How’s your heart?  Is it healthy?  Are you taking care of your heart (and your whole body) in a holistic way?  Heart disease is one of the leading killers today.  But luckily for all of us naturally beautiful women (and men, too) there are so many things you can do to take care of your natural health and have a healthy heart.

Food is health.  As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” The American Heart Association recommends a heart-healthy diet consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes that can help you get some more dietary fiber into your body, vital to holistic heart health. (See Previous Post – F is for Fiber-Filled Foods – A list of the Highest).

The Mediterranean-style diet which is mostly plant-based, stress reduction, maintaining a healthy body weight and regular exercise all are important in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Start with your diet and then begin a regimen of healthy supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).  CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that can go far to improve energy production in cells and prevent blood clot formation.  Other heart-healthy supplements include garlic, hawthorn, L-Arginine, lecithin, medicinal mushrooms (reishi, maitake, and shiitake), and Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins.

Stress reduction is key to maintaining heart health.  Supplementing with magnesium can help to reduce stress, as well as relax otherwise tight, achy muscles.  Research has shown that many people with mood disorders are low in magnesium. Other mood-uplifting supplements like SAMe (S-adenosyl-l-methionine) and L-carnitine can reduce the stress that leads to heart disease. St. John’s Wort, a natural herbal remedy, as well as a homeopathic remedy called Aurum metallicum can help to lift your mood, fight depression, and keep cardiovascular disease at bay.

Popular research among medical practitioners, both allopathic and holistic, shows that fish oil, which contains omega-3′s, nourishing essential fatty acids, can help to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.  An intake of at least 500 milligrams (mg) per day of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) is recommended for healthy individuals, and up to 1,000 mg daily is advised for people already compromised with deficient heart health.  If fish is not your food of choice, you can still get a healthy dose of omegas with flax or chia seeds.  Garlic fights oxidation, which is key in the development of heart disease. Other heart-protective herbs include turmeric, cayenne and rosemary; while holy basil (tulsi) and ginkgo biloba taken together is also effective.

We’re here to promote natural health so pay attention to your diet, exercise whenever you can, and make other healthy lifestyle choices that can reduce your chances of developing heart disease.  By taking the steps necessary to strengthen your heart muscle and lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress levels, you can take control of your life and live naturally healthy longer.  Now that’s a naturally beautiful thing!

How many times in just one single day does someone do something for you deserving the simple words, “Thank You?”  Start to pay attention today and I guarantee you will be amazed and delighted at how many instances of gratitude you will feel.  It doesn’t have to be for great big things, it can be for tiny little ordinary everyday life stuff.

The Secret and the Law is simple – smile at people, laugh with people, take a good look at the little things in life that make you happy,  approach the world with gratitude, and you might just become happy.  At the very least, it doesn’t hurt to try!

Today, just for a short time, put your gratitude into practice – look directly into someone’s eyes – maybe a waiter in a restaurant, or a fellow employee or a teacher or a gardener – and simply say “Thank you.”  You don’t even have to have a reason.  Thank you for being you.  Thank you for being in my life.  Just plain thank you.

Meister Eckhart, the German theologian, spoke of gratitude to us – “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”

Brother David Steindl-Rast and his organization Gratefulness.org have spent their lives teaching about the benefits of gratitude and how we can begin to heal with the gift of gratitude and gratefulness to ourselves.

”When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.” –Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief

I have found that one of the easiest ways to acquire a habit of gratitude is to keep a Gratitude Journal.  Before you go to sleep each night, write down 5 things for which you are grateful today.  Do this every day, for at least 21 days (the time needed to develop a habit and make it stick).  Start today and write down what you are grateful for in your beautiful new Gratitude Journal.  Have a good night’s sleep.  Do it again tomorrow.  And the next day. And the next.

Soon you will notice all the good things around you.  Everything that deserves your thanks.  The more you notice, the more will appear.    Sarah Ban Breathnach, in her beautiful book, Simple Abundance, says it so well – “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”

Friends are what make life worth living.  Friends are what make you a loving person.  A friend is there for you when you need help – whether it be coming to your rescue when your health is ailing, or being a compassionate listener when your love is failing.  A friend is there for you when you need to pour out your heart in anguish or share the new joy you’ve just discovered.  A friend is someone you can trust with your deepest secrets and sorrows.  A friend is someone who will encourage you to do your best, and help you over the hurdles when your worst is the only thing you’re capable of handling.  A friend will love you on your bad hair days and will forgive you when you make a mistake.  A friend will help you and will expect nothing in return (except that you be there when she needs help as well).  A friend will accept you even if you are different and love the ways that you are alike.

Friends are fun.  They can provide stress relief and make you laugh when you’re down and out.  Knowing that someone is there can take the bite out of a boyfriend gone bad or a boss gone loco!  Friends can boost your self-esteem and give you a much-needed shot of self-confidence.  Friends can teach you about unconditional love and caring and sharing.

Studies have been done that show friendship is more than just sharing a laugh; it’s sharing a life and improving your natural health.  The studies have shown that people who have more friends can cut their risk of death over a period of time by over 60%.

How can you make new friends?  Especially in a new town or as you’re getting older?  Or after big changes in life?  Lend a hand to someone else and you will feel a little better, and maybe make a new friend.  Take up a hobby and join a group of like-minded people.  Volunteer to help out in a local stage production.  Engage in personal conversations with one other person and get to know that person on an intimate level.  We tend to congregate in groups to alleviate loneliness, but real happiness and connection come with discovering more about one person and deepening that relationship.  Getting to know a lot about just a few people well, rather than a little about a whole bunch of people, will make for better friendships. Smile at people sincerely and look at them in the eye. Laugh and the world laughs with you.

Establish human, living friendships, not the kind of “friends” we make on Facebook.  We need to make connections with living, breathing human beings. It’s the quality of true friendships that count, not the quantity or the number of relationships that will make you feel good about yourself and not isolated.

Life changes and friendships change.  You might move to different parts of the world and have to keep up your friendship in emails and on Skype.  Your friend might find a romantic partner and start doing “couple” things.  Take pleasure in your friend’s new happiness. Times change, friendship endures.

And in these days of globetrotting and the Internet, make it a point to never let go.  Friendship is one of the most important ways of maintaining your natural health.  Nurture your friends whether near or far.  Pick up the phone, send a card (real mail still exists!), or just turn around and say, “Thank you for being my friend.  I love you.”

Certain foods give you more energy than others, so keep these on your daily menu for extra energy and oomph! -

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Oatmeal
• Beans
• Nuts
• Chia seeds
• Spinach
• Green Tea
• Mango
• Tea
• Cantaloupe
• Peppers
• Low fat dairy products
• Citrus Fruit
• Whole grains
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes

To keep naturally healthy and also to keep your body and skin looking and feeling young, keep eating the right foods and don’t forget to eat.  Skipping meals will make your blood sugar levels dip and dive and your energy will falter and your eyelids will droop.  Not a naturally beautiful sight for women or men!  Eat well and you will stay lively and vibrant all day long.  For a mid-meal pick-me-up, carry a small bag of almonds with you wherever you go.  And don’t forget that the very first rule of natural beauty and natural health is – Keep yourself hydrated with lots of good clean water!

As we get older, forgetfulness is natural.  It’s not always a serious problem like Alzheimer’s or dementia.  It could just be the result of having learned way too much over the last 60 or 70 or 80 years.

There are ways to make your memory as sharp as an elephant’s.  You can start by eating the right foods which will keep your brain and your body healthy as you grow older.  Leafy green vegetables have plenty of folic acid to aid in memory retention.  Salmon, tuna and sardines all have Omega-3 fatty acids which help reduce inflammation, a potential cause of memory loss in adults.  B Vitamin deficiency can be mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease because it increases memory loss.  To replenish your stores of Thiamine or Vitamin B1 you can take a good supplement, but nuts like pistachios are full of thiamine, as are tuna, spinach, mushrooms and flax seeds.

Herbal remedies are effective and safe, with no adverse side effects.    Ginkgo Biloba can inhibit the oxidation of the brain and increase the blood circulation, getting more information to and through the body.   Huperzine A, a substance extracted from club moss (Huperzia serrata), helps to slow down acetylcholine breakdown.  Acetylcholine is one of the brain neurotransmitters that is being studied with relation to Alzheimer’s.

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), (100 mg. daily) is an herb that helps increase concentration and also improves memory by stimulating the immune system.  Rhodiola also helps to improve sleep and fight depression, enhance mental and physical performance, as well as stimulate the nervous system.  Rhodiola has been shown to be an effective antioxidant.

Rosemary is called the “herb of remembrance” and is an essential oil used in aromatherapy to increase mental clarity and reduce poor memory, as well as increase concentration and decrease fatigue. Essential oil of basil can help to wake up a foggy brain and improve mental clarity.  Peppermint essential oil also perks up the brain and helps you to remember.

And there’s a new extract of the periwinkle plant called vinpocetine that is being studied as a way to increase blood circulation and bring more nutrients like glucose and oxygen to the brain to help it work more efficiently so you can remember things more effectively.

Foods and herbs work great on memory, and so does exercise.  Just as important as keeping your body agile and active, so is exercising your brain to keep it functioning at top potential.  Play games with words and numbers.  Do puzzles and mind exercises like Sudoku.  Keep your mind working – after all, we know a mind is a terrible thing to waste!

DANCE as though no one is watching you,

LOVE as though you have never been hurt before,

SING as though no one can hear you,

LIVE as though heaven is on earth

Alfred Souza

Ah the joys of dancing.  It’s one of those things that will pick you up and dust you off and get you smiling and living and thinking positively.  Don’t have a partner?  No big Deal – you can twirl and whirl by yourself.  Just put on some happy music – I like Queen Ida and her Bon Ton Zydeco Band – and get up off your butt and on your feet and start moving!

Dancing has many natural health benefits.  If you want to lose weight but hate exercising, dancing is the perfect way to get some movement going without calling it that dreaded word “exercise!”  Dancing can burn up to 10 calories per minute depending on intensity and speed of the dance.  Naturally, swing and salsa dancing burns more calories than a slow waltz.  Dancing combines stretching and toning and bending, all vital to staying healthy, young and strong.  Dancing strengthens our lungs and hearts, and builds strong bones with its weight-bearing activity.  Dancing keeps us naturally younger as it improves our memory and exercises our brains when we have to memorize  the steps, routines and patterns for each type of dance.  Dancing improves balance and flexibility and exercises our central and peripheral nervous systems.

The very simple act of getting up and moving will put you in a better mood.  Dancing increases the production of endorphins, those “feel good” brain chemicals that reduce stress and depression.

Dancing by yourself is an instant mood lifter.  Even better is to go out and dance.  Dancing is a social activity, whether it be with your very own partner or a partner that you dance with in a dance class.  In most countries around the world, people dance with people, women dance with women, and they all have a good time.  Don’t let not having a partner stop you.  Go to a dance class – you never know – you might meet your perfect partner out on the dance floor.

See Previous Post – D is for Dancing and Dance Shoes and the Resilience of Women

First things first – Cut it!  Get your hair back into healthy condition by getting it trimmed and rid of the split and dead ends.  That will get you going on the right track.  To keep on the right path to a beautiful head of hair, don’t use your brush when your hair’s wet.  Invest in a good wide-toothed comb and start at the bottom of your hair no matter what length it is and don’t get stuck in the knots and pull – just gently use your fingers to unravel the clumps.  Also invest in a good soft bristle brush, maybe a baby brush, and use it gently to distribute natural oils through your hair without causing any breakage.

Cut down on the frequency of washing your hair – if it’s dry, no more than twice a week!  Check the ingredients in your shampoo and eliminate the ones that have harsh ingredients like alcohols or sodium laurel sulfates.  A soft and gentle shampoo made out of some healthy oils like almond or jojoba mixed a little bit of pure castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s is great) will keep your hair clean and shiny and healthy. Just say NO to harsh chemicals that can harm your hair!

Mayonnaise and avocados have lots of natural oils that nourish your hair from the outside.  Skip the California sandwich of avocados and mayonnaise (with sprouts in LA!) and instead, put those ingredients on your head.  Cover and sit for 15 minutes, then rinse it out with warm water.  Shiny!

Healthy fats equal healthy hair.  Deficiencies of essential fatty acids (EFAs)  can result in unhealthy hair (and body)!  Polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acids are the best healthy fats for ensuring your internal health and protecting against the damages caused by free radicals which not only lead to heart disease and cancer, arthritis and asthma — they also result in dry, damaged, lifeless, brittle hair!  Fish oils such as salmon and cod liver, and nuts and seeds are essential to your diet for your hair and for your health.

Drinking water is a key to natural health (see Previous Post – D is for Drinking Water).  Water will help you to get rid of unwanted fat and flab, and will help to flush toxins from your body.  Think about moisture when you want healthy hair and drink a good amount of water daily! 

Here’s a great recipe to restore the shine and moisture to your hair:

YOGURT HAIR MASK -

1/2 c plain yogurt
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 egg
Blend all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  Shampoo as usual and apply the yogurt mixture to your hair and scalp. Leave it on for about 15 minutes.  You can cover your hair in a hot towel (put  a moist towel in the microwave to heat it up) to help it be absorbed and keep it from dripping all over. Rinse your hair out completely with warm water, and follow this with a gentle conditioner.

Everybody’s got opinions.  Sometimes it’s better to keep them to yourself.  And just listen.  Listen compassionately.  Listen with your heart.  Don’t comment.  Allow the other person to speak from their heart.

This seems to be one of the hardest skills we have to learn in life.  We don’t have to fix everything.  In his famous book, “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” Dr. John Gray wrote of how men and women listen differently.  In order to communicate with the opposite sex, men must stop trying to solve problems.  Women just want to be heard.  To be understood.  To vent their anger or frustration.  Women aren’t looking for solutions.  They just want their partner’s or friend’s empathy.

The truth is – women try to fix things too.  Especially with their friends.  When one woman confides in another that life has taken a downturn, or her job stinks, or her boyfriend just left her and is living with another woman – she’s not looking for a solution.  She just wants to let it all out.  She just wants her friend to listen compassionately from beginning to end.

Can you train yourself to be a compassionate listener?  Can you help by not helping?  Can you listen without comment or judgment?  Can you simply open up your ears and your heart and let another person talk with their heart?

According to Thich Nhat Hahn, Buddhist Monk and peace advocate, deep and compassionate listening is the way to resolve all conflicts, whether it be between romantic partners, parents and children, terrorists and politicians.  Watch this interesting dialogue about compassionate listening with Thich Nhat Hahn and Oprah Winfrey:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyUxYflkhzo

It’s not easy. But it’s necessary.  To be a good friend, to be a good partner, to be a good person – sometimes you just have to shut up!

Bras – they’re part of our lives, just as our breasts are part of our bodies.  Some of you out there are small-breasted and can wear those sexy, seductive pieces of cloth that look pretty and fit well.  Then there are some of us who are more generously endowed and we need something that will fit comfortably and hold us up well.  Studies have shown that 80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra.  Wearing a bra that is uncomfortable and makes you look saggy and droopy makes you look old and feel old, and that’s not what being a youthful, juicy naturally beautiful woman is about.  We’re all about feeling good and looking good!

Choosing a bra can be as daunting as choosing the right college or career or soulmate!  There’s nothing sexy about pulling and pushing your breasts and bras to get rid of those straps digging into your shoulders or adjusting the fat hanging over your back.

Here are some signs that you’re wearing a bra that doesn’t fit well:

1. Your cups spilleth over.
2. The back of your bra rides up.
3. Tight straps that hurt and give you indentations or red marks on your shoulders.
4. The cups ripple and dimple indicating they’re too small.
5. Saggy or droopy breasts.
6. Straps that slip and slide off.
7. Uncomfortable underwires.
8. According to Susan Nethero, a bra expert that Oprah loves — Back fat doesn’t necessarily mean your bra is too small.  It actually means your bra is too big!  Change to a smaller band size bra that rides lower on your back and that will eliminate the dreaded back fat.

One thing you can do to make your breasts look a bit more perky is to sit and stand up tall and straight.  Good posture is one of the most important ways to look young and vital.

Then walk tall to the nearest department store and go to the bra department.  Most lingerie departments, especially in higher end stores, will give you a free bra fitting.  Even if you have to pay a few dollars, it’s a great investment.  You’ll be surprised at the change in the number and the change in your look and feel.  Being beautiful (and comfortable) is worth it!

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Having an open mind keeps your whole body active and healthy.  One of the best ways you can improve your anti-aging ability is to change your attitude and stop acting and behaving like an old fuddy duddy!  Smile – you’ll look younger (and you’ll feel a lot better too!). Get some sleep because without enough sleep, you’re tired all day which makes the body produce excess cortisol, a hormone that disintegrates skin cells.  See Previous Post – S is for Sleep – Some Timely Tips for Sound Snoozing).

Here are some outward tell-tale signs of looking old:

Granny pants up around your waist or jeans that don’t fit and make muffin tops -

Wearing the wrong size bra – Back fat and saggy breasts or uniboobs – get a good fitting and get those girls up high and perky

Wearing clothes from Forever 21 when you’re forever 65.  Too much skin exposed, too tight or too short skirts, or too much cleavage hanging out – you’re not Britney Spears, you know!

Too much bling-y jewelry, too much jewelry of any kind – especially jewelry that doesn’t flatter your neck – Wattle necks are for turkeys, not NBW!  Wear some beautiful earrings that draw attention to your eyes and keep those chokers away from the wattle.

The little mistakes that we think people don’t notice – Long red nails or chipped and  discolored nails, roots showing or ashy-looking gray hair, teeth that are yellowing, cakey foundation that stops at your neck.  Lipstick spots on your teeth or lipstick bleeding onto the lines on your face.  All of these can be taken care of if we look into the mirror and pay attention.

What makes you look old is looking like you really tried too hard or else looking like you never tried at all.

What makes you look, act and feel young is what we’re all about here at Naturally Beautiful Women.  We’re back to the beginning with “A” again and we’ll be telling you all sorts of tips to live the best possible life you can – looking good, feeling healthy, being happy, staying motivated, and just plain enjoying life!