NOTE

All notes from -wondor.blogspot.com

Dark Eye Circles - Tips

Under Eye Dark Circles - Treatment Tips

Causes-
Dark unsightly circles around the eyes can leave you looking ill, haggard and depressed. While there can be many causes for dark eye circles, the upshot is that you end up looking older than you probably are. Look for ways to camouflage the dark under eye circles. Find out simple home remedies to reduce the dark under eye circles and add sparkle to your eyes.
Dark Eye Circle -
The skin below our eyes is thin and is not as well endowed with oil glands as the rest of the body. Consequently as we age, the skin gets dry and wrinkled. As a result, the veins in the lower eye area appear more prominent. This results in dark circles under the eyes. There are many factors that lead to dark circles.
Heredity – Dark under eye circles are often an inherited trait. Those who are prone to allergies or itchy skin condition are susceptible to dark circles since inflammation and rubbing of eyes can thicken and darken the skin around them. Some food allergies can also cause the area under the eyes to appear darker. Excess folds of skin under the eyes will also make dark circles more pronounced.
Lack of Sleep – Lack of sleep and fatigue can cause the skin to grow wan and pale. This makes blood vessels under the eyes to appear more visible and dark. The paleness that occurs with fatigue, a cold or sinus infection or during menstruation or pregnancy may accentuate the circles under the eyes. Partying all night and smoking can play havoc with your skin and result in dark eye circles.
Bone Structure – Deep set eyes may have a tendency to develop dark shadows under them. In fair-skinned persons, dark eyes become more obvious.
Sun Exposure – Increased exposure to the sun can draw pigmentation the skin’s surface and create dark circles.
Medication – Drugs that cause blood vessels to dilate may result in darkening circles around the eyes.
Nutrition – Dark circle around the eyes can be the result of poor nutrition.
Hormonal Changes – Since the skin undergoes changes during pregnancy and menstruation, you may notice darkening of the circles under the eyes.

Combat Dark Eye Circles -
Combat dark circles under your eyes with simple tips:

Drink nearly 10 glasses of water everyday.
Ensure that you get good rest and adequate sleep.
Eat vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A.
Consume a nutritionally balanced diet.
Tips 1: Grate 2' piece of cucumber. Squeeze through a muslin cloth and extract the juice. Dip cotton pads in this and place on eyelids. Relax for 15 minutes.
Tips 2: Take 1 tspn Tomato pulp,1 pinch of Turmeric powder ½ tspn of limejuice and 1 tspn of gram flour. Make a paste and apply gently. Remove gently with moist cotton pads after ½ an hour.
Tips 3: Soak 2 Almonds overnight. Peel and grind to a smooth paste. Add a few drops of limejuice to this Apply for 20-25 minutes. This should be followed daily and gradually after 2 weeks, every 3rd day and finally when the difference is visible, to once aeek. A paste of Almonds can be stored in a clean bottle in the 'fridge.
Tips 4: Apply a paste made by crushing a handful of Mint leaves.

Dip wads of cotton in a chilled mixture of cucumber and potato juice. Keep this on your eyelids for 15 to 20 minutes and gently wash it off. Apply a little baby oil.
For long eyelashes, apply a thin coat of castor oil every night. It strengthens lashes and cools your eyes.
Massage a few drops of coconut oil around the eyes to get rid off dark circles.
To reduce puffiness of your eyes, grate a potato; tie in a cloth and place the cloth over your eyes for about 15 minutes.
Add a small pinch of salt in water and wash for bright and sparkling eyes.
Mix tomato juice and lemon juice in equal quantity and apply around the eyes. After 30 minutes wash it off with cold and hot water alternatively.
Make a paste of sandal wood and nutmeg. Apply the paste around the eyes before sleeping and wash it off in the morning.
Crush a cucumber and take the juice. Add a little rose water and apply around the eyes and wash it after 30 minutes.
Place cotton wool swabs dipped in cold milk on closed eyes for removing dark circles.
Treatments & Remedies -

Dark Circles can be removed by applying peeled and grated potato overnight at least three times a week.
Make cotton pads and dip them in cucumber juice. Place on your eyes for 15 minutes. The effect is cooling and relaxes your eyes.
Massaging eyes with almond oil is of great help. Massage at bed time daily, and in two weeks you will see the difference.
Dark circles can be removed by doing pranayam daily for at least five minutes.
Pressing the mount below index finger of the palm is good for eyesight and removing dark circles.
When stressed, keep your eyes covered with cucumber slices for some time.
Dip cotton balls in rose water and keep for 5-10 minutes. Drink as much water as you can drink.
Dip cotton balls in chilled water and keep for 5-10 minutes on the eyes.
Take a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and avoid reading late at night, lying down.
Every morning, after washing your face, gently apply mixture of equal parts of tomato and lime juice; wash after half an hour.
Alternate hot and cold compresses under your eyes for 10 minutes. Then apply a teaspoon of almond oil mixed with half teaspoon of lime juice on the dark surface every night before going to bed.
For cooling effect to eyes paste of the herb nutmeg (Jaiphala) made with milk may be applied all around the eyes and over the eyelids.

Home Remedies - Probably the most popular home remedy for dark eye circles is to apply slices of raw potato or cucumber over the eyelids for about 15 minutes. Grated raw potato wrapped in cheesecloth can also be used. Potatoes contain catecholase, an enzyme that is used as a skin lightener in many cosmetics. You can apply freshly grated cucumber or the resultant juice over the eyes to lighten the area. Almonds are considered excellent skin food and it is believed that a paste of almonds applied over the eyes for about 10 minutes can go a long way in reducing dark under eye bags. Alternatively you can apply rich almond oil under the eyes. Vitamin E or olive oil is also regularly used in treating dark circles around the eyes. Another popular home remedy for dark eye circles is to place cool, used tea bags on the tired eyes. Applying crushed mint leaves around the eyes can also reduce dark circles.
Creams - Topical creams that have Vitamin K derivatives are prescribed for reducing dark eye circles. Antioxidant products containing Vitamins C and E are known to stimulate fibroblast activity in the dermal layer and help firm up the skin. This can greatly reduce baggy eyes that are dark and sagging. Over-the-counter products containing kinetin or AHA are available for regular use to reduce severe under eye circles. Chemical peels may be effective in reducing chronic dark eye circles.
Makeup - Using an under eye concealer is the best way to hide the unsightly dark circles. Do not choose a shade that is much lighter than your skin tone else it will accentuate the baggy dark circles. Dab concealer gently under the eyes and blend it with the foundation. The inner corner of your eye is usually the darkest part, so ensure that it is well concealed. Rev up your tired looking eyes with gold-based concealers. Avoid mascara and eyeliner to the lower lashes for fear of drawing attention to the dark under eye circles.

Drink Coconut Water

Why Drink Coconut Water?

CocoWater is naturally:

Low in Carbs
99% Fat Free
Low in sugars
Coconut Water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help -

Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
Raise your metabolism.
Promote weight loss.
Boost your immune system.
Detoxify and fight viruses.
Cleanse your digestive tract.
Control diabetes.
Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
Treat kidney and urethral stones.
Boost poor circulation.
Coconut Water -
The English name coconut, first mentioned in English print in 1555, comes from Spanish and Portugese word coco, which means "monkey face." Spanish and Portugese explorers found a resemblance to a monkey's face in the three round indented markings or "eyes" found at the base of the coconut. On the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean, whole coconuts were used as currency for the purchace of goods until the early part of the twentieth century.

Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm, botanically known as cocos nucifera, with nucifera meaning "nut-bearing." The fruit-bearing palms are native to Malaysia, Polynesia and southern Asia, and are now also prolific in South America, India , the Pacific Islands , Hawaii and Florida. The light, fibrous husk allowed it to easily drift on the oceans to other areas to propagate. In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning "tree which gives all that is necessary for living," since nearly all parts of the tree can be used in some m anner or another. The coconut itself has many food uses, including milk, meat, sugar and oil as well as functioning as its own dish and cup. The husk was also burned for fuel by natives, but today a seed fibre called coir is taken from the husk and used to make brushes, mats, fishnets, and rope. A very potent fermented toddy or drink is also made from the coconut palm's sap. Coconut oil, a saturated fat made from dried coconut meat, is used for commercial frying and in candies and margarines, as well as in non-edible products such as soaps and cosmetics.

Although it takes up to a year for coconuts to mature, the trees bloom up to thirteen times a year, so fruit is constantly forming yielding a continuous harvest year-round. An average harvest from one tree runs about 60 coconuts, with some trees yielding three times that amount. The coconut's name is a bit of a misnomer, since it is botanically classified as a drupe and not a nut. It is the largest seed known.

If you've ever opened a fresh coconut, you will have seen the thin, opaque almost clear coconut juice or water which has a slight almond flavor. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the coconut milk. However, the water is consumed as a drink fresh from the coconut by many, and it can also be used in recipes.

Here are some more information about Coconut Water -
"It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak." In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water - siphoned directly from the nut - to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers.

Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas - once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment.

Coconut Water is More Nutritious than whole milk - Less fat and NO cholesterol.
Coconut Water is More Healthy than Orange Juice - Much lower calories.
Coconut Water is Better than processed baby milk - It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother's milk.
Coconut water is naturally sterile - Water permeates though the filtering husk.
Coconut water is a universal donor - Its identical to human blood plasma.
Coconut Water is a Natural Isotonic Beverage - The same level we have in our blood.
Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd world countries thru Coconut IV.
"Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically Pure, full of Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to ward off fatigue and is the next wave of energy drinks BUT natural", according to Mortin Satin, Chielf of the United Nation's Food & Agriculture Organization.
Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks.

Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg.
Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars.
Coconut water is very high in Chloride at 118mg, compared to sports drinks at about 39mg.
Data is based on a 100ml drink

- Hair Care Secrets -

The way your hair looks can make or ruin your appearance completely. Beautiful hair completes any appearance. Your hairstyle has to be perfect for you to look your best. There are a few of hair care secrets that are very handy and will help you make your hair look wonderful. Read these hair care tips to make your hair look and stay they way you want them to.
Do not shampoo your hair everyday. Hair that has not been washed for a day or two is easier to style. Infact washing your hair once every two or three days will actually make your hair healthy. Washing your hair everyday robs hair of essential oils and dries your scalp and hair.
If you have oily hair squirt water at the roots. Water adds lift to the hair roots. You can sprinkle some baby powder to the roots of the hair as well. For dry coarse hair condition the ends of your hair well every time you wash them.
If you want to tie your hair up in a bun, keep the bun loose. Finger comb your hair into a low disheveled bun.
For beautiful wavy hair use a sea salt spray. Mix sea salts in water and fill a spray bottle. Squirt sea salt on damp hair, scrunch your hair and let it air dry. As most of us have hair that has a natural wave and the sea salts will bring it out.
While blow-drying your hair finger comb your hair and separate the tangles with your fingers. Dry your hair in this manner till your hair is almost dry and then use a brush.
Bangs are the in thing. Layering hair with bangs is the perfect hairstyle. Keep the bangs thick and heavy or choose side-swept bangs. Side-swept bangs paired with long layers look beautiful.
Coloring your hair is another hair treatment option. It is a nice change from the way you normally look. But choose a hair color that will suit your skin color. Ask a professional to help you choose the right color for your skin tone.
Cut your hair in layers, this will make you look a lot younger.
While curling your hair before using Velcro rollers use curling irons. Squirt your dry hair with styling spray and then use a medium curling iron to curl 2-inch sections of hair before rolling hair in Velcro rollers.
Color your hair regularly. Color your hair every 28 days by doing this you may actually prevent your hair from getting damaged.
For shiny hair add a few drops of shine serum to water and squirt it on to your hair.
Sleek and $exy hairstyles don’t have to take hours to create. If you are comfortable working with your hair, you can design beautiful new styles for yourself in just minutes. Once you know how your hair responds to heat, humidity, rain, styling products and other factors, you can quickly and easily style your hair for any occasion.
Even if you don’t know what to expect from your hair, try these unbeatable tips for a quick fix or a lasting style!

This is interesting. Well worth the time to read. And after reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Remember - Never, put your banana in the refrigerator.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber.
Tips -
1. If you really love bananas, you can try recipes like banana cake, banana milkshake, even banana bread. You can use the above instructions to open the banana for use.
2. Mash a ripe banana and mix it with natural yogurt to make a delicious breakfast or dessert.
3. To eat a banana at the peak of ripeness, look for one that is yellow in color and lightly speckled with small brown or black speckles. Large brown spots indicate an over-ripe banana with a mushy consistency. Green bananas usually need more time to ripen.
4. Banana peels make very good compost. You may want to save your leftover banana peels if you collect compost for your garden.
5. Some people think that you can open a banana only from the top (the part that is longer.) The best way is to pinch the bottom nub of the banana and the peel at the top will begin to split. This way, no excessive mashing will occur. Enjoy your non-squished banana!
6. Removing the "banana strings" is optional but makes for a better tasting banana.
7. If the banana you want to eat is too green, put it in a brown paper bag for 24 hours and the next day it will be yellow! Alternatively, you may leave the banana at the ready on your counter, where it will ripen nicely on its own.
8. Fry sliced bananas in butter, splash on some rum, and when the rum is hot, set fire to the fumes to impress your guests. Add a little orange juice and cook till hot again, sprinkle with dark brown sugar and serve with cream or ice cream. This dessert is so nice it is illegal in some countries.
9. Ripening bananas give off a gas that causes other fruit to ripen more quickly. This is why some people store them away from the fruit bowl and even hang them up on little wooden stands which is God's way of telling you you have too much space in your kitchen.
Warnings -
· Bananas go bad if kept out too long. However, if the smooth whiteness is spoiled by a little bad spot,
· Keeping bananas with apples may imbue the banana skin bad color (brown instead of yellow).
· If you store your bananas in refrigerator, this will cause them to turn brown/black. However, this is only a cosmetic change. The interior regions of your crescent-shaped produce will stay nice and banana-fresh.
· Do not eat too many bananas, as this will have a constipating effect.
· Some people firmly grasp the banana at either end and break it in the center karate-style. However, this must be done quickly or may result in mushing.
· To tear a banana in half, pierce the skin half-way along its length with a fingernail, just enough to snap the fibres, making a cut about half an inch long. Gently bend the banana away from the cut and the whole fruit should tear in half with no mess or bruising at all.
A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
· Depression - According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
· PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
· Anemia - High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
· Blood Pressure -This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
· Brain Power - 200 students at a Twickenham (Middleage) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
· Constipation - High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
· Hangovers - One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
· Heartburn - Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
· Morning Sickness - Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
· Mosquito bites - Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
· Nerves - Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
· Ulcers - The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
· Temperature control - Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
· Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
· Smoking &Toba©co Use - Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
· Stress - Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
· Strokes - According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%
· Warts - Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape.
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"