by Randa Khalil & Lina Baker

As much as we dread and apprehend it, ageing is an inherent and integral part of our life cycle. It’s a natural process that every single living organism, and indeed, every living cell goes through.

So, rather than let age bring us down -as it sometimes does- or send us rushing under the cosmetic surgeon’s scalpel, let’s explore creative ways to amortize the consequences of the passing years, and naturally turn back the clock with some easy and simple anti-ageing techniques.

Rejuvenation is a regimen you should live by, and the earlier you start it, the longer lasting the benefits. It works better when it becomes a lifestyle, rather than a series of sporadic, desperate, panicky (and often unsatisfactory) attempts at wiping the years away.

It all starts with looking after your body (and your mind). We all know that whatever you lovingly look after stays in good condition, it blooms and lasts longer. Be it your clothes, your home, your plants, your kids, your pets or your relationships.

Anti-ageing starts with simple things like a good skin care regimen, sensible diet, avoiding stress and excesses, and being physically active and fit…

Here Are 7 Easy Tips For You to Quickly and Naturally Restore Youthful Looks and Radiance

Trust the Power of Roots

Ginseng, known as “wonder of the world” has been used in China, Japan, and Korea for centuries as a total systemic tonic. It comes in several varieties, the most common being Asian (Panax ginseng), American (Panax quinquefolius), and Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero).

Research on Siberian Ginseng showed that it may help the body deal with physical and mental stress exposures like heat, cold, physical exhaustion, viruses, chemicals, extreme working conditions, noise and pollution. A legendary tonifier, Ginseng has been found to be helpful in enhancing sexual vitality, boosting energy levels, enhancing memory and stimulating the immune system, thus preventing illness. Because Ginseng’s potency varies from one product to another, you might have to try a few to see which works best for you.

Boost Your Thyroid Gland

With age, the thyroid gland function slows down, due to iodine deficiency. Iodine has a vital role in basic metabolism processes, as it is a key player in blood cell production and muscle and nerve function. It helps your hair, skin, teeth and nails grow strong and healthy.

You can boost your thyroid function by supplementing your diet with iodine-rich Kelp, a seaweed that stimulates thyroid function. Dulse is another protein-rich, chewy seaweed that’s also a natural source of iodine. As a matter of fact, most seaweed types boost the thyroid function, as they are nature’s richest source of iodine.

Yoga

Yoga is well know for its anti-ageing benefits. Amongst all the wonderful yoga asanas, the Shoulder Stand, or ‘Salamba Sarvangasana’, is a posture that greatly boosts and benefits the thyroid.

To perform a shoulder stand, lie flat on your back keeping your legs together. Raise your legs towards the ceiling until they are at a right angle to your shoulders/neck, or perpendicular to the floor. Tuck your chin into your chest, and rest the weight of your body on your shoulders and elbows, using your arms to support your hips. Do not look sideways when in shoulder stand as you may hurt your neck! This asana is great for the thyroid and parathyroid glands as it increases the blood supply to them, as well as to the chest. (see image below)

Breathe

Proper breathing promotes relaxation and rejuvenation of the mind and body. It enhances clarity of the mind and provides an overall sense of well-being. In yoga, breathing exercises, or Pranayama, promote deep inhalations, which supply our body with much greater amounts of oxygen.

There are several Pranayama techniques, but one of our favourites for rejuvenation, enhancing mood, boosting energy and detoxing the mind and body, is Kapalbhati, or the detox (cleansing) breath. Go to Kapalbhati page

Beauty Sleep

Sleep is an essential element to any anti-ageing regimen. A good night’s sleep makes you look radiant and youthful. It erases the lines that lack of rest etches in the face. When you sleep, your cells self- repair and your body releases 2 essential youth hormones: the Growth Hormone (HGH) and Melatonin. They both play a major role in improving the skin and rejuvenating the body. They are also know to boost the immune system.

We recommend you ‘unwind’ for at least an hour before going to sleep by either meditating, to free your mind from the stresses of the day, or praying (according to your beliefs), or simply doing nothing!

Use Herbs

Parsley increases blood circulation to the skin and helps purify it. Other than stimulating, soothing and cleansing skin, parsley extract is also a source of remarkable nutrition as it is rich in Vitamin C, pro vitamin V and chlorophyll.

Wash your face with an infusion of Parsley, but also drink it! Parsley does wonders for the body. It boosts the kidneys, bladder, stomach, liver and lungs, as well as enhances the thyroid function. It has also been know to lower blood pressure.

Practice the Detox Bath

Accumulated toxins age the organs and the body in general because they prevent your cells from regenerating efficiently. Besides ridding the body of toxins and fat, a regular Detox Bath regenerates the body. It makes the skin tighter, more toned, not to mention positively radiant! It is known to ‘remodel’ the body, and strenghen and thicken the hair.

France Guillain attributes her thick black hair to a regular Detox Bath practice, at age 60. Moreover, the bath’s action on the root chakra naturally boosts libido and sexual function. And an active sex life does keep you young! Go to Detox Bath page

And Finally…

Follow these simple tips and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to fight ageing and shed those excess years away…As diet is the single most important factor in a rejuvenation regimen, we’ll cover it in precise detail next time. We’ll discuss which ‘Power Foods’ your body regularly needs to regenerate and rejuvenate, and which foods to avoid at all cost.

About the Author

Learn the Detox Bath: http://www.pureinsideout.com/organicpassion-learn
Visit Pure Inside Out: http://www.pureinsideout.com/organicpassion for information and articles on easy, natural and enjoyable body and mind detox methods to achieve radiant health and optimal well being.

by Avid Amiri

For most cotton blankets, you can just throw them in the washing machine and all will be fine, but for some, this may not be the case. Some may be too large for a washing machine, and would be better off at the dry cleaners. Each piece of kids bedding will say on its tag exactly what the proper cleaning method for each individual item is. It is very important to follow the instructions on the tag for that item, because washing them incorrectly could result in damaging them, or possibly causing earlier and harsher wear and tear than would normally be there.

Different items may be washed at home in a machine, but may require certain temperatures during washing and drying. It is just as important to pay attention to, and follow, the requirements for temperatures and cycles, as it is to pay attention to whether or not it needs to be dry-cleaned.

Silk, and other types of materials, usually require dry cleaning in order to keep them in good condition. Many times, these types of materials will need to be hand washed.

Cotton is, for the most part, a very versatile material, that can be washed in a machine.

If the tag comes off of a kids bedding item that you need to wash, it is best to follow the guidelines set on the machine that say for a certain material, they should be washed on a certain cycle with a certain temperature of water.

These are in place for a reason, and should definitely be followed.

It is also important to pay attention to what types of detergent it uses. If the item says “do not use bleach,” you will never ever want to use it. There are two reasons for this. One, it could damage the color of the item, which can be overcome by using non-chlorine bleach, or what some brands call color-safe bleach.

But the second reason is the same with this type of bleach as it is with chlorine bleach: bleach is a very harsh chemical that can harm the fabric and cause a much faster wear and tear on the item, leading to having to repair or throw it away before necessary.

Any type of kids bedding that is made of silk or nylon, which is unlikely in the case of bedding for children, should not be exposed to very much sunlight.

Anything with acetate should never be dried in the dryer or line-dried because heat is the enemy of acetate. Acetate should also be dry-cleaned, but if you don?t want to do this, they can be hand-washed or washed in a machine on gentle cycle using an appropriate detergent intended for materials such as these. Polyester is very similar, but slightly more durable, so while it is best to hand-washed, it can be safely machine-washed, and it is safe to line dry.

Nylon is very durable, and is basically machine washable, even on a regular cycle. Over time, though, washing nylon in a washer can lead to pilling, so you may want to hand wash them in the bathtub to avoid this. Nylon can not be line- dried because of the sun, but it can be dried in the dryer on a low setting. It is also never a good idea to use bleach on nylon. Silk should be treated like acetate. Be careful, too, of wringing after washing, because silk is very thin and can be easily damaged. Also, this only applies for silk sheets and pillow cases. If it is a silk comforter, you should have it dry cleaned only, as it is practically impossible to hand wash them. Sateen, which is 100 percent cotton, on the other hand, can be washed and dried in a machine with no problems.

As for down pillows and comforters, you must take them to a dry cleaner who is experienced in cleaning down filled items. In order to prevent it from having to be cleaned very often, you can cover it with a duvet cover. This will also help it stay in good condition for longer.

As you can see, there are many different rules for cleaning different types of sheets and blankets, whether it is kids bedding, or an adults. The best rule of thumb, as mentioned earlier, is to strictly adhere to the directions on the tag, and you shouldn’t have any problems.

About The Author:

Article by Avid Amiri – President of The Kids Bedding Company. Please visit Kids First to learn more about kids bedding and find the best styles and prices on the latest kids bedding designs.