Skincare costs can add up. Different products cloud the skin care lines and the prices can get to be sky high. Whether you have oily skin or dry skin, there are plenty of DIY masks that can help enrich your skin with vitamins while moisturizing or brightening your undertones. 

If you have dry skin, try making an avocado mask!

What you’ll need:

½ an avocado

1 teaspoon of plain yogurt

1 teaspoon of honey

Mash up your avocado, then mix in your honey and yogurt. Apply with a soft foundation brush for an even spread, and leave on for 10-15 minutes. This DIY mask is sure to hydrate and soften your skin.

If you have oily skin, try making an aloe mask!

What you’ll need:

3 inches of aloe vera leaf

1 tablespoon of honey

Cut open your aloe vera leaf and scoop out the squishy inside, then blend with your raw honey! Apply evenly, all over the face and relax for 15 minutes. Aloe vera is filled with vitamins and has anti-inflammatory properties, giving it the ability to soothe the skin while also keeping it hydrated.

Most professional athletic sports have on-staff chiropractors to prevent injuries while also boosting performance. Strenuous training can be taxing on the muscles and joints causing a great deal of pain. Athletes look “ripped” because they are creating small tears in their muscles every day to build more strength. However, in order for these muscles to heal, they must rest and regularly receive chiropractic care for their aches and to readjust their body. 

Research suggests that chiropractic care directly affects the overall performance of athletes. Adjusting a misaligned spine will widen an athletes range of motion, relieving stiffness and promoting better performance. The brain and spine are the body’s central nervous system, and when the spine is misaligned, the brain communicates pain to the body. A readjustment from a chiropractor would relieve this pain and balance your nervous system. 

Chiropractic care is essential for athletes who are constantly straining and training their body to be better. Rest days go hand in hand with chiropractic adjustments and will benefit your body and mind to maximize performance. 

Cinnamon is a spice that comes from the inner bark of cinnamon trees. Once this inner bark is dried, it begins to curl and form cinnamon sticks. These could be sold as is, or ground up into a cinnamon powder. The essential oil found in cinnamon, cinnamaldehyde, gives the spice it’s distinct smell and flavor. Cinnamaldehyde also contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties which help reduce infections and prevent swelling/blood clots. 

Cinnamon has been known to significantly improve the daily lives of type 2 diabetics by controlling blood sugar levels. By stimulating insulin receptors, cinnamon increases cells’ ability to use glucose while also lowering cholesterol levels in diabetic patients. Additionally, cinnamon has been proven to lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and lowers triglyceride levels. 

Including just one teaspoon of cinnamon into your daily food intake reaches your daily necessary fiber goal while also increasing the feeling of fullness and satisfaction. By interfering with digestive enzymes, cinnamon slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive tract, comparable, yet not as fast acting as insulin itself. 

It is important to recognize the two main varieties of cinnamon- ceylon and cassia. Ceylon cinnamon is true cinnamon, containing lower levels of coumarin, which can lead to liver issues. Cassia cinnamon is found in most grocery stores today and contains higher levels of coumarin. Overall, the intake of cinnamon should be consistent, and if using ceylon cinnamon, this can be ingested more frequently so its benefits can be fully acquired.

So, you seem to have joint pain and don’t know whether to visit a chiropractor or a massage therapist. And, in all honesty, you don’t know the difference between the two. 

Chiropractic therapy is when a specialist uses their hands or chiropractic tools to manipulate the spine or other parts of the body to realign you. Massage therapists use their hands, elbows, knees, feet, or tools to help the body relieve stress and tension in the muscles. 

Chiropractic Therapy: 

When someone first goes to chiropractic therapy, they should expect the specialist to request x-rays of the body. After reviewing the x-rays, the doctor will recommend a chiropractic treatment plan that will best help the patient’s pain. When starting treatment, the chiropractor will focus on the alignment of the spine. To do so, the chiropractor will apply controlled pressure on the necessary areas to relieve stress and pressure on the joints.

Massage Therapy: 

Massage therapy is the manipulation of soft tissues in the body as well as the manipulation of the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. Similar to chiropractic therapy, massage therapy helps relieve joint pains in areas such as back, neck, knees, etc.  However the main difference between a chiropractor and massage therapist is that a massage therapist uses their hands, feet, elbows, and knees to relieve the patient’s tension between joints. 

Nevertheless, don’t settle for just a chiropractic therapy or massage therapy, when you can combine both. Combining both treatments extends the wellness of both treatments since both practices are tools to relieve pain, restore mobility between joints, and increase health.

When visiting a chiropractor, they relieve you of your pain via adjustments. However, as you continue working through your daily activities and your back or neck become strained, you will be impatiently waiting for your next appointment to receive another realignment and relief. In between appointments, it’s important to stretch and be consistent with exercises your chiropractor recommends, corresponding with your treatment plan. A few exercises typically recommended by chiropractors are as follows:

For lower back stretching:

• As you lay flat on the floor, bring one knee to your chest and count to 5, then switch knees. Do this exercise five times per knee. Lastly, bring both knees to your chest and count to five, repeat this five times.  

• With your hands and knees on the floor, repeatedly arch your back and push your back out, hold each pose for five seconds before switching. Repeat this exercise 5 times. 

For lower back strengthening:

• Lay flat on your stomach with your arms by your side and slowly raise your chest up. Hold for five seconds and slowly lower your chest. Repeat this exercise 5 times. 

• Lay flat on your back and slowly lift your buttocks and lower back off the floor until your torso becomes aligned with your thighs. Hold for five seconds and lower yourself back to the floor. Repeat this exercise 5 times.

For neck stretching:

• While either sitting or standing, rotate your neck from side to side, roll your head around, let your right ear touch your right shoulder and repeat with left side. Do this exercise 5 times per side. 

For neck strengthening:

• Push your forehead into the palm of your hand and let your hand resist the force of your neck in order to build muscle. Do this same exercise with your hand at the back of your head. Repeat both exercises 5 times each. 

In keeping up with these exercises between each chiropractic appointment, you will benefit even more from the relief and adjustment from your chiropractor. These exercises don’t only help you in feeling relief, but also help the chiropractor perform adjustments because your muscles are loosened up and are more open to receiving care.

Made from apples, vinegar, and a bacterial culture referred to as the “mother,” Apple Cider Vinegar is known to be an essential probiotic for optimal gut function. It is quite versatile, with an array of functions such as a facial toner, a salad dressing, a probiotic, and more.

Apple cider vinegar contains pectin, a soluble gelatinous polysaccharide which acts as a laxative with prebiotic effects, promoting digestion. During the fermentation process, short-chain fatty acids are produced. These SCFA’s, specifically butyrate, is essential for gut health. The kind of apple cider vinegar to look for when attempting to reach its peak benefits is one that contains the “mother.” This bacterial culture contains five living probiotics including, acetobacter, lactobacillus, oenococcus, komagataeibacter, and gluconobacter.

Since apple cider vinegar is an anti-inflammatory, it has been widely recognized as a good alternative to a store-bought face toner. ACV restores the pH balance of your skin, making for an all-natural astringent. In addition to this, ACV contains beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A (retinol), which is needed for healthy skin and mucous membranes, a good immune system, and good vision. While safe to use and consume, it should be diluted when applied to the face, or when ingested directly. At about a 10:1 water to acv mixture, the acidic levels will lessen and will not burn.

Remember, apple cider vinegar is not a cure-all, but is definitely not snake oil. As for gut health, apple cider vinegar does it’s job very well, and, being a liquid, is very easy to add into almost any meal.

Chiropractic therapy is when a medical professional uses their hands to apply controlled pressure on the joints to relieve pain and make adjustments. Sometimes they use instruments such as the activator adjusting tool or small hand held tools to help apply force on trouble areas.

Before making proper adjustments, a chiropractor will request an x-ray to check how your spine and cartilage look, to know exactly what they are working with. Individuals who suffer from neck, shoulder, or back pain are usually in pain as a result of heavy weight lifting, poor posture, or personal injury accidents.

The reason why chiropractic care is so popular among many individuals is that it is a homeopathic, drug-free approach to relieving pain. Also, chiropractic therapy can be a treatment option to avoid surgery. If therapy doesn’t help, then he/she should consider surgery for their pain.

If one is suffering from any sort of muscle or joint pain, it is highly recommended that he/she visits their physician first, where the patient will likely be recommended to visit a chiropractor to help relieve their pain.

Intermittent fasting is a diet form which focuses on time-restricted eating, rather than the foods you consume. The most popular variation of intermittent fasting is referred to as 16:8. This plan calls for a 16 hour fast per day with an 8-hour window for feeding. This method is safe to use daily, or a few times per week- whatever works for you. Most users opt for either a feeding window from noon to 8pm or even during work hours such as 9am-5pm.

Research on intermittent fasting is limited, however, studies have indicated that children with epilepsy suffered less epileptic seizures when committing to the intermittent fasting lifestyle.

In addition to the 16:8 diet, another variation of fasting has emerged as the 5:2 diet. This method entails eating regularly, as one does, 5 days a week, while the other 2 days are restricted to a limited consumption of only 500 calories. These days of fasting should not be consecutive as the body needs to recharge with the correct amount of calories and nutrients to survive.  

While fasting can be a way to lose weight, it is vital to have a balanced and healthy diet while undergoing to 5:2 lifestyle shift. All seven days should consist of healthy foods with essential nutrients, dietary fiber, and vitamins. With this being said, armor up with lots of fruits and vegetables in addition to your protein intake. Since fruits and vegetables are calorically low, they pack in a hefty amount of vitamins and nutrients we wouldn’t otherwise consume from meats, bread, cheeses, etc.

Intermittent fasting is one of many ways to change your eating habits and develop a better relationship with the food you consume.

While many suspicions linger around the mentioning of a chiropractor, many curiosities wander alongside.

Is chiropractic care right for me?

What are the signs I need to see a chiropractor?

Will they really help?

Back and neck pains are the main aspects of our anatomy that come to mind when someone asks about a chiropractors specialty. However, these are not the only two. Many conditions bring people into a consultation, oftentimes this includes headaches, relying on pain medications, injuries suffered from car accidents, chronic joint and muscle aches, sedentary jobs causing stiffness, and so many more.

If you’re suffering from headaches often, this may be due to dehydration, poor dietary choices, or misalignment for the neck or spine. During your visit to the chiropractor, they can aid this with a manipulation corresponding to the area affected. Chiropractors often offer additional information on better food choices, leaving you pain-free with information to take home and implement into your life to improve your overall health.

Reliance on pain medications can get in the way of your daily activities, leaving you cloudy, possibly dissatisfied, and overall, in pain without it. Chiropractic care focuses on natural remedies for relieving pain by performing adjustments where they are needed, instead of letting their patients fall into a bad habit.

After being an automobile accident, you should immediately seek chiropractic care- even if symptoms do not arise right away. An experienced chiropractor will first take x-rays to determine the severity of your injuries and follow up with the correct treatment plan for you. By visiting a chiropractor sooner than later, you are allowing your body to heal quickly rather than letting it deteriorate until the point when the pain becomes unbearable.

If you do in fact need a chiropractor, they will help your body recover properly after a traumatic accident, or adjust your body to function optimally, as you once had.

The ketogenic diet has become the latest and most trendy weight loss program. The ketogenic diet requires a minimal carbohydrate intake, a moderate protein intake, and a very high fat intake. Keto is a diet that changes your body into a fat-adapted state, with its high fat intake requiring the body to burn fat, rather than sugar as it normally would. With this being said, there is not much research of long term effects in regards to how keto can affect our body as it becomes a lifestyle shift. Once your body is completely fat-adapted, it enters ketosis, a normal metabolic process. However, once the body does not have enough glucose for energy, it burns stored fats instead, and finally, the body creates ketones.

A healthy, balanced diet does not create or use ketones, unless the body transitions to the ketogenic diet. It is important to note that high levels of ketones can lead to serious dehydration and a chemical imbalance in the blood- as well as acetone breath (one of the ketones created is acetone). For those who have diabetes- ketosis is a sign of an insufficient amount of insulin.

So, what do we know about the ketogenic diet? It burns fat and is effective in weight loss, but can send you into dehydration and can be dangerous for those with diabetes and high cholesterol, among other side effects. A healthy and balanced diet will suffice to not only lose, but to maintain a healthy weight, and a healthy mindset.