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In recent years, there have been rumours as to its ability to prevent greying hair, reduce arthritis symptoms and boost immunity - so it seems there is no ailment this natural ingredient cannot cure.

It is stable oil, making it great for use in cosmetics as it last for years without turning rancid. It has excellent moisturising properties due to its high fat content, which is absorbed into the skin very slowly, creating long-lasting shine and moisture.

For reasons widely unknown, the substance has been used for many centuries to induce labour in pregnant mothers. These days, however, it is not recommended that the substance be ingested due to its unpleasant side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. For this reason, it is often used in folk medicine as a natural laxative to treat chronic constipation.

In some cases, it has actually been known to cause foetal complications in pregnant women, so it's best avoided as an induction technique. If you're not pregnant, however, the ingredient can be used as an effective stomach cleanser when mixed with milk. Rumour has it than when combined with orange juice, castor oil can also be a great hangover cure.

However, it does have a variety of other uses, all of which are incredibly beneficial to the body, skin and hair. It is regularly used in massage blends to treat the whole body due to its slow absorption. It also draws in dirt, so it is ideal for cleaning or cleansing products.

Its sticky consistency means that is provides hair, nails and skin with a beautiful shine. It is ideal when combined with sweet almond extract, apricot kernels or jojoba. These combinations can help revive tired skin or hair and even reduce eye bags. It can also be used in rejuvenating face masks with ingredients such as camelina, avocado or moringa.

It can also dramatically reduce pigmentation marks or spots on the skin's surface and improve the overall quality of the skin. You'll need to mix 90ml of it with 8g melted beeswax, 1ml Vitamin E and 25 drops of lemon essence. These ingredients can be found in most health food stores or through an online specialist in natural cosmetic ingredients.

To create your own Castor Cleanser for use at the end of a long day, you'll need to combine 60ml of organic castor oil with 29ml of apricot kernel, 10ml of jojiba, 1ml of Vitamin E and a small amount (0.5ml) or any other essence of your choosing. This last step is optional, but can provide the cream with a nice scent - for example, lavender or chamomile.

Alternatively, if you intend to use your product for massage purposes, you can create a moisturising Swedish Massage Blend by combining 30ml of castor oil with 29ml of jojoba; 20ml of olive oil; 10g of coconut butter; 0.5ml vitamin E and 10ml of thistle.

Castor oil is incredibly thick, sticky and resistant, so it should only be used in very small quantities. If in doubt, find a natural ingredient supplier online and ask them which concentration you should use it in for your chosen homemade product.

If you're keen to reap the benefits of this natural ingredient, there are plenty of online recipes that will also offer instruction and guidance.

Ancient Egyptians consumed many lemons, as they believed that lemon juice protected them from a variety of diseases and poisons. The latest scientific findings have confirmed this belief. Indeed, lemons have numerous health benefits, the most illustrious of which are strong antibacterial and immune-boosting properties. However, this little yellow fruit can do much more than just protect your body from infections. Here are 7 hidden health benefits of a lemon that I bet you have not heard about.

1. Cures Acne

As most citrus fruits, lemons are rich in vitamin C which is known for its amazing antibacterial properties. Thus, it can kill a number of bacteria, including those that cause acne. The citric acid contained in lemons can help get rid of acne scars. The easiest way to get rid of acne is to apply fresh lemon juice on the affected skin area and leave it overnight.

2. Removes Anxiety and Fatigue

Lemon balm is proven to have an excellent calming effect. Numerous researches show that it can remove anxiety, fatigue, dizziness, nervousness and a number of other unpleasant emotional states. When used as a room freshener, it can boost employees' efficiency.

3. Heals Canker Sore

Strong antiviral and antibacterial properties of a lemon juice hasten canker sore healing process. Rinse your mouth with a mixture of a freshly squeezed juice of one lemon and a glass of warm water and you will soon forget about cankers.

4. Cures Calluses and Corns

Lemon is an effective remedy for corns and calluses. To get rid of callused skin, apply lemon poultices on the affected area. Just put a slice of lemon on a callus or corn, fasten it with a bandage and leave overnight. Repeat the procedure until you get the desired result.

5. Removes Eczema Symptoms

Lemons help get rid of several skin diseases, like eczema. To make a healing poultice, mix one cup of 

warm mater, eight drops of essential lemon oil and one tablespoon of honey. Soak a bandage in this mixture and apply it on the affected area for fifteen minutes, 2-3 times a day. Such poultice will ease the infection and itching.

6. Eliminates Halitosis

Unpleasant breath odour caused by insufficient salvation, consumption of certain foods (garlic, onion or other spices), cigarettes or alcohol can be easily removed with the help of a lemon juice. To freshen your breath, just rinse the mouth with a mixture of freshly quizzed lemon juice and warm water or chew a small lemon slice.

7. Improves Digestion

Lemon acid improves stomach muscles activity and stimulates the production of stomach acid. Thus, if you want to improve your digestion, make it a rule to drink lemon water after each meal.

Some patients with an illness or injury do not wish to receive assistance from caregivers in a professional setting. In contrast, these people wish to have practitioners visit them at their residences instead. Explore some of the benefits of home health care to determine whether this service fits your needs and budget.

Personalized Service

When caregivers come to a patient in the home, this assistance is typically more personalized and specialized to meet the unique needs of the patient. People usually receive a higher quality of service delivered in a more compassionate manner. It's common for relationships to develop between the patient and the staff members who visit regularly.

Convenience

Receiving visits from staff members in a residence is usually more convenient for both patients and families. Leaving the home to visit a facility will no longer be necessary because practitioners will come to the residence at times that fit the individual's schedule. This convenience can be particularly helpful during times of inclement weather when a patient should not venture outdoors due to cold, heat, or storms.

Help for Family Members

Family members caring for a sick or injured loved one usually experience significant time constraints because of this work. Hiring a company for home health care can reduce this burden for family members. The assistance provided can give family members more freedom to manage their own personal duties. With the reduced responsibility, families often begin to have more quality time with the person because they no longer become stressed over care duties. Family members often appreciate knowing that their loved one is receiving high-quality and professional care, which can lessen personal anxiety.

Promotes Healing

When people receive home health care, they may recover more quickly. In addition, people may receive dangerous exposure to germs and infections when visiting clinics and hospitals. The ability to have assistance at home can eliminate this exposure and promote faster healing. Many people even experience a reduced number of re-hospitalizations under this type of regimen.

Affordability

Inpatient care can be expensive for a family. The cost of leaving the home for ongoing outpatient appointments can also be expensive. In contrast, having a professional come to a residence is often more affordable.

Other Services

Shopping, running errands, and meal preparation are typical types of assistance that you might add to a package. Some assistants will also perform laundry and light cleaning work around the house. Inquire about personal care such as bathing, hair washing, and dressing.

Before making a final decision about home health care, perform a complete background inquiry for a company. After researching a company thoroughly, you should be ready to move forward with a contract.

Despite all these healthy options, it is almost too easy to rely on sugar and caffeine to boost us when we are feeling down or lethargic. Instead, here are some healthier energy booster ways which will sustain better energy levels over the long term as well as in the short term. Furthermore, these will improve overall health rather than providing a quick fix which can be instead detrimental to health.

The first recommended natural energy booster is getting more sleep. This can seem a very difficult thing to do when we are excessively busy, but this does not stop it from being one of the healthiest habits that you can get into that will not only give you greater mental and physical energy, but will also help heal your tired body.

The body repairs and restores itself at night, and sleep is also necessary for our minds to process what we have been doing throughout the day. Therefore, a good, long sleep every night will leave us brighter, less stressed, and with our body performing at its best.

Of course, this can be difficult to achieve if we have very busy, demanding lives. For this reason, it is necessary to put in place several small practices which can boost the quality and length of your sleep. 

This can include setting a strict curfew every night, using essential oils such as lavender on your pillow, or having a warm, relaxing shower every night before bed.

These steps you take to relax, wind down and be in bed by the right time every night will help you sleep better, even if initially these will take some getting used to. It is said that, it takes twenty-one days to form a habit, so commit to a better sleep routine for this length of time and see how your energy levels and life quality can change.

Our next recommendation is using herbal and mineral drinks as a regular energy booster on a daily basis. There are several excellent herbal remedies on the market nowadays in drink form, all of which contain unique ingredient lists of herbs and minerals that have been used for centuries to improve health.

Some of these ingredients - such as iron and magnesium - actively will boost your energy levels, and with other herbs will work to boost your overall health. As mentioned above, better overall health can make you feel a million dollars and generally have much higher energy levels.

If you want to do something good for your health and have more energy, try a herbal supplement drink, preferably with added minerals such as iron or magnesium, which humans can tend to become deficient in. Replace one of your daily coffees or colas with this and your body will reap the health benefits.

Lastly, cut down on unhealthy energy boosters which will give you energy in the short term but will cause you to crash afterwards and put you in an unhealthy cycle of ups and downs. These include endless teas, coffees and sugary and high carb snacks to keep you going.

It is often impossible to give these up completely, and many enjoy one or two of these as a treat every day. However, ensure that you do not rely on them, instead replacing most of them with healthy options such as a herbal energy booster and fresh fruit, and put in place a healthier sleep routine to make you feel brighter and in better health overall.

Our bodies comprise of many different components, of all of the chemicals and elements that our body is comprised of though, one stands out above the rest H2O. We are of course talking about water, our bodies are approximately 60% water, this alone should stress the importance of staying hydrated, if we are 60% water it would stand to reason water is very important to the healthy function of our body.

Even though it is staring us in the face, many people around the world do not get enough water. Now we are not talking about the individuals that do not have access to clean water (they want to drink water it is just not available). We are talking about the people around the world for whom water is readily available, and yet they choose to drink unhealthy alternatives such as soft drinks.

Even drinks like Gatorade and PowerAde do not yield that many health benefits for the average person as water does. Sports drinks are packed full of electrolytes and performance enhancing nutrients that is true. They are also packed with preservatives and chemicals that our bodies don't need, so unless you are an athlete (or have an illness) there is absolutely no reason to drink them. Everything that they provide is readily available from more natural sources and in quantities that make more sense for the average person. Leaving out all of the negative aspects.

We have put together a list of the various benefits of drinking water. Hopefully some of these will strike home and help you to realize you need more H2O in your life.

Fluid Balance - As stated we as humans are 60% water and we need to consume between 9-16 glasses of water a day to maintain a healthy fluid balance. This helps our body transport nutrients better as well as keeping us feeling better.

Calorie Control - Forget the latest diet fad, drinking a glass of water before every meal will help you feel full. This means you will likely consume less calories.

Muscle Fuel - When we exert physical force using our muscles they use the water that they normally store. Drinking enough water will help prevent cramping during a workout, and it will also limit the amount of muscle fatigue you feel later on.

Kidney Function - Our kidneys process 200 quarts of blood every single day. They filter out all the toxins that we take in. However, in order to remove those toxins from out body the kidneys need to be able to make use of water to transport the toxins to the bladder where we expel them.

Fatigue Relief - Set the coffee down, our bodies don't "need" caffeine, it is a drug that tricks our body into feeling more awake and energetic. You don't need it though, drinking enough water every day will give you the same feeling of alertness and energy.

Boosting the Immune System - This ties back into the first point we made. Our bodies are mostly water, so it would stand to reason the white blood cells that make up our bodies defense against illness need water to function at their best. Drinking enough water can be crucial to maintaining your health.

These are but a few of the reasons we should all make sure that we drink enough water every single day. Don't wait go grab a glass!

As people age, their nutritional needs change. Some may not be able to consume the same foods, or foods in the same quantities, as they could when they were younger and perhaps healthier. Too much sodium, sugar or fats can wreak havoc on the human body when people age.

Fiber for Heart Health

A diet high in fiber, including fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, can help reduce cholesterol and keep the digestive system regular. The only caution with fruits and vegetables is that if the stomach is sensitive to certain fruit acids, such as those found in tomatoes or citrus fruits, this may cause some discomfort, but overall vegetables and fruits should be consumed as much and as often as possible. Fruits and vegetables contain high plant fiber which helps cleanse the bowels and helps maintain a healthy blood glucose level, keeping early onset diabetes at bay.

High-Quality Protein

When most people think of protein, they may immediately think of a thick, juicy steak. For those so inclined, they may still enjoy steak as they age, but they may also want to consider lighter, white meat alternatives, such as pork, chicken and turkey, which are lean protein that promotes muscle strength and keeps muscle fibers from deteriorating. Grilled preparation is tasty and fast, and is a healthy alternative to fried meats. For those who would like to try a meat-free alternative, soy protein and nuts are another great way to add healthy protein and fiber into the diet.

Avoid Dairy

Younger people need the calcium in dairy to support growing bones and muscle health. Because dairy products are high in fat, aging bodies may not metabolize this fat as easily as it did when someone was younger. Those at high risk for heart disease, or people who suffer from high blood pressure, may want to avoid dairy-rich foods to keep their arteries clearer and to promote healthy blood flow. Too much fat in the diet may also make it difficult for the liver to function properly, so it may be best to avoid dairy as much as possible.

Lower Sodium Intake

People who suffer from high blood pressure should lower their sodium intake, whether this mean

Hydrate

As always, hydration is important, no matter what your age. Drink more water throughout the day to help flush toxins from the body and to help the body cool down on a hot day. Water is healthy for skin, kidneys, and the body overall, so water is always a good option as a beverage.

How many times in your life have you heard the statement, "your body is your temple?" It's one of those ideas that sneak into your consciousness and you don't know where you actually heard it.

Think about it for a moment. Do you believe that your body is your temple? Maybe it doesn't make sense to you at first. Let's see what the dictionary has to say about a "temple" and then you tell me.

· a place dedicated to worship

· having within it a divine presence

· a place reserved for a highly valued function

Let's take a look at them one by one.

Your body is a place that needs to be dedicated to worshiping itself.

If you don't worship your own body, who will? And what exactly does worshiping your body mean? Worshiping your body means taking care of it. Worshiping your body means doing what is best for it, not just on the outside but on the inside as well. Worshiping your body means nurturing it with proper nutrition, regular exercise and sufficient sleep. Worshiping your body means learning about it and listening to it. When your body is sick, it's letting you know that something is missing. It requires something that you are not giving it. I'm not talking about worship in terms of becoming obsessed with how you look. I'm talking about treating your body with respect, compassion and care.

Your body has within it a divine presence.

Doesn't it make sense that a divine presence resides within your body? You don't need to be religious to believe that we are all one with the universe. How else can we explain the miracle of our body. Just think for a moment about all the functions it performs without our even thinking about it. Our heart beats, our eyes blink, we breathe, we swallow, we digest--all with no conscious thought. We have countless hormones, enzymes, muscles, bones, organs, all working in perfect harmony. It is amazing, given how many of us treat our body, that it continues to work as well as it does. Who can possibly explain such an amazing machine without realizing that a power more powerful than we are dwells within us.

Your body is reserved for a highly valued function.

Wouldn't you agree that your body is reserved for a highly valued function? Without your body, you would have no vehicle to carry you through this life, no way to fulfill on what you see as your life's purpose, no way to do those things that are important to you. I suspect you can see that is a highly valued function. After all, what could be more important? Using your body to accomplish all those things you need to do every day. And, beyond that, being able to use your body to do everything you want to do. I'm going to get a little personal here. I've been in a position where my body was "sick" and I simply couldn't do many of the things I needed and wanted to do. It's no fun. Many of us take our body for granted. Unfortunately, it took a crisis for me to learn that lesson. Don't wait until you have a crisis in your life to begin to appreciate your body.

So, can we agree that your body really is your temple?

And, can we agree that, as your temple, your body deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and care?

Many of us tend to focus much of our attention on cutting, coloring and arranging our hair, keeping our nails impeccably polished and making sure our makeup is perfect. But what do we do about everything below our neck? How much time do we spend tending to those parts of us?

How many of us pay careful attention to the nutrition we feed our body? If you don't put the right kind of fuel in a car, it simply won't run. How many of us make sure that we are giving our body enough exercise to keep it in good working order. Here comes the car again! You might know that, if you don't drive a car but simply leave it parked in the garage, it won't run very well. You won't be able to depend on it when you need it. Well, our body is no different. We need to use it. The more we use it, the better it runs.

Since you're reading this, I'm betting you've already realized what you've been doing to destroy your "temple". Insufficient exercise, poor nutrition, inadequate rest, stress. And, if you've made it to this paragraph, I imagine you're very interested in repairing the damage and learning how to take good care of your body from now on. Let me be the first to encourage you to begin healthy nutrition and exercise practices right now. You will never make a better investment in yourself. Your temple will thrive on it.