A few weeks ago I received a very generous 32 ounce jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil and have been using one tablespoon of this delicious oil each time I enjoy coffee.  I usually have two cups of coffee in the morning which means I have two tablespoons of coconut oil.  Living in Southern California in the winter means that the oil is solidified, it resembles Crisco, because coconut oil is liquidfied when the temperature reaches 76 degrees.  You may or may not know that coconut oil is antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial.  This means that it fights viruses and bacteria.  It contains less calories than conventional oils so when you use it, you just might find your waistline shrinking.

Coconut Oil is converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps boost your energy and endurance, it is safe to ingest and you may discover a variety of ways to use it daily.  The health benefits of coconut oil are astounding.

Many thanks to Brian for this generous gift.  Here's the website for you to learn more about this premier supplier of organic coconut oil that is made mostly by hand:  www.tropicaltraditions.com

Have you looked into the mirror only to discover that your face has begun to slip and slide in a downward direction and there’s hanging skin dangling along your jaw? Well, that, according to Webster’s Dictionary is the definition of a jowl.

You do not have to be overweight to see the slackening signs of age on your face; this slackening is due to atrophied facial muscles that pool into other muscles and muscle groups. Interestingly, the facial skin is attached directly to the facial muscles so when your facial muscles begin to lose their tone and vitality, you will notice that your skin begins to behave differently. You may begin to look drawn, tired and somewhat haggard.

The resemblance to an older family member might become apparent as you wonder just how in the world Aunt Hilda’s jowls came to live on your face. This type of aging is not hereditary; rather, if you are over the age of twenty five, your once tight facial muscles are beginning to battle with Mother Nature. If you see jowls, you might also be saddened to see sagging eye lids and cheeks that no longer portray apples when you smile.

By now you have probably realized that jowls cannot be disguised using makeup or skin care items. No matter how sophisticated a product sounds or how promising the claims, jowls, pouches, the dreaded wattle and more are real signs of aging that need more than just topical applications. To rid your face rather of jowls and pouches, double chins, droopy foreheads, etc., requires deep muscle treatments using specialized facial exercises.

Of course, there are invasive modalities offered by some physicians that may have you running scared and you should! Cutting perfectly healthy tissue or injecting chemicals into areas that can easily affect the brain is not the easy answer to aging. If you opt for these types of unnatural fixes, you may find that the cookie cutter norm does not suit you. At first glance, you may look unrecognizable to your friends, family and co-workers and there is no camouflaging face work of this type

Aging that is propped up using injections with untested ingredients that plump and paralyze will not stop the downward slide of muscles and skin. Choosing surgery will not stop aging in your face either. The muscles and skin will continue to make their way “south;” your face may look misshapen after using these modes of treatment as hidden sutures coupled with the waning effects of injections take their toll on your once pristine face and before you know it, you might look and feel pretty discouraged with your appearance.

Rather than use costly, risky and scary methods that may not produce the desired effect, just know that by using safe, sane and tested natural methods can work quickly to lift, tone and tighten sagging facial features. Facial exercise, using your thumbs and fingers as age erasers, requires only minutes each day in front of a mirror. There is no pain, no back breaking outlay of cash and certainly no risk of your good health when you choose this natural method over injections and surgery.

The results are what count and with easy isometric movements, your results will be easily garnered and they are lasting results that will keep you looking substantially younger than your peers. You will hardly believe your eyes as your face begins rehabilitation; slowly at first using only two exercises for the upper eyes and upper cheeks. Week after week, when more exercises are added, your entire face and neck will lift and tighten. You can look 10 to 15 years younger in about 9 to 12 weeks.

Our small facial muscles weave over and under each other and attach to bone on one end in our hairline. Just as muscles in our bodies enjoy a workout, the muscles in our faces benefit from the oxygenated blood and the plumped up skin improvement is almost instantly apparent.

Mark Berman, MD, Santa Monica, CA, has studied facial exercise and has this to say, “I’ve seen the results and they‘re really quite impressive. And actually if you think about it, this makes sense medically. After all, when you exercise your body, you‘re going to tone and tighten the muscles in your body. So why not apply the same principles to your face? If you stay with the program, it should work indefinitely.

Whether you‘re 30 or 70, you‘re going to see a definite change... I’ve seen the results, and it works!”
Disguising jowls or rather reducing the appearance of jowls and other facial flaws caused by sagging muscles is possible using facial exercise only a few minutes each day. What do you have to lose? Only that tired looking face that keeps you looking old. Your appearance will greatly improve and your confidence will soar.

Cynthia Rowland

Young mother has 30 percent chance of survival

ST. PETERSBURG ? Two weeks ago, Yasmin Hernandez was a vibrant, loving woman, devoted wife and mother of five young children.

Now, she lies in a hospital bed, heavily sedated, because her skin is burning from the inside out.

And her family is asking for prayers.

Hernandez has developed toxic epidermal necrolysis, a condition so rare that the chances of getting it are about one in a million.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TEN, is the more severe form of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, both of which are skin diseases that are caused by a reaction to medication.

FOX 13 medical reporter Dr. Joette Giovinco says the medical field is still unclear about pinpointing the exact mechanism that causes TEN and SJS.

"Medications can precipitate it. Antibiotics, non-steroidal, anti inflammatory drugs, anti-seizure drugs, anti-psychotic drugs," Giovinco said.

Yasmin's husband Benjamin says his wife took a drug on December 3 to treat bipolar disorder before she got sick.

"She had a fever of 109. I thought my thermometer was broken. I rushed her to the hospital," Benjamin said.

Now, the blistering from TEN is literally burning Yasmin's skin off her body, and she is bandaged from head to toe. She is on a ventilator at an Orlando hospital, and her husband says she stands a 30 percent chance of survival.

"I don't wish this upon anybody. I want them to know exactly what's going on," he said.

Hernandez is now doing the best he can to keep things as normal as possible for the couple's five children, ages two to 14.

"There's no words to explain to the kids how they're mom is doing. All they know right now is that she's sick," he said.

Twins Julisa and Jamilia, 7, made get-well cards with their classmates. One student wrote, "it feels bad to be sick when Christmas is close."

And co-workers from Yasmin's job at All Florida Orthopedic Associates in St Petersburg are raising money and buying Christmas gifts for the children.

Beverly Hooper met Yasmin at work. They became friends, and now Hooper babysits for the family.

"She's just a loving person," Hooper said. "She hugs everybody when she comes into work. She's just a giving person herself," Hooper said of Yasmin.

Benjamin Hernandez says if his wife survives, she will need care for a long time. The family is planning fundraisers, even while having no idea what the future holds, and feeling helpless.

"I can't help my wife. She's been my wife for 10 years and I can't help her," Benjamin said.

Source: My Fox Tampa Bay

By: Jennifer Pirtle  

This medicine-cabinet makeover will replace your conventional cures with healthier options. Whether you're plagued by headache pain or only occasionally bothered by a case of the sniffles, your medicine cabinet is probably the first place you turn to for relief. But are its contents the best choices for your health?

Consider replacing some of those myriad pills, sprays, and bottles with natural alternatives. Some can reduce unpleasant side effects, save you money, or simply give you a leg up on your own wellbeing. Read on for tips on what to keep, what to toss, and why. Be sure to consult your health-care provider before you change your regimen, and always disclose everything you're taking, whether natural or not.

Pain Relief  

Before:  Analgesics, including acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin (Bayer, Bufferin), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin)
After:  Analgesics, magnesium, riboflavin, feverfew
Why:  Aspirin and ibuprofen are tough to beat for rapid headache relief, so hang on to them for emergencies. But natural approaches can help prevent migraines. That's good news, since overreliance on analgesics can make the brain's pain sensors overly receptive and cause rebound headaches. For migraines, the National Headache Foundation says two dietary supplements may be helpful: magnesium (500 to 750 mg daily) to relax the brain's blood vessels, which swell during headache, and riboflavin (400 mg daily) to reverse energy loss in cells during migraines. In addition, feverfew, a member of the daisy family, is believed to stave off migraine attacks; try a starting dose of 50 mg a day.

Common Cold  

Before:  Sprays (Sinex, Afrin, Dristan), tablets or caplets (Sudafed, Actifed, Drixoral)
After:  Eucalyptus oil, neti pot, echinacea, homeopathy (Zicam), Vitamin C
Why:  Traditional nasal sprays can be useful in the short term, but when their effectiveness wanes, you're likely to spray more often, creating a cycle of dependency. Pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in most oral decongestants, has a lengthy list of potential side effects, including nervousness, restlessness, and trouble sleeping. For a safer alternative, add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a bowl of steaming water. Drape a towel over your head, then breathe steam deeply to gently clear your nasal passages. Or try a traditional nasal wash: Make a warm salt-water solution, lean your head over a sink, pour the water into the palm of your hand and inhale through the nose, one nostril at a time (or use a neti pot, a teapot-like device especially made for nasal irrigation). Spit out any remaining solution and gently blow your nose. The herb echinacea can help shorten the duration of colds, as can Zicam, a homeopathic zinc-based nasal gel.

Vitamin C for the common cold:  Dr Andrew Saul (teacher in Food Matters) recommends Vitamin C megadosing for the common cold. The key is to start early, so when you first start to feel blocked up and sniffly, take Vitamin C supplements until you reach bowel tolerance; take 1 gram or 1000mg of Vitamin C (Wholefood or Ascorbate) in powder form or tablet form every 15 minutes until you start to feel loose in the bowels. As he says 'take enough C to be symptom free whatever the amount might be'
Allergies

Before:  Antihistamines (Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec)
After:  Quercetin, stinging nettle, butterbur
Why:  Allergy symptoms arise when your immune system kicks into overdrive, calling armies of itch-and-swell-inducing histamines to battle generally harmless substances. Antihistamines can relieve a runny nose and quell a sneezing fit, but they do little to convince your body that a peanut, mold spore, or whiff of pollen is not, in fact, an invader.
Although more studies prove allergies can be removed by eating an allergy-free-diet, quercetin supplements (500 mg twice daily between meals beginning one month before allergy season) may certainly help prevent allergies. If symptoms have set in, try butterbur (75 mg twice daily) or stinging-nettle capsules (3 g twice daily). These herbs can ease symptoms without the drowsiness associated with many antihistamines.

Digestion  

Before:  Liquid treatments (Pepto-Bismol, Bismatrol, Maalox, Mylanta)
After:  Ginger, probiotics, digestive enzymes
Why: Ginger has long been touted as a way to calm nauseous stomach due to seasickness or morning sickness. To use, try chewing a quarter-ounce piece of fresh ginger or grating and steeping it in just-boiled water to make tea. Probiotics, available in supplements or in foods such as yogurt, may also help with nausea and aid digestion by restoring the balance of bacteria in the intestine. Similarly, digestive enzyme supplements may help natural enzymes in nutrient absorption and limiting gas or discomfort.

PMS  

Before: Extra-strength analgesics (Midol, Pamprin, Premsyn)
After: Calcium, pine bark, and Agnus castus (chaste-tree fruit)
Why: The extra-strength analgesics use additives such as caffeine, pyrilamine maleate (an anesthetic), and pamabrom (a diuretic), all highly artificial approaches to help alleviate PMS-related cramps, bloating, backache, and fatigue. More natural approaches like calcium (1,200 to 1,500 mg per day from food or supplements) can help fend off aches. Pine bark is also promising: A recent study in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine found that women who took 60 mg of pycnogenol (pine bark) each day for three months reduced their cramps and breast tenderness by up to 100 percent. Similarly, 20 mg per day of Agnus castus (chaste tree) fruit extract has been shown to be more effective than widely prescribed fluoxitine (Prozac) in treating physical symptoms of PMS.

Muscle Strains and Bruises  

Before:  Topical rubs (BenGay, Icy Hot, Deep Heating)
After:  Arnica gel (derived from the perennial alpine herb Arnica montana), capsaicin ointment (from hot peppers).
Why: Natural approaches, arnica in particular, are gentler yet can be just as effective as the menthols and methyl-salicylates (chemical cousins to aspirin) found in conventional ointments.

Cuts and Scrapes

Before:  Antibiotic salves (Neosporin, Bacitracin)
After: Tea tree oil
Why:  While most cuts and scrapes heal on their own, antibiotics can help speed the process. But using a "triple antibiotic" cream for minor cuts is like using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. A simpler alternative is tea tree oil, distilled from the Australian Melaleuca alternifolia plant, which can be applied straight to the skin and is a natural antiseptic, germicide, antibacterial, and fungicide. A recent study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection found tea tree oil as useful as standard antimicrobial soap for healing wounds caused from infections from the antibiotic-resistant hospital superbug Staphylococcus aureus.

Sunburn and Stinging

Before:  Commercial Aftersun lotions
After:  Aloe Vera plant
Why:  Aloe vera is applied topically for relieving sunburn, minor burns and other skin inflammations. It is obtained from the fresh leaves of plants or is available as a commercially prepared gel or lotion. If commercially prepared, the percentage of aloe vera should be in a very high concentration order to be effective.

Source: Whole Living

TeleClass Title:Revive In Five The 5 Minute Facelift
Date:12/09/2009
Time:9:00 PM ET (ET) New York Time
TeleClass Leader:Cynthia Rowland
Tuition:No Cost

Check to add this TeleClass to your selected TeleClasses
Description:Cynthia Rowland, facial fitness, expert will instruct the listeners how to accomplish The Revive in Five facial exercises. This includes the upper eyes (this lifts the brows and helps firm the forehead), Lower Mouth (say goodbye to jowls and pouches with two exercises) and the Dreaded Wattle (stop the pouch under your chin).

Requirements for the TeleClass are 2 wash cloths, a mirror and a hands free telephone (speakers or a headset)

Message me for the Link!!