How to have Healthy Hair

How to have Healthy Hair

More people than I would think come to me for help with their hair.  Many women feel like they are losing hair at an extreme rate.  They are worried it won't grow back and that they eventually will go bald.  A lot of women come to me showing me spots on their scalp where their hair is thinning or where they are already completely bald.  There is a lot of natural things one can do for healthier hair to help hair regrow (even men) or prevent hair from falling out.

Number one thing I ask patients when they complain about their hair is what their stress level is. Stress is the number one thing that causes hair to thin.  Stress affects hormones and hormone levels affect hair growth.  Besides stress management here are other things that can help.

Supplementation

Some of the best supplements for one's hair to become thick and healthy include Saw Palmetto, Black Current Seed Oil, Vitamin E, etc.  Yet I never found that one supplement that could do it all so I developed my own, called Hair Rejuvenation.  It includes wild harvested Black Current Seed, Saw Palmetto, Dandelion, Rosemary, Pomegranate, Raspberry Leaf, Liposomal Vitamin C and Vitamin E. With this combination of ingredients I have found great results in hair regrowth and strengthening weak hair.  

Vitamin C, vitamin E and pomegranate are used for their antioxidants which helps the body have less stress on it from toxins.  Pomegranate also contains punicic acid which stimulates the hair follicles for better hair growth. This will strengthen the hair follicles and stimulates strong and fast hair growth. Also to help detox is dandelion which supports the liver.  Dandelion is also rich with vitamins A, C, B-complex and E. It also contains biotin, iron, sulfur, magnesium and calcium. These all enrich the hair by stimulating and strengthening the hair.   Rosemary has been tested in clinical trials and shown hair growth just as good as Rogaine on men after 6 months of use.   Raspberry leaf supports the hormones while black current seed and saw palmetto are direct hair support.  Hormone support is important because too much testosterone can cause hair to fall out.  Black Currant Seed contains omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, which help provide moisture for your hair and encourage hair growth and strength. Specifically, the gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in black currant seed oil is an omega-6 acid that can help prevent hair thinning, splitting and dryness.

By taking the oxidative stress off the body, while also supporting the hormones and liver as well as the hair I have seen the best results with my patients’ regrowth of hair.  Unfortunately it takes time and it’s usually only in the 4th month that patients start noticing a difference.  

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Simply mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 2 parts warm water. Rinse through your hair after washing at least 2-3 times per week. You can let it sit for 1-2 minutes, and then rinse out your hair completely.
What does apple cider vinegar do for your hair?
This apple cider vinegar rinse closes up your hair follicle to prevent damage by keeping your hair’s pH levels balanced. This gives you smoother, shinier, stronger hair.

Feed Your Hair the Right Nutrition

One of my most important natural hair growth tips is: nutrition.
Hair only grows if you feed it the right nutrients.  
Here’s how to keep your hair healthy by adding some key nutrients to your daily diet:

• Collagen powder (I use Organixx)
• Food-based B-vitamins
• Healthy fats (think coconut oil, olive oil, wild salmon and omega-3s, etc.)
• Antioxidants 

DIY Abundant Hair Growth Serum

This serum is what I use every day to promote strong hair:

• 10 drops rosemary essential oil
• 10 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil
• 2 drops cypress essential oil

Add these oils to 4 ounces of grapeseed oil OR aloe vera gel in a glass bottle. (Use the oil if you tend to have dry hair, aloe if it tends to be oily).
Apply a small amount to your fingertips after washing your hair and massage into your scalp daily.
You can also use the oil to do a deep moisture treatment by massaging a generous amount into your scalp and hair (especially the ends). Leave it in for about 30-60 minutes and then wash as usual. Do this especially if you use heat tools on your hair often.

Scalp Massage

One common reason for hair loss is lack of circulation. Due to lack of circulation the hair roots aren't getting enough blood to them. Without enough nutrients the hair prematurely falls out. What I suggest doing is spending a full minute in the morning and another full minute at night massaging your scalp to increase blood flow to the hair roots. You may find that as you massage in small circular motions using your fingertips, tender spots and it is those spots in particular you want to concentrate on for they are tender due to lack of circulation. You will notice as you massage the tender spots they will become less tender. Continue to do every day, twice a day, for at least 2 weeks in order to see a change.

Best Healing Oil for Each Chakra!

After lots of testing and smelling and testing and smelling some more I have finally come up with the best oils for each chakra! It's been months on end of working with the oils and chakras and trying out all sorts of oils to narrow it down and then just choose one oil for each chakra.

Starting with the Root Chakra (red)
BALANCE
Balance is a blend of oils made from spruce, rosewood, blue tansy, frankincense and coconut oil. It helps promote relaxation, soothe sore muscles and joints and evoke a sense of balance and tranquility. It's good to rub on the bottom of our feet before we even get out of bed in the morning to start the day out feeling balanced.When feeling anxious, it's good to apply to neck or wrists.

Sacral Chakra (orange)
DEEP BLUE
Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, German Chamomile, Helichrysum, and Osmanthus found in Deep Blue oil are a powerful ally when suffering from the occasional achy muscles. Also good for headaches, joint pain, pre or post workout and anywhere where there is inflammation in the body. And that's what the sacral chakra is concerned with, taking care of the body. And when the sacral chakra is blocked muscle spasms do occur, So wherever there is an ache put deep blue on it. You can dilute it in coconut oil or it comes in a muscle rub too!

Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow)
LEMON
Solar plexus chakra is about digestion and the lemon oil helps cleans the body and aid in digestion. It's perfect to have on you and add to your water! It helps purify the air so add it in your diffuser. It also helps the lungs and promote a positive mood and increase brain function. These aren't just any lemons but they are sourced from Italy, where lemons grow the best!

Heart Chakra (green)
ELEVATION

Also known as the 'Joyful Blend', contains Lavandin Flower, Lavender Flower, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Tangerine Peel, Melissa Flower, Ylang Ylang Flower, Elemi Resin, Osmanthus Flower, and Lemon Myrtle Leaf essential oils. It is excellent when you feel you need emotional support. But it is also great for post-partum depression. Add a few drops in your bath after a stressful day to elevate your mood and of course, rub it on your heart when in times of grief or sorrow. This is my favorite oil to wear as a perfume, just dab on the wrists and you are good to go!

Throat Chakra (Blue)
BERGAMOT

Besides adding a drop into regular tea to make into Earl Grey tea this citrus oil has a great way of uplifting while calming. So it is great for those of us who are anxious and depressed at the same time. I know it sounds like an oxymoron but it's true! Anxiety and depression can go hand in hand. I love using it for headaches. Put it right on the head ache spot and massage in. It is also known to help cleanse the skin so it's great for acne, rosacea or the like. I was surprised it started testing well for the throat chakra but I think it helps so well with our anxiety and depression which can be due to an ineffective throat chakra that's why it works so well!

Third Eye Chakra (Indigo)
LAVENDER
If it's one oil that does it all it's lavender and that's why you see it in so many of the essential oil blends. It's good for

Physical uses:
Stress & Anxiety
Agitation
Exhaustion
Mood Swings
Jet Lag
Hyperactivity
Grief
Depression (including Postpartum)
Concentration

Spiritual Uses:

Inner Peace
Purification
Meditation
Protection
Dispel Negative Energies
Lift the Spirits
Mental Clarity
Intuition

Crown Chakra (Violet or White)
SERENITY
Of course this blend has lavender in it for all the spiritual uses but it also has Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, and Ylang Ylang with the warming aromas of Hawaiian Sandalwood and Vanilla Bean to really help one have a restful night sleep. Great to rub on bottom of feet right before bed. Calms one down and is more intense than lavender by itself that's why it's good right before bed or meditation!

For more about the oils, click here!

Opening Up Chakras With Essential Oils!

Karuna did a wonderful chakra meditation using aromatherapy this last Thursday at the office. For those of you who missed it I wanted to share with you what oils she used for the chakras.

Root Chakra - Balance
Earthy tones of Spruce needle/leaf, Ho wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy Flower and Blue Chamomile Flower essential oils applied to the bottom of our feet helped us feel grounded.

Sacral Chakra - Digestzen
DigestZen® is a proprietary blend of pure essential oils. Ginger, peppermint, tarragon, fennel, caraway, coriander and anise each have specific attributes which help restore normal balance in the digestive system and sacral chakra.

Solar Plexus - Lemon
One drop rubbed right into the stomach is very soothing.



Heart - Serenity
A relaxing blend composed of Lavender, sweet marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, sandalwood and vanilla bean.

Throat - Deep Blue
A blend of wintergreen, camphor, peppermint, blue tansy, blue chamomile, helichrysum and osmanthus work together to ease achy joints and sore muscles. We rubbed it on the neck and shoulders for muscle tension relief.

Third Eye - Lavender
Massaged right into the Third eye and it smelled soooo good!

Crown - Frankincense
Perhaps the most precious of the ancient oils, frankincense is highly sought after by modern consumers for its many uses, including relaxation, immune support, and mood enhancement.

If you are interested in the oils or have more questions feel free to visit www.mydoterra.com/healingartsnyc.com
or contact me directly

Lavender Oil Benefits

Lavender is one of the most used essential oils in the world because it's benefits are numerous! Because it is so popular I wanted to take the time to blog about it.  Lavender has been known to:

Reduce anxiety and emotional stress
Heal burns and wounds
Improve sleep
Restore skin complexion and reduce acne
Slow aging with powerful antioxidants
Improve eczema and psoriasis
Alleviate headaches




This is how I use it:

As a Natural Perfume-

Do you want to smell good without using toxic perfumes? Lavender oil is a great scent for women and for men too. You can either try adding pure oil directly to your skin, or you can dilute oil in coconut oil for a more subtle scent.

If you’d like to rub the oil right onto your skin, try adding 2-3 drops into your palms and then rubbing your hands together. Then add the oil directly onto on your skin, clothes, or hair. You can also try using 2 drops of lavender oil added to a spray bottle with about ½ cup of water. Shake up the spray bottle and then spray whatever you’d like. You may also want to consider combining lavender oil with other relaxing oils, like cedar wood essential oil or frankincense essential oil. 

As a Non-toxic Air Freshener-

The same way you use lavender oil as a perfume, you can use it around your home as a natural, toxic-free air freshener. Who needs Febreeze? Either spray lavender oil around your home or try diffusing it. To create a relaxing atmosphere in your bedroom before you fall asleep, try spraying the lavender oil and water mixture directly onto your bed sheets or pillow. You can try the same method in your bathroom as well, and also on your bath towels. Before taking a relaxing bath or shower, spray your towel with lavender oil so its relaxing scent is waiting for you when you step out of the shower.

As a Natural, Chemical-Free Lip Balm-

Lavender oil is excellent for preventing sun burns on the lips and also healing chapped, dried lips. Try adding a couple of drops of oil to shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil/coconut butter, or another “carrier oil” and then rubbing it into your lips for protection whenever you will be in the sun. If you are sun burned in other areas on your body, try using the same method to heal the skin more quickly and prevent itchiness and pealing that can result after a bad sun burn.

As a Remedy for Stomach Discomfort-

Many people find the scent of lavender to be soothing to the stomach. If you are feeling nauseous, or know that you are going to be traveling in a car of plane and are prone to motion sickness, spray some lavender oil on your skin and clothes or rub it into your temples, and palms.

As a Secret Flavor Booster in Healthy Recipes-

Lavender is a great flavor enhancer in things like grain-free muffins, teas, and even salad dressings. Lavender oil is completely edible, but you will want to use a very small amount since the taste is very powerful. Try adding 1-2 drops to your recipes for a surprising flavor booster. I use it with things like dark cocoa, pure honey, cranberries, balsamic vinaigrette, black pepper, and apples.  I have been wanting to do it in my homemade coconut milk ice cream but haven't gotten the chance to yet.  

The quality of essential oils makes all the difference just like the quality of ingredients when you cook or the quality of supplements you take.  I have done tons of research and muscle tested so many essential oil companies and doTerra essential oils test the best with Young Living essential oils as a very close second best.  We do carry doTerra lavender oil in the office for purchase or if you want to smell the tester.  Disclaimer: if you have a thyroid condition you should not use lavender oil in any way.  

11 Tips on How to Sleep Better

How much sleep do you need? Sleep is a very controversial issue. Here is my best to answer such a such a hard question. For most people 7-9 hours is an ideal amount of sleep, with more people requiring 9 vs. 7. Inadequate sleep disrupts health in many ways leading to hormonal and metabolic imbalances, accelerated aging, increased onset and severity of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, memory, loss and more. Insomnia is an epidemic as 25% of Americans have it occasionally and 10% have it chronic. So if you are suffering from lack of sleep know that you are not the only one!

Tips


1) Try to get to bed before 11pm. Your body performs the majority of its repair and recovery during 11pm-1am. The gallbladder dumps toxins during this time. If you are awake the toxins back up into the liver and then to your blood stream. If you are asleep toxins go where they should which is into the large intestine to be taken out through the bowels.
2) Go to bed and wake up same time each day, even on weekends. This rhythm makes it easier to fall asleep and get up
3) Sleep in complete darkness. If not, the pineal glands production of melatonin gets disrupted. You can get black out blinds, shades or a sleep mask
4) Avoid TV before bed. TV is stimulating to the brain which disrupts the pineal gland making it harder to fall asleep or sleep well. The same goes for reading material that is stimulating. If you read before bed read books that are relaxing and peaceful. Also turn off other electronics so no electromagnetic frequencies can disturb your sleep such as cellphones and computers.



5) Wear socks to bed because our feet have the poorest circulation cold feet can disrupt sleep.
6) Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to wake up with a sudden loud noise. Ideally, you should sleep until your body naturally awakens, making an alarm clock unnecessary. If you need an alarm use a dawn simulator which gradually emits light to full intensity over 45 minutes, much like the sun. This way you don’t start the day in fight or flight mode.
7) If you lie in bed with your mind racing it might be helpful to keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. This allows you to download your disturbing thoughts to paper and clear your mind. Breathing helps too. I like using Coherent breathing.
8) Avoid caffeine and other stimulants because they can have a long lasting stimulatory effect on your nervous system
9) If you wake up in the night to urinate, don’t drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed.
10) Take a hot bath or shower for about 30 minutes right before bed. Heat has a relaxing effect on the body. Use lavender essential oil in bath, body wash or pillow spray.
11) Don’t eat right before bed. The body trying to digest can impair sleep. Worse is eating grains and sugar or alcohol which causes a spike in blood sugar and then the crash. When the body crashes sleep isn’t as deep and in severe cases you wake up in the middle of the night and need to eat something. Sleep eating occurs in severe cases. Also avoid foods which you are sensitive to. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products as they may have negative effects on sleep, such as apnea, excess congestion, stomach upset and gas.