On week 301 we would like to introduce you to Paula Begoun. If you are the kind of person that likes to know what is in the ingredients of what you eat, use on your skin or anywhere on you or family members and pets, you would love to meet Paula Begoun. She has a site where you can find out what the ingredients of most of the products on the market contain.

I personally like to know what the cosmetic industry says is really what they say it is or if I can avoid harsh chemicals that after time and time of usage may be working against my wellbeing and the wellbeing of the actors that I apply these products on.

She is very accurate and has lots of integrity, let’s read what she has to say, and if you need to check a product you can use the links we provided and get your own answers and enjoy the whole site.

Have fun and share, don’t forget to like us on Social media. If you do it makes a huge difference in the world of Blogs and popularity to have sponsors thank you for your help from all of us at isabelsbeautyblog.com.

Great site for information, it is a must!

Who is Paula?

Paula Begoun is the creator and tremendous innovative force behind Paula’s Choice skin care and cosmetics company.  Her very informative website includes reports on skin care and links to video demos, is Cosmetics Cop.  She is the author of 18 best-selling books including Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Illegal, The Original Beauty Bible, and Don’t Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me. Paula’s books have sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide WOW no joke!

Her hard work as a nationally-recognized consumer expert for the cosmetics industry has led her to the repeat appearances on CNN, as well as programs such as Oprah, The Today Show, 20/20, Dateline NBC, The View, and Dr Ozand many International interviews.

Paula’s Story: In Her Own Words

Paula:

From the very beginning of my career, my goal has been to help women find products that will give them the skin they’ve always wanted for myself and at the same time educate them —whether you use  Paula’s Choice products that I developed and formulated or those from other brands. I have the unique distinction of being the only cosmetics company founder in the world who recommends products other than my own as long as they are safe to use.

I created Paula’s Choice as the result of my own frustrations when I was a young teenager trying to find products for my problem skin and then, later in life, for wrinkles and skin discolourations and the challenges that came with maturing. My complexion was a mess and, so many of you, the skin-care products I used either didn’t help or made matters much worse.

Paula’s Choice is a really comprehensive selection of skin-care and select makeup products that meet my very strict criterion for excellence based only on what published research shows is effective and safe to use. My products are guaranteed to exceed your expectations.

I have provided state-of-the-art formulas that are always fragrance-free, ecologically responsible, and never, never tested on animals I make sure of that. I like to invite you to let my many years of research and acquired knowledge benefit your skin and your whole persona. With Paula’s Choice, healthy, youthful, radiant skin is a result you can count on!

In the early 1990s, Paula started work with a team of cosmetic chemists to develop her own line of skincare and cosmetics. Her products offer results based on published, her proved research and her extensive research of the cosmetic industry provided her with the expertise necessary to develop these formulations. In 1995, Paula Begoun started selling her products online. This led to some consumers to question the objectivity of her product reviews. She responds to these concerns, she claims that Paula’s Choice is one of the only companies that recommends products other than their own.

Begoun remains a consultant for dermatologists, plastic surgeons, major cosmetics companies, news and industry insiders with great results. She positions herself as an internationally recognized authority and consumer advocate for the cosmetics and hair-care industries and routinely appears on news and talk shows, including CNN,  Oprah,  The Dr Oz Show, and The View. to mention a few

If you are looking for the latest information on product ingredients and safety Cosmetics Cop will take you for a journey that not only connect you to your power that is to choose what you pay for and what is in the products you consume, pretty powerful if you ask me, we wish for all of you to skim the milk sort of speak in the sense that what product companies tell you it may not be so much of the bottom line, and you the consumer have the right to know, don’t you think? so here we go.

Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun

This book helps women find products that make them look great without spending a fortune. From drugstores and home shopping to department stores and catalogs, Paula Begoun and her team review the hottest skin-care and makeup products major cosmetic and skin-care lines. Regardless of the price tags, there are good and bad products in almost every line and with the turn of a page, readers can get concise reviews and fast answers in this completely revised edition. A user-friendly rating system makes it easy to find items worth trying. Paula also includes skin care basics and tips on which ingredients to look for so you get the results you want.

The Original Beauty Bible: Skin Care Facts for Ageless Beauty

The all-new third edition of The Original Beauty Bible is Paula Begoun’s most comprehensive book yet. Exhaustively researched, this refreshingly honest guide cuts through marketing hype to educate consumers on all aspects of beauty, including how to assemble a state-of-the-art skin-care routine, choose a cosmetic surgeon, and apply makeup like a pro. It provides the latest research and information on every imaginable cosmetic innovation, with a special emphasis on skin-care ingredients, and explains the pros and cons of all types of cosmetic surgery and corrective procedures in an engaging, easy-to-understand style. Covering the most critical topics in beauty in a factual, no-holds-barred manner, and packed with money-saving tips, The Original Beauty Bible affirms Begoun’s reputation as “The Ralph Nader of Rouge.” For readers of all ages, it’s the ultimate guide to smart beauty.

Ingredient Dictionary from Paula’s Choice

Ratings according to Paula’s Choice

ACRYLATES/DIMETHICONE COPOLYMER

GOOD

Silicone-enhanced film-forming agent. Also, functions as a binding agent so products adhere better to skin. See film-forming agent

A large group of ingredients typically found in hair care products, but that also are widely used in skin care products, particularly moisturizers. Film-forming agents include PVP, acrylates, acrylamides, and various copolymers. When applied they leave a pliable, cohesive, and continuous covering over the hair or skin. The film has water-binding properties and leaves a smooth feel on skin. Film-forming agents can be weak skin sensitizers, but this almost always depends on the amount used; lower amounts generally are not problematic.

It creates the gloss for skin care, makeup and hair products

 ACRYLATES/STEARETH-20 METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER

GOOD

Is absorbent, adhesive, artificial nail builder, binder, haircareemulsion stabilizer, film former, Hair fixative, suspending agent- nonsurfactant, viscosity increasing-aqueous, it gives the emollient feel.

What is the term ACTIVE INGREDIENT?

GOOD

An ingredient in a cosmetic, a drug, or a pharmaceutical product that is  considered to have a pharmacological effect. when we refer  to cosmetics, the effects on the skin must be documented by scientific evaluation, approved by the FDA, and fallow the FDA regulations. The amount and exact function of each active ingredient must be approved by the FDA after the documentation is turned in. Active ingredients include such substances as sunscreen ingredients, skin-lightening agents, and anti-acne ingredients such as sulfur and benzoyl peroxide and many other that have a claim. The FDA also specifies that the most active ingredient list must be showned first on a product label. See inactive ingredient

ADENINE

GOOD

Component of DNA that carries genetic information to the cell. See DNA

DNA is the abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is found in all of our cells. It is the primary component of genes— genes are the means by which cells transmit hereditary characteristics to us. DNA is the basis for all genetic structure ; DNA components include adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T), and cytostine (C). It is the mapping of these substances that makes up the genetic code of all human traits and all our cellular functions.And also DNA is the genetic material that is required for all cellular division and growth. Including Asuming that added DNA has any value in a skin-care product is pointless because it cannot  affect a cell’s genetic elements at all. The formation of DNA is a complex process within the cell that requires a multitude of proteins and enzymes for it to have an effect on the body’s genetic material. It is also doubtful that you would want to ever put anything on your skin that could affect genetic material don’t you think? quite dangerous, particularly via a cosmetic for which there are no safety or efficacy regulations I wouldn’t give it a chance. Beyond that, any successful attempt to affect what DNA does would potentially create a significant risk of shade efeccts.

According to:http:http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/adenine#section=Pharmacology

Adenine (sometimes known as vitamin B4) combines with the sugar ribose to form adenosine, which in turn can be bonded with from one to three phosphoric acid units, yielding AMP, ADP and ATP . These adenine derivatives perform important functions in cellular metabolism. Adenine is one of four nitrogenous bases utilized in the synthesis of nucleic acids. A modified form of adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) is an important secondary messenger in the propagation of many hormonal stimuli. Adenine is an integral part of the structure of many coenzymes. Adenosine (adenine with a ribose group) causes transient heart block in the AV node of the heart. In individuals suspected of suffering from a supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), adenosine is used to help identify the rhythm. Certain SVTs can be successfully terminated with adenosine.

ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER

GOOD

synthetic polymer. See film-forming agent

A Large group of ingredients typically hair care products, but that also are widely used in skin care products, particularly moisturizers. Film-forming agents include PVP, acrylates, acrylamides, and various copolymers. When applied they leave a pliable, cohesive, and continuous covering over the hair or skin. The film has water-binding properties and leaves a smooth feel on the skin. Film-forming agents can be weak skin sensitizers, but this almost always depends on the amount used; lower amounts generally are not problematic.

Like Glycerine it binds and adds moisture.

ADVANCED GLYCATION END PRODUCT

POOR

Advanced glycation end products, also known as AGEs, are caused by the body’s major fuel source, namely glucose. This simple sugar is essential for energy, yet it also can bind strongly to proteins (the body’s fundamental building blocks) and form abnormal structures (AGEs) that progressively damage tissue elasticity. The glucose itself isn’t damaging, it’s what happens when glucose transforms into AGEs that’s the problem. Refined sugar from our diets is a major source of AGEs, and more research is revealing a diet high in sugar causes the body to age faster Wow! we knew that sugar was bad for are health now we know to what extent and that includes a high glycemic index so think about fast food!!! (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, June 2011, pages 438–444).

Once AGEs are generated, they begin a process that prevents many systems from behaving normally by literally causing tissue to cross-link and become hardened (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, March 14, 2000, pages 2809–2813). In skin, this damage occurs to collagen and elastin, the chief ingredients responsible for skin’s firmness and ability to bounce back when stretched. AGEs also cause inflammation within the body, which is believed to play a widespread role in how we age and become more prone to disease.

The theory is that by breaking these AGE bonds you can undo or stop the damage they cause. There are studies showing aminoguanidine and carnosine to be AGE inhibitors that can prevent glucose cross-linking of proteins and the loss of elasticity associated with aging and diabetes, but many other substances are potential candidates as AGE-inhibitors as well.

One study examined over 92 substances and 29 of them showed some degree of inhibitory activity, with 9 compounds proving to be 30 to 40 times stronger than aminoguanidine (Source: Molecular Cell Biology Research Communications, June 2000, pages 360–366). Carnosine, in particular, is considered a very good inhibitor of AGEs.

AGEs and free-radical damage may be inextricably linked (Sources: European Journal of Neuroscience, December 2001, page 1,961; and Neuroscience Letters, October 2001, pages 29–32), but none of this has been shown to have relevance when it comes to topical application of these substances when they are included in cosmetics.

It is possible in the future that skin-care products will be formulated with ingredients proven to effect the formation of AGEs when applied topically. For now, eating a low sugar diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients is the best approach.

AEROCARPUS SANTALINUS

POOR

See red sandalwood

Has a phytoestrogen component (Source: Phytochemistry, March 2000, pages 605–606), but can also be a skin irritant (Source: Contact Dermatitis, January 1996, page 69).

When used externally, Sandalwood oil or Sandalwood paste (made from mixing water with Sandalwood powder) has a calming, cooling effect on body and mind. It helps relieve fever and burns and stops excessive sweating. In general, it relieves Pitta dosha and helps balance the body after overexposure to the sun. The oil or the paste can help heal skin diseases such as infectious sores, ulcers, acne, and rashes. Sandalwood powder helps smooth and cool the skin and can be made into a paste, lotion or soap for cleansing, calming and hydrating sensitive or aging skin. Sandalwood acts as a disinfectant, diuretic, expectorant and sedative. It is bitter, sweet, astringent and cooling. Sandalwood balances the circulatory, digestive, respiratory and nervous systems. –

The Sultan of Mysore declared Sandalwood to be a royal tree in 1792. Every Sandalwood tree is still under the protection and ownership of the Indian government today, even when grown on private land. The individual who owns the land receives 75% of the proceeds in return for planting and protecting the tree until it reaches maturity. Due to an increased demand in medicines, perfumes, and cosmetics that contain Sandalwood oil, and due to the decreased availability as smugglers cut down trees and export them illegally, prices have skyrocketed in recent years. At this time it is illegal to export the wood from India, although the oil can be exported.

See more at: http://www.mapi.com/ayurvedic-knowledge/plants-spices-and-oils/sandalwood-is-sacred.html#gsc.tab=0

AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM

GOOD

See horse chestnut extract

May have anti-inflammatory properties for skin. Taken orally, it has been shown to reduce edema in the lower leg by improving the elastic tissue surrounding the veins.

From:http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-horse-chestnut.html

Horse Chestnut Benefits

Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a traditional remedy for leg vein health. The tree is also commonly known as horse chestnut or conker tree. It tones and protects blood vessels and may be helpful in ankle edema related to poor venous return. Utilized extensively throughout Europe as an anti-inflammatory agent for a variety of conditions, in addition to being used for vascular problems. The plant is taken in small doses internally for the treatment of a wide range of venous diseases, including hardening of the arteries, varicose veins, phlebitis, leg ulcers, hemorrhoids, and frostbite.

Horse chestnut is an astringent, anti-inflammatory herb that helps to tone the vein walls which, when slack or distended, may become varicose, hemorrhoidal or otherwise problematic. The plant also reduces fluid retention by increasing the permeability of the capillaries and allowing the re-absorption of excess fluid back into the circulatory system.

The seeds are decongestant, expectorant, and tonic. They have been used in the treatment of rheumatism, neuralgia, and hemorrhoids. A compound of the powdered roots is analgesic and has been used to treat chest pains. Extracts of the seeds are the source of a saponin known as aescin, which has been shown to promote normal tone in the walls of the veins, thereby improving circulation through the veins and promoting the return of blood to the heart.

AGAR

GOOD

See algae

Algae are very simple, chlorophyll-containing organisms in a family that includes more than 20,000 different known species. In cosmetics, algae act as thickening agents, water-binding agents, and antioxidants. Some algae are also potential skin irritants.

Other forms of algae, such as Irish moss and carrageenan, contain proteins, vitamin A, sugar, starch, vitamin B1, iron, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, and calcium. Most of these are beneficial for skin, as emollients, anti-inflammatory agents, or antioxidants. However, claims that algae can stop or eliminate wrinkling, heal skin, or provide other elaborate benefits are unsubstantiated.

Algae is not a critical ingredient in skin-care products. Although it does have a positive function.

According to:http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-80-agar.aspx?activeingredientid=80&activeingredientname=agar

Agar is a plant and one of the uses is for making medicine.

People take agar to lose weight, especially in Japan. In Japan, agar is called “kanten,” and it is the main ingredient in “the kanten plan” or “the kanten diet.”

Agar is also used to treat diabetes and constipation.

In dentistry, agar is used to make dental impressions.

In manufacturing processes, agar is used as an ingredient in emulsions, suspensions, gels, and certain suppositories.

 Here is how it works

Agar contains a gel-like substance that bulks up in the gut. This stimulates the intestines and creates a bowel movement. That’s why agar is commonly used as a laxative.

Agar’s bulking effect also explains its use for weight loss. Agar tends to make people feel full, so they might stop eating earlier than they otherwise would. Some people think this reaction will lead to weight loss. But so far, there is no reliable scientific evidence that supports this weight loss theory.

AGARICUS BISPORUS EXTRACT

GOOD

An extract of mushroom that is thought to help regulate skin cell production by inhibiting cell growth, particularly for use in psoriasis, but research in this regard is mixed (Sources: Free Radical Research, January 2006, pages 31-39; and British Journal of Dermatology, January 1999, pages 56-60). Internally, there is research showing it can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and colon cancer cells (Source: Cancer Research, October 1993, pages 4627-4632).

According to: http://www.medicalmushrooms.net/agaricus-bisporus-common-mushroom/

Agaricus Bisporus has substantial amounts of Vitamin D which is good for your health. Eating the mushroom raw is discouraged because of the presence of carcinogenic hydrazine derivatives, albeit in small quantities. These unhealthy derivatives are reduced significantly by cooking.

This mushroom contains Potassium and Sodium too. The body requires potassium in the processing of carbohydrates and proteins in different ways to build muscle. It also plays a role in how the heart works. It also regulates the acid-base and contributes to the overall health of the body. Apart from the Agaricus Bisporus mushroom, potassium is also in present in meats, fish, soy, and vegetables. Potassium is a necessity in the body and therefore its deficiency can cause different diseases. When potassium falls short, blood pressure slightly rises, the heart beats get abnormal and the body muscles feel weak.

Agaricus bisporus, more commonly known as the white button mushroom, is one of the oldest and most popular fungi in the Western diet. It is a regularly added to salads, stir-fries, pasta, sauces, soups, pies and breakfasts. It is cultivated around the world for culinary purposes. In addition to its own unique flavor, eating this mushroom may provide important health and nutrition benefits when made a regular part of the diet. History Human beings have been consuming white button mushrooms since Ancient times. According to Dr. Michael Murray and Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, authors of “The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods,” ancient Egyptians believed that the Agaricus bisporus species of mushrooms held the key to immortality, while Ancient Romans revered the mushroom as one of the foods of the gods. During the 1600s, the French began to cultivate Agaricus bisporus, using dark underground tunnels beneath Paris that are still used for mushroom growing today. Cultivation of mushrooms began in the United States during the 1800s.

In addition to the nutritional benefits of this mushroom, it may have useful medicinal properties that support health and well-being. In a study published in “BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine” in 2011, researchers studied the effects of Agaricus bisporus on human immune cells in vitro. Agaricus bisporus significantly stimulated immune activity, specifically cytokines and enzymes that are responsible for inflammation. Researchers concluded the medicinal value of Agaricus bisporus was likely due to the carbohydrate-based chemicals called mannogalactans. Because this research was performed in laboratory cells, more clinical research is required to confirm the effects of these mushrooms in humans. However, eating Agaricus bisporus regularly may have a health effect on your immune defenses.

See more at:http://www.livestrong.com/article/509382-facts-about-agaricus-bisporus/

AGE SPOTS

AVERAGE

Once referred to as liver spots, these brown skin discolorations are also not related to age, any more than they are to the liver. The skin can develop brown patches for many reasons, but the characteristic small ones on the hands, arms, chest and face are caused by sun damage. These are possible  indications of precancerous conditions and should be watched carefully for changes.

Age spots — also called liver spots and solar lentigines — are flat tan, brown or black spots. They vary in size and usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms — areas most exposed to the sun.

According to:http://www.healthline.com/health/age-spots#Causes2

What Causes Age Spots?

Age spots are the result of an excess production of melanin, or skin pigment. Doctors don’t always know why age spots develop. Skin aging, sun exposure, or other forms of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, such as tanning beds, are all possible causes. You’re most likely to develop age spots on the areas of your skin that receive the most sun exposure, including:

•your face

•the back of your hands

•your shoulders

•your upper back

•your forearms

AGRIMONIA EUPATORIA LEAF EXTRACT

AVERAGE

Research shows this plant extract inhibits the hepatitis b virus and has antioxidant properties. Whether or not it has a benefit when applied topically is not known. There is no research showing it to be effective for cellulite. (Sources: Phytotherapy Research, April 2005, pages 355-358 and Journal of Ethnopharmacology, January 2005, pages 145-150)

According to:http://www.medicalhealthguide.com/herb/agrimony.htm we highly recommend you to check the site is amazing information on studies of this plant

Scientific Name: Agrimonia Eupatoria (LINN.)

Other Names: Agrimony, Agrimone, Agrimonia, Agrimonia eupatoria, Aigremoine, Church Steeples, Cockeburr, Cocklebur, Da Hua Long Ya Cao

Agrimonia, (Agrimonia Eupatoria) commonly called as agrimony, is a flowering plant of the rose family,  native to the temperate regions of Northern America, Europe, and Asia. Its name agrimony came from the Greek word Agermone meaning healing to the eyes and Eupatoria from  Mithridates Eupator, a Pontus king famous for having invented a complex ‘universal antidote’ against poisoning.  Thus agrimony from whence its name was derived, has long been valued as an important herbal medicine through the ages. Agrimony was once considered a panacea or “all-heal” for illnesses.

Early Greeks used agrimony for the treatment of eye disorders and brewed leaves and seeds are used to treat stomach disorders such as diarrhea and irritable bowel movement.

Agrimony concoction is also used in ancient Greece for the treatment of kidney, liver and gall bladder problems.

During the middle ages, agrimony was used to treat wounds to promote healing.

In Austria, agrimony was used to treat respiratory ailments, liver, kidney and bile problems.

In ancient Northern Europe, it was used as an antidote for poison and snake bites.

In Northern America,  Indians used agrimony for fever, ague, and gastrointestinal problems.

Agrimony was used as an astringent to treat skin eruptions, sores, pimples, and wounds. A decoction is mixed to the bath to wash the skin.

Extract from agrimony mixed with oil was used to treat gout and arthritis. A decoction is likewise drunk with wine is said to relieve the symptoms.

Culpeper, a noted English herbalist in mid- 17th century wrote about agrimony being used as a healing herb both for external and inward wounds. Agrimony mixed in baths was used to heal skin wounds and sores while a decoction of agrimony taken internally, sometimes with wine may heal bruises, hurts, and discomfort.

Agrimony is also used as a gargle to improve bad breath, cure sore throat and drunk to relieve a cough.

Herbalists from the 17th century including John Gerard recommended the use of agrimony for the treatment of jaundice or diseases of the liver.

Antibacterial And Free Radical Scavenging Activity Of The Seeds Of Agrimonia Eupatoria.

In a study done in Phytopharmaceutical Research Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, The Robert Gordon University, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, the n-Hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of the seeds of Agrimonia eupatoria have been assessed for antibacterial and free radical scavenging activity.

AHA

BEST

Acronym for alpha hydroxy acid. AHAs are derived naturally from various plant sources and from milk, but 99% of the AHAs used in cosmetics are synthetically derived. In low concentrations (less than 3%), AHAs work as water-binding agents. At concentrations greater than 4% and in a base with an acid pH of 3 to 4, these ingredients can exfoliate skin cells by breaking down the substance in skin that holds skin cells together.

The most effective and well-researched AHAs are glycolic acid and lactic acid. Malic acid, citric acid, and tartaric acid may also be effective, but are considered less stable and less skin-friendly; there is little research showing them to have benefit for skin.

AHAs may irritate mucous membranes and cause irritation. However, AHAs have been widely used for therapy of photodamaged skin, and also have been reported to normalize hyperkeratinization (over-thickened skin) and to increase viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycans content, all of which lead to younger-looking skin.

There is a vast amount of research that substantially describes how the aging process affects the skin and that demonstrates that many of the unwanted changes can be improved by topical application of AHAs, including glycolic and lactic acids. Because AHAs exfoliate sun damaged cells from the surface of the skin, and because this layer imparts some minimal sun protection for skin, there is a risk of increased sun sensitivity when using an AHA. However, wearing a sunscreen daily eliminates this risk.

Note: AHAs are of little benefit when added to rinse-off products, as their contact with skin is too brief for them to function as exfoliants or absorb into the skin.

AHNFELTIA CONCINNA EXTRACT

GOOD

Algae are very simple, chlorophyll-containing organisms in a family that includes more than 20,000 different known species. In cosmetics, algae act as thickening agents, water-binding agents, and antioxidants. Some algae are also potential skin irritants. For example, the phycocyanin present in blue-green algae has been suspected of allergenicity and of causing dermatitis on the basis of patch tests.

Other forms of algae, such as Irish moss and carrageenan, contain proteins, vitamin A, sugar, starch, vitamin B1, iron, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, and calcium. Most of these are beneficial for skin, as emollients, anti-inflammatory agents, or antioxidants. However, claims that algae can stop or eliminate wrinkling, heal skin, or provide other elaborate benefits are unsubstantiated.

Algae is not a critical ingredient in skin-care products. Although it does have a positive function, it isn’t the miracle ingredient it’s often made out to be.

AJUGA TURKESTANICA EXTRACT

AVERAGE

The only research about this plant indicates that it may have anabolic steroid properties (Source: Eksperimental’naya i Klinicheskaya Farmakologiya [from a Russian scientific journal], May 1997, pages 41–44). There is no other research showing this to be of benefit for skin.

According to:http://www.naturalcompounds.org/Featured-Extracts/Ajuga-turkestanica.html

Traditional Use and Activity

A plant is used in the treatment of heart disease, muscle aches, and stomach problems. Plant extracts and isolated compounds possess a broad spectrum of biological, pharmacological and medicinal properties, such as anabolic, analgesic, antibacterial, antiestrogenic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antileukemic, antimalarial, antimycobacterial, antioxidant, antipyretic, cardiotonic, cytotoxic, hypoglycemic, and vasorelaxing activity. The extract is offered for stimulation of aquaporins – for human skin hydration in cosmetology. The plant has hepatoprotective properties.

ALANINE

GOOD

See amino acid

Fundamental constituents of all proteins found in the body, such as alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine. Some of these amino acids can be synthesized by the body; others (known as essential amino acids) must be obtained from protein in the diet.

In skincare products, amino acids act as water-binding agents, and some have antioxidant properties and wound-healing abilities as well.  Amino acids can be combined with other ingredients that have cell-communicating ability to work in unison to fight wrinkles and other signs of aging.

ALARIA ESCULENTA

GOOD

Alaria esculenta is an edible seaweed, also known as dabberlocks or badderlocks, or winged kelp. It is a traditional food along the coasts of the far north Atlantic Ocean. It may be eaten fresh or cooked in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and Ireland. It is the only one of twelve species of Alaria to occur in both Ireland and in the Great Britain.

According to:http://www.aubrey-organics.com/custom.aspx?id=91

Aubrey® has always been the leading manufacturer of natural skin care products. Although there are many petrochemical-laden anti-aging products on the market today, Aubrey® is committed to educating the public on healthy, natural alternatives. Alaria Esculenta, a type of nutrient-rich kelp, has many anti-aging and firming properties. Alaria Esculenta grows mainly in the Northern Atlantic. It is known for its long, golden-brown fronds, and its unique ability to withstand harsh waves. It is found just beneath the surface of the water and is known around the North Atlantic region for its nutritional value.

Alaria Esculenta extract is a clinically proven, effective ingredient for use in natural anti-aging products, and can be found in Aubrey®’s Revitalizing Night Crème and Revitalizing Moisturizer.

ALBUMIN

POOR

Found in egg white, and can leave a film over the skin. It can constrict skin temporarily, which can make it look smoother temporarily, but it can also cause irritation and is not helpful for skin.

According to:https:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albumin

The albumins (formed from Latin: albumen “(egg) white; dried egg white”) are a family of globular proteins, the most common of which are the serum albumins. All the proteins of the albumin family are water-soluble, moderately soluble in concentrated salt solutions, and experience heat denaturation. Albumins are commonly found in blood plasma and differ from other blood proteins in that they are not glycosylated. Substances containing albumins, such as egg white, are called albuminoids.

A number of blood transport proteins are evolutionarily related, including serum albumin, alpha-fetoprotein, vitamin D-binding protein and afamin

By Donna Swartzendruber, MSN, RN, CNN

Albumin is the most common protein found in the blood. It provides the body with the protein needed to both maintain growth and repair tissues.

ALCHEMILLA VULGARIS

POOR

Plant with antimicrobial properties. Its high tannin content can cause skin irritation (Source: Journal of Ethnopharmacology, July 2000, pages 307–313).

According to:http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-654-alchemilla.aspx?activeingredientid=654&activeingredientname=alchemilla

Alchemilla is a herb. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine.

Alchemilla is used for stomach problems, mild diarrhea, diabetes, water retention, swelling (inflammation), and muscle spasms. Some people use it as a gargle for sore mouth and throat.

Women use alchemilla for heavy or painful menstrual periods or for symptoms of menopause.

Some people apply alchemilla directly to the skin to stop bleeding; improve wound healing; or treat ulcers, eczema, or skin rashes.

ALCLOXA

POOR

More technically known as aluminum chlorhydroxy allantoinate, alcloxa has constricting properties that can be irritating for skin.

ALCOHOL

AVERAGE

“Alcohol,” the term, refers to a group of organic compounds with a vast range of forms and uses, in cosmetics and in other areas. For skin, there are good alcohols and bad alcohols, corresponding roughly to high-molecular-weight alcohols and low-molecular-weight alcohols, respectively, as we explain below. When fats and oils are chemically reduced, they become less dense fatty alcohols (like cetyl alcohol), which can have emollient properties or act as detergent cleansing agents. There also are benign forms, including glycols, which are used as humectants to help deliver ingredients into the skin.

Alcohols with low molecular weights—the bad-for-skin alcohols—can be drying and irritating. The alcohols to be concerned about in skincare products are ethanol or ethyl alcohol, denatured alcohol, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, SD alcohol, and benzyl alcohol (when one or more of these are listed among the main ingredients; tiny amounts aren’t a problem).

In addition to being drying and irritating, these alcohols can generate free-radical damage and disrupt skin’s protective barrier. Alcohol helps ingredients like retinol and vitamin C penetrate into the skin more effectively, but it does that by breaking down the skin’s barrier—destroying the very substances that keep your skin healthy over the long term.

Alcohol immediately harms the skin and starts a chain reaction of damage that continues long after it has evaporated. A 2003 study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection found that with regular exposure to alcohol-based products, cleansing becomes a damaging ordeal—skin is no longer able to keep water and cleansing agents from penetrating into it, thus further eroding the skin’s barrier.

There is actually a significant amount of research showing denatured alcohol (ethanol) causes free-radical damage in skin even at low levels. Small amounts of alcohol on skin cells in lab settings (about 3%, but keep in mind skincare products use amounts ranging from 5% to 60% or greater) over the course of two days increased cell death by 26%. It also destroyed the substances in cells that reduce inflammation and defend against free radicals, and actually caused more free-radical damage.

If that weren’t bad enough, exposure to alcohol causes skin cells to self-destruct. The research also showed that these destructive, aging effects on skin cells increased the longer the exposure to alcohol; that is, two days of exposure was dramatically more harmful than one day, and that is only a 3% concentration.

When alcohol ingredients are at the top of an ingredient list, they are problematic for all skin types; when they are near the bottom of an ingredient list, they aren’t present in a high enough concentration to be considered a problem for skin.

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Do you know the meaning of Thanksgiving?

On week 279 This post is about Giving thanks and yes enjoying the holiday also, let’s not forget to practice GRATITUDE!!! what really this holiday is really about, in our daily rush around we forget this action and it is so important to come from this place and in this post, we will share facts and studies that will guide you through  the power of giving thank from a deeper place.

When we address GRATITUDE we move to an entirely different energy in our awareness and everything changes from this place we can source from thankfulness and appreciation for all and that wakes up kindness and love for all, is a great consciousness that we tend to overlook in our fast-paced lives, please share and thank you once again for all your support and shares ,with love, gratitude and respect from all of us at Isabel’s Beauty Blog enjoy your holiday and be safe.

grat·i·tude

ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/
noun
noun: gratitude
The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return the kindness.
Synonyms:
gratefulness, thankfulness

Is gratitude a feeling or an emotion?

Gratitude is a personality trait, a mood, and an emotion. As an emotion, gratitude is a feeling of happiness that comes from the appreciation of it all. While in a grateful mood, grateful emotions are more likely to draw of the same. Gratitude is considered a core component of many believes.

While in a grateful mood, grateful emotions are more likely to be present and manifest more facts to be grateful for such is the law of attraction.

For now, it’s that time of year where many people begin thinking about everything they have to be thankful for and that is what I wish for. Although it’s nice to count your blessings on Thanksgiving, being thankful throughout the year could have tremendous benefits on our quality of life. and how we manifest more of what we are thankful for.
In fact, gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we all have access to every day. Cultivating gratitude doesn’t cost any money and it certainly doesn’t take much time, but the benefits are enormous.

When we increased gratitude the common result is called practising mindfulness. As we start paying more attention to our thoughts and we became more aware, we notice where we block ourselves from appreciating the good things in life. For example, that you always used to get angry when stuck in traffic, but now when you bring your focus to where you are (rather than where you want to get to) you notice things such as the song on the radio or a beautiful scene beyond the car window and we detach from the feeling of powerless and enjoy life more, with gratitude we can manage the frustration of trying to control everything in our lives and the circumstances around us creating anxiety and much stress. We can’t feel grateful for things we don’t notice, and so mindfulness and gratitude go hand-in-hand.

According to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratitude

Association with well-being

A large body of recent work has suggested that people who are more grateful have higher levels of subjective well-being. Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships Specifically, in terms of depression, gratitude may serve as a buffer by enhancing the coding and retrievability of positive experiences. Grateful people also have higher levels of control over their environments, personal growth, purpose in life, and self-acceptance and Happiness. Grateful people have more positive ways of coping with the difficulties they experience in life, being more likely to seek support from other people, reinterpret and grow from experiences, and spend more time planning how to deal with the problem. Grateful people also have less negative coping strategies, being less likely to try to avoid the problem, deny there is a problem, blame themselves, or cope with substance abuse. Grateful people sleep better, and this seems to be because they think less negative and more positive thoughts.
Gratitude has been said to have one of the strongest links with the mental health of any character trait. Numerous studies suggest that grateful people are more likely to have higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress and depression.
While many emotions and personality traits are important to well-being, there is evidence that gratitude may be uniquely important. First, a longitudinal study showed that people who were more grateful coped better with a life transition. Specifically, people who were more grateful before the transition were less stressed, less depressed, and more satisfied with their relationships three months later. Second, two recent studies have suggested that gratitude may have a unique relationship with well-being, and can explain aspects of well-being that other personality traits cannot. Both studies showed that gratitude was able to explain more well-being than the Big Five and 30 of the most commonly studied personality traits.

Psychological interventions

Given that gratitude appears to be a strong determinant of people’s well-being, several psychological interventions have been developed to increase gratitude.For example, Watkins and colleagues had participants test a number of different gratitude exercises, such as thinking about a living person for whom they are grateful, writing about someone for whom they are grateful, and writing a letter to deliver to someone for whom they are grateful. Participants in the control condition were asked to describe their living room. Participants who engaged in a gratitude exercise showed increases in their experiences of positive emotion immediately after the exercise, and this effect was strongest for participants who were asked to think about a person for whom they are grateful. Participants who had grateful personalities, to begin with, showed the greatest benefit by experiencing these gratitude exercises. In another study concerning gratitude, participants were randomly assigned to one of six therapeutic intervention conditions designed to improve the participants’ overall quality of life (Seligman et al., 2005). Out of these conditions, it was found that the biggest short-term effects came from a “gratitude visit” where participants wrote and delivered a letter of gratitude to someone in their life. This condition showed a rise in happiness scores by 10 percent and a significant fall in depression scores, results which lasted up to one month after the visit. Out of the six conditions, the longest lasting effects were associated with the act of writing “gratitude journals” where participants were asked to write down three things they were grateful for every day. These participants’ happiness scores also increased and continued to increase each time they were tested periodically after the experiment. In fact, the greatest benefits were usually found to occur around six months after treatment began. This exercise was so successful that although participants were only asked to continue the journal for a week, many participants continued to keep the journal long after the study was over and stay on that great feeling of Gratitude. Similar results have been found from studies conducted by Emmons and McCullough (2003) and Lyubomirsky et. all. (2005). See also gratitude journal.
Recently (2013), the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, has been offering awards for dissertation-level research projects with the greatest potential to advance the science and practice of gratitude.

Gratitude, according to current research, can do anything from helping you to achieve your goals more fluidly, to improving your skills of empathy and resilience. Through a cutting-edge study supported by the John Templeton Foundation, Dr Robert Emmons et al engaged in a long-term project designed to accumulate and disseminate scientific data on the nature of gratitude and its potential impact on human health and well-being. What they discovered makes gratitude seem like a very good idea on several fronts.

So as we can see GRATITUDE is life changing and beneficial on so many levels.

THANKSGIVING BECOMES AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY

Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving celebration in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that had threatened the year’s harvest and prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast. Days of fasting and thanksgiving on an annual or occasional basis became common practice in other New England settlements as well. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress designated one or more days of thanksgiving a year, and in 1789 George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States; in it, he called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country’s war of independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution. His successors John Adams and James Madison also designated days of thanks during their presidencies.
In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday; each celebrated it on a different day, however, and the American South remained largely unfamiliar with the tradition. In 1827, the noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale—author, among countless other things, of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”—launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians. Abraham Lincoln finally heeded her request in 1863, at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every year until 1939 when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s plan, known derisively as Franksgiving, was met with passionate opposition, and in 1941 the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November.

THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS

In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; instead, it now focous  on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Turkey, a Thanksgiving staple so ubiquitous it has become all but synonymous with the holiday, may or may not have been on offer when the Pilgrims hosted the inaugural feast in 1621. Today, however, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat turkey for the most part—whether roasted, baked or deep-fried—on Thanksgiving, according to the National Turkey Federation. Other traditional foods include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie and pecan pie to mention a few dishes. Volunteering is a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate.
As an annual celebration of the harvest and its bounty, moreover, Thanksgiving falls under a category of festivals that spans cultures, continents and millennia. In ancient times, the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans feasted and paid tribute to their gods after the fall harvest. Thanksgiving also bears a resemblance to the ancient Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. Finally, historians have noted that Native Americans had a rich tradition of commemorating the fall harvest with feasting and merrymaking long before Europeans set foot on their shores.

Fun facts about Thanksgiving

• The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621 and included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians and lasted three days. Many historians believe that only five women were present at that first Thanksgiving, as many women settlers didn’t survive that difficult first year in the U.S.
• Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until over 200 years later! Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who actually wrote the classic song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Lincoln in 1863 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, after writing letters for 17 years campaigning for this to happen.
• No turkey on the menu at the first Thanksgiving: Historians say that no turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving! What was on the menu? Deer or venison, ducks, geese, oysters, lobster, eel, and fish. They probably ate pumpkins, but no pumpkin pies. They also didn’t eat mashed potatoes or cranberry relish, but they probably ate cranberries.
• No forks at the first Thanksgiving! The first Thanksgiving was eaten with spoons and knives — but no forks! That’s right, forks weren’t even introduced to the Pilgrims until 10 years later and weren’t a popular utensil until the 18th century.
• Thanksgiving is the reason for TV dinners! In 1953, Swanson had so much extra turkey (260 tons) that a salesman told them they should package it onto aluminium trays with other sides like sweet potatoes — and the first TV dinner was born!
• Thanksgiving was almost a fast — not a feast! The early settlers gave thanks by praying and abstaining from food, which is what they planned on doing to celebrate their first harvest, that is until the Wampanoag Indians joined them and (lucky for us!) turned their fast into a three-day feast!
• Presidential pardon of a turkey: Each year, the president of the U.S pardons a turkey and spares it from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. The first turkey pardon ceremony started with President Truman in 1947. President Obama pardoned a 45-pound turkey named Courage, who has flown to Disneyland and served as Grand Marshal of the park’s Thanksgiving Day parade!
• Why is Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November? President Abe Lincoln said Thanksgiving would be the fourth Thursday in November, but in 1939 President Roosevelt moved it up a week hoping it would help the shopping season during the Depression era. It never caught on and it was changed back two years later.
• The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924 with 400 employees marching from Convent Ave to 145th street in New York City. No large balloons were at this parade, as it featured only live animals from Central Park Zoo.
• Turkey isn’t responsible for drowsiness or the dreaded “food coma.” So what
• is? Scientists say that extra glass of wine, the high-calorie meal or relaxing after a busy work schedule is what makes you drowsy!
• How did the tradition of watching football on Thanksgiving start? The NFL started the Thanksgiving Classic games in 1920 and since then the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have hosted games on Turkey Day. In 2006, a third game was added to different teams hosting.
• Wild turkeys can run 20 miles per hour when they are scared, but domesticated turkeys that are bred are heavier and can’t run quite that fast.

Thanksgiving trivia quick facts — the speed round!

• Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, not the eagle.
• Americans eat 46 million turkeys each Thanksgiving.
• The heaviest turkey on record, according to the Guinness Book of Records, weighs 86 pounds.
• Californians consume the most turkey in the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day!
• Female turkeys (called hens) do not gobble. Only male turkeys gobble.
• The average turkey for Thanksgiving weighs 15 pounds.
• Campbell’s soup created green bean casserole for an annual cookbook 50 years ago. It now sells $20 million worth of cream of mushroom soup.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota is the top turkey-producing state in America, with a planned production total of 46.5 million in 2011. Six states—Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Virginia, and Indinia—account for nearly two-thirds of the 248 million turkeys that will be raised in the U.S. this year.
The National Turkey Federation estimated that 46 million turkeys — one-fifth of the annual total of 235 million consumed in the United States—were eaten at Thanksgiving.
In a survey conducted by the National Turkey Federation, nearly 88 percent of Americans said they eat turkey at Thanksgiving. The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 15 pounds, which means some 690 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the U.S. during Thanksgiving in 2007.
Cranberry production in the U.S. is expected to reach 750 million pounds in 2011. Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington are the top cranberry-growing states.
Illinois, California, Pennsylvania and New York are the major pumpkin-growing states, together they produced 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkin in 2010. Total U.S. production was over 1.5 billion pounds.
The sweet potato is most plentifully produced in North Carolina, which grew 972 million pounds of the popular Thanksgiving side dish vegetable in 2010. Other sweet potato powerhouses included California and Mississippi, and the top producing states together generated over 2.4 billion pounds of the tubers.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds and measured just over 12 feet long. It was baked on October 8, 2005 by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio, and included 900 pounds of pumpkin, 62 gallons of evaporated milk, 155 dozen eggs, 300 pounds of sugar, 3.5 pounds of salt, 7 pounds of cinnamon, 2 pounds of pumpkin spice and 250 pounds of crust.

Three towns in the U.S. take their name from the traditional Thanksgiving bird, including Turkey, Texas (pop. 465); Turkey Creek, Louisiana (pop. 363); and Turkey, North Carolina (pop. 270).
Originally known as Macy’s Christmas Parade—to signify the launch of the Christmas shopping season—the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in New York City in 1924. It was launched by Macy’s employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. Today, some 3 million people attend the annual parade and another 44 million watch it on television.
Tony Sarg, a children’s book illustrator, and puppeteer designed the first giant hot air balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927. He later created the elaborate mechanically animated window displays that grace the façade of the New York store from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Snoopy has appeared as a giant balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade more times than any other character in history. As the Flying Ace, Snoopy made his sixth appearance in the 2006 parade.
The first time the Detroit Lions played football on Thanksgiving Day was in 1934, when they hosted the Chicago Bears at the University of Detroit stadium, in front of 26,000 fans. The NBC radio network broadcast the game on 94 stations across the country–the first national Thanksgiving football broadcast. Since that time, the Lions have played a game every Thanksgiving (except between 1939 and 1944); in 1956, fans watched the game on television for the first time.
A lot of cranberries are needed to accompany all that turkey on Thanksgiving. In all, 768 million lbs. (350 million kilograms) of cranberries were produced in the United States last year. Two states — Wisconsin and Massachusetts — were responsible for most of the production, producing 450 million and 210 million lbs. (200 million and 95 million kg) of cranberries, respectively.

How sweet it is
Satisfying America’s sweet tooth takes a few billion pounds of sweet potatoes. Last year alone the United States produced 2.6 billion lbs. (1 billion kg) of sweet potatoes. North Carolina led production with 1.2 billion lbs. (0.5 billion kg).

Great Thanksgiving recipes

Green Chile Cornbread

Read more at

VEGAN STUFFINGS

Vegetable Bread Pudding

Serves: 6

• 5 slices crusty, dense whole grain bread, torn into small pieces
• 1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk or other nondairy milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 to 5 cups finely chopped vegetables of your choice (see options, below)
• 1 grated mozzarella- or cheddar-style nondairy cheese
• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Sesame or poppy seeds for topping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the torn bread in a mixing bowl and pour the nondairy milk over it. Stir to moisten the bread, then set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until the golden and just beginning to turn brown.

Add the vegetables of your choice and just enough water to keep the skillet moist; cover and steam until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain off any liquid that has remained.

Combine the vegetable mixture with the bread in the bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Mix well, then transfer to a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and just beginning to turn crusty. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into squares or wedges to serve.

VEGETABLE OPTIONS:

You can use a single vegetable, or combine two or three. You’ll need a total of 4 to 5 cups raw vegetables, prepared as instructed below.

• Broccoli, finely chopped and steamed
• Cauliflower, finely chopped and steamed
• Small zucchini, thinly sliced
• Peeled and diced eggplant, steamed
• Firm, ripe tomatoes, diced
• Corn kernels (cooked fresh or thawed frozen)
• Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

Read more at http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/vegetable-bread-pudding/#WMZKyWL2GdAA0rjI.99

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Eye Longevity 

Wishing you all the health, happiness and ideal wealth you deserve. We are sending you much gratitude for all the support and likes, they are well appreciated by all of us we dedicate many hours of work to bring you the top content, thank you and please share and like if you do.

Here on week 278 are sharing a post about eyes, I had a challenge that lasted almost two years and came to find that I only needed a small amount of my dedication and some healthy research and it was over.If the question here is what is this Post has to do with beauty? well very simple if our eyes are not healthy we won’t be looking very beautiful correct? For me is important to give the eyes their full value and be aware how they are built, what they do and how to keep them healthy and without the aid of glasses which  I still don’t need. For a while, I was very concerned that my ability to see and work with my eyes as consistently as I do. It was in a period of challenge that this privilege was out of my control, not my favourite feeling, with that being said, I started my research and came up with a system that really worked and here I am sharing it with all of you, for some reason we humans tend to wait until is a big  challenge to take charge and pay attention to some of these big gifts that we shouldn’t take for granted, so here I would like to offer you the choice to prevent any of these issues, and have healthy eyes ! Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/itfuva1xgEg

The Eyes are the doorways to the soul

Eyes have for very long been referred to as the “Windows of the Soul.” But few people are aware of just how true this observation is. The accurate analysis of the iris structure and pigmentation provides information about your inner state of health that is hard to find through other methods. This is a higher value information is so valuable that Iridology deserves to become a widely practised assessment tool in both the physical and psychological health fields because it has the capacity to assess both. There is a multitude of challenges that influence our health and personality, and many of these factors are reflected in the iris. If you look closely at your eyes in a mirror, and then at the irises of those around you. You will see so many different patterns of iris fibres and colours. As fingerprints or faces, no two are exactly alike and is the same with our inner and outer stats we are individuals! The iris structure is so very unique; that is now being used for security identification at ATM machines and airports, and other forms of Governmental security systems. Microsoft’s house gearing up for the future will use an eye scanner to identify residents and unlock their home door.

They are connected to the entire nervous system, Which gives them a special importance.  In Taoism the eyes are regarded as the yang energy that guides all the chi flow in our body. The different areas of the eyes correspond to different organs of the body consequently they reveal the health of your entire body: through your eyes, you can tell which organs are weak or have challenges. Nowadays people use their eyes much more than in the past to read, watch television, and work with computers, and other electronic devices. This strains them a great deal and allows much of the energy of the connected organs to be drained out. Massaging the eyes will reenergize the vital organs.

How do children inherit eye color? Can a child’s eye color be predicted? Why are an albino’s eyes pink? How can two brown eyed parents produce a blue-eyed child? Why are my eyes a darker blue than my siblings? How are the colors in the iris formed? These are questions one may have wondered from time to time. The answer to all of these question lies in the genes inherited from one’s parents.

Different eye colours are produced because of the different amounts and patterns of pigment in the iris. The amount of pigment and the pattern of the pigment is determined by a person’s genetic makeup. The DNA received from one’s parents determines what colour eyes they will have.

Each human has 46 chromosomes located in the nucleus of the cell. These are divided into 23 pairs of chromosomes. A baby inherits one chromosome from each parent in each pair of chromosomes. A piece of DNA on a chromosome is called a gene. Genes are the basic unit of heredity, they determine many characteristics about a baby. Genes also come in pairs. Alleles are found in genes and determine the appearance of any characteristic. There are two alleles for each trait inherited. If the two alleles are the same then they are homozygous for that gene. If the alleles are different, then they are called heterozygous. One allele is expressed over the other allele. This is called the dominant allele, the unexpressed allele is called recessive. For example, if there was a brown allele and a blue allele, the brown is dominant so the person would have brown eyes. But not just one pair of genes can control a single trait. Right now there are three known gene pairs that control eye colour. The bey 2 gene on chromosome 15 contains a brown and blue allele. Also on chromosome 15, the bey 1 gene is the central brown gene. On chromosome pair 19 the gey gene contains a green allele and a blue allele.

A green allele is dominant over a blue allele, and a brown allele is dominant over both green and blue alleles. For the bey 2 genes if a person has a brown allele then they will have brown eyes. In the gey gene, the green allele is dominant over the blue allele, but it is still recessive next to a brown allele. For example, if a person has a brown allele on chromosome 15, but all the other alleles are blue or green, they will have brown eyes. A green-eyed person would have a green allele on chromosome 19 and all or some other blue alleles. Blue eyes are produced only with two blue eye genes. All four alleles must be blue to produce a blue-eyed person.

Another way of predicting the colour of a child’s eyes is to use the parent’s eye colour genes. If both parents have a blue and brown gene, their eyes are brown, but if the child inherits the blue gene from each parent then the child will have blue eyes. If the child only inherits one blue gene then they will have brown eyes. The genetics determine what colour a child will have, but how exactly does this colour form in the eye?

Melanin, a pigment also found in the skin, is the substance that produces the eye colours specified by the genes. The amount and placement of the melanin produce the different eye colours that we see. Melanin is a dark brown pigment that is placed in the iris. The more melanin used in the iris means the darker the eye colour will appear, the less melanin used means that the eye colour will be lighter. The genes tell the enzymes how much melanin to deposit in the iris. A newborn’s eyes appear blue but may darken over the next few years. Melanin production has not begun at the time of birth. A child’s true eye colour cannot be determined until the age of three.

There are two layers to the iris, the anterior and the external, or front and back layers. To produce blue eyes, there is no pigment found in the front layer. The brown pigment melanin is deposited in the back layer only. It appears blue because of reflection and diffraction of light. In green eyes, a small amount of melanin is deposited in the front layer of the iris along with the melanin found in the back layer. The additional pigment to the amount needed for blue eyes, causes the eye to appear green. To produce grey eyes, the dark pigment is distributed in the front layer of the iris and over the blue background, it appears grey. In brown eyes, there is so much pigment in the front layer, that the blue behind is completely covered up. Some people have so much pigment in the front layer that their eyes appear very dark brown or black. Hazel, blue-green, grey-blue eye colours are produced by different amounts of pigmentation and the pattern in which the pigment is placed. Albino eyes have no pigment at all in either layer of the iris. The iris appears pink or red because of the reflection of blood vessels in the back of the eye. The pattern in which the pigment is deposited is also determined by genetics. The pigment may be deposited in rings, clouds, radial stripes, or spread over the entire iris.

A person’s eye colour is determined by the genes inherited from their parents. The types of alleles received from the parents are assigned to certain chromosomes. The dominant genes are expressed and the recessive genes are hidden. In the development of the iris, those genes tell enzymes to produce and place a certain amount of melanin in the iris to form the eye colour.

Performing Eye Massage 

According to Taoist Master Mantak Chia

Begin with the procedure for bringing energy to the hands and face. When your hands and face are hot, direct the chi to both eyes until you feel them filled with energy.

1.Close your eyes. Use your fingertips to gently massage your eyeballs through your closed eyelids, six to nine times clockwise then six to nine times counterclockwise. Then gently massage the area around the lids the same number of times. Be aware of painful spots and massage those places until the pain goes away. pay special attention to the inner and outer corners of the eyes. Massaging these points of the Gallbladder meridian will relieve eye ailments. However, when rubbing near the corners of the eyes, do not rub too hard, because you can make the corners of the eyes droop down. finish with rubbing the corners of the eyes upward.

2.Pull up the eyelids to increase the fluid. Use the thumb and index finger to gently pinch and pull up the eyelids, then release them. Do this six times.

3.Massage the eye sockets by bending your index fingers and using the lower section to rub the upper and lower bones of the eye sockets six to nine times

4.The next step is to get a tear out of your eyes, which will strengthen them. Hold an index finger up about eight inches from your eyes (or put a dot on the wall five to six feet away from you). Stare at it intently without blinking until you feel like a fire is burning in your eyes The Taoists believe that this technique burns the toxins out of the body through the eyes.

5.Bring Chi to your eyes by rubbing your hands until they are warm, then closing your eyes and covering your eye sockets with your palms. Feel the chi from the hands being absorbed into the eyes. Rotate your eyes six to nine times, first in a clockwise direction, then counterclockwise.

Eye Exercises for Relaxation

I read from an eye doctor, Dr Bates, who over 90 years ago contributed many natural ways to improve eyesight and was famous for getting rid of his patients’ glasses in a minute when in his office so they would no longer wear them. I’m sure the glasses smashing was not very well received and didn’t increase his popularity, but many patients flocked to him with the hope of avoiding glasses and he was quite sure that with proper exercise and relaxation, eyesight could improve in many cases.

The theory that he based this fact came from the idea that the muscles that surround the eye can become unbalanced and cause strain or even pull the eye to one side or another, leading to vision issues. Modern ophthalmologists argue with this idea, saying that it is the rods and cones in the eye that determine vision problems and that muscle tightness does not affect vision, even do they absolutely confirm the fact that is evidence that relaxation practices CAN help since increased use of with electronics screens is taxing to the eyes and does cause strain, a bit of contradiction wouldn’t you say?.

Here are some examples of eye strains:

• Reading for long periods of time, especially small print and low light
• Not enough exposure to natural light
• Tension or strain of the eyes too much worries, stress
• Long amounts of time spent looking at close up print versus looking at a distance
• Looking at digital device screens
• Reading without pausing to rest your eyes
• Driving long distances and engaging in activities involving extended focus
• Being exposed to bright light or glare ( Phone, Tablets, too much TV, computers etc)
• Straining to see in very dim light
• Having an underlying eye problem, such as dry eyes or uncorrected vision (refractive error)
• Being stressed or fatigued as a way of life
• Exposure to dry moving air from a fan, heating or air-conditioning system, not enough time in nature with natural light and fresh air.

The extended use of computers and other digital devices is one of the most common causes of eyestrain ( Mayo Clinic research). The American Optometric Association calls this computer vision syndrome or digital eye-strain. People who look at screens two or more hours in a row every day are at greatest risk of contracting this condition.

Long periods of computer use strains eyes more than reading print material because people tend to:

• Blink less while using computers (blinking is found to be key to moistening the eyes)
• The fact of viewing digital screens at less-than-ideal distances or angles with most like it not many breaks to focus on far viewing.
• Use devices that have glare or reflection and no screen protection against it.
• The Use of devices with poor contrast between the text and the background.

The eyes have many muscles that we typically do not exercise very much. This causes them to become weak, contributing to poor eyesight. In addition, the eyes are closely connected with certain organs and nerves. Exercising the eyeballs not only is the best exercise for the eye muscles but also will exercise these linked areas by putting pressure on them: Contracting the middle of the eyeballs strengthens the back of the eye muscles and the inner ear. Moving the eyeballs upward by looking toward the crown strengthens the upper eye muscles and stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands. Moving the eyeballs from side to side strengthens the side eye muscles as well as the ear canals, eardrums, tear ducts, and nose. Moving the eyes downward strengthens the lower eye muscles as well as the lower parts of the ear canals and the nervous system.

Chrysanthemum Tea

The chrysanthemum has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for eye care. The flower is beneficial for correcting imbalances in kidney and liver function that is a cause of dry eyes, blurred vision, dizziness, spots in front of the eyes and excessive tearing.

 A warm infusion of chrysanthemum flowers may be helpful in relieving eyestrain, blurry vision, dry eyes and any eye issues in general. In addition, it is thought to help prevent and possibly reverse cataracts, according to the “The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook.” You can drink the tea or apply hot compresses for relief from aching, tired eyes. If you have the actual chrysanthemum blossoms, soak them in hot water for a few minutes and make a poultice by placing them between two pieces of gauze. Place a poultice on each eyelid and relax for 10 minutes for relief from eye pain. Speak to your herbalist or practitioner before using chrysanthemum for eye treatments.

 Drinking Chrysanthemum tea can:

1. Detoxifies the blood, helps with sinus congestion and regulates high blood pressure. It can also help to calm the nerves.

2. Restrains the growth of bacteria – like Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus hemolyticus B, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, tubercle bacillus and dermatomycosis – in the body.

3. Brings relief against influenza and treats heatstroke, due to its cooling effect.

4. Facilitates digestion and apt after having greasy and oily foods.

5. Helps to strengthen lungs and relieve head congestion.

6. Improve vision and hearing and especially recommended for those who work long hours in front of a computer.

7. Good for obese people, as it contains zero calories when consumed without adding sugar or honey. It also doesn’t contain any caffeine.

8. It also treats dizziness and acts as a stimulant.

9. It helps to cure pimples and fight acne.

Eye supplements 

Lutein is an antioxidant carotenoid a pigmented nutrient that is responsible for the yellow colours of fruits and vegetables and is present in the highest quantities of dark, leafy green vegetables. You’re born with a certain amount of lutein in your eye, but your body doesn’t reproduce it.

Why is lutein important to my sight?

The macula is the region of the retina responsible for central vision. It’s also the area that is most sensitive to blue light, the part of the visible light spectrum that, along with ultraviolet light, can damage your eyes. Lutein helps protect against this damage by filtering blue light before it can damage the macula.* If sunglasses are the first line of defence against blue light, lutein is the last.

How much lutein do I need?

Without adequate consumption, the amount of lutein in the eye may deplete with age. Leading doctors recommend you get at least 6 mg of lutein per day to help maintain proper eye health. Since your body doesn’t make lutein, you must constantly replace it with the foods you eat. Dark, leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale are especially good sources. But you’d have to eat over 2 bowls of raw spinach every day to get the recommended daily dose of 6 mg of lutein. Taking a multivitamin may help, but many multivitamins contain only a fraction of the recommended 6 mg of lutein. In fact, the leading multivitamin contains just .25 mg of lutein − a mere 4% of the recommended amount.

The Eyes: A direct extension of the liver

The eyes have been referred to by many cultures as ” The windows of the soul.” According to Chinese medical theory, the eyes are the gate of the liver and are controlled by the liver system.  The eyes are the bridge between the liver and the outside world. They are an outward expression of the health state of the liver.

Healthy functioning of the liver allows the eyes to distinguish colours. A common clinical condition where this situation is most evident in the Western medical diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa and colour-blingness. In this circumstance colour perception is not clearly distinguishable from the eyes, indicating poor liver function. When a person is experiencing any chronic and /or degenerative problem with vision the liver is always involved on some level because in Chinese medicine “the liver opens into the eyes.”

Here is a tool you can use to help with eye massage

pangaO Eye Massager PG-2404G1 Air pressure massage Temple Acupressure + free gift

Enhance and maintain eye health

Eliminates computer eye syndrome

Fatigue elimination and sound sleep

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