Amazing Avocado Oil: 6 Surprisingly Simple Health and Beauty Hacks

Avocado oil not only tastes rich and creamy, it’s great for both your skin and hair. Here’s why it’s time to add avocado oil to both your pantry and your beauty cabinet.

We’ve long known that avocados are way more than just an ingredient in guacamole, but now health and beauty gurus have uncovered the benefits of avocado oil, a monounsaturated fat pressed from avocados. And just like avocados in all their green-skinned glory, this oil is a decadent source of good fat used in everything from moisturizing facial masks to pesto. 

Avocado Oil for Hair

Avocado oil is a deeply moisturizing, lubricating oil perfect for coating the strands of your illustrious mane. Not sure why or how to use avocado oil for hair? The benefits of the “alligator pear” are numerous and it’s especially delightful when the hot summer sun has scorched your strands. It also detangles knotted locks without weighing down your hair. Plus it removes dandruff, which is often the scalp’s way of saying it’s thirsty.

How to Apply Avocado Oil to Your Hair

1. Put on old clothing and wrap an old towel around your shoulders.

2. Use your fingers to massage a good amount (about 2 tablespoons) of avocado oil into your scalp. You may want to use a wide-toothed comb to reach the end of your hair strands.

3. Clip your hair into a bun or pull it back and cover with a shower cap. Leave in for 1 to 2 hours.

4. Wash your hair twice to remove any residue.

Avocado Oil for Skin

Just as avocado oil is moisturizing for your hair, it also creates silky smooth skin. The cleanest moisturizers on the market have a host of ingredients that are unrecognizable to even the most health savvy consumers. But when you’re lathering up with 100 percent pure avocado oil, you know exactly what you’re getting. Plus, it keeps your skin as smooth as a baby’s tush.

You likely already know that dry skin is much more likely to show fine lines and wrinkles. That’s why a kick of a natural moisturizing agent like avocado oil may be just what the aesthetician ordered. Not to mention that it’s loaded with nutrients like vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, lecithin, as well as skin-loving fatty acids that keep your face looking ageless (well, almost!).

And if you’re plagued with facial redness, acne, or otherwise irritated skin, you’ll love how avocados soothe your body’s largest organ. In fact, according to a study published in Current Pharmaceutical Design, avocados have anti-inflammatory qualities.

Tips for Using Avocado Oil on Your Skin

1. Sub in for your makeup remover.

Using a cotton ball dipped in avocado oil, begin to remove eye makeup and other debris from the skin. You’ll find that avocado oil isn’t greasy, but rather cleansing and smoothing to the skin.

2. Enjoy a facial massage.

Massage a small amount of avocado oil (about a teaspoon) into the skin, starting underneath the eyes and working along the cheekbones up to the temples. Move in a circular motion along the forehead and chin as well.

3. Soothe your cuticles and feet.

Rub a small amount of avocado oil (about a dime size) on dry cuticles and feet. You’ll likely notice that it’s moisturizing without leaving any residue on the skin. 

5   Health Benefits of Avocado Oil  

It’s clear that avocado oil is the next big thing when it comes to skin and hair, but it’s also a tasty treat. Here’s why avocado oil is the new “it” oil (make some room, coconut oil!).

1. It detoxifies the body.

Avocados contain chlorophyll, a good source of magnesium, which is a natural means of removing heavy metals like lead and mercury from the body.

2. It prevents cancer.

Avocado oil may prevent cancer. Researchers at the University of Waterloo found that a fat compound found in the fruit may help slow the growth of cancer cells, specifically those that cause leukemia.

3. It’s good for heart health.

One study in the journal of the American Heart Association found that low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol was lower in those who ate an avocado a day versus those who ate a low fat diet.

4. It boosts weight loss.

A study at Penn State University found that those who ate a diet rich in monounsaturated fats like avocado oil had reduced fat distribution around the belly area.

5. It helps the body absorb nutrients.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that a drizzle of avocado oil may help you better absorb your veggies. Specifically, adding avocado helped study participants absorb 3 to 5 times more carotenoids, an antioxidant found in yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables.

Now that you know why you should be eating it, here’s an easy recipe to help you put it to good use. Slather on your morning toast or dip crisp veggies into this yummy pesto for an afternoon snack.

5 Health Benefits of Peanut Butter

Though your days of eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and smothering celery with peanut butter and raisins may be long gone, you shouldn’t put this sweet and salty treat in the back of your pantry just yet. Peanut butter, while being high in calories and a supposed weight loss nightmare by some nutritionists and health gurus, can actually suppress appetite and assist in keeping to a heart-healthy diet. The numerous health benefits of this tasty snack include benefits to the heart and colon, protection against certain diseases including Alzheimer’s and gallstones, and high levels of antioxidants, potassium, and other vitamins and minerals that are important to incorporate into what you’re consuming daily. Don’t just leave peanut butter to the kid’s lunch boxes anymore — here are five reasons why peanut butter may be just the food you need to incorporate into your diet.

1. Aids in weight loss and muscle build

If you’re looking to aid your workout routine with a food that can both boost testosterone levels and help youlose weight, eating peanut butter daily can keep your energy levels high and assist you in completing difficult workouts. Men’s Health talks about the testosterone boosting powers of this health food — if you’re looking for more natural ways to increase your muscle building capabilities, then eating foods with nutrients that assist in testosterone production is the key.

Peanuts and peanut butter offer healthy levels of zinc, which is a nutrient known to play with hormone levels and increase testosterone levels in just four weeks if eaten regularly. In addition to zinc, a study found on Muscle for Life shows that men who eat plenty of monounsaturated fats, like the fats found in peanut butter, have higher testosterone levels than those who avoid them. By increasing your healthy fat and zinc intake, you may notice a difference in how quickly you’re able to build muscle and keep fat levels at bay because of this testosterone boost — and your libido may increase as well.

As far as weight loss goes, it may seem counterproductive to eat fats to lose fat, but peanut butter certainly proves that certain fats can help you ward off excess weight. Men’s Health discusses how people who eat a diet rich in foods like avocado, olive oils, and peanut butter are more likely to not only lose weight, but also keep the weight off for longer than those who follow a low-fat diet. Peanut butter is a treat that doesn’t leave you wanting something else — it’s satisfying and filling because of its high protein content, leaving you full for hours and giving you the energy you need to perform daily tasks. Typically, those who are eating peanut butter aren’t reaching for sugary snacks once they’re finished, as they are satiated with what they’ve already had.

2. High in vitamins and minerals 

Most of us already know that peanut butter is high in protein, but that’s not all that the humble peanut has to offer. Prevention reminds us that peanut butter is also rich in potassium, which is the perfect mineral for regulating fluids in your body. With one serving of peanut butter offering 208 mg, it’s great for maintaining good heart and kidney health, and it generally helps all of your other organs function normally. Potassium aside, peanut butter is also rich in magnesium, which helps with energy production and bone growth, and vitamins E and B6, which protect the heart and assist in normal brain function.

Your digestive system, skin, and nerves can also benefit from peanut butter, as peanuts are high in niacinaccording to the Peanut Institute. Peanuts are also high in folate, which can prevent heart disease and thiamin, which helps the body convert carbs to energy, and riboflavin, which helps metabolize fat, carbs, and proteins. There are also small amounts of copper, selenium, manganese, and iron in peanut butter which, when eaten with a healthy diet, can ensure you are reaching the proper levels of these minerals.

3. Rich in antioxidants

While peanut butter is full of various vitamins and minerals, you may not also realize that peanuts have high levels of antioxidants — levels that can even rival some antioxidant-rich fruits that are often advertised for their benefits. The World’s Healthiest Foods talks about the antioxidants found in peanuts by first discussing resveratrol, an antioxidant that is originally found in red grapes and red wine, and is also found in peanuts, that can help prevent damage to blood vessels and prevent blood clots. It’s also thought that resveratrol can contribute to a reduction in the risk for cardiovascular disease, which may be why the French, who are frequent drinkers of red wine, have a lower risk of heart disease than Americans.

Peanut butter has higher antioxidant levels than apples, carrots, or beets, and is more on par with the levels found in blackberries and strawberries. A group of University of Florida scientists conducted research on the antioxidant levels of peanuts, and they found that they hold high concentrations of polyphenols. The term“polyphenol” refers to the thousands of plant-based molecules that have antioxidant properties that assist in proper enzyme function and the elimination of harmful free radicals that can damage cells. The University of Florida scientists, who published their findings in the journal Food Chemistry, found that consuming roasted peanuts or peanut butter can boost their antioxidant levels by up to 22%.

4. Wards off heart disease and some cancers 

According to Daily Mail, there’s really great news for peanut butter lovers — eating peanuts or peanut butter five times a week can nearly cut your risk of cardiovascular disease in half. This is because peanuts can reduce inflammation throughout the body and make the blood vessels around the heart stronger and healthier while also reducing bad cholesterol due to the high levels of polyunsaturated fats found in the peanuts themselves. According to a study published by The British Journal of Nutrition found on The World’s Healthiest Foods, those who ate nuts (or peanuts and peanut butter) at least four times a week showed a 37% reduced risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who rarely ate them.

In addition to staying heart healthy, the folic acid, phytic acid, and resveratrol found in peanut butter may also ward against certain types of cancer. Peanuts have been found to particularly protect against colon cancer, which is the third most frequent cancer in the world, and researchers found that eating peanuts or peanut butter just two or more times a week was associated with a 27% lowered risk in men. The phytosterols found in peanuts, which are plant-based molecules related to cholesterol, are also known to reduce bad cholesterol and also possibly protect against lung, stomach, and prostate cancer.

5. Great for memory and brain health

In addition to being great for the heart and body, peanut butter can boost your brain health and help to ward off diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The Peanut Institute reminds us that peanuts are high in both niacin and vitamin E, which are both nutrients shown to protect against Alzheimer’s and age-related cognitive decline.

In a study of nearly 4,000 people 65 years of age and older, researchers found that those who ate more niacin were the ones more likely to retain their cognitive abilities better than those who did not. Also, in a study that followed 815 people over the age of 65 around for four years to see if vitamin E offered protection against Alzheimer’s, the results were as follows — taking vitamin E supplements did not have any effect one way or the other, but consuming vitamin E through foods like peanut butter did offer higher levels of protection. And, those who consumed the most vitamin E and niacin out of the group had a 70% lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who did not consume as much.

Eating just one ounce of peanuts offers 3 mg of vitamin E, which is 20% of your recommended intake a day. And, the resveratrol found in peanut butter can also be an effective agent against Alzheimer’s disease and nerve degeneration disease in general. So, if you’re hoping to keep your brain healthy into your senior years, all evidence is pointing you toward that jar of guilt-free peanut butter on your shelf. Just make sure it’s the natural type with minimum or no added sugars and less sodium than the processed brands, and you’re good to go.

Forget Oatmeal — This Grain Fights Cholesterol With Half the Calories

Move over, oats: Another cholesterol-lowering grain — barley — is in the spotlight.

Barley reduces levels of two types of so-called bad cholesterol, according to a new review of research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition this week.

Specifically, barley reduces:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by 7 percent
• Non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) by 7 percent

That’s considered “significantly reduced levels,” according to researchers at St. Michael’s Hospitalin Toronto.

Research scientist Vladimir Vuksan, associate director of the St. Michael’s Risk Factor Modification Centre, is among the authors of the research review. He explains:

“The findings are most important for populations at high risk for cardiovascular disease, such as Type 2 diabetics … but [barley] can also benefit people without high cholesterol.”

The research review also found that barley’s cholesterol-lowering effects are comparable to those of oats.

Barley is arguably more healthful, however. Compared with oats, barley contains:

• More fiber
• Twice as much protein
• Half as many calories

For the research, the authors reviewed 14 studies on clinical trials conducted in seven countries.

Vuksan explains:

“Barley’s positive effect on lowering cholesterol is well-documented … Health Canada, the FDA and several health authorities worldwide have already approved health claims that barley lowers LDL cholesterol, but this is the first review showing the effects on other harmful lipids.”

Over the past decade, consumption of barley by humans (as opposed to livestock) has fallen by 35 percent, according to the St. Michael’s study.

Yet it was almost exactly a decade ago that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a health claim associating barley consumption with reduced risk of heart disease.

Today, whole grain barley and dry milled barley products with at least 0.75 grams of soluble fiber per serving may still bear this claim:

“Soluble fiber from foods such as [name of soluble fiber source, and, if desired, name of food product], as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. …”

Watch the video of ‘Forget Oatmeal — This Grain Fights Cholesterol With Half the Calories’ on MoneyTalksNews.com.

If you’re new to barley or just not ready to eat it on its own like oatmeal, Vuksan recommends incorporating it into existing recipes or using it as a rice substitute.

5 Ways Getting Dirty Can Make You Healthier

Germs are bad, right? Actually, it’s not so simple.

Doctors, public health figures and parents everywhere have long taught us to banish dirt and bacteria from our homes and bodies by all means necessary. But it may be time to put down the Purell.

Growing evidence in support of the “hygiene hypothesis” suggests that exposure to a wide variety of bacteria builds and maintains strong immune systems and robust health—in babies, older children and even adults.

So what can you do? You don’t have to (and shouldn’t!) forgo all your cleanliness habits to enjoy the benefits of a little more bacterial diversity. Here are five not-so-icky ways to get a little cozier—and maybe a little healthier—with dirt and microbes:

1. Spend Time With Animals

Cat fur and puppy slobber might actually boost human immune systems. We already know that children exposed to cats and dogs in their first year of life enjoy greater protection from allergies. 

Now, researchers from the University of Arizona are investigating whether living with dogs can positively affect the population of their adult owners’ gut bacteria. Think of it as probiotics from your puppy, and another reason to snuggle up with your furry friends.

2. Hand-Wash your Dishes

Hold the ultra-hot wash! A 2015 study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics finds that within families who hand-wash their dishes most of the time, children aged 7 and 8 suffered from fewer incidences of eczema, asthma and hay fever.

Why is this? The researchers think that the trace microbes left behind after hand-washing help train the immune system not to overreact to common allergens. And while this particular study didn’t track the effect of hand-washing dishes on adults, other studies have found that adults and children benefit similarly from microbial diversity.

3. Eat Fermented Foods

Lovers of live-cultured foods often refer to the process of fermentation as “controlled spoilage,” and for good reason: sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir and kombucha age under specific conditions that favor probiotic bacteria over the kind that could make you sick.

Probiotics like lactobacillus and bifidobacteria, commonly found in fermented foods, confer a range of benefits, from healthier teeth and gums to improved digestion, urinary health and even resistance to the common cold.

4. Don’t Bathe Every Day

More than 70 percent of Americans shower every day, which is roughly average compared to the habits of people worldwide. But a slightly more lax hygiene habit might improve the health of your skin, and potentially your overall health, as well.

“Good bacteria are educating your own skin cells to make your own antibiotics,” Dr. Richard Gallo of UCSD’s dermatology division told the New York Times. “They produce their own antibiotics that kills off bad bacteria,” he added.

Of course, washing your hands after using the bathroom and before you eat and prepare food is still prudent. But you might discover that forgoing a full-body scrubbing for a couple of days might yield smoother, softer and healthier skin.

5. Garden with Bare Hands

Soil teems with bacteria, and some of it may be good for our mental health. Researchers have identified a common soil-dwelling bacterium called M. vaccae, which may stimulate the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for a positive mood.

Soil bacteria also reduces sensitivity to allergens in children and adults. So the next time you go outside to pull weeds, don’t be afraid to get a little dirt under your fingernails. 

6 Things That Happen When You Sleep With An Onion In Your Sock

According to ancient Chinese medicine, the nervous system is complimented by a system of meridians, which are pathways that lead to each organ in the body.

The bottoms of your feet are direct access points for many of these meridians, allowing for great detoxing action through the bottoms of your feet.

There are around 7,000 meridians that lead to the bottoms of your feet, and each links to different places in the body. It's important to keep these meridians healthy, through massage and walking barefoot in nature, but another thing you can do is sleep with a slice of onion in your sock.

I know, it sounds a little bit weird, but onions have been regarded as excellent detoxing and anti-microbial medicinal tools. When applied to the bottoms of your feet, several things happen.

1. Your sinuses clear.

Air pollution, cigarette smoke, allergens, and indoor pollution wreaks havoc on our sinuses. Over time, they become inflamed, leading to chronic stuffiness.

You can't expect an overnight fix to the problem, but detoxing with an onion in your sock begins the process of removing sinus toxins built up over time.

2. Your lungs recover.

This one goes double for people who smoked at any time in their lives. If you've recently quit smoking, your body is working double, if not triple time to get all that tar and gunk out of your systems.

Helping your body drain toxins through your meridians helps recover your lungs. This works for people who live in big, smoggy cities too.

3. Your gut becomes healthier.

Your digestive system, particularly your intestines, work hard processing all the junk we put into our bodies. Because we eat such poorly balanced diets, our intestinal flora is off and our intestines are loaded with toxins.

This leads to a reduced immune system and an increased likeliness of becoming ill. Fortunately, meridians lead from your GI tract to your feet, allowing the onion to help draw out those toxins.
4. Your mind is sharper.

As the toxins seep out of your body, your blood becomes cleaner and brings oxygen more readily to the cells throughout your body, including your brain. This leaves you feeling sharper than before.

5. You lose weight.

Your thyroid is responsible for releasing a number of hormones, and many relate directly to how many calories your body burns at rest. When your thyroid is fully detoxed, it works at its best.

Of course, if you think your thyroid is over or under performing, visit a doctor! You could have iodine deficiency or something worse.

6. Your kidneys and liver work better.

Your kidneys and liver are sort of the garbage disposal of the body, filtering out nasty stuff that we put into it. With this detoxing action going on, your vital filtering organs don't have to work so hard.

Fighting Depression With Antioxidants

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rates of all of our top 10 killers have fallen or stabilized except for one, suicide. Accumulating evidence indicates that free radicals may play important roles in the development of various neuropsychiatric disorders including major depression, a common cause of suicide.

In a study of nearly 300,000 Canadians, for example, greater fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with lower odds of depression, psychological distress, self-reported mood and anxiety disorders and poor perceived mental health. They conclude that since a healthy diet comprised of a high intake of fruits and vegetables is rich in antioxidants, it may consequently dampen the detrimental effects of oxidative stress on mental health.

But that study was based on just asking how many fruits and veggies people ate. Maybe people were just telling the researchers what they thought they wanted to hear. What if you actually measure the levels of carotenoid phytonutrients in people’s bloodstreams? The same relationship is found. Testing nearly 2000 people across the United States, researchers found that a higher total blood carotenoid level was indeed associated with a lower likelihood of elevated depressive symptoms, and there appeared to be a dose-response relationship, meaning the higher the levels, the better people felt.

Lycopene, the red pigment predominantly found in tomatoes (but also present in watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava and papaya) is the most powerful carotenoid antioxidant. In a test tube it’s about 100 times more effective at quenching free radicals than a more familiar antioxidant like vitamin E.

So do people who eat more tomatoes have less depression? Apparently so. A study of about a thousand older men and women found that those who ate the most tomato products had only about half the odds of depression. The researchers conclude that a tomato-rich diet may have a beneficial effect on the prevention of depressive symptoms.

Higher consumption of fruits and vegetables has been found to lead to a lower risk of developing depression, but if it’s the antioxidants can’t we just take an antioxidant pill?

Only food sources of antioxidants were protectively associated with depression. Not antioxidants from dietary supplements. Although plant foods and food-derived phytochemicals have been associated with health benefits, antioxidants from dietary supplements appear to be less beneficial and may, in fact, be detrimental to health. This may indicate that the form and delivery of the antioxidants are important. Alternatively, the observed associations may be due not to antioxidants but rather to other dietary factors such as folate that also occur in fruits, vegetables, and plant-rich diets.

In a study of thousands of middle-aged office workers, eating lots of processed food was found to be a risk factor for at least mild to moderate depression five years later, whereas a whole food pattern was found to be protective. Yes, it could be because of the high content of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables but could also be the folate in greens and beans, as some studies have suggested an increased risk of depression in folks who may not have been eating enough.

Low folate levels in the blood are associated with depression, but since most of the early studies were cross-sectional, meaning a snapshot in time, we didn’t know if the low folate led to depression or the depression led to low folate. Maybe when you have the blues you don’t want to eat the greens.

But since then a number of cohort studies were published, following people over time. They show that a low dietary intake of folate may indeed be a risk factor for severe depression, as much as a threefold higher risk. Note this is for dietary folate intake, not folic acid supplements, so those with higher levels were actually eating healthy foods. If you give people folic acid pills they don’t seem to work. This may be because folate is found in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, whereas folic acid is the oxidized synthetic compound used in food fortification and dietary supplements because it’s more shelf-stable.

Remove bacteria from your fruits and veggies by adding a teaspoon of this

You may think that organic fruits and vegetables don’t need to be cleaned and inspected like conventionally grown produce, since they aren’t covered in pesticides.

However, you should always carefully clean and inspect all fruits and vegetables since there is a good chance other things besides pesticides and chemicals are lurking on their surface.

Although organic vegetables and fruit aren’t grown with pesticides or chemicals, they can be cultivated with natural soil enhancers and fertilizers such as manure, bone meal, and worm castings.

Baking soda is a natural element, bicarbonate of soda, and is sometimes found in mineral form dissolved in mineral springs. It is inexpensive and can be found in most pantries.

Baking soda is a biopesticide, which inhibits the growth of certain bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Make your own natural scrub by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to water. The pasty mixture is a perfect way to remove bacteria from your fruits and veggies.

Baking Soda Fruit and Vegetable Wash

The recipe is pretty simple:

Mix a few tablespoons of baking soda stirred into a cup or two of water. 

Pour the whole thing into a spray bottle if you want to go that way, or pour it into a mixing bowl.
Use the scrub brush to clean the vegetables.
Rinse away any baking soda residue with water.