For natural black hair, brew one strong cup of espresso and let cool completely. Pour on dry hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse. For blond hair, brew some chamomile tea and let cool completely. Pour on dry hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse. For red hair, use lemon-balm tea. If you have been contemplating adding a little ‘gold’ to your locks go ahead. Summer is the perfect time to do it. Keep the bleach and chemicals off of your scalp and have a professional do it. It is worth the money. Don’t do the do-it yourself highlighter kits unless you really know what you are doing. Using Mehendi : * While it is true that hair dyes contain chemicals that may damage your hair in the long run, that does mean that there is no hope for people with gray hair. Our very own Mehendi is a very good alternative. Further if used properly, it will not give your hair the traditional red colour. Here are a few pointers to help you colour gray hair the right way. First of all always use Mehendi of a good quality. * Soak mehendi overnight in an iron vessel and then use it the other day. * If you do not want to colour your hair and only want to use it as a conditioner, then oil your hair before applying it and leave it on only for an hour or so. * If you wish to give your hair a reddish tinge, add ‘katha’ to it. Or boil and add grated beet. * If you want a bronze effect, add coffee powder to mehendi. You can also add oil to the mehendi paste. * For jet black hair, soak Amla overnight and then add this to the mehendi paste and keep this overnight in an iron vessel. Apply it the next day. * Wrap a cloth around your shoulders and use gloves to apply mehendi in order to avoid soiling your clothes. Take care that mehendi does not touch your ears or face, or else the colour won’t go for some days. For best results, do not shampoo your hair after applying mehendi. Rinse your hair with plain water. Shades of Grey : While it is true that hair dyes contain chemicals that may damage your hair in the long run, that does mean that there is no hope for people with gray hair. Our very own Mehendi is a very good alternative. Further if used properly, it will not give your hair the traditional red colour. Here are a few pointers to help you colour gray hair the right way. * First of all always use Mehendi of a good quality. * Soak mehendi overnight in an iron vessel and then use it the other day. * If you do not want to colour your hair and only want to use it as a conditioner, then oil your hair before applying it and leave it on only for an hour or so. * If you wish to give your hair a reddish tinge, add ‘katha’ to it. Or boil and add grated beet. * If you want a bronze effect, add coffee powder to mehendi. You can also add oil to the mehendi paste. * For jet black hair, soak Amla overnight and then add this to the mehendi paste and keep this overnight in an iron vessel. Apply it the next day. * Wrap a cloth around your shoulders and use gloves to apply mehendi in order to avoid soiling your clothes. Take care that mehendi does not touch your ears or face, or else the colour won’t go for some days. * For best results, do not shampoo your hair after applying mehendi. Rinse your hair with plain water. Here is a very good natural remedy for gray hair. Ingredients : 250 Gms mehendi [old and of a good quality] 2 spoons Amla powder 2 spoon Shikakai powder 2 spoon Aritha powder Method : Mix all of these together. Dissolve half a cup of coffee powder in water and boil it. When it cools, mix all the ingredients and make a smooth paste. Keep this paste for 12 hours. Before applying to hair, add some curd to it. Instead of curd you can also use an egg. Hair should be preferably clean and specifically not oily before applying this paste or else the treatment won’t work. Wash off the hair pack after 4 hours. Take this treatment once in every 15 days regularly to effectively darken gray hair and reduce their further appearance.

You promised yourself that you would finally quit smoking.

It isn’t easy giving up something that is so much a part of what you do every day.

But you are not alone. Over 1 million people each year decide to quit and are successful.

Tried Quitting Before?

Maybe once, maybe more…

You started out feeling the time was right, but for whatever reason, you’re smoking again. Now, you’re asking whether it’s worth it to try quitting again. You bet it is!

Quitting is hard, but don’t give up!

Some smokers try a number of times before they quit for good. Studies show that each time you try to quit, the more likely you will be to eventually succeed. With each try, you are better able to know what helps and what hurts. Any attempt to quit is a step in a healthier direction.

Pregnant?

There’s no better time to quit.

And for two very good reasons:

• You.

• Your baby.

Even if someone you know smoked during pregnancy and had a problem-free delivery, smoking puts your baby’s health at risk. Quitting at any time during pregnancy is still the best chance for you and your baby to get a fresh start.

It is also important to remember that infants and children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to develop health problems such as chronic ear infections and asthma. Helping to eliminate these health risks is another good reason to quit.

How Do I Start?

Make a Plan

You may want to:

• Consult a health care professional to choose a quit smoking plan that is best for you.

• Set a quit date and stick to it.

• Get the support and understanding of your family, friends, and co-workers.

• Get rid of all tobacco products and ashtrays.

• Get Support and Encouragement

U.S. Public Health Service (PHS)-funded research shows the more support you have, the greater your chance for success.

Join a quit smoking program or start your own quit smoking group. Check with your health care professional, local hospitals, the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, or American Heart Association for schedules for existing groups.

Learn How to Handle the Urge to Smoke

First and foremost, always comb your hair gently to prevent breakage. Hair is at its weakest when wet. So never brush your hair when wet. As far as possible let your hair dry naturally. Use dryers only when you are pressed for time or when you want to set them for an occasion. Detangle your hair before you wash it. Wet hair is very fragile so brush your hair thoroughly before getting into the shower.

Oiling and shampoos :

Oil your hair at least twice a week or for a day before washing. Oil really does wonders for your hair; coating each strand and making it shine. Besides oil massage also increases the circulation in the scalp and promotes hair growth. Avoid using harsh shampoos and conditioners as they can harm your hair and make them dry. Tackle dandruff with good antidandruff shampoos. Most of all try to keep your hair clean and do not expose it to strong wind, dust and pollution. Use a scarf while on a two-wheeler.

Taking care naturally :

Do you want to have beautiful long hair, but cannot because of problems like dandruff, split-ends, greying etc which compel you to cut your hair? Well, here are some easy home recipes for good growth of hair. So get going to have hassle free bouncy hair!

1. Wash and clean a bunch of Methi leaves in water. Without adding water, add black pepper, a few drops of lemon and salt to taste and boil. Churn this in a mixer or juicer and drink this concoction. Drinking this regularly will increase hair growth.

2. Eat pieces of coconut or if you get cough because of coconut, have jaggery instead. Also include coconut in your daily food like dals, vegetables, etc.

3. Half an hour before washing your hair, rub coconut milk onto your scalp. This will also make your hair shinier.

4. Just as you massage oil, massage raw milk in your hair. Wash off after an hour.

5. Cashewnuts are very nutritious and good for your skin and also enhance hair growth.

6. Grandma’s advice still holds true. At night before going to sleep, give your hair a hundred strokes with a brush. This increases the blood circulation in the scalp and promotes hair growth. However brush your hair gently for vigorous stroking will cause breakage.

7. Drink coconut water atleast twice a week. It is good for your skin, digestive system and really a miracle ingredient for your hair.

8. Heat olive oil and massage into hair and then take steam. By doing this regularly you will get rid of split-ends.

9. Make a paste of jaggery, curd, and Multanni mitti and apply on scalp an hour before shampooing to get rid of dandruff. Take this treatment once in 15 days.

Thus after knowing the cause of blackhead you can easily deal with it. All you have to do is stop the formation of these congesting toxins combined with skin oil and sebum that builds up in your sebum channels. Thus applying anything externally will not help because blackhead is basically an INTERNAL problem. Thus to get rid of blackheads you’ve got to normalize your skin’s sebum or oil production and purify your blood of congesting toxins. The key to effective blackhead prevention lies in your liver function. Thus you have to improve and strengthen your liver function.

Follow the following diet and free the body of harmful toxins in order to have a beautiful and vibrant skin. This diet will also improve and strength your liver functions. However you have to take care that from now on you follow a healthy and well balanced diet. This journey is very difficult and thus start only if you have the confidence in you and don’t give up in between.

A SIX-DAY DIET REGIMEN

BREAKFAST FOR EACH OF THE SIX DAYS:
Fifteen minutes before you are ready to eat breakfast squeeze the juice of one lemon in a medium glass of hot water and drink it. The rest of the meal consists of 250 ml of fruit juice (orange or grape), 5 level tablespoons of cottage cheese, 250g fresh fruit – you can eat only one kind of fruit or combine fruits in a salad (no bananas or avocados). You may drink one cup of tea, with milk and sugar if desired. Between breakfast and lunch you should drink all the vegetable broth (recipe provided) as you can hold. Also eat fresh raw fruit. Make a large quantity of the vegetable broth and store in the refrigerator.

LUNCH FOR EACH OF THE SIX DAYS:
Drink two cups of vegetable broth during the meal. Make a salad by chopping fresh, raw vegetables in a bowl. Use four from the following list: Asparagus, beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, celery, green peppers, lettuce, onions, pumpkin, spinach, squash, tomatoes. For dessert, slice fresh fruit and serve with drizzle of honey. You may drink a small glass of fresh milk if desired. Between lunch and dinner drink all the vegetable juice you desire and eat all the fresh fruit you want.

DINNER FOR EACH OF THE SIX DAYS:
Drink two cups of vegetable broth during the meal. Select two or three of the different kinds of vegetables listed and steam-cook them with a little butter. Eat a generous helping of each. Eat a medium slice of whole-wheat bread with butter. For dessert, eat a fresh fruit salad. If you feel hungry after dinner, eat as much fresh fruits as you want and drink vegetable juice.

RECIPE FOR VEGETABLE BROTH:
To make vegetable broth, dice 7 carrots and 1 small bunch of celery into small pieces. Place in 2 quarts water and boil for 15 minutes. Add one-third bunch of fresh parsley and a large handful of fresh spinach. Flavour with tomatoes, green peppers or garlic. Boil 10 minutes more. Drain off the broth, retaining the fluid. Flavour with salt of onion. This recipe makes about one day’s supply. It can be used hot or cold. The purpose of this broth is to flush the system, so drink lots of it during the 6 days. It’s loaded with minerals.

Garlic for your Heart
Studies have shown that garlic aids with circulation by widening blood vessels, thus lowering blood pressure. Garlic works in the body on the platelets, which are the blood clotting cells, making them less likely to stick together and cling to artery walls causing heart attacks. Garlic is also credited with dissolving clot forming proteins that affect the formation of plaque. It is also believed that garlic may interfere with the metabolism of cholesterol and aid with lowering the over all cholesterol count. All these factors lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Garlic prevents cancer
Garlic helps in preventing cancer and kills the growth if cancer cells. Garlic contains allium which is helpful in preventing cancer. Also one component of garlic, alliin, is an antioxidant. Some nutrients, such as selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and in particular alliin, scavenge free radicals, the free-roaming, unstable molecules that lead to cell damage and premature aging. Free radicals have also been implicated in the growth of tumors. In laboratory animals, garlic extracts have actually inhibited the growth of cancer cells.

Other Benefits of Garlic
Garlic helps combat colds and the flu. It is used to treat sore throats, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), digestive disorders, bladder infections, and liver and gallbladder problems. It’s believed to kill harmful bacteria in the stomach and protect against gastric cancer. It appears to be a potent antioxidant and may boost the response of your immune system. It also works as an anti-inflammatory. Garlic is effective against bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections.

Include Garlic in your diet
Garlic comes in many different forms including fresh herb or clove, liquid, oil, powder and capsules. If you find that the pungent odor of garlic is a bit more than you bargained for you can purchase the odorless garlic supplements. But it is best if you get your quota of garlic in food, as it may be more easily absorbed into your system.

A word of caution
Don’t use garlic supplements if you’re taking anticoagulants (blood thinners) or hypoglycemics (a type of diabetes drug). Do not take if breastfeeding. Rarely, may cause allergic reactions.

Many young people go on a crash diet to lose weight without knowing the adverse effects that it can cause on your body. The notion that the solution to weight loss is a crash diet or the ability to stay off food is totally wrong and erroneous and should be avoided as it leads to serious health problems. To lose weight you need not deprive yourself of food or starve yourself. The solution is moderation and it involves making five simple changes in your daily food habits.

1. Don’t torture your body. You might think that the less you eat the more you will lose weight. You might go on an extremely low calorie diet and completely avoid anything that carries high calories. Well you will lose weight but then your body will be weak. If you make a habit of consuming fewer calories than your body requires, your body will automatically go into the ‘starvation mode’, which will definitely result into weight loss but you will be losing not fat but important components of your body like water and muscle. Thus although your size and your weight goes down, the fat still remains. With the result that you will experience lethargy, weakness, Fatigue, hunger pangs, headaches and loss of concentration. Thus try to avoid extremely low or extremely high calorie food intake. Just stop torturing yourself.

2. Balance your diet. Eat more of low calorie high fiber foods such as salads and fresh fruits with each meal. Avoid salad dressings. Eat more of whole grain food and also try out vegetable soups, which are great if you are on a diet. Avoid red meat (beef, pork, ham, sausage), organ meat (liver, brain, kidney) and egg yolks since they are bad for your health as they fall into the saturated fat category. These foods contain high level of calories. Saturated fats, oily stuff, sweets, ice cream and chocolates should be avoided as far as possible. Include sprouts in your food intake, as they are rich in protein.

3. Don’t skip meals. Don’t commit the mistake of skipping meals. If you are thinking that if you skip one meal you might work towards losing some weight but it is quite the opposite. Because when you eat you tend to eat more and this might work against all your efforts of losing weight. Breakfast is one meal that’s very important because as the first meal of the day it helps you to raise your energy levels and provides you energy for the rest of the day. Dinner should always be light. Your body burns few calories while you sleep and if you consume excess calories at dinner, it can easily get stored up in the body as fat.

4. Learn a few tricks.

• Instead of eating three large meals in a day eat six small meals.
• Drink two glasses of water prior to each meal.
• Focus on eating. Relish the food you are eating and don’t divert your attention to anything else while you are having your meal.
• Never eat while watching television since you don’t keep track of how much you are eating and you tend to eat more.
• Chew each morsel thoroughly to liquid consistency. This will help digest the food properly.
• Pause for a moment before taking an extra serving.
• Don’t overeat and don’t get swayed away by seeing your favourite food served on the table, which might contain high calories.
• When dining out avoid high calorie food.

5. Don’t lose heart. Everyone’s weight control efforts get sidetracked from time to time. You might get fed up of going on a diet over and over again without getting any result. Don’t worry. It is important to remember that temporary setbacks should, after the initial disappointment, serve as stepping-stones to future success. Use your past failures as learning experiences on the way to successful weight control. So pick yourself up and go ahead do it this time.