

like macular disease and retinitis pigmentosa 

(which can lead to blindness), and helps prevents 

eye cataracts.

Have cup of mashed pumpkin each day in order 

to ensure a steady dose of vitamin A.

2. Makes your skin look younger

The vitamin A that pumpkin contains is also 

proven to boost our skin's health. Consume pumpkin

 to keep your skin looking younger, as this vitamin 

protects you from developing wrinkles caused by 

the sun's UV rays. Apart from consuming it, pumpkin 

can also be used to make an all-natural facial mask to 

exfoliate and soothe the skin.

Here's how to make the mask: Combine 1/4 cup pureed 

pumpkin, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon 

of milk. Mix and apply the mixture to your face. Leave it 

on for 20 minutes before you wash it off with warm water.

3.  Aids weight loss

Because pumpkin is packed with a great deal of 

fiber, it can keep you satiated for longer periods of 

time than other foods. Fiber is a substance that slows 

down digestion, and considering that 90% of pumpkins 

consists of water, it's one of the most recommended 

foods to consider during diets. In one cup of pumpkin, 

there's 7 grams of fiber, and that is more than what you 

get from two slices of bread, but it contains less than 50 

calories!

4. Boosts energy levels

We've been told that bananas are an excellent source 

of energy, but did you know that pumpkins are even 

better? While a banana contains 422 milligrams of the 

refueling nutrient potassium, a single cup of mashed 

pumpkin contains a whopping 564 milligrams, making 

it one of nature's very best energy-packed goods.

Drink a cup of mashed pumpkin after a workout to 

restore the body's balance of electrolytes (the minerals

 you lose when you sweat) and help your muscles recover.

5.  Promotes heart health

Eating foods that are high in fiber, like pumpkin, 

is incredibly beneficial for your heart. Recent studies

 have found that male individuals with a high-fiber 

diet had 40% less chance of getting coronary heart 

disease than individuals with a lesser intake of fiber, 

whereas for female individuals, this was 25%. Apart 

from this, the chemical phytosterol found in pumpkin 

seeds has been proven to work against the "bad" 

cholesterol, LDL, which has a positive effect upon 

the health of your heart.

6. Enhances immunity to disease

It may sound hard to believe, but pumpkin is extremely 

effective when it comes to our body's immune system. 

If you're looking to improve your body's ability to 

combat illness, increase your intake of pumpkin and/

or pumpkin seed oil. This will help it to fight infections, 

viruses and infectious diseases, due to its high vitamin C 

content. In fact just a single cup of pumpkin contains

more than 11 milligrams of this healthy vitamin, 

which is almost equivalent to the 60% of women's 

recommended daily dose (this would be around 

75 milligrams for men), and this can 

help the body recover from a common cold 

or a more serious parasitic-related illness.

 7. Fights diabetes

While discussing the beneficial properties of pumpkins, 

we cannot help but mention one terrific discovery research 

has recently revealed. This amazing food has been shown

 to help lower blood glucose levels when consumed, 

encouraging glucose tolerance and an increase in the

body's insulin levels.

Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

8. Improves your mood

Pumpkin seeds are a fantastic source of the amino 

acid tryptophan, which is more well-known for its presence

 in turkey dishes. Apart from being one of the most vital 

amino acids required by our bodies, tryptophan is responsible 

for the production of serotonin in our bodies, a substance 

that plays a major role in our mood control. It is also 

found in some other seeds, as well as poultry, red meat, 

fish, and more.

9. Gives you a better night's sleep

Your search for sleeping solutions may end here. 

Apart from being a feel-good neurotransmitter, the 

tryptophan found in pumpkin seeds may even improve 

your resting time. This substance allows the body to

 relax and unwind, making it the perfect means to 

lull you in to a deep, untroubled sleep.

10. Treats low blood pressure

Furthermore, eating pumpkin seeds may also

 exhibit positive improvements in individuals 

that suffer from low blood pressure. This is mainly 

due to the phytoestrogens found in pumpkin seeds, 

which are said to help prevent hypertension.

11. Lowers the risk of cancer

So far, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds have shown 

several perks brought by its regular consumption, 

which has been proven to be super essential to us. 

However, perhaps most surprisingly of all, scientists 

have found that the Beta-carotene pigment found in 

pumpkin, and pumpkin seeds in particular, is not only 

beneficial for your skin and vision, it's also a 

cancer-fighting agent. In particular, men's health has 

been linked to the benefits of pumpkin seeds, due to 

their richness in zinc, which can effectively prevent

 men from developing prostate cancer. Consequently, 

his can lead to improvements in their sexual health. 

The zinc levels contained in a quarter cup of pumpkin 

seeds results in 17% of the recommended daily intake 

of zinc for adults.

 H/T: huffingtonpost.com | dailyburn.com |

 

If You Like Drinking Ice Cold Water Read This

Love Drinking Ice Cold Water

There's nothing quite like a glass of ice water to cool 

down with on a summer's day, but after reading the 

following information, you might want to think 

twice before reaching for the ice tray. When I first 

came across this information, it shocked me, but I 

thought that it was a highly relevant thing to share 

with you - these hidden dangers of drinking ice water 

aren't very well-known. 

Here they are:

Upsets Digestion - Drinking ice water can lead to 

stomach upsets, abdominal pain, gurgling and 

nausea. This is because cold temperatures are 

anti-inflammatory, therefore blood vessels retract. 

Another side effect of ingesting ice water is that the 

stomach contracts and becomes too tight to be able 

to process food efficiently.

Saps Energy - While drinking ice water can make

 you feel refreshed and stimulate you in the short term, 

it actually serves to drain your energy in the long run. 

This is because your body has to use extra energy to 

warm up the water and bring it up to its average 

temperature.

Irritates Throat -  Just as a cold winter's day can 

give you a runny nose and block up your sinuses, 

ice water creates the same bodily response. In other 

words, your body creates mucus as a natural humidifier 

to warm any ingested cold air or liquid. The difference 

is that in the case of ice water, this bodily response is 

unneeded, and it results in extra mucus accumulating in 

your pipes, thus making your throat sore.

Slows Heart Rate - Drinking ice water can cause your 

heart rate to drop. This is because the vagus nerve, 

which runs down the back of your neck, is affected 

by a sudden ingestion of  cold water.  As an emergency 

measure, your heart slows down until your body 

temperature reaches equilibrium once again.

Hinders Hydration - As aforementioned in previous

 points on this list, drinking ice water actually slows 

down your body's rehydration process, rather than 

speeding it up. This is because the body needs to 

bring it up to temperature first before it can use it. 

The only exception to this rule is long distance runners, 

who appear to benefit from the delayed response 

mechanism for maintaining water levels when they're 

on a long run.

Constipation - Although drinking water that's at 

room temperature helps the digestive process, 

drinking ice water has the potential to cause 

constipation. Food solidifies and hardens as it

 passes through the body, while at the same time 

making intestines contract, which can lead to 

difficulty when you need to "go".

Headaches - If you're familiar with "brain-freeze", 

which you get as a result of eating an ice cream or 

lolly, then you should know that ice water can do 

the same thing. It chills many sensitive nerves in 

the spine, and they immediately relay messages to 

your brain, which in turn causes headaches.

It can lead to extra fat - The weight loss tip for 

drinking lots of cold water to force the body into 

doing more work and thus burn more calories isn't 

completely true. This is because cold temperatures 

in the body cause fats to harden and congeal, making 

them harder for the body to digest.

Jafferkassam@gmail.com

Diabetes Breakfast Mistakes to Avoid

If you have diabetes, eating a bad breakfast is a big mistake.

Mom is still right: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when you have type 2 diabetes. Your diabetes diet needs to give you a healthy supply of energy to jump start your body in the morning.

"Remember that first thing in the morning, you’ve gone many hours without eating and your body needs fuel," says Kelly O'Connor, RD, director of diabetes education at the endocrinology center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. "If you’re not giving it any, it will create its own in the form of stored blood sugar that gets released into your bloodstream — which often results in blood sugar that’s too high."

Healthy breakfast food is also a must when it comes to diabetes control and weight management. “Remember that when your body is fasting, you’re not giving it any energy, so it slows down to conserve what it has left, which is counterproductive." The trick is to keep your metabolism going all day long at a steady rate. "The simple solution to both of these issues is to eat a good breakfast." 

Avoiding Breakfast Mistakes

Breakfast blunders can happen during the week when you wake up late and try eating breakfast while running out the door, or on the weekend when you go out for a big breakfast.

However, the biggest mistake to avoid is skipping breakfast altogether. When you go too long without eating, your body goes into starvation mode. And when you finally give in to hunger later in the day (and probably overeat), your body will grab all the fat from your meal and store it. That's bad for anyone, especially for someone with type 2 diabetes.

Here are some other breakfast mistakes to avoid:

Don’t fly on a sugar high. If you don't have a lot of time in the morning for healthy breakfast foods, you may be tempted to wolf down a doughnut and coffee for the extra sugar and caffeine, but this is a mistake. “Breakfast should be a meal that provides your body fuel for the next couple of hours," 

 "It should be a valuable source of energy, not just quick energy." From a doughnut and coffee with sugar, she says, "you’ll get a temporary sugar high, but you won’t have done your body any favors, and it’ll wear off quickly, likely resulting in a blood-sugar crash."

Don’t forget fiber. Breakfast is also a great opportunity to get some fiber, which is good for diabetes because fiber fills you up without raising your blood sugar. That can mean better blood-sugar control and fewer calories. Try to get 7 to 10 grams of fiber every morning as part of a healthy breakfast for diabetes.

Add protein for a balanced breakfast. “Breakfast should combine healthy sources of carbohydrates, around 15 to 30 grams, with a small amount of lean protein,"  Think of the carbohydrates as the energy your body needs and the protein as what gives it staying power. Protein also helps you feel fuller.

Include fruit and vegetables for fiber plus nutrition. Colorful fruits and vegetables are a low-calorie source of carbohydrates. Include them in your breakfast for vitamins, minerals, and fiber. If your diabetes diet incorporates 2,000 to 2,400 calories, you should get four servings each of fruits and vegetables daily — and breakfast is a good time to get started.

Don’t drink your breakfast. Although some people like breakfast drinks, "better nutrition comes from whole foods. "Juicing is a popular trend, but keep in mind that one large serving of juiced fruits contains significant carbs and calories.” That means you can experience a rise in blood sugar and weight gain from juicing too frequently.

Avoid processed meats and other bad breakfast choices. Bacon, sausage, and ham don’t add carbs to your diet, but they’re not healthy protein choices either. “Bad breakfast choices provide excessive calories with little or no nutrition,” Stay away from breakfast bars, large coffee drinks with whipped cream and caramel, sweetened cereals, and breakfast pastries.

Eating a Healthy Breakfast for Diabetes

Knowing what not to eat for breakfast is only part of the battle when you have diabetes. Understanding what makes for a healthy breakfast food is just as important. 

Balanced-breakfast solutions:

For meals on the go, choose a piece of fruit with low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Or try a breakfast burrito with scrambled egg whites on a whole-wheat tortilla.

To get more fiber in your breakfast, try oatmeal with fresh fruit and low-fat or fat-free yogurt, whole-grain cereal, toasted whole-wheat bread or English muffins, or breakfast wraps or burritos made with whole-grain tortillas.

For healthy and lean protein sources, try a handful of almonds, natural peanut butter, or a slice of low-fat cheese. An occasional egg is also fine. (You can eat egg whites or egg substitutes more often since they don’t have cholesterol.) Low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are also good sources of breakfast protein.

If you want to juice your breakfast, keep the portion to a maximum of 8 ounces. Substituting vegetables for some of the fruits to create a better blend and a lower-carb beverage. You can add some protein powder, too.

It's also important to check your blood sugar two hours after eating breakfast. "If it’s above the target your doctor has set, you’re consuming too many carbs and need to cut back.” 

As long as you make healthy food choices, breakfast for diabetes can be a chance to get better control of your blood sugar and your weight. But if you're struggling with the right breakfast for diabetes or any other meal in your diabetes diet — ask your doctor or diabetes educator for some help.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/type-2-diabetes-treatment-diet-exercise/diabetes-breakfast-mistakes/?pos=1&xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20160629

DON'T WASTE THAT LEMON PEEL

Good info on using the whole lemon  vs. only the juice... Lemon productions became more and  more abundant around the world because  of its nutritious contents.  Lemons are  used in many different ways in  lemon industries and factories, but  not among households. How do you eat or taste lemon  in your house? Probably, you do not know how to apply  lemon the right away.  Do you just squish  a few drips to your whisky, vegetable  salad, bread, ice cream, roasted meat,  cake, baked chicken, fruit drinks, or to  your other favorable dishes?  If so,  what a waste!    Here, I'll tell you the real use of lemon I'm sure you know how nutritious a lemon is.  But you may only know how to use it  as a simple seasoning, as most people  do, and not as a side dish. You think that only the squished juice  from lemon is used, while the lemon  peel is thrown away.  Yes, you think  that you only need that sour, citrus  taste of the lemon's juice, is that right? However, we found out that many  professionals in restaurants and eateries  are using or consuming the entire  lemon and nothing is wasted. How can you use the whole lemon  without waste? Simple...place the lemon in the freezer  section of your refrigerator.  Once the lemon  is frozen, get your grater, and shred the whole  lemon (no need to peel it) and sprinkle it on  top of your foods. Sprinkle it to your whisky, wine, vegetable  salad, ice cream, vegetable soup, chicken soup,  curry soup, noodles, spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi,  meat loaf, sausage, fish dishes, and ramen.  It doesn't matter whether it's a Chinese dish,  Italian dish, French dish, African, Indian,  Japanese, Korean, or Latin American dishes,  you just name it. All of these foods will unexpectedly have  wonderful taste, something that you may have  never tasted before in your life. You don't  believe me?  Just try it and you will agree  with me. Everything will certainly taste great! Most likely, you only think of lemon juice  and vitamin C.  Not anymore.  Now that you've  learned this lemon secret, you can use  lemon even in instant cup noodles. What's the major advantage of  using the whole lemon other than  preventing waste and adding new  taste to your dishes? Well, you see lemon peels contain as  much as 5 to 10 times more vitamins than  the lemon juice itself.  And yes, that's  what you've been wasting.  But from now  on, by following this simple procedure of f reezing the whole lemon, then grating  it on top of your dishes, you can consume  all of those nutrients and get even healthier. The lemon peel is good in making you slim  if you are a fat person, or makes you healthy  fat if you are skinny. It is very good that the PYRO-ENERGEN is  also for the taste of all people. It's also  good that lemon peels are health  rejuvenators in eradicating toxic  elements in the body.             So place your lemon in your freezer,  and then grate it on your meal every day.   It is a key to make your foods tastier  and you get to live healthier and  longer! That's the lemon secret!    Better late than NEVER! The surprising benefits of lemon! Institute of Health Sciences,  819 N. L.L.C. Charles Street Baltimore ,  MD 1201. This is the latest in medicine,  effective for cancer!   Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous  product to kill cancer cells. It is  10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.   Why do we not know about that?  Because there are laboratories  interested in making a synthetic  version that will bring them huge profits.  You can now help a friend in need by  letting him/her know that lemon  juice is beneficial in preventing the  disease. Its taste is pleasant and it  does not produce the horrific effects  of chemotherapy. How many people  will die while this closely guarded secret  is kept, so as not to jeopardize  the beneficial multimillionaires large  corporations? As you know, the lemon  tree is known for its varieties of lemons  and limes. You can eat the fruit in different  ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press,  prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc...  It is credited with many virtues, but the  most interesting is the effect it produces  on cysts and tumors. This plant is a proven  remedy against cancers of all types.  Some say it is very useful in all variants  of cancer. It is considered  also as an anti microbial spectrum  against bacterial infections and fungi,  effective against internal parasites  and worms, it regulates blood pressure  which is too high and an antidepressant,  combats stress and nervous disorders. The source of this information is fascinating: i t comes from one of the largest drug  manufacturers in the world, says that  after more than 20 laboratory tests  since 1970, the extracts revealed that:  It destroys the malignant cells in  12 cancers, including colon, breast,  prostate, lung and pancreas ...  The compounds of this tree showed  10,000 times better than the product  Adriamycin, a drug normally used  chemotherapeutic in the world,  slowing the growth of cancer cells.  And what is even more astonishing:  this type of therapy with  lemon extract only destroys malignant  cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells. Chander Menghani <cgm1952@yahoo.com>

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