11 Amazing Herbal Remedies for Weight Loss

Posted by: Sara in Home Remedies

Herbs are what are natural and you can very well take help of these herbs for weight loss. Have you ever thought why people in the past were not so bothered about getting fat? Why obesity was not a problem as it is today? From the time onwards when people started processing natural foods and leading life which lacks physical movements, they also started gaining weight. Even today if you talk to someone who has lost weight, you’ll be told of lots of herbs and natural foods along with exercises that had helped them in losing weight. So, why not you too know about the top herbs for weight loss. Only knowing is not enough. Act on this. Adopt these herbal remedies for weight loss and get in shape not instantly but with lasting effect!

Herbal Remedies for Weight Loss

1. Green Tea for Weight Loss

Green tea is not only loaded with antioxidants but has thermo-genic properties within itself. Thermogenesis can be understood as the process of heat production in organisms including human beings. It increases consumption of energy and fat oxidation so you burn your body fat faster. Green tea also helps feel you full so that you don’t eat more than you need. Not only this, EGCG in green tea reduces the amount of fat that your body absorbs when you eat your food. This is not only helpful in your weight loss efforts but also in reducing your cholesterol level.

How to have green tea for weight loss?

• Make your green tea by placing 1-2 tsp of good quality green tea in a cup or bowl. Pour hot water over it and let it brew for a minute. Taste it. If it is not strong enough for your taste buds, let it brew for another minute and then taste again. Keep on tasting every minute to know what strength of green tea would you prefer. Then onwards, you may brew your tea for that many minutes. Usually people brew green tea for 2-5 minutes. Strain and drink your cup of green tea. As this is for weight loss, its desirable not to add any sweetener to the tea.
• Have green tea instead of regular tea or coffee in the morning. It has enough caffeine to start off your day. Also, this will speed up your metabolism right in the morning so that you may burn more calories throughout the day.
• Drink at least 4-5 cups of green tea throughout the day. This will help you feel full and you’ll concentrate lesser on binge eating. Having a cup of green tea before or after meals is a good idea.

2. Ginseng for Weight Loss

Ginseng has long been used by Chinese medicine as a traditional medicine for energy, stamina, and overall well being. Modern researchers have also found ginseng to be effective for weight loss as well as diabetes control. One of the researches talks about ginseng’s ability to make body cells lesser capable of storing fat. Ginseng is an adaptogen, a substance which improves the body’s capability to cope with physical, emotional and environmental stress. You can find ginseng in fresh as well as dried form. While sometimes leaves of ginseng plant are also added with its root but the root is the most beneficial part of this plant. Ginseng can help you in two ways to lose weight. First, it will boost your metabolism wherein when you eat, you will store less fat as compared to when you don’t take ginseng. Secondly, ginseng will fill you with energy so that you remain more active and thus spend more calories.

Make ginseng tea for weight loss
Get this:

• Dried ginseng root- 4 tbsp
• Water- 4 cups
• Honey (optional)- 1-2 tsp
• Cinnamon (optional)- ¼ – ½ tsp

Do this:

• Boil the water in a pan.
• Add ginseng root to the boiling water.
• Simmer for about an hour.
• Remove from the heat and strain.
• Add honey and/or cinnamon. Honey reduces the bitter aftertaste f ginseng herb and cinnamon powder can make it a little aromatic.
• Drink one cup each in the morning and after lunch.

3. Guggul Herb Extract for Weight Loss

Guggul is an age old herbal medicine recommended by Ayurveda for various health conditions including weight loss. And what is more important is that modern studies have also supported the effect of guggul herb in weight loss. Guggul gum resin is extracted from the Commiphora mukul tree or the mukul myrrh tree. Gum guggul extract contains guggulsterone, a plant steroid which is thought to be anti-tumor, anti-angiogenic and cholesterol-lowering component. However, the weight loss effect of guggul comes from its activity on thyroid gland. Thyroid hormones are essential for exact metabolic rate which decides how much calories would you burn in a day. As guggul stimulates thyroid function, your metabolic rate comes to the optimum level and weight loss becomes easier and faster. The added advantages of guggul are lowered cholesterol levels and a good mood too. And because, it doesn’t stimulate your central nervous system, it is a safe herb for weight loss.

Ways to take guggul for weight loss

• Guggul extract is easily available in form of tablets in health stores, especially Ayurveda herbal medicines stores. Generally, you should take 75 milligrams of guggul extract divided in 3 doses. This means 25 milligrams as one dose. Sometimes 100 milligrams can also be taken but it’s better to consult an Ayurvedic doctor or a herbalist before you take guggul supplement.
• If you decide to take guggul gum, you may keep 1 gram (about ¼ tsp) of this resin under your tongue or inside your mouth so that it dissolves there. Do it 4 times a day.

4. Hibiscus Tea for Weight Loss

The beautiful flowers of Hibiscus are loaded with nutrients, flavonoids and various minerals. The amylase inhibitors in this herb help in lowering absorption of fats and carbohydrates. The fats and carbohydrates in your body are broken down by hibiscus so that they can be flushed out of body. Hibiscus flowers also have mild diuretic property s, which o that you shed water weight too and reduce your bloating. Your body gets added advantage of strengthened immunity due to the antioxidants present hibiscus. Read More

Top 10 Remedies to Remove Stretch Marks

Posted by: Sara in Home Remedies

Have you ever noticed the leather bag that you carry with all the stuff under the sun? It gets so stretched that it reaches the limit of its elasticity. It is then, when you see those wrinkle type marks on your old overused leather bag. You discard it and buy a new one. But you cannot do this with your own skin! Yes, your skin is composed of elastin which can be thought of as a soft elastic tissue. It is soft, supple and stretchable but it too has its own limits. Some situations exert extra pressure on your skin such as sudden weight gain or loss, pregnancy and even rapid growth of your body during teenage. Sometimes while exercising too, you stretch your body out of its limits. In such situations you get those thick red or purple lines on your skin which is popularly known as stretch marks. Gradually these lines do fade away and become white or silvery white in color but they don’t go away on their own. You have to put efforts to remove these stretch marks. Here are some home remedies to help you with your task.

Natural Remedies to Remove Stretch Marks

1. Apricot Mask to Remove Stretch Marks

Many people use apricot scrub for rapid removal of stretch marks from their skin. However, I am giving you the recipe of a mask made from apricot that you have to apply on your stretch marks daily for at least a month or more.

Get these things:
• Apricots- 2-3
• Lukewarm water- enough to wash off your skin having marks.

Do this:
• Cut open the apricots and remove their seeds.
• Crush the fruits to get their paste.
• Apply this apricot paste on your stretch marks.
• Leave for about 15-20 minutes.
• Now wash off with warm water.
• Repeat everyday (you may initially do it twice a day) for a month.

2. Aloe Vera to Remove Stretch Marks
Benefits of aloe vera are now very popular among the fans of home remedies. This herb has in it the plant collagen which excellently repairs human skin too. Use, as far as possible, the fresh aloe gel taken from the leaves instead of using store bought gel.

Get this:
• Aloe vera leaf

Do this:
• De-thorn the aloe vera leaf and remove its outer skin.
• Take out the sticky gel from the inside of the leaf.
• Apply this fresh aloe gel on your stretch marks.
• Now forget it for two hours.
• Wash off with water after this couple of hours.

3. Oils to Remove Stretch Marks
Natural oils are excellent emollients and they have these capacity to treat all scalp and hair problems as also skin issues including stretch marks. You just need to identify the right type of oil for the very purpose. You should ideally gently massage your skin having stretch marks with oil for about half an hour daily. However, just applying oils to the marks (something near to soaking them in oil) can also do wonders. If doing so, you need to apply oil for about three to four times a day. Olive oil, with all its antioxidant properties and loads of nutrients, is considered one of the best oils for removing stretch marks but there are many other oils that you can use. They too are good when it comes to curing stretch marks. Here is the list.

• Olive oil
• Lavender oil
• Rose oil
• Frankincense oil
• Myrrh oil
• Geranium oil
• Helichrysum oil
• Chamomile oil

The best thing will be to mix certain oils and then apply to the marks. Here’s the recipe.

Get this:
• lavender oil- ½ tsp
• Chamomile oil- ½ tsp
• Almond oil- 2 tsp ( you can use any other carrier oil like avocado oil, jojoba oil etc. in place of almond oil)

Do this:
• Mix lavender, chamomile oils with almond or the other carrier oil that you are using.
• Mix them well.
• Apply this oil mix to your stretch marks daily.
• Do this preferably thrice or four times a day.

How to Lighten Skin Naturally with Home Remedies?

Posted by: Sara in Home Remedies,

Your skin color depends upon various factors, main of which is the pigment melanin which is produced in the skin cells known as melanocytes. If you have darker skin, it means your melanocytes produces more melanin. Sometimes, darker skin is not your natural skin color. It may get darken due to tanning resulting from exposure to sun rays. In fact, your skin color adapts to intense sunlight irradiation so that you get protection against the ultraviolet rays that can damage your skin. There can be many other causes for dark skin other than heredity and overexposure to sun. These may include environmental pollution, dry skin, stress, as well as prolonged usage of cosmetics having lots of chemicals in them. If your dark skin is not due to genetic reasons, you may take an attempt to lighten your skin with the help of these home remedies for skin lightening.
Homemade Remedies to Lighten Skin Naturally

1. Milk for Skin Lightening

Milk is a rich source of calcium. Calcium, along with many important functions in our body, also regulates normal skin color. It does so by stimulating melanocytes, the skin cells that produces melanin pigment. Also, when you provide higher calcium content to the upper epidermis of your skin, you help maintain effective barrier against moisture loss. This prevents skin from going dry which can also affect your skin making it darker. Milk also contains lactic acid which reduces skin’s pigmentation making your skin lighter in complexion.

How to use milk for skin lightening?

Get this:

    Milk (preferably cow’s or goat’s milk)- 1 bowl
    Washcloth

Do this:

• Take the bowl of milk and warm it a little. You need just warm milk and not hot.
• Soak your washcloth in this.
• Take out the washcloth and wring it out to discard excessive milk. While the cloth should be fully soaked in milk, it should not drip.
• Now gently rub your skin with this cloth.
• Once the cloth gets dry, soak it again in the milk and repeat the process.
• Repeat the cycle of dipping and rubbing for 3-4 times.
• Do this daily, preferably after taking bath.
• After a couple of weeks, you may do this twice a week instead of doing it daily.

2. Yogurt for Skin Lightening

Lactic acid is a known remedy for natural skin lightening. This acid is the most gentle alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). Alpha hydroxy acids act as exfoliants by contributing in rapid shedding of dead skin cells on the surface. This leads to cell renewal which in turn removes dullness from your skin giving you a brightening effect. As a skin lightening agent, lactic acid helps bleach the hyperpigmented skin by suppressing the production of melanin. Therefore, using yogurt loaded with lactic acid, makes sense when it comes to skin lightening with natural remedies.

Ways to use yogurt for skin lightening

1. Take some plain, unflavored and unsweetened, yogurt. Rub this gently on to your skin for a couple of minutes. Then leave the yogurt on your skin for another few minutes. Now wash off using lukewarm water. Repeat this daily.
2. Mix yogurt, lemon juice and oatmeal to get make a face mask. Apply this to your skin. Leave it there for 15-20 minutes before washing off with water.
3. Add 1-2 tsp of honey to 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Apply this to your skin. Leave it for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with water. Repeat daily. Read More

12 Easy Home Remedies for Chapped Lips

Posted by: Sara in Home Remedies

The protective layer on the skin of your lips is far too thinner than the skin of your face. It has only three to five cellular layers whereas the skin of your face has up to 16 layers! This makes your lips prone to moisture loss in a big way. Not only this, there is no sweat glands too on your lips. If you think for a while, your lips never sweat! Also there is no hair on lips thereby no hair follicle that may secret sebum or oil to keep your lips moist and hydrated. Sometimes weather too contributes in making your lips dried and chapped such as winter months that lack humidity in air. Your lips are not safe even in summers due to over exposure to sun rays that make it more drier by sucking whatever moisture it has. Sometimes you knowingly or unknowingly lick your lips and the saliva of your mouth too contributes in making it dry as if all the above causes for chapped lips were not enough! So, what to do? Because your lips cannot remain moist themselves, you need to provide them with extra moisture. These home remedies for chapped lips are meant exactly for this, to tell you what all can lend moisture to your lips so that they remain wet and plump! Home Remedies for Chapped Lips

Top 10 Herbs For Hair Growth

Hair loss is a common concern these days for both men and women who are in their mid to late adulthood. Many people are suffering from baldness, receding hairline, hair loss and thinning of hair. Even though hair loss is very commonly seen in men here are many females too who are prone to this problem. The regular use of treatments like hair dyeing, hair straightening and curling which leads to many harmful chemicals being used on the hair is one of the main reasons why females also feel hair loss at some stage in their life. Some of the other factors that are responsible for hair loss in humans according to the American Academy of Dermatology are: poor diet, improper care of the hair, health disorders like thyroid and anemia problems, inborn conditions like menopause and alopecia and also due to chemotherapy and certain medications.

The hair is not just a part of your body and it is a symbol of beauty, status and health. It is important for you to take proper care of your health in order to prevent early hair loss. It is not a very serious problem and with a little bit of caution you will be able to prevent further hair loss. There are certain uncontrollable factors like pregnancy conditions or certain illness or genetic factors that will result in hair loss. But, this does not mean that you cannot do something about your hair loss. Read More

7 Exercises That Will Transform Your Body

Effective ways to change your body Looking for something? That will help you reach your fitness goals are some great exercises. These exercises are simple, but to strengthen your body with unwanted calories burned effective.

However, sticking to these exercises is not enough to transform your body, you should also eat healthy and get enough sleep regularly. Don’t waste your precious time doing other workouts, here are seven exercises that will help you transform your body in no time. Read More