Natural Tips for Healthy Tresses

Hair is possibly one of the first things that we notice about a person. The state of its health can subconsciously speak volumes about the owner. Dry frizzy hair with split-ends may send the message of a lack of self-care or poor hygiene. The opposite is often conveyed when we see shiny, luscious locks. These silent messages may or may not be true. The condition of hair can be due to bad or well informed decisions on styles, dyes and products.

The history of hairdressing goes back thousands of years, but it was the invention of electricity that really morphed hairdressing into a public art. In the late 20th century, the French were leaders with their beauty salons (salon being a French word!) and a visit to one of these Parisian outlets was quickly replacing the maid in the boudoir, but it wasn’t until the 1930’s when it was an acceptable profession for women to own and run hairdressing salons alongside the barber shop. In the 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s, the local salon was not just about hairstyling, it was a trendy social rendezvous, equivalent to Facebook today! Having your hair ‘set’ for the weekend was a popular past-time for getting out of the house and having a chance to gossip.

The 80’s waved goodbye to the roller-set, the wedge, afro, flattop, finger and pin curl and launched its own style of rebellion – the frizz, crimp, side-ponytail and permanent wave. It became the big hair decade. Back-combed and over-processed hair hung out on every street corner. For the guys, a crew-cut, the flick, a rat-tail or a duck-tail was pretty funky!

The 90’s proved that we’d learned our lesson on harsh products and the new generation ditched the heavy hairspray for straight glossy hair. We became a Jennifer Aniston nation. The early 2000’s really made leaps and bounds in hair-care and we now have a huge array of products to choose from. Hairdressers themselves have become internationally famous with their own ranges. BUT, the economy in the later 2000’s has been devastating to the wallet. Taking a trip to the hairdressers and having the latest super-nutrient conditioning treatment, is possibly low-down on our list of priorities.

This brings us to a new era – the internet, especially social networks and Youtube. These avenues have brought us the ‘Do-it-yourself hairdressing’, all in the comfort of your own bathroom. More and more people are home perming, dyeing, trimming, moisturising and styling, and they are uploading their findings and sharing tips along the way. The experience of every-day people is gaining a momentum of trust, of value. From their mistakes we know what not to do and from their successful outcomes, we are spurred on to have a go.

Professional advice is always top priority, but for those of us who are struggling in today’s economy, it’s not always possible. With this in mind, below are some of the top natural tips in case you decide to go it alone…

Love Those Locks – One of the most effective and natural ways of moisturising your hair and giving it that L’Oreal shine without breaking the bank, is to do a coconut oil wrap once a month. Take a good tablespoon (or more for longer than shoulder-length hair) of organic extra virgin coconut oil (it must be extra virgin, as it is has not been further processed) and melt it by placing it in a small bowl and stand that in a larger bowl of warm water. Once melted, apply it to the tips first and then the root, lastly, massage it down the hair shaft. You can either wrap your hair in a towel for a few hours or place a plastic wrap over your hair and sleep in it. Rinse well and then shampoo and condition as normal.

Using coconut oil to strengthen and make hair shiny is not new. It has been a well-kept secret of the Afro-Caribbean culture, which has used this little treasure for centuries. So go on, have a go, you’re worth it!

Layer Those Tresses – Straight hair requires a straight across trim, but what if you want to have layers in your hair? A trip to the salon is one answer, but what if you don’t have a lot of spare time or cash? You could do it yourself, but this can prove to be quite daunting, not to mention the fact that the back of your head eludes your vision!

Well, there’s a very simple solution. Wash and condition the hair. Whilst wet, brush it up into a ponytail on top of your head (not at the back, but right on top in the middle of the scalp), and secure it with a band. Brush through the length and hold it straight up and cut vertically across for either 1″ (if you only require a trim) or 2″ (if you have split-ends). Take out the ponytail and voilà! You have long lengths. If you’re going for a shorter style, then repeat and trim off more. It’s better to go slowly and trim gradually to get what you want rather than chop off a great chunk and regret it!

If you would like to add a few shorter layers then repeat the process, but this time, part the hair from the top of the ear right around the head to the other ear and put it into a ponytail again, leaving the layer of hair below the ear down, and trim as before. You now have another layer. For a third layer, part the hair around the crown of the head, leaving all the hair down below this point, and once again put it into a ponytail on top of the scalp and trim as before. You can now choose to trim and frame your face should you wish to.

Top Tip: To give it a choppy and thicker feel, once you have trimmed it and whilst you’re still holding it straight above your scalp, take the scissors and rather than cut across, very gently snip down into the ends of the hair, making it slightly uneven and choppy.

Warning: Make sure your scissors are proper hair scissors and sharp. Do not use the kitchen ones from the knife block – big mistake, huge mistake – invest in the right tools for a good outcome.

Ban Grey Hair – we believe that grey hair is a sign of ageing, but in truth, this is actually a myth. Grey hair is a sign of nutrient deficiency. The older we become the more nutrient deficient we are likely to be. This is due to the oxidisation of the cells, whereby a build-up of hydrogen peroxide bleaches the hair follicle. This over-load of hydrogen is from a lack of the enzyme Catalase, which breaks down hydrogen into oxygen and water. Catalase is formed from a complex amino acid protein chain and iron groups. The hair follicle itself needs copper, vitamin B complex and folic acid to be present in order to produce colour. Not enough Catalase, copper, vitamin B, folic acid and the presence of a large quantity of hydrogen – and you have grey hair.

To reduce grey in the hair you would need to supplement the diet with copper, vitamin B complex, folic acid, iron, all 22 amino acids and a high anti-oxidant, such as Chaga and/or wheatgrass in order to promote colour back into the hair.

A cheap product, which is rich in iron, copper and B Vitamins is: organic unsulphured black-strap molasses. A daily teaspoon of this in tea or warm water, combined with a daily dose of liquid amino acids and plant-derived minerals, Chaga and/or wheatgrass, can seriously turn grey hair around!

Natural Hair Dyes – dyeing your hair can bring you a boost in self-confidence. The latest fad of ombre dyeing or dip-dyeing the hair is particularly gorgeous for looking like you have sun-kissed tresses. Hair-dyeing does have its downside though, it’s damaging to the hair and the upkeep can be expensive.

Henna Dye It – henna has been used for centuries. If you’re naturally light brown – black, then henna can really bring shine and thickness to your hair. Its process is messy and long, sometimes for up to 4hrs and the results can be variable. It may take more than one attempt to get the shade that you want, but it does nourish the hair rather than strip it.

In the past henna has been related to a bright red or copper colour, but now there are lots of ways to create varying shades by adding other substances that tone down the red hues, such as coffee, ceylon tea, lemon juice, indigo, are to name just a few. It’s important to use high quality body-art henna and be guaranteed that it has no chemical in it. Some boxed products claim to be a henna dye, but the ingredients say otherwise. Henna for blonde hair is not advisable unless you’re looking to go strawberry blonde. Henna will cover grey hair, but it will give it a reddish hue.

Herbal Dye It – There are many herbs that will lighten or darken the hair. This usually involves working with the herb and hair over a period of time to get the desired results.

This type of dyeing is good for enriching natural hair colour rather than going from black to blonde. Chamomile is excellent for blondes, as is a lemon-juice rinse. For golden tones, use rhubarb root. Sage and walnut hulls make a great enhancer for dark hair.

Lightening Hair Without Bleach – If you have a hair colour that has gone wrong and you want to strip out the dye or you’d like to lighten your hair a few shades, then try using Vitamin C.

Crush 4-6 Vitamin C caps or one heaped teaspoon of Vitamin C powder @ 1000mg or higher into a plastic bowl. Use a few squirts of a clarifying shampoo and mix them together to create a paste. Apply to the hair with a tint brush for easy application, cover with a plastic cap and leave for 1hr. Use towels or a plastic cape across the shoulders in case of drips.

Rinse and wash with shampoo and conditioner.

Quick Tips:
Use a clarifying shampoo once a week to remove product build-up.
Use a lemon-juice rinse to help with dandruff.
A wide-tooth comb when wet and a wide paddle brush when dry helps to prevent split-ends.
Instead of heated stylers to curl the hair, choose rollers, twist curls – twist wet hair and pin it to the head with a bobby pin. Leave to dry or dry with a hairdryer. The same can be done for pin curls, accept do not twist – rather curl the hair like you would wind up ribbon.
Squeeze-dry your hair rather than rubbing it with a towel.
If you’re in a rush, try a dry-shampoo.
If you want the latest shiny beach waves: put coconut milk into a spray bottle. Spray the hair and work it through with your fingers. Zigzag your hair into two partings, plait it and give it a final spray. Sleep on it and your hair will have shiny waves.

All the products discussed can be found on our website in the hair care listing of our Amazon Store www.healthyatom.com

The Benefits of Taking a Daily Cold Shower

Invisible energy is moving around us in the air all the time and we are constantly being affected by it. As you move throughout your day, meeting people or visiting places, you will be unconsciously collecting and exchanging energy. The atoms within you are magnetic, giving you an energy field which draws particles towards it, so by the end of the day you will have collected energy which has nothing to do with you. One of the quickest ways to deal with this energy is to take a cold shower, as cold water is also magnetic and it pulls towards it the loose particles that you have collected. Putting the body under cold water can release this collected energy, which otherwise over time could become detrimental to your health.

Scientists have now proven the benefits of taking a cold shower twice a day, once in the morning to clear all the energy from sleep, and also in the evening, to clear all the energy built up from the day. The cold shower is better taken before you switch to a warm shower. This is because warm water is also magnetic and it pushes energy further into the cells, so it is more beneficial to clear energy with cold water first, which also brings vitality into the cells, and use warm water afterwards. You only need a ten-second blast of cold all over all the body, including the head, although you can use a shower cap if you have long hair.

A cold shower can have the following positive effects:

1. Brings blood to the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body.
2. Cleans the circulatory system.
3. Reduces blood pressure on internal organs.
4. Provides flushing for the organs and provides a new supply of blood.
5. Strengthens the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
6. Contracts the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.
7. Strengthens the mucous membranes, which helps resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.

Imagine shovelling dung in a zoo all day, and by the end of the day you are completely covered from head to foot with zoo filth. Upon arriving home, you tread the filth through your house, and as you kiss your family hello, you deposit filth onto them. Sitting on your sofa, you cover it with filth, as you eat your dinner, the filth is your guest, until finally you fall into bed and sleep with the filth. If you knew a cold shower would cleanse you of the filth, would you do it? Many people cringe at the idea of having a cold shower and present many excuses not to do it:

1. It’s too cold
2. I can’t be bothered
3. I don’t need a cold shower because I visualise myself on fire to cleanse away the energy
4. I’ve tried it and I don’t like it
5. I’m too ill

The egoic mind is not going to want you to do something which will clear you energetically and make it easier for you to spiritualise nature. The egoic mind is going to tell you not to do it and it will throw various excuses in your way. We are not taught the benefits of a cold shower from childhood, because very few people know about it and there is also a negative belief around it. The earlier you can teach your children the benefits, the more natural taking a cold shower will be for them. Often, children cannot wait to get in the sea, swim in a lake, or paddle in a river, yet they can detest taking a warm bath. They seem to have this instinctive knowing that cold water, which is open to the elements of chi from the sun and rain, is cleansing.

The best way to prove to yourself that cold showers aid you in clearing energy is to take them twice a day for three weeks and then stop for a day, and you will notice the difference. It is not a psychological difference, but a feeling.

By Mike Robinson: taken from No.1 bestselling book: The True Dynamics of Life

Clearing Your Subconscious Mind

Aside

The 11×22 System
The subconscious is stored within our cells. To become truly aware of what is stored there, then it is suggested that you do an 11×22 exercise. This is a very powerful technique and many who have tried it have had miraculous results! There are many powerful numbers, which when used as a healing tool, can bring about dramatic changes. The process of using numbers with repeated positive sentences can actually break down a belief pattern. On an energetic level, the positive words enter into the mind and body, pushing out distorted energy. An internal shift then occurs as the distortion is dispersed through the aura leaving it clear.

Positive Sentences
I have the right to be myself
I am perfectly acceptable as I am
I am in my power and I have abundant energy
I am well and healthy
I am fulfilling my life purpose and I have great joy and happiness
Money flows to me in a positive and abundant way right now
I am in a satisfying, fulfilling job, which I enjoy.

Sentences for Fear
I have the courage to achieve all that I desire
Life is perfect right now

Sentences for Anger
I am at peace with myself and the world
I express myself honestly in every moment

Sentence for Pride
I am equal to all life

Sentence for Illness
My……..(whichever part of the body is causing a problem) is perfect and clear.

Relationship Sentences
I have perfect relationships always
I am in a happy and fulfilling relationship

Choose one of the sentences and write it on a piece of paper. Under the sentence, you then write down everything that enters into your mind: the positive, the negative, the silly and the irrelevant. When you find a gap in the stream of your thoughts, write the sentence you chose again and repeat the writing down of your thoughts.

Keep doing this process of writing the sentence, then writing the thoughts, until you have completed it twenty-two times. You then do the same every day for eleven days.

If at any time you write the sentence and nothing comes into your mind, then repeat the sentence to yourself out loud. If the mind is still blank, write the words, ‘no thoughts and no feelings’, then carry on writing the sentence. It is possible that this may appear eight or nine times before thoughts reappear in the mind. This state of blankness can also mean that you are on top of a blockage.

It does not matter if your thoughts are extremely negative or if profane words appear. This energy has to come out and be expressed on paper. The 11x22s are better when they are hand-written, but as long as all your thoughts come out, typewritten or done on a computer is acceptable. You will notice the stream of thoughts from the subconscious, things you are not consciously aware of and whose context may surprise you.

Whilst you are writing the 11x22s make sure you are not disturbed, so turn off the telephone and lock the door. It is also important to do the 22 sentences all in one sitting so you may need half an hour to two hours each day, maybe even longer when you first start the process. See it as time to set aside for your healing, for your growth.

If you choose to make up your own sentence, it must only contain positive words. For example, ‘I have no fear’ would not work, because the word ‘fear’ will attract the energy of fear towards it. The idea is to remove the negative thoughts from the mind. You may find whilst writing you seem to go into what is currently called ‘channelling’ where a lot of information seems to come through or your thoughts seem to be using the term ‘you’ instead of ‘I’. Whatever is happening, keep writing it down. If you have found a lot of issues have surfaced at the end of the day, then you can burn the papers or you can wait until the end of the eleven days and burn them all together. DO NOT READ WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN. This will only put the energy of the words back in!

It is important that at the end of the eleven days process you rest for eleven days before starting another sentence. If you start the process but forget to do a day, then you need to start again from day one. This is because the blocked energy is moving through the energy bodies. If you stop before it is released, it begins to slide back to its original state.

7x72s

If you find the eleven day process too long you can use exactly the same principle, but instead of writing the sentence followed by the thoughts twenty two times, you write it seventy-two times over seven days. The effect is still the same, but you may find you will need more time each day to accomplish the task.

3x75s

When you have completed the 11x22s on a few occasions, you can use the 3x75s. This is less powerful than the 11x22s and 7x72s, but quicker and still dynamic. First choose a positive sentence and then write down this sentence seventy-five times one after the other in succession. There is no need to follow the sentence with any thoughts. At the end enter into your feelings and allow any emotions to surface. If you feel the need to write down your thoughts and feelings then do so. Repeat this process again for the following two days. You must then leave a gap of three days before starting another one.

Taken from The True Dynamics of Life by Mike Robinson