Brighten up that smile naturally


Chew on a few sage leaves daily and as they protect your teeth and gums.

Rub the rind of a lemon over your teeth two or three times per week to eliminate stains left on your teeth by tobacco and coffee.

Strawberry juice lightens your teeth.Drink it on an empty stomach keeping it in your mouth and swirling it around for a few seconds before swallowing.

Rose Hand Treatments
Gardening and domestic chores can take their toll on unprotected hands. They can become rough and sore, and the skin may appear leathery and that is where roses come to the rescue:

Rose infusion
Place a handful of rose petals in a bowl and cover with 600ml boiling water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes, pour in 2 tablespoons of vodka, then strain.

Rose hand mask
Mix 3 tbsp of medium / fine oatmeal, 2 tbsp rose infusion, 1 tsp almond oil, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp glycerine in a bowl until you get a paste. Spread it on the back of your hands and fingers and leave for 15 minutes, then rinse off with water and apply the hand lotion.

Rose Hand lotion
Mix a half tbsp glycerine 2 tbsp rose infusion and 2 tsp triple distilled rosewater. Add 2 tsp cornflour and beat until incorporated into the liquid.

Papaya
This is a very versatile fruit. The Indians in California used the leaves to envelop the meat hours before cooking it as a meat tenderiser. This process turns the meat so tender that it practically flakes off its fibres.

This fruit aids digestion enormously, is diuretic and also acts as a natural laxative. Eaten first thing in the morning, acts against diabetes and asthma. It is also effective as a blood cleanser. In China the pulp is dried and used to reduce swelling in the feet.

Algumas dicas em Portugues sobre a papaia

Nas Antilhas prepara-se um xarope do sumo de papaia madura cozida com bastante acucar, no forno. este xarope e usado para tosse de tuberculosos em ultimo grau. Toam-se varias colheres por dia para este fim.

Este fruto maduro, esfregado sobre a pele tira as manchas e suaviza a cutis aspera eliminando tambem rugas.

Head Massage with aromatic oils

Before you shampoo your hair, give yourself a head massage with essential oils.

To relax: try a blend of jasmine or ylang ylang

For energy: Try mint or citrus
Massage for a few moments then shampoo as normal.

Head Massage with aromatic oils

Before you shampoo your hair, give yourself a head massage with essential oils.

To relax: try a blend of jasmine or ylang ylang

For energy: Try mint or citrus
Massage for a few moments then shampoo as normal.

Apples to reduce fever
Grate an apple finely then spread it 0.5 inch thick on a mall piece of double layered cheesecloth
about 6 inches in length.

Apply this over the forehead to reduce fever. you can make a similar poultice for the throat and chest area if required. Allow to stand for one hour.





Para inflamacao dos pes (pe de atleta)
30 dentes de alho
4 colheres de cha de canela moida
4 colheres de cha de cravinhos moidos
150ml vodka

Junte o alho com canela, e cravinhos a vodka num frasco de cor escura com tampa. feche bem e guarde num armario onde nao penetre a luz do sol. por duas semanas. e agitando o conteudo de dois em dois dias. Esta tintura estara pronta para usar ao fim de 14 dias.

Use num pouco de algodao ou num pano e passe esta tintura na sola do pe inteira e tambem entre os dedos dos pes. Use duas vezes por dia. Deixe secar. Se por acaso os sintomas continuarem ao fim de duas semanas, consulte o medico.

The Hangover cure bath
Citrus fruits can help you feel human again after a hangover strikes.
Use 3 lemons or 1 large grapefruit

Slice the lemons or grapefruit and steep the slices of fruit in a bowl of hot water and then add this water to your bath.

you may also add the zest of lemons or grapefruit to your bath water.


Another quick way to cure a hangover is by making 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.

Peppermint
This herb is excellent for any digestive disorders as the menthol in it stimulates the digestive juices.
Sip a cup of this aromatic tea made with 1/4 cup of fresh leaves to a cup of boiling water, cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes. This tea is good in cases of flatulence, colitis, indigestion and diarrhoea. Also good for nausea, it acts as a mild anaesthetic on the stomach wall, helping with the queasy feeling.

Mint is also an effective anti-spasmodic for period pains, irritable bowel syndrome and stomach cramps.

You may also try a combination of almond oil with 2 drops of peppermint oil and rub over your stomach in circular motion. This is also good for painful joints.

To relieve nasal, chest and sinus congestion, try peppermint oil as an inhalant. Place a drop of the oil at the base of your nose or on your upper lip to clear a stuffy nose. Alternatively, put a few drops into a basin of hot water , stand over it, covering your head with a towel in a tent fashion and inhale the menthol vapour. For stubborn coughs, rub a drop of peppermint oil directly onto your throat.

When suffering from cold sores, dab a drop of the oil on the affected area and the antiviral effect should clear it up in no time.

For headaches and migraines, rub a drop of peppermint oil on each temple if the headache is at the front of the head and at the base of the skull if the headache is at the back of the neck.

This oil can also be used as a pain reliever for toothaches. Mix a bit of the oil with olive oil, rub a piece of cotton wool in it and hold it next to the aching tooth.

Add a few drops of peppermint oil to your bath water for a circulation boost.

Soothe roughened skin
After the dry season, your elbows, knees and feet could do with extra care.
Use a pumice stone in a circular motion to get rid of the layers of dead skin. Afterwards, apply a massage of rosemary oil.

you may also apply a mixture of camomile to which you've added a few drops of orange oil, this is also used as a cuticle remover.

For a moisturising skin milk use 50g of cucumber juice, 50 teaspoons of water and 50 teaspoons of skimmed milk. Keep in a glass bottle, in the refrigerator and shake well before use.
Algumas dicas com eucalipto, para os Portugueses


A parte usada com frequencia sao as folhas. Seque-as e conserve em frascos de vidro.
Bronquite e asma
Junte folhas de eucalipto, farfaro e tomilho em partes iguais. Use duas colherinhas em 2.5 colheres de cha de agua, deixe repousar durante 15 minutos, filtre e beba em pequenos goles durante o dia.

Vias respiratorias
Ferva uma mao cheia de folhas de eucalipto em um litro de agua durante 5 minutos. Junte este preparado ao banho quente. Os vapores que se desprendem ajudam a fazer a desobstrucao das vias respiratorias.

Infeccoes da boca e mau halito
Ferva 15g de folhas de eucalipto num litro de agua durante 3 minutos, filtre e conserve num frasco de vidro. bocheche com este liquido 4 vezes ao dia.

Cabelo
Aplique uma infusao de folhas de eucalipto na ultima passagem de enxaguamento e o seu cabelo ficara com um brilho espectacular.

Sinusite
Inale 3 vezes ao dia uma infusao de 5g de eucalipto num litro de agua a qual se acrescentam 5 gotas de oleo essencial de eucalipto.

Blackberries
There are many uses for this fruit and its leaves.

As a diuretic
Prepare an infusion with dried leaves by addind a dessert spoon of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Leave it covered for 10 minutes. Drink it in small sips and you may drink up to 4 cups per day. Stop this treatment as soon as your symptoms subside.

To treat diabetes, drink the above infusion 4 to 6 times per day.

To treat fevers
Make an infusion with 40 to 80g of fresh leaves per litre of water, drink throughout the day in small sips.

For inflammations in the mouth
Mash a few blackberries to remove the juice then add a little water and use as a mouth wash.

As amoras para a tosse

Para fazer um xarope de amoras, esmague bem algumas amoras negras e recolha o maximo liquido possivel delas, depois coloque num recipiente de vidro. Junte acucar com o dobro do peso do sumo e aqueca em lume brando, quando esta mistura adquirir a consistencia de xarope retira-se do lume, deixa-se arrefecer e guarda-se num frasco de vidro bem fechado, num local frio e escuro. Toma-se uma colher de sopa de xarope de tres em tres horas.
Para as inflamacoes da garganta, junta-se 2 colheres de cha do xarope com agua morna e fazem-se gargarejos com esta mistura.

Herbal hair rinses

Rosemary for dark hair

Infuse 40g fresh rosemary in 1 litre of boiling water in a bowl for 1 hour and then strain.


Chamomile for fair hair

Infuse 25g dried chamomile in 1 litre boiling water in a large bowl for 1 hour and then strain.

Avocado
This fruit is a powerhouse in monounsaturated fats, proteins and vitamins E and C which are antioxidants protecting the body from free readicals that cause deterioration and aging.
One avocado a day gives you the essential vitamin E for boosting energy levels and strengthening the immune system. The vitamin C content has numerous benefits such as, cold prevention, and stress reduction. Both the vitamins found in this fruit complement each other, fortifying the other's effect on the system.

Para os Portugueses...

A pera abacate e muito importante na dieta de um diabetico, pois sao aconselhados a cortar no colesterol. Este fruto ajuda a manter os niveis de glucose no sangue.
Metade de uma pera abacate tem aproximadamente 160 calorias, o que a faz uma grande aliada em dietas e contem fibras necessarias ao sistema para eliminar gorduras excessivas.
A pera abacate esta associada a prevencao de doencas cardiovasculares, obesidade, diabetes, alguns tipos de cancro e tensao alta.

Sweet Potatoes
Rich in Vitamins A, C and E, antioxidants that help prevent heart disease and cancer, the sweet potato boosts the immune system and slows down the ageing process promoting sharp vision and healthy skin.

Its essential nutrients include vitamin B6, potassium and iron, dietary fibre helps to promote a healthy digestive tract, best results obtained when eaten with the skin.
Their most attractive trait is that they are virtually fat free, no cholesterol and low sodium levels with only 500KJ per one and a half cups of boiled sweet potatoes, making them one of the dieter's best friends, not to mention the fact that they're healthy too.

Moonstone
This crystal is associated with the heart chakra and so can bring calm responses thus avoiding overreaction. It also enhances the feminine energies within the sacral and crown centres, receptivity, intuition, sensitivity, emotional balance and psychic abilities. On the physical level, it aids the pituitary gland function, hormonal conditions and menstrual problems.

As with other sacral stones, moonstones support new beginnings. As it is a stone of lunar energy, it is beneficial to the unsettled, insecure and the ones given to mood swings. Its energy brings with it, the understanding that what we yearn for, is often not what we really want. It balances desire levels bringing the wearer into a positive frame of mind. It may be used as a complementary stone draining lower energies from all the chakras.

It is also very beneficial for eye, hair and skin imbalances and is excellent in a detox programme or phase, as it cleanses through its antiseptic vibrations.

Being a fertility stone, it is excellent for stimulation and conception supporting the female hormone energies.


Algumas dicas para os Portugueses
Banana
Este fruto e bastante rico em ferro, por isso ajuda em casos de anemia. Sendo tambem bastante rico em potassio e com baixo teor de sal, a banana torna-se numa forte aliada contra doencas de tensao e tromboses.

A banana ajuda tambem com prisao de ventre pois contem muita fibra. Tambem e boa aliada contra ressacas, tomando um milkshake feito com banana, leite e adocado com mel. A banana acalma o estomago e com a ajuda do mel, aumenta os niveis de acucar no sangue enquanto o leite hidrata e alivia o sistema.

Este fruto tem efeitos antiacidos no corpo de maneira que se sofrer de azia coma uma banana para aliviar o estomago.
Comer bananas entre as refeicoes tambem ajuda contra os enjoos matinais pois este fruto mantem o nivel de acucar no sangue e assim evita os enjoos.

Se for atacado por mosquitos, use a parte de dentro da casca da banana para esfregar na pele, reduz o inchaco e irritacao na pele causados pelas mordidelas de mosquitos.
A banana acalma o sistema nervoso, devido ao seu alto teor de vitamina B.

Juicing - The healthy alternative

Anti Celulite
Apples and pineapples are great allies in this fight due to their detox properties and also by cleaning the lymphatic system.
In a juice extractor, mix 1/3 pineapple, 1 apple and a small piece of shredded ginger. This helps remove the excess water found just under the skin. Do not add any sugar.



Green Aventurine

This crystal is often used on the heart chakra and it is said to relieve anxiety and to calm one's
emotional states. It is also thought to be a lucky stone in gambling, it attracts opportunities and enhances one's creativity and leadership qualities.

Rosemary
As this herb is known to improve the blood flow to the brain, it is thought to aid memory.
Make an infusion using a sprig of the fresh herb per cup of boiling water. This tea may also be used in the bath to soothe and energise aching muscles after a tiring day.

If you have high blood pressure, avoid rosemary.



Citrine

This crystal brings added zest to sensitive people, aids clarity of thought and expression and opens new avenues, frees emotion and daily stress and develops self-love and confidence.

It attracts light, hope and abundance.

It is a good crystal to use on the third chakra, the solar plexus.

Umas dicas para os portugueses

A Canela

A canela tem um efeito relaxante no estomago e estimula o fluxo sanguineo, por isso se torna benefica para mulheres com periodos fracos e dolorosos.

Para fazer uma infusao de canela, use 2.5cm de pau de canela quebrado, numa chavena de cha com agua a ferver e uma rodela de limao. Cubra e deixe por 10 minutos, depois adicione 1 colher de sopa de mel se dejar, para adocar.

Tome duas chavenas por dia ao aparecerem os primeiros sintomas de um resfriado ou para aliviar as dores menstruais.

Como ha pessoas com alergia a esta especiaria, tome com cautela.

Lemon Thyme
Thyme is one of Nature's antibiotics. At the outset of colds and flu, make an infusion with half a cup of fresh herbs to a cupful of boiling water, cover and stand for 10 minutes, then add a tablespoon of honey and drink while warm. It aids with coughs, too.

This herb also boosts the immune system. Eat it with your meat dishes, use it in marinades for beef and pork dishes, it adds a great lemon aroma and herby flavour to your roast meat dishes.

Ananas

Para ajudar a prevenir contra a osteoporose, coma ananas.

O sumo extraido deste fruto ajuda tambem a combater a pedra nos rins e infeccoes da bexiga.

Para aliviar resfriados / gripes

O mais importante nestes casos e estimular o corpo a curar por si proprio pois nao existe cura imediata.
- Ao primeiro sinal de uma gripe, diminua a quantidade de alimento ou ate elimine por umas 24 horas.
- Tome um banho de sais de Epsom e aumente os liquidos, bebendo mais agua e cha de serpao de limao ou de gengibre com mel, que ajuda a limpar as vias respiratorias.
- Descanse bastante, nem que fique de cama um ou dois dias.
- Evite acucar, pois este bloqueia o sistema imunologo. Durante uma gripe evite o sumo de laranja devido ao alto nivel de acucar nesta fruta. Opte pelo sumo de limao misturado com agua morna e um pouco de mel.
- Tome cha de echinacia durante o dia, pois e a melhor erva para as gripes. Embora nao elimine os microbios, ela estimula a producao de celulas brancas acelerando o seu crescimento e aumentando a sua eficacia no local onde lutam com os microbios. Tambem pode tomar este cha em quantidades menores quando ao seu redor houver muitas pessoas com gripe, para aumentar a sua imunidade.

Quince
The juice of quince is good for infectious fevers and chronic diaorreia for tuberculosis. The quince is an excellent source of food and medicine in one, use a syrup made in bain-marie with 30g of
quince juice and 60g of sugar.


A mash made with cooked quince may be applied on external hemorroids to alleviate them.
An infusion made with the leaves also helps in cases of diaorreia, and to lower blood pressure.

Camomila (Matricaria recutita)

A camomila tem varios usos na medicina domestica, tais como:

- acalma tensao nervosa,
- ajuda a prevencao de nausea,
- acalma problemas digestivos, ulceras e inflamacoes,
- cha de camomila feito com sete flores para 1 chavena, promove um sono restaurador,
- usado em feridas e eczemas, o oleo e analgesico e ajuda com a restauracao das celulas
- para a sinosite, prepare um recipiente com agua a ferver e flores de camomila e respire os vapores.



Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis)
A great anti-stress herb, used in infusions, best as fresh leaves in the quantity of a third cup of leaves to a full cup of boiling water, cover and allow to infuse for 10 minutes before drinking.
Taken as is, is a very pleasant tea hot or as an iced tea, but if you prefer, add a little honey to

sweeten.

It calms one in times of stress and helps one to cope better.
It also assists with sleeping disorders caused by stress and anxiety.

It aids digestion by reducing stress blockages retained in the stomach area, relaxing stomach muscles so normal digestion may take its course.