Magnesium – 7 Signs of Deficiency You Should Never Ignore

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps to maintain normal nerve and muscle function, supports a healthy immune system, keeps the heart beat steady, and helps bones remain strong. It also helps regulate blood glucose levels and aid in the production of energy and protein. – United States National Library of Medicine

Magnesium is one of those nutrients that many people don’t pay attention to. As it turns out, magnesium is responsible for a number of functions in the human body. Consequently, insufficient levels of magnesium in the human body can cause complications in a multitude of ways.

We’ll discuss physical and mental symptoms that may surface as a result of magnesium deficiency. Of course, to help correct any potential deficiency, we’ll discuss the recommended daily intake of magnesium in addition to good sources of the nutrient.

HERE ARE 7 SIGNS THAT YOU MAY HAVE A MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY:

Related article: 7 Signs Of A Vitamin D Deficiency

1. ANXIETY AND/OR HYPERACTIVITY

Anxiety and hyperactivity are two neurological symptoms of a magnesium deficiency. The mineral is required to for proper communication between nerve cells in the brain. Further, magnesium is required to balance electrolyte levels in the body – an important factor in proper brain function.

2. DEPRESSION

No surprise here, considering the first sign. Depression is a complicated disease and can be initiated a number of a different ways. One of them is by a lack of nutrition and improper diet. Again, magnesium is an important element for proper brain function. Aside from anxiety and depression, low levels of magnesium in the body can also lead to changes in personality – no doubt a side byproduct of impaired cognitive function.

3. MUSCLE PAIN

In addition to neurological symptoms, neuromuscular symptoms can surface as well. Magnesium deficiency can lead to painful muscle spasms, cramping, tics and other symptoms, such as fibromyalgia. One of magnesium’s primary functions is muscle relaxation. Along with calcium, which stimulates muscle contraction, magnesium is a primary element in proper muscle function.

4. NAUSEA AND/OR VOMITING

A magnesium deficiency can complicate normal digestive and gastrointestinal function. From a mildly upset stomach to full-blown nausea and vomiting, supplement magnesium to help stabilize gastrointestinal function if you suspect a potential magnesium deficiency.

5. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Numerous studies have linked high blood pressure to low magnesium levels. Those with hypertension are much more likely to have insufficient amounts of the nutrient. Of course, numerous physiological functions affect blood pressure – a fact that often necessitates a trip to the family doctor for diagnosis.

6. INSOMNIA

Chronic insomnia and other sleep disorders may be linked to magnesium deficiency. It is thought that magnesium helps to regulate our sleep and wake cycles – an important function that ultimately determines our ability to fall andstay asleep.

Related article: 6 Sleep Habits You Need To Avoid

7. LOW ENERGY

The absence of magnesium forces the body to work harder, which often results in both physical and psychological stress. In a study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), participants with low levels of detectable magnesium consumed more oxygen than those with normal levels. Of course, oxygen consumption is indicative of one’s physical health. Magnesium levels also affects human endurance, as low levels of magnesium adversely impacts heart and muscle health.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to get the recommended daily amount of magnesium. Of course, the best way is by eating right. Implementing traditionally high magnesium foods – dark and leafy greens, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, bananas, dry fruit, avocados, yogurt, dark chocolate, and etcetera – into our daily diets is the best preferred way of getting this important mineral. This is relatively easy, considering the numerous foods – most of them healthy – that contain good amounts of it.

Most multivitamins contain the recommended daily amount of magnesium. Additionally, a number of magnesium supplements are on the market that can help. The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, one of the world’s foremost authorities on nutrition – places magnesium intake into four tiers.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is the measure that 97 to 98 percent of healthy individuals follow. The FNB breaks magnesium intake down into a simple chart, which follows.

AGE                MALE             FEMALE        PREGNANCY          LACTATION

to 6 months   30 mg           30 mg

7-12 months  75 mg             75 mg

1-3 years        80 mg             80 mg

4-8 years        130 mg           130 mg

9-13 years     240 mg           240 mg

14-18 years   410 mg           360 mg           400 mg                       360 mg

19-30 years   400 mg           310 mg           350 mg                       310 mg

31-50 years   420 mg           320 mg           360 mg                       320 mg

51+ years       420 mg           320 mg

How To Stop Emotional Eating In 3 Steps

Emotional eating feels like you’re filling a bottomless hole of what you think will make you feel better. The problem for most emotional eaters is that it is difficult to stop. When you feel low and you want to feel happy, emotional eating is an easy way to feel better quickly. Eating an Oreo cookie might make you feel happy, but eating the whole box will make you feel horrible.

The cycle of indulging your craving to feed your emotions, and then regretting the choice and feeling bad can then lead to emotional eating again. This up and down emotional eating roller coaster leads to weight gain. Weight gain is one major reason to work on controlling emotional eating. Unhealthy nutrition which can lead to diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory illnesses, and cancer risk is another good reason to avoid emotional eating.

Eating to manage negative emotions is not healthy. Ideally, when faced with stress that makes us feel angry/sad/afraid we would take a moment to calm ourselves and find a healthy way to change our emotional state to a positive one.

WHY WE LIKE “COMFORT FOODS”

Dr. Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating; Why We Eat More Than We Think and director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab says ‘The fact we like comfort foods is predictable, but it is also somewhat predictable which foods we will like, when and why we like them, and when all of it backfires. For starters, we found that men prefer meal-related comfort foods like steak, pasta, pizza, burgers because they make them feel special and well-taken care of. Women, on the other hand, don’t think of these as comfort foods. These foods reminded them of work – cooking and clean-up. Women much preferred the convenience of the snack foods, like cookies, chocolate, and ice cream. Eating ice cream from the container equals no cooking and no clean-up.’

Related article: 6 reasons You Need to Try an Alkaline Diet

Dr. Wansink and his team have conducted many experiments since 1997 when the Cornell Food and Brand Lab opened. In this research facility, scientists have created a fake restaurant where members of the public are invited to eat while researchers observe their eating habits.

Although the Cornell Food and Brand Lab has made many food-related discoveries, here are some key findings related to emotional eating during a sad movie:

* People eat more while watching sad movies, but they can eat more healthy foods by making healthy snacks available.

* When in a bad mood, focus on something other than the present to reduce consumption of indulgent foods.

* To make healthier food choices, do something to make you feel happy and positive.

* Women felt that they overate and were rushed through their meal when they ate with men due to the need to impress.

HERE’S A 3-STEP PROCESS THAT CAN HELP END THE PROCESS OF EMOTIONAL EATING…

1. SAY ‘I CAN.’

Believing in yourself and your ability to accomplish anything you set your mind to is very empowering. Even if cravings have seemed irresistible in the past, by saying ‘I can resist those brownies’ we confirm our faith in ourselves.

The power of ‘I can’ is what enables people to finish triathalons at age 60 and it’s what helps many drop 100 or more pounds. Say ‘I can resist emotional eating’ when you feel the urge to indulge.

2. CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

If you were able to resist the jar of M&Ms at the office, congratulate yourself. Don’t celebrate by rewarding yourself with any food treats, unless it’s excellent nutrition, but praise yourself for making excellent choices.

3. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS.

Emotional eating is brought on by a trigger in your environment. Most likely, something stressful happened and you responded by wanting to self-medicate with food to increase your levels of serotonin.

Being able to recognize the trigger for the emotion is an important step to being aware of what prompts you to binge. Let’s say that every time your boss visits your desk during a day, you reach for candy. The boss coming to your desk is the stressful trigger.

Related article: 25 Ways to Lose Weight Faster

Once you know the trigger, then you can make a choice to take different action in response to the stress. You might decide to try some deep breathing instead, for example.

Have you ever felt that you just couldn’t do it anymore? If so, you’re experiencing the effects of mental fatigue.These extreme tired brain symptoms will sound familiar when you are experiencing a lot of stress and a hectic environment.

7 SIGNS YOU HAVE MENTAL FATIGUE

Everyone’s been physically tired so we know those signs of fatigue. Mental fatigue is similar, but because your brain controls your body, mental fatigue is more serious. In this article we will review the signs of mental fatigue as well as a few ways to help fight it.

1. YOU ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS TOO MUCH GOING ON AT ONCE

Feeling overwhelmed? You probably are literally overwhelmed by sensory input right now. Sounds, smells, sights, mental activity, physical movement, listening to others; sometimes all of this happening in a busy environment can be too much.

When there is too much data input coming from all of your senses, your brain can begin showing signs of stress and mental fatigue. You may notice that you have asked people to repeat themselves repeatedly. Also, you miss details that you should have seen, like spelling errors.

Try shutting off any noisy devices that you can control, like a fan, music, TV, buzzing lights, etc. Turn toward someone who is speaking and make eye contact to give them your full attention. Limit multi-tasking as much as possible.

2. YOU RARELY HAVE DOWN TIME

Can’t remember the last time you went on vacation? Astudy in the journal Environment and Behavior showed that there are two strategies that can help individuals more effectively manage their mental fatigue; avoiding things that cause mental fatigue and down time.

One strategy involves avoiding unnecessary costs in terms of expenditure of directed attention. In other words, limit how much thinking you have to do. If you can, delegate some tasks to people you trust or postpone decisions if they aren’t urgent.

Related article: 5 Signs You Need Mental Clarity

The other involves enhancing the effect of restorative opportunities. They suggest that a restorative environment, think day spa, will help refresh your mind so you can think clearly again. Really, even a few minutes outside in the sun is all you’ll need to be able to keep going.

3. YOU HAVE A TOTAL MENTAL BLOCK

A mental block is when you have been so mentally drained that you cannot continue to think. You just stop thinking until you can rest your brain enough to recover and continue.

Researchers in the Journal of Psychology studying mental fatigue found that mental blocking acts ‘as an automatic safeguard which prevents the individual from working continuously.’ In other words, you can’t continue using your brain because it will just stop working for you when you are really fatigued.

4. YOU’RE FEELING MORE EMOTIONAL LATELY

Depression or anxiety can be symptoms of mental fatigue because it can feel hopeless that you’ll be mentally clear anytime soon. Being mentally fatigued can feel a lot like being depressed because your level of mental energy is low. You might feel anxiety, for example, that things won’t improve.

Related article: 5 Signs Your Friendship Is Bad For Your Mental Health

If the situation that is causing your mental fatigue is something that you cannot control, you can feel emotions of anger toward the person who you see as the cause of your suffering.

5. PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

Headaches, stomach discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, insomnia, and being jittery are all some physical symptoms you might experience that are signs of mental fatigue. Although you can consult your doctor if these are concerning you, the therapist might be better able to give you some helpful tools.

6. YOU FORGET LITTLE, BUT IMPORTANT THINGS

Forgetfulness and memory lapse are a sign of mental fatigue. Your brain is processing so much information at once, but it cannot also create memories at the same time. Late on, when you sleep, your brain will make memories.

In the meantime, you’re going to have a hard time remembering as well as being able to focus on anything for a long period of time. If you can avoid anything that could cause people harm without your full mental capacity, like driving for example, that would be best until you recover from your mental fatigue with some rest.

7. IF SOMEONE ASKS YOU ONE MORE QUESTION, YOU MIGHT EXPLODE

Answering questions and making decisions all day has left you with decision fatigue and you can’t answer anyone anymore. People will just have to get by without you because you are bowing out due to mental fatigue.

Again, let some other people take on some of the smaller decisions that you have to make in a day. Dropping even small decisions, like what to cook for dinner can take one more decision off your plate, which can help prevent mental fatigue.

Asking Yourself These Questions Every Morning Can Change Your Brain

The average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000, or around the time the mobile revolution began, to eight seconds – a 33 percent drop. Goldfish, meanwhile, are believed to have an attention span of nine seconds.

– The Telegraph (UK)

Think about this question: Do you have control of your brain?

Really give it some thought. Please don’t move forward until you’ve thought this through for a minute.

Now, our inclination is to answer something like: “Yeah! Of course. It’s my brain that’s in my body!” or “Who’s brain would it be?!”

Your brain assuredly belongs to you…but do you havecontrol of it? Many of the world’s brightest neuroscientists say “No” to some degree or another. In fact, statistics show that most of the time our brain is sort of on “autopilot.”

Here are a couple examples:

1. You’re on a diet and exercise routine, but for some reason – despite your better judgement and best intentions – you can’t wean yourself off of the glazed donuts at the local grocery store.
2. You’ve promised yourself to stop with the negative, self-critical thoughts. But for some reason, they’ve seemed to proliferate even further.

These are just two off-the-cuff examples that you may or may not relate to. The underlying premise is this: we’ve allhad thoughts that we wish we hadn’t. At times, we’ve even acted on these thoughts despite our better judgement or knowledge.

The simple answer to the question Do we have control of your brain is “Yes and no.” It’d be foolish to think that we have no control – after all, we do some of the things that we intend to. But we’re on autopilot an awful lot of the time. Perhaps eating on autopilot, driving on autopilot, thinking mindlessly on autopilot, listening on autopilot, talking on autopilot, etcetera.

Why is this?

Quite simply, it’s because the brain is “lazy” by default. The brain is incredibly complex and has evolved to find ways to operate more efficiently. The brain is also a pattern-recognizing machine – it’s designed to tie abstract things together in order to make sense of the environment. This is why it’s difficult to break out of habits once they’ve been established.

Without proper “training” the brain remains in autopilot mode a disproportionately large amount of the time. This is where our conscious mind comes in.

“Retraining” the mind doesn’t have to be an elaborately complex process. In fact, by resolving to memorize four basic questions can simplify any challenge, problem or decision we face – big or small.

ASKING YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS EVERY MORNING CAN CHANGE YOUR BRAIN

Every morning, commit to asking these four questions when facing a challenge/problem/decision.

Related article: This ONE Phrase Will Completely Change Your Life

1. WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT?

Ann Hermann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrman International and guest speaker at multiple TED conferences, calls this the “payoff” question because we’re consciously programmingwhy it is we’re doing something in particular.

For example, many of us decide we want to “exercise more.” This is an abstract concept that needs to be more concrete. What is important that makes us want to “exercise more”? Physical appearance? Lower cholesterol? To be a role model?

What is really important to you that makes you want to lose weight? Or get a promotion? Go back to school? Buy a home? Start a business? Etcetera. Don’t allow the mind to lazily put this question off – providing substantive rationale for any challenge/decision/problem makes it much more likely that you’ll see it through to the end.

2. HOW AM I GOING TO DO IT?

We have a tendency to say we’re going to do something without forming any type of plan. To do so is actually very common. It is common because our brain has a devious way of avoiding responsibility.

Here’s another example: we’ve decided to “look for a different job.” Granted, this sounds simple enough – but how many people stay in the same job despite their misplaced intentions? Often times, the reason people do such is because they never had a plan.

So, how is this hypothetical person going to “look for a different job?” Carve out an hour or two each Saturday morning? Research companies that are hiring in the area? Network with people on LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter? Freshen up the resume? Post to multiple job boards? Seek the knowledge of a recruiter/headhunter?

3. WHO IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED?

It’s possible that the decision to take some kind of action won’t involve anyone else but you. If this is the case, so be it. But it’s advisable to at least contemplate the question of who is – or could be – involved in any decision and/or consequences of such a decision.

One mistake that people make when facing a challenge/problem/decision is overlooking those who are affected by said decision(s). Again, this is the brain’s way of shirking any necessary but unwanted effort. To understand who is potentially involved in either the decision or consequence of a decision is to bypass possible complications that arise from someone else’s perspective.

4. WHAT IF _____HAPPENED?

In some instances, it is good to have a contingency plan in the event of the unfortunate. As an illustration, let us use the examples from earlier.

“I want to “I want to exercise more.”

What if I got injured?

“First, I’d examine if some type of exercise would be possible. Second, in the event that I couldn’t exercise, I’d cut back on some food types…”

“I want to look for a different job.”

What if my spouse fights it?

“My spouse deserves a rational explanation for why I want a different job. I’ll lay out my case and address any concerns.”

Usually, we can anticipate what or who may be potential “obstacles” for potential decisions. If we anticipate a potential obstacle, depending upon the situation, it may be worthwhile to come up with an appropriate response.

How to lose 10 pounds in 10 days..

HOW TO LOSE 10 POUNDS IN 10 DAYS BY

~ STEVE AITCHISON ~

I was going to release this as my next guide however I have decided to share it instead via a post.

I want to start this article by letting you know that I am not a health guru, I’m not a fitness freak, I don’t even go to the gym, and I’m not a medical expert in any way.  I am an ordinary guy who wanted to lose a few pounds and accidentally discovered a way to do this, and I am so excited to share what I discovered as I know it can work for you too.

What I am going to tell you is not rocket science and it’s not a new discovery, many people have already benefited from the information I am about to share with you.  However, I discovered this for myself completely by accident without reading any books, without consulting a health guru and having no previous knowledge of this method for losing weight.

The simplicity of this method is what makes it so very easy for you to lose your first eight pounds.  Please do not be put off by its simplicity and please, please, please don’t dismiss it before you actually try it.  When you try it, you will see results within 1 week and after 2 weeks I know you will have lost at least eight pounds, depending on your weight to begin with of course.

Okay, let’s start by telling you the story of how I discovered this simple weight loss plan.

The story behind the guide

Only a few months ago I was struggling to keep my weight to under 212 pounds (15 st 2 Ibs), which is not that heavy but nearly 14 pounds (1 stone) heavier than I was 3 years earlier. I had been sitting around the 210 mark for about 1 year and decided I wanted to do something about it and get to the weight I was 3 years earlier.  The only exercise I was getting was walking every day for 2 miles, and I didn’t fancy going to the gym every day.  I am extremely busy with my online business and spending time with my family, which is very important to me.

I tried all kinds of diets in the past; the atkins diet, burnfat4dummies diet and just the basic diet of eating less.  Yes the diets works, but they don’t help you keep the weight off unless you make that diet a part of your every day life. We all know that the less we put into our mouths the more weight we will lose, but our minds throw up all kinds of excuses for eating less, the main one being ‘I’m bloody hungry, so I need something else to eat’.

My huge downfall is biscuits.  I can eat a pack of biscuits in one sitting, dipping up to 10 digestive biscuits into my cup of tea would take a few minutes.  A few minutes to shovel 700 calories into my mouth, that’s 1/3rd of my recommended intake!

The accidental discovery

About 9 weeks ago I discovered something that helped me lose 8 pounds within 1 week.  I was flabbergasted, and so was my wife.  I looked at exactly what I had been doing different.  I wasn’t exercising any more than normal, I wasn’t any more stressed than normal, I didn’t have a bug of any kind.  And then it hit me what I had been doing differently – Drinking water.  Now before you go and send me an email saying ‘Oh’ I know this already’, just read this guide to find out exactly how I managed to lose 8 pounds in 1 week and go on to lose 12 pounds and keep the weight off, without any real effort on my part.

I started drinking water as a way to cleanse my body, as I started feeling sluggish in the mornings.  I get up very early, around 4.30 – 5am, and always feel alert and ready to write as I am always excited to start the day online before getting ready for my day job.  For a few weeks I was still getting up at 4.30, but I was feeling a little sluggish, which wasn’t like me.  I felt bloated, and felt like I needed a good detox.  I was going to try fasting for a few days per week, just to rid myself of all the crap inside my body, but then decided I would start drinking water to clear my insides, aid my digestion and just generally feel healthier.  I was used to drinking water throughout the day, but not in any planned way, and sometimes skipped the water a lot of the days.

So I made a concerted effort to drink water every day. I started drinking water as soon as I got up, about 500ml, and again 1 hour later I drank another 500ml, during the day at lunch time (500 ml) 30 minutes before every meal I drank 250ml and  another 250ml a few hours before going to bed.  Great! It worked.  After a few days I felt less sluggish and less bloated throughout the day – job done, just keep drinking water and I would be back to my normal energetic self.  That’s what I thought, until I weighed myself 1 week later and discovered I was down to 204 pounds (14st 8Ibs).  Obviously I thought the scales were playing up and stepped off the digital scales to wait for ‘error’ to show up on the little screen, but no, everything was okay.  I stepped back on, and again the reading was 204 pounds – I shouted for my wife, who weighed herself and sure enough the scales were working okay, no anomalies, no battery losing power, no slopes in the bathroom to skew the results.  Could drinking 2 litres of water help me lose weight?

I then started to experiment.  I stopped drinking water for 1 week, only occasionally drinking it when I felt thirsty, just as before.  1 week later I was back up to 209 pounds (14st 13Ibs).  Words can’t describe how I felt, you’d think I’d discovered the lost city of Atlantis (quite fitting really).  I then went on to experiment more and ask lots of questions and done a hell of a lot of research on the many benefits of water.

As I write this, I am down to 200 (14st 4Ibs)  pounds, a full 12 pounds lighter than I was a few weeks earlier.  I have even hit 198 pounds (14st 2Ibs), which is what I weighed 3 years ago, totally amazing.  You can probably tell I was, and am, excited about this.  You have to understand I haven’t changed my diet in any way, I was still eating the biscuits, and coming up to Christmas there’s always goodies in the office to munch on.

During my research it turns out that A lot of other people have discovered the many benefits of drinking water, including to help keep your weight down.  But, I want to give you an exact plan, a very easy plan that will help you lose weight and help you keep it off.  Not only will you lose weight but you will have more energy, feel healthier and feel more alert.  All this by not really changing your lifestyle and drinking a few glasses of water every day, even if you are not exercising, not dieting, and still eating your Big Macs.

The Daily Plan

This is an extremely simple plan and one which I have followed now for around 6 weeks with huge benefits and little downside.

Time	How much
As soon as you get up each morning	Drink between 300 – 600ml of water
1 hour later (before breakfast)	Drink between 250 – 500ml of water
After every cup of coffee/tea	Drink between 100 – 250ml of water
20 Minutes before each main meal	Drink between 250 – 500ml of water
2 Hours before going to bed	Drink between 300 – 600ml of water
Total amount of water per day	Between 1200 – 2,450ml

If you are from the US and use Oz instead of ml you can download this PDF file which a very kind reader, April Gaskins,  has made up for us.

Click here to download the PDF that April made

The amount of water you drink will depend on your current weight.  Obviously a woman of 150 pounds does not need to drink as much as a man who is 300 pounds in weight.

Why the water plan helps you to lose weight

You might be asking yourself why such a simple, plentiful, substance such as water can help you to lose weight.

In the plan you’ll notice that I’ve said as soon as you get up to drink ½ litre of water.  This is to kick start the metabolic process.  You brain does not distinguish between food and water, and treats water as food.  This means that the metabolic process is kick started as soon as you drink water in the morning and will start to use the energy to process the water.

There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one we are concerned about is the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.

However the liver is also a close friend with the Kidneys, which need plenty of water to function properly.  If the kidneys are not getting enough water the liver goes into overdrive and does it’s own work as well as pick up the slack from the kidneys, which lowers the functioning of the liver.  The liver then can’t metabolize fat as quickly as it should therefore fat is stored.

There’s a lot more to it than that, I just wanted to give you one of the areas where water affects the body and how it can change our bodies.

Resisting the temptation not to try it

A lot of you might be thinking ‘I know that already, I’ve tried it.’  The key to using this is to keep using it, no point in doing it for a couple of days and then stopping; make it a habit.

The first few days of drinking more water will have you running to the loo more times than you’ll like, however if you stick with it you will see some amazing benefits.  Your body has been storing water for years, and the more fresh water you drink the more flushed your system will be and it will get rid of the water it was originally holding onto.  That means less water retention, less swelling of the ankles, hips and thighs and even from around the stomach area.  You will not only be flushing the body out but you will excreting all the stored water as your mind and body realize it no longer has to store water as it is getting all that it needs.  You’ll also increase your ability to hold the water and return to a normal loo routine.

Other benefits

Drinking plenty of water is also great for your skin.  It flushes out all the impurities which will leave you with a glow and a great complexion.  You’ll also notice your skin looking younger and healthier.

You also notice a difference in muscle tone. You can lift all the weights you need, but if your muscles are not hydrated you won’t see a big difference in your appearance. When you muscles that have all the water they need. they contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you’ll look better for it.

There’s a million reasons to drink more water, but I wanted to make this about losing weight with water so I will leave it at that.

As always I would love to know what you think about this.

Homemade avocado hair and facial mask recipes

Homemade Avocado Hair And Facial Mask Recipes.

Avocados are wonderful for your health, but this amazing fruit has many benefits for hair and skin that will surprise you. The oil of avocado is easily absorbed therefore it will do wonders due to it’s moisturizing properties. This creamy fruit acts as an effective natural conditioner for dry hair and skin.  Message your hair with its creamy paste to get healthy and soft hair. It conditions dry and damaged hair. It also manages frizzy hair!

Avocado face masks are a great way to clean your pores, help with acne, soothe dry skin and simply relax. If you have dry skin, then this is the perfect masks for you.

Avocado And Honey Hair Mask With Olive Oil:

1) Take 1 ripe avocado , pitted and scooped out,  2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and couple of drops of lavender essential oil (optional).

2)  Mash the avocado until it forms a smooth paste without any lumps. Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and blend them all together, until the mixture is smooth.

3)  Damp your hair with water, and apply the mask onto your hair, paying extra attention to the hair ends. Massage the mixture a little bit. Clip your hair onto the top of your head, and then cover with a shower cap. Allow the mixture to sit for about 30-40 minutes.

4) Remove the shower cap, rinse your hair thoroughly as many times it requires removing the mask entirely, and then wash and condition your hair as you normally do.

Avocado Face Mask:

• ½ very ripe, soft avocado
• ¼ cup honey

Mash the avocado in a bowl, then stir in honey. Apply to skin and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse face with a cool washcloth.

Avocado and Oatmeal Mask:

Combine it with oatmeal and you can make an avocado face mask to act as a gentle and amazing exfoliator for your skin.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon ground oatmeal
• 1/4 ripe avocado

Mash 1/4 an avocado using of a fork until it is lump free. Stir in the oatmeal to make a paste. Slather the mask onto your clean face in a gentle circular motion. Massage for at least 2 minutes letting the oatmeal gently exfoliate your skin. Allow the mask to settle for at least 20 minutes. Wash off with cold water. Pat dry with a clean fluffy towel.

I hope you enjoy these homemade tips.