Author: Andreas

Sunday Health Hack No. 17 – Throw away your hair conditioners and styling gels, and use some organic Aloe Vera gel and Rosemary essential oil instead.

There is another important „organ” which corresponds directly with your lymphatic system (which I talked about in my last Sunday Hack), so I want to address it right away next – your HAIR. Or rather your hair follicles.

As mentioned, your lymphatic system has two existential tasks – it’s the main “garbage removal system” of your body, getting rid of all waste, left-overs and “toxins” from every cell. And the lymphatic system is important for the production of our immune cells.
So, everything we put on our hair and scalp, whether it be shampoo, conditioner or hair styling gel, the “ingredients” will enter directly into our lymphatic system via our hair follicles without any barrier. And either it will poison and “hurt” us, or it even can promote our health.

Unfortunately in “normal” hair products you will find “things” like Sulphates (which destroy the proteins necessary for hair growth), chemical fragrances (leading to hormonal imbalances and hair loss), Sodium Chloride (which clogs your hair follicles, which again leads to hair loss), Parabens (which also have a negative effect on hormone levels, and are even suspected to be carcinogenic), Propylene Glycol (which is a skin irritator and accelerator sucking chemicals into your skin / hair follicles), Diethanolamine and Triethanolamine (which are two chemicals which destroy keratin, a key component of your hair), and Formaldehyde of course, which is the most damaging (as its again carcinogen). If your eyes sting while washing your hair, then you know that there is Formaldehyde in it.

On the shampoo side there are already loads of okay organic, natural products on the market, and they are worth exploring for all the reasons mentioned & emphasized above.
Still,maybe you also want to give your grandma’s recipe for a health scalp and strong hair a try now and then, by using some good old plain Apple Cider Vinegar for washing your hair.
But then after your shower or bath, things get tricky and complicated, when it comes to “styling” your (wet) hair. As there are no real “healthy” styling products out there.

Again, Aloe Vera gel works as the best basis. First, when the Aloe Vera gel dries out it gets firm and hard.
But there are many other (hair) health benefits too. When you smooze Aloe Vera into your hair, and it penetrates your hair follicles, this improves damaged, dry hair (best “conditioner” ever). It deep cleanses oily hair, and it prevents itchy scalps because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
Aloe vera contains loads of minerals and vitamins which contribute to cell turnover, support healthy cell (and hair) growth, and promote a strong hair “health”.
Overall, Aloe Vera is a great “source” to make your hair look healthier, shinier, and softer.

Next, we add some (organic) Rosemary essential oil to the Aloe Vera gel. Rosemary is a culinary and healing herb. This woody perennial is native to the Mediterranean and Arab region, where it’s been used as food and medicine for centuries.
Rosemary has got anti-inflammatory properties, it promotes nerve growth, and it improves circulation. As a result, regarding using Rosemary for hair treatments, it prevents hair follicles from being starved of blood supply, dying off, and leading to hair loss.
Its ability to heal nerve endings also rejuvenates nerves in the hair follicles too, in turn even restoring hair growth naturally, as many studies have shown. And beyond stimulating hair growth, rosemary essential oil is also used to prevent dandruffs and itchy scalps.

So, mixing Aloe Vera and Rosemary is quite a powerful combination for you “hair health”. And it’s easy, totally natural, and so much cheaper than any industry conditioner or artificial hair gel.

So, my Sunday Health Hack for today – Put some Aloe Vera gel into you palm, add a couple of drops of Rosemary oil to it, commingle them in your hands, and apply it to your wet hair.
The “amounts” depends on the length of your hair, but you’ll get a feel for it quickly.

Cool side effect: Besides that Rosemary makes your hair also “smell” nice, the Rosemary scent also has a positive effect on your brain functions, eg. promoting focus and concentration.

Last time, some asked me for a recommendation regarding Aloe Vera gel. Besides that I do sometimes make the effort to get fresh Aloe Vera plants from the farmers market or well-stocked health stores, pressing the pure plant gel into a crème jar, I obtain my Aloe Vera gel from Naissance (Europe) in a bulk – https://bit.ly/3DUZqfD
Again, no affiliation whatsoever. And I am sure there are other trustworthy, organic Aloe Vera gels out there. Always good to have a chat with the staff of your local health store. Just watch out that the gel is not too liquid but rather more “creamy”.

Love in style, Yours  Andreas

Sunday Quote
True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself. It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations. It is seen with white hair and is always young in the heart.
Balzac

Sunday Music
Nature offers so many “wonders”. And speaking of the Mediterranean and Arab region, if you haven’t visited Jordan and Petra, one of the 7 world wonders, yet, it’s time to make new discoveries.

Sunday Health Hack No. 16 – Throw away your deodorant, and use some organic aloe vera gel and tea tree & lemon essential oil instead.

As mentioned before, thriving for a healthy lifestyle is much more than just “food”. So today I want to tackle a different issue the first time, a serious one – cosmetics. In this Health Hack deodorants in particular (sprays, rollers, pins etc.).
In Germany, almost 80% of the population uses deodorants on a daily basis. It’s a multi-trillion industry, spending billions in advertising to convince people of its crucial necessity – if you do want to have a successful social & love life.

As the skin is our largest organ, most of what we put on our skin ends up in our bloodstream. So it’s important to know about the potentially harmful toxins in some of your cosmetic products and their effects on your health.
The most common chemical ingredients found in deodorant and antiperspirants are aluminium, parabens, triclosan, phthalates, propylene glycol and many more, disguised as “fragrances”.
Aluminium, a metal, is a common ingredient in anti-perspirants that works by “plugging” sweat ducts to stop sweating. Aluminium can cause genomic instability on the cell level, meaning it can increase our cells’ tendency to mutate, increasing the chance of tumor growth.
Parabens have been shown to mimic estrogen in the body’s cells, interfering with the way your body produces hormones.
Phthalates are plasticizers found in children’s toys, but also deodorants and lotions. They’ve been linked to asthma, ADHD, breast cancer, obesity, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development, male fertility issues and many more health problems.
The abundance of health concerns associated with triclosan has led to the ban of its use in hand soaps. However, the chemical is still permitted for use in other products, like deodorants.
This short sneak peak of a much, much longer list of “poisonous” ingredients shall give you a first idea why it might not be a good idea to continue using a deodorant.

Another major problem is that your armpits are the “front gate” to your lymphatic system.
The lymphatic system has, for making it not too complicated, two existential tasks – it’s the main “garbage removal system” of your body, getting rid of all waste, left-overs and “toxins” from every cell. And it’s important for the production of immune cells such as lymphocytes, monocytes, and antibody producing cells called plasma cells.
From your armpits all the poisonous ingredients from the deodorant now enter straight into the lymphatic system without much of a barrier, wreaking havoc on your body’s need to detox, and simultaneously crippling your immune system too. Quite an explosive combination on the long run.

But there is actually an easy and also much cheaper, and I would even claim much nicer scented solution and alternative to these chemical, artificial deodorants.
Go to your health store and get some Aloe Vera gel – organic and not so liquid of course – as well as the essential oils tea tree and lemon.

Aside from being a staple in your mother’s medicine cabinet for sunburned skin, Aloe Vera has been used by different civilizations for centuries for a range of skin care, health, and medicinal purposes. It has cooling properties and is anti-inflammatory. And it is rich in antioxidants and minerals. Which now serve to the benefit of your lymphatic system.

In this case, Aloe Vera gel also functions as the “carrier” for the essential oils.
Essential oils are simply the highly concentrated liquids (oils) and other natural compounds of the plant from which they were extracted.
For example, one drop of cinnamon oil contains the same health benefits as 20 tbs of Ceylon cinnamon powder!
That’s why it is always recommended to use a “carrier”, like in this case Aloe Vera gel, when applying essential oil on the skin (for dilution).
Tea tree oil is one of the most popular and versatile essential oils that kill germs out there. While it’s mostly used for its aromatic properties, tea tree oil also has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory qualities. Meaning, the bacteria responsible for the “stink” get eradicated (or even don’t stand a chance to reproduce).
Lemon essential oil also does have powerful antifungal and antibacterial properties, and is high in citric acid, thus making it a strong cleansing agent. And it additionally offers a long-lasting, fresh, invigorating smell.

One might argue that the initial investment for quality Aloe Vera gel and the essential oils may seem higher than a deodorant from the supermarket. But they last much, much longer, so in total it’s even a much cheaper way to smell nicely (and healthy).

Sunday Health Hack for today – Put a thumb-sized amount of Aloe Vera gel into you palm, add 1-2 drops of tea tree and lemon oil to it, commingle them in your hands, and apply it to your armpits.

Do that in the mornings and after every shower, and “Moschus brutal” was a thing of yesterday – in a much more natural, healthier, even health beneficial manner.

Extra tip (especially for men): The human armpit has a lot to offer for bacteria. It’s moist, it’s warm, and it’s usually dark. And when bacteria show up, they make a “stink”. That’s because these bacteria produce smelly compounds, transforming the armpit from a neutral oasis to the mothership of body odour. And these bacteria especially love it “hairy”. The more the merrier.
So once in a while, please take your beard trimmer and cut back on your armpit outback as well.  

Love & balm, Yours  Andreas

Sunday Quote
You can give a person knowledge, but you can’t make them think. Some people just want to remain ignorant, only because the truth requires change.

Sunday Music
Freeing us from the tight grip of the gigantic cosmetic industry seems overwhelming but there is always a small first step …

Sunday Health Hack No. 15 – Just put some cinnamon on or in “everything” you eat (not only).

Cinnamon was already acquired by the ancient Greeks and Romans from Arabian traders, and at times the spice was more costly than gold. But not as a delicious food ingredient but for its strong healing powers, having been used as medicine long before the Romans by the Chinese or in India for thousands of years. And the ancient Egyptians used cinnamon even as part of their embalming rituals for their mummies due to its strong anti-fungal properties.

Cinnamon, native to Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), is derived from the inner bark of a small evergreen tree. The bark is peeled and laid in the sun to dry, where it curls into rolls known as cinnamon sticks. Today Cinnamon is most commonly available in powdered form.
The distinct smell and flavour of cinnamon is due to the oily part, which is very high in the compound “cinnamaldehyde”. And cinnamaldehyde is responsible for most of cinnamon’s powerful effects on health and metabolism.

Let’s go through some of the most important health benefits of cinnamon quickly.
Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols. Antioxidants protect your body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. And these antioxidants have also anti-inflammatory effects, which help lower your risk of inflammatory disease like headaches, joint pains, cystitis (bladder infection) or even arthritis.
Cinnamon dramatically reduces insulin resistance, helping this important hormone do its job Insulin is one of the key hormones that regulate metabolism and energy use. It’s also essential for transporting blood sugar from your bloodstream to your cells. The problem is that today many people are “resistant” to the effects of insulin, a hallmark of serious conditions like metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Apart from the beneficial effects on insulin resistance, cinnamon also lowers blood sugar by several other mechanisms. For example, cinnamon significantly decreases the “rush” of glucose that enters your bloodstream after a meal by levelling and protracting the “sugar spikes”.
Cinnamon is high in gut beneficial fibres and many other nutrients like magnesium, calcium, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. Potassium helps to counteract sodium’s effect on blood pressure and regulates the heart rate. And Potassium is also involved in nerve function.
So cinnamon is a great “brain-food” too. Neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, Alzheimer or Parkinson are characterized by progressive loss of the structure or function of brain cells. Cinnamon protects neurons, normalizes neurotransmitter levels and improves motor function.

Extra “weight-loss” tip: Cinnamon boosts your metabolism, it reduces some of the bad effects of eating high-fat foods, and its positive effect on blood glucose levels works as an appetite suppressant and prevents that “sugar” is stored as fat.
Quite the opposite, the improved body metabolism somehow specifically targets the fat deposited in the abdominal area as an energy source.

So, my Sunday Health Hack for today is – put some cinnamon in and on “everything” you see fit. That could be your smoothy, your muesli, your peanut butter jam sandwich, cookies and cakes, whatever especially “sweet” related, just give it a try.

Extra tip: Even dash some cinnamon in your coffee. It not only delicious but appetite suppressing abilities of both coffee and cinnamon combine to create a powerful recipe for weight loss.
And also sprinkle some cinnamon in your evening Rooibos tea, so your belly fat gets burned away while you sleep. 🙂

Fitness tip: Add some cinnamon to your post-workout-shake. Due to its strong antioxidant and inflammatory effects Cinnamon tremendously aids exercise recovery and eases muscle soreness.

Skin tip: Cinnamon also has been used in ancient medicine for thousands of years as a potent “wound healer”. If you do have any cuts, rashes, irritated or inflamed skin spots, eczemas, mix a DIY crème of some ghee, turmeric, honey and cinnamon, put it on the spot, let it dry, wash it off, and repeat as long as necessary.

But again, quality matters. Not all cinnamon is created equal. There are two main types of cinnamon – Ceylon cinnamon, also known as “true” cinnamon. And Cassia cinnamon, the more common variety and what people generally refer to as “cinnamon” today.
Unfortunately, the cheaper Cassia variety, which you find in the supermarket store or in your cinnamon roll (!!), contains significant amounts of a compound called coumarin, which can be harmful in large doses.
Thus, the Ceylon variety, the “true” cinnamon, is the much better choice as it contains almost none coumarin.
And generally, 2-5gr of cinnamon daily is regarded as safe, securing all the health benefits mentioned above.

Shopping tip – I buy cinnamon in a “bulk”. Most Indian shops do have (organic) cinnamon powder in 500gr or 1.000gr bags. Or I order it online directly from a trusted source like Azafran (in Germany).
https://bit.ly/3iIg7RH
Emphasizing once again, that I have no relation and no affiliation with this company. But people keep on asking for recommendations, and I don’t want to let them buy some (supermarket) junk either.

In Love & Cinnamon, Yours  Andreas

Sunday Quote
The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.
Emerson

Sunday Music
Just fall in love with it … and savour!