Category: Health & Fitness

People have used essential oils since 2,000 BC for their medicinal benefits as well as to enhance spiritual health. This makes sense, given that the ingredients for these oils are all around us.

Today, women are opting for holistic alternatives to over-the-counter and prescription medications to help with common health issues. These issues include everything from depression to stress to hormonal imbalances.

Essential oils offer a wide range of benefits, though you need to learn which ones are right for you. What works for one woman may not have much effect on another.

In this article, we’re going over ten essential oils for women so you can decide which ones you’d like to try first.

1. Clary Sage

This is one of the best and most commonly used essential oils for women. Clary sage is a great option if you suffer from bad menstrual cramps or headaches. It can even help ease symptoms related to menopause.

Clary sage is also known as a calming agent. It helps with depression and stress. Women have also used it during childbirth to aid in relaxation.

Try adding two or three drops to your bath. Or, you can add it to a carrier oil and massage directly on areas where you’re feeling tension or pain.

2. Geranium

Regardless of your age, geranium is great for hormonal imbalances. This oil works like a tonic for your adrenal cortex, which produces hormones.

Geranium helps with symptoms of PMS such as fluid retention. It’s also great for fatigue, nervousness, and depression.

Add it to your bath or even directly to your moisturizer, as it can balance oil production in your skin. This essential oil is also known as an aphrodisiac and is great for use during massages.

3. Jasmine

In addition to helping alleviate the negative side-effects of menstruation and PMS, jasmine can help reduce stretch marks and can even heal acne.

Jasmine can also reduce postpartum depression along with anxiety and fatigue. During childbirth, it helps lessen pain.

Because jasmine is known as a mood-enhancer, it can help boost energy levels and increase your sex drive.

You can add it to carrier oils to apply to scars or stretch marks. Or, add it to an oil diffuser and enjoy the aroma.

Because it takes so many jasmine blossoms to produce the oil, it’s typically rather expensive. Check out Rich Minerals for a great deal on this and other essential oils.

4. Lemon

You’re probably already aware of the health benefits of consuming lemon. It’s a great source of Vitamin C and helps with cleansing and detoxifying the body. But it’s also one of the great essential oils for women.

Lemon helps promote healthy skin and can also relieve stress. You can add a single drop to a cool glass of water for an energy boost. Remember, just one drop is enough.

Or, try using lemongrass oil in a diffuser and enjoy a calming atmosphere as you start your day.

5. Lavender

If you have trouble sleeping, this is the essential oil for you. Lavender has a reputation of calming the central nervous system in order to promote relaxation.

If you’ve had a stressful day, add a few drops of lavender to a warm bath. You’ll probably notice its tranquilizing properties right away.

When it’s time to turn in, add a drop or two to the soles of your feet. You can also apply lavender oil to minor skin blemishes or irritations.

6. Basil

You know basil as a very common ingredient in the kitchen. But as far as essential oils for women, it has a number of benefits.

Basil is a great oil for muscle aches and soreness. Add it to a carrier oil and massage tired muscles. You’ll also probably notice it helps with relaxation as well.

This oil is also a great remedy for digestive issues, constipation, and even helps improve your memory. You can also add a little basil oil to insect bites to help soothe them.

7. Tea Tree Oil

If you want to ensure your skin and nails remain healthy, this oil works great. You can apply it directly to skin blemishes or areas of bad acne.

Tea tree oil is perfect for skin issues because it has both anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. In addition to applying it directly to problem areas, you can add a small amount to your bath.

You can even add tea tree oil to your detergent.

8. Ylang-Ylang

Added to a diffuser, ylang-ylang gives off a beautiful, floral scent. It’s commonly used in aromatherapy treatments.

This essential oil is known for its ability to enhance libido. It’s also great for relaxation.

The intoxicating aroma of ylang-ylang is quite strong. You may try mixing it with another favorite oil, as some people find it too powerful by itself.

You can add it to your bath, use it in a diffuser or simply inhale straight from the bottle.

9. Eucalyptus

Of all the essential oils for women on this list, eucalyptus contains the most impactful health benefits. The primary one is circulation. This oil helps relax blood vessels, so if you suffer from circulatory issues, you need to give it a try.

It also has cardiovascular benefits. It’s commonly used for clearing sinuses and helping with congestion during illnesses like the common cold and flu.

You can also use it during allergy season to keep your sinuses clear. Add it to a diffuser by your bed like you would a humidifier.

10. Peppermint

If you suffer from frequent headaches, you might want to try peppermint oil. It’s great for taking the edge off and can also keep you alert during menstrual periods.

Peppermint is also a popular essential oil for aiding in digestion and other stomach issues. It can also combat respiratory problems and relieve tightness in the muscles.

You can find this essential oil in a roll-on applicator. Simply apply it to your forehead when you feel a headache coming on.

Try Your Favorite Essential Oils for Women

After you’ve nailed down which of these oils you think will work best, try several and narrow down your favorites. Keep the best ones on hand and enjoy a healthier alternative to medications.

If you’re concerned about using essential oils, talk to your doctor first. They’ll likely give you the green light.

For more great articles about women’s health and fitness issues, check out our blog.

With winter coming to a close, it’s time to take off those sweaters and reveal the skin we wear underneath.

And unless you’re one of the less than 10% of women who loves their skin, I’d guess you’re contemplating how hard it would be to wear a sweater through the summer months.

Here, I’m going to give you some skin care tips that will leave you feeling confident and ready to shed those second layers and embrace the sun.

Skin Care Tips For Your Face

We’ve all been there: rushing around trying to make sure everything is in order and the kids have their homework finished all while trying to make sure you’ve met your deadline.

In the rush of a busy schedule, you may have forgotten to wash off your makeup before bedtime – again. No big deal, right?

Actually, wearing your makeup that long can cause your pores to become clogged and dry out your skin.

A great product people have been talking about is the Aztec Indian Healing Clay. This is a product with a huge bang for your buck that works wonders for your skin.

Looking for fragrance and oil-free products can also be beneficial for the health of your skin because it can help you avoid irritation throughout the day.

1. Moisturizing

The average human has about twenty square feet of skin on their bodies. That means it’s time to get moisturizing!

There are different moisturizers for different skin types and you can find them all at affordable drugstore prices.

The best time to apply moisturizer is in the morning because it prepares your skin to take on the day.

2. You Wear What You Consume

A great way to keep your skin glowing all year around is adequate hydration!

Women should drink at least eight glasses of water a day to keep their skin healthy and pure and to wash out toxins.

A great way to motivate yourself to drink enough water is to infuse it with your favorite fruits overnight like strawberries, blueberries or even cucumbers for a crisp, fresh taste.

3. Sweat Makes Healthy Skin

Exercise is a terrific way to make sure your skin is healthy and glowing.

Dermatologist Noelle S. Sherber says it’s because you’re supplying your body with oxygenated blood.

Sweat also unclogs your pores and helps reduce acne.

But remember to rehydrate!

4. I Dream of Glowing Skin

As if we didn’t a reason to sleep in already.

According to a study from Alaska Sleep Clinic, lack of sleep physically alters the appearance of your skin through increased cortisol levels which in turn cause the inflammation that breaks down the proteins in the skin.

These proteins are responsible for the shine. Thus, your skin appears ashy and blotchy.

Apparently, sleep is also a natural moisturizer. Through the perspiration that naturally occurs during the sleep cycle, your body is helping to smooth wrinkles.

Lack of sleep can target stress in the body and affect collagen in the skin. When collagen becomes thinner, skin starts to show signs of aging.

With these simple skin care tips, you’ll never feel the need sweat it out in long sleeves during Summer again.

Visit our blog Thrifty Momma Ramblings and follow us for more useful tips, giveaways, and services!

Depression is one of the most common serious illnesses for moms in the United States. On a national scale, 1 out of 9 women experiences depression after having a baby. It depends on which state you’re in, with some states having as high as 1 out 5 women suffering from this disorder.

One of the most common ways to prevent depression is to watch out for your health and fitness. The problem is that even people without children struggle to lead healthy lives. As a mom, you’re always on the go because you’re responsible for your children, making it hard to stay fit.

Staying fit and healthy as an “On the Go” mom needs more than an hour at the gym a few times a week. It requires you to stay strong, dedicated, and to work hard. Here are some tips to maintain your health and fitness:

Make Sure You’re Well-Rested

Having a good night’s rest can make a huge impact on your health and fitness. Even if you’re busy, make sure that you get yourself a proper bedtime. Organize your schedule in a way that you have sufficient amount of sleep while fulfilling your busy schedule.

If you get enough sleep, you become well-energized throughout the day. It helps you think more clearly and choose healthier lifestyle choices. It gives you more means to figure out how to quit smoking weed and other possible unhealthy behaviors.

Aside from that, proper sleep boosts your mood, improves your creativity, and makes it easier for you lose weight. Going to bed half an hour earlier than usual can make a big difference to the day ahead.

Don’t Forget to Include the Family

If you want to improve your health and fitness, the best way to start is to include your family in your healthy lifestyle choices. It’s hard to stay committed if you’re going alone, even if you have a supportive spouse. Make meals without over-processed foods for them and set healthy meal times.

You can make fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as your primary food source. Eat as much organic food as your family can. It helps you sleep better, reduce your stress and anxiety, and make you more energetic while on the go.

Spend More Time With Your Kids

Watching over your busy, growing children is one of the best ways to get exercise. Instead of letting them play alone in the yard or in the living room, go with them and run along. You can go biking together and go on hiking trips whenever possible.

Spending time with your children keeps them happy and help you bond with them more. Your children love feeling special. If you have more than one kid, try to spend a one-on-one time with each of them if you have the time.

Plan Your Meals on a Monthly Basis

Taking the time to plan your upcoming meals is one of the best ways to keep your healthy eating on track. No matter what kind of meals you prepare, you should plan it to suit your family’s dietary needs and favorite foods. When you plan your meals, it saves you a lot of time while shopping for ingredients in the grocery store.

It comes in handy when you’re pulling up a blank on what to cook. However, don’t forget to add date nights with your family. Go out and eat in family restaurants and give yourself and your family a treat.

Spend Some Time for Yourself

Regular diet and exercise are important, but spending some alone time to care for yourself can make it more worthwhile. Your alone time can be a 15-minute intensive skincare routine every evening or an hour’s worth of bubble bath on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Whatever activities you choose, taking the time to enjoy your own company helps make your health and fitness better.

You deserve the break, even for short periods of time. Focusing on yourself can help you find calmness amid an otherwise hectic schedule.

Don’t Forget to Stay Hydrated

If you don’t drink enough water, you are at risk for various complications like urinary and kidney problems. Water is one of the top things you need to have to have good health and fitness. You’re supposed to drink at least 2 liters of water daily, making it an important component of your day.

A good way to stay hydrated if you’re always on-the-go is to keep a water bottle with you at all times. Drink as often as you can and refill it whenever it runs out. For better results, drink water instead of those sweet, sugary sodas you often take.

Choose Your Snacks Wisely

Getting snacks is an unavoidable part of your day. There are lots of times when you feel hungry but it’s not enough for you to eat a full meal. Usually, that can lead you to have some poor health choices.

Be wise when picking the food you snack on. Instead of eating a bag of chips or chocolate chip cookies, eat some fruits and vegetables. Trail mix and mixed nuts are solid choices when it comes to health and fitness too. There are lots of healthy yet tasty snacking choices waiting for you out there.

Get More Health and Fitness Tips Today!

Maintaining your health is a task that needs a lot of strength and dedication. Ignoring your needs for the sake of other things in life will leave you empty. Taking the time to focus on yourself makes you more energized and make it easier for you to interact with your family and finish your tasks with purpose.

A healthy mom is a happy mom. A happy mom becomes a better mom for her children and a better person overall. That’s why it’s important to care for yourself first–to better care for your family in the long run.

If you’re ready to make a big health and fitness change, contact us today. We can help you get started.

If you are a nurse, you know all about bacteria and how to protect yourself from it. You wash your hands often and wear your mask and gown when necessary. But have you ever stopped to think about how dirty your clothing gets during a shift?

You’re exposed to a lot throughout the course of your day (or night). And everything that you’re exposed to, your nurse scrubs are exposed to.

Do you know how you should handle your scrubs? If you are not following good practices someone could get sick. Members of your family are particularly susceptible for obvious reasons.

Here is some great advice on how to take care of your nurse scrubs the right way.

How Dirty Do Your Nurse Scrubs Get?

As a nurse, you spend most of your time in scrubs. You want comfortable, breathable scrubs because your job is already stressful enough. You’re always wanting to learn more about where you can find comfortable scrubs.

You’re concerned about comfort, but how often do you think about cleanliness? We may first need to convince you about how dirty your scrubs get during your shift. It’s natural for human beings to get desensitized to things they are around all the time.

If you don’t know what we mean, think about the first time you cleaned up someone’s puke. It may have really grossed you out and you wanted to puke yourself. Now you don’t even bat an eye.

The intrinsic level of the grossness of puke hasn’t changed. But you’ve been desensitized to it because of constant exposure.

In the same way, when you first started working you may have been more aware of your clothes. You may have gone straight home and dumped your clothes in the wash first thing. Now on a busy morning, you may pick up a dirty shirt, give it the sniff test, and toss it on.

Though that shirt may look clean, it isn’t. The intrinsic level of bacteria that contaminates your clothing hasn’t changed. You may have been desensitized to it, but it’s still really dirty.

Do You Need to Worry About Bacteria Contamination?

The short answer is, yes. But, in case you need convincing, here’s the long answer.

This study followed 10 nurses at a hospital in Washington State. They started each shift (both day and night) with sterilized uniforms. Within 48 hours the dangerous bacteria MRSA was present on 7 out of the 10 uniforms. And that was only one of the bacteria strains they found on the clothes.

And don’t think you’re out of the woods because you wear scrubs made from antimicrobial fabric. Duke University Hospital also did a study on nurse scrubs. They wanted to see if antimicrobial fabrics limited the number of bacteria on scrubs.

They tested 3 types of scrubs. These included

• Regular cotton scrubs
• Scrubs with a silver alloy in the fibers
• Scrubs made with other antibacterial materials.

They followed 40 nurses for this study. They took over 5000 cultures from their clothes and the patient’s rooms. They found no significant difference in the presence of bacteria in the fabrics.

Instead, they found that scrubs got contaminated anew about 33% of the time. MRSA was one of the most often seen bacteria.

Don’t Wear Your Scrubs Around Town

Think about what that means. Your clothes could be dangerously dirty. What if you stop off at the grocery store on your way home from work? You could unwittingly expose a lot of people to some intense bacteria.

In fact, many countries, like the UK, Canada, and Australia have rules about this. They don’t allow you to wear scrubs and other hospital clothing outside of the hospital. The risk is too great.

It goes without saying, but you shouldn’t ever wear your scrubs for a second shift either. Always wash your scrubs between every shift. It doesn’t matter if they don’t look dirty. They are dirty.

How to Wash Your Scrubs

Now you understand how important it is to clean your nurse scrubs. Here are some tips on how to wash your scrubs and thoroughly disinfect them between uses.

You can wash cotton scrubs in cold water and dry them on your dryer’s lowest setting. Turn them inside out first to prevent wear on the outside finish. This can happen by rubbing against other the other clothing in the wash.

You can wash cotton-polyester mix fabrics in warm water. You can also bump the dryer heat up to regular. Don’t ever use hot water for either fabric type, though. This can set stains and wear your scrubs out faster.

Commercial fabric softeners are often scented, which can be bothersome to some patients. To avoid using them, toss a half cup of distilled white vinegar in with the rinse water.

How to Disinfect Your Scrubs

Washing your nurse scrubs is great, but you also have to disinfect them. This is how you can be sure that you kill all those harmful bacteria like MRSA.

It is a good idea to keep your dirty scrubs separate from other clothing. You won’t need to disinfect normal use clothing, but your dirty scrubs could infect it. Also, if the person who handles the laundry gets sick easily, gloves are a good idea.

For white cotton scrubs, you can toss chlorine bleach into the dispenser. The machine will release the bleach into the water at the right moment. Be aware that oxygen-based bleaches do not disinfect the way you need.

For everything else, you should use a pine oil based disinfectant. Be sure the brand you choose has at least 80% pine oil in the ingredients. Add this to the water at the beginning of the cycle.

Be Safe!

Being a nurse is a hard job and we’re glad that you’re willing to do it. Remember to take care of yourself and your family too.

Use your scrubs at work only and wash them well between shifts. For more great cleaning tips, be sure to check out the cleaning section of our blog.

With nearly 45 million Americans going on a diet each year and most dieting targeted toward women, it can be hard to know what makes for good health.

No two bodies are the same and it’s rare that one diet can work for multiple people. While there are some basic facts related to calorie intake for women, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Understanding what number of calories each woman should eat is related to how active you are and what kinds of calories you consume. While calories are measured in a general way, blame has been put on fat instead of the true enemy: sugar. A low-calorie diet high in sugar is as bad as one with high calories and no sugar.

If you’re wondering what the ideal calorie intake for women is, you need to balance it with your activity. Here are a few ways to look at the problem.

For Active Women

Women who walk more than 3 miles a day or perform more than 30 minutes of exercise daily are considered “active.” Those women can easily consume 2,000 calories of fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein and maintain a healthy weight.

The average idea is to have about 18 calories per pound of body weight. For a 120-pound woman, this means 2,160 calories per day. Athletes can consume more calories than this.

If you have a diet full of healthy whole foods and organic produce, consuming this amount of calories will easily balance out the workouts you do on a daily basis.

For Moderately Active Women

If a woman walks about 1.5 to 3 miles per day and or does 15-20 minutes of exercise a day, 1,800 calories can provide a healthy balance.

When eating mostly whole foods, fibers, grains, and a diet low in sugar 1,800 calories can be hard to meet. Prepackaged, prepared, or fast food is where you can start racking up those bad calories that are hard for the body to process.

Calculate about 16 calories per pound of body weight to get a better idea.

For Less Active Women

Women who work at an office job or don’t exercise beyond daily activities are considered to be sedentary. In this case, 1,600 calories a day is an appropriate range.

Multiply body weight by 13 to get an accurate figure.

To lower your calorie intake, try adding more seafood for high-quality protein with low calories.

For Overweight Women

To help with weight loss, a balance of smart drugs, calorie reduction, and exercise are recommended. Avoid “diet” or “low fat” foods, as the natural fats have been replaced with hard to process chemicals that the liver turns into fat.

For this calculation, multiply your desirable body weight by 10. Getting down to the 1,400 calorie range isn’t too hard if you fill your diet with fruits and veggies.

A sugary apple will give you about 90 calories while a carrot has about 25. A really robust salad with oil and vinegar can easily fit under 500 calories.

Calorie Intake for Women Isn’t the End-All

As we’ve described, calorie intake isn’t everything. Activity and the kinds of calories you eat are what makes the biggest difference.

Switch from processed foods and make a rule of eating nothing with more than 5-8 ingredients listed on the package.

If you’re ready to make a big dietary change, contact us today for more tips on how to get started.