The Earth Element Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) embraces a fivefold concept: the Five Element or Five Phase Theory. It explains a wide variety of phenomena from cosmic cycles to the interaction between the body’s internal organs to personality types. One of those phenomena is the personality type for each of the five elements. To summarize the Earth element personality in one word, it’s nurturing.

We all tend to be one predominant personality type from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. But no one is one hundred percent one type alone. And each element type manifests an in-balance and out-of-balance (maladapted) personality.

Describing this or any other element type is not all black and white. Sometimes we’re in balance and sometimes we’re out of balance in our type. This imbalance often stems from childhood occurrences that impacted us in an indelible way.

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Key Points About the Earth Element Personality

You could very well be an Earth element personality or type if the year of your birth ends in the number 8 or 9.

• Yellow years (the yang color of Earth) end in the number 8.

• Ochre or deep gold years (the yin color of Earth) end in the number 9.

Even if you don’t have an Earth element personality, you can be in or out of balance with the Earth element throughout the year.

This especially occurs when we enter any of the four 18-day transition periods between the four major seasons of TCM. We call these periods bridging the four major seasons Earth.

Earth is when the energies of yin and yang come into balance before one of them begins to dominate the other.

In TCM’s understanding of Earth:

• Earth provides a home for Metal.

• Earth controls Water by forming river banks.

• Fire forms ground for Earth.

• Wood controls Earth through its ability to mold Earth into a dam, for example.

Pay attention to the attributes of Earth and keep yourself in balance with them.

If you’re an Earth element personality and you experience imbalance with Earth, you can get back into balance relatively quickly. Do it primarily by understanding the Earth element and how it correlates to your Earth element personality. Then adapt yourself to live harmoniously with it. (This article will give you insights on how to do balance your Earth element personality.)

Earth is the element of harvest, abundance, nourishment, fertility, and the mother and child relationship. Earth balances and epitomizes the changes of seasons.

So an Earth element personality will be all about nurturing, abundance, change and helping to bridge relationships one person to another.

Physical Attributes of Earth Relating to an Earth Element Personality

Earth associates with the digestive system—the stomach (middle of the body) and the spleen. Earth also relates to the sense of taste.

If you’re an Earth element personality and type, you should avoid foods that antagonize the stomach. You may already have an intolerance to insulting foods.

The Earth element personality and type is often prone to ulcers or indigestion. Consider avoiding indulging in sweet foods and rich desserts.

The Earth element personality and type often develops stomach illness. It shows up as deep sagging facial lines from the base of the nose to the outer corners of the lip.

The energy of the Earth element supports the flow of lymph to detoxify the body.

Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells that bathe the tissues and drain toxins through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream.

For this reason, each of the four 18-day between seasons periods of Earth are the best times of year to detox skin and body. Toxicity conditions such as acne—a sign of Earth imbalance—can easily flare up during the Earth periods. Toxicity is a condition of Earth imbalance.

PHYTO5’s Earth quantum energetic line of skincare addresses toxic skin conditions of acne, blemishes, and enlarged pores.

Quantum energetic means the skincare line potently helps balance emotions as well as skin and vital energy. (All PHYTO5’s five element lines are quantum energetic.) This is particularly important for the Earth element personality (or any of the other four element personalities). Because the five element lines are quantum energetic, they balance emotion as well as skin.

This means the out of balance emotional state of the Earth element personality can be easily brought to balance using products from the Earth line.

An out of balance Earth element personality ruminates excessively. Feelings of overwhelm and stuckness, for lack of a better word, dominate. The Earth quantum energetic line of skincare work to get the Earth element personality or anyone out of balance during the Earth seasons feeling more free to self-express creatively.

Earth line skincare shifts you or the Earth element personality enough to help you move off dead center and complete unfinished projects. If you’re a nurturer and use the Earth line you get to relax more knowing you don’t have to be all things to all people.

Click here for the dates of the four 18-day periods of Earth.

Earth Element Personality and Energy

As for any element, the Earth element personality feels a whole range of emotions and behaviors: patience, reliability, logic, service and duty to others, militaristic nature, stubbornness, and high energy.

We see the balanced Earth element personality in:

• home

• safety

• stability

• grounding

• support

• love

• nurturance

• practicality

• reliability

• industriousness

• pensiveness

• seriousness

• conservatism

• instinctive awareness

• reflection

• empathy

• honesty

• kindness and prudence.

The home is very important to the Earth element personality who creates a cozy and comfortable home. Their homes are relaxed and put visitors at-ease so much so they don’t want to leave.

The Earth element personality loves to decorate with stuffed furniture, thick rugs and ornate elements. But out-of-balance Earth types will overdo and decorate with lots of clutter.

The maladapted (another way to describe imbalanced) Earth element personality likes to collect, even hoard, material things. It create a sense of security.

The Earth Archetype As It Relates to the Earth Element Personality

• Plains and valleys are the yin or feminine expression of Earth.

• Hills and mountains are the yang or masculine quality.

Well adapted Earth element personality types intimately connect with the Earth. They see being outdoors with nature, plants or animals as complete spiritual experiences.

The Earth element personality epitomizes balance and unconditional love, nourishment and nurturance.

Earth is the Mother Goddess, Mother–Provider, fertile, nurturing, grounding, strong and constantly transforming. An in balance Earth element personality personifies all these.

Mother Earth never stops providing and caring for us. She supports all kinds of copious plant life to grow in her rich fertile soil. She devotes herself to nurturing and sustaining all her children—sentient beings living on Earth.

This is a quality the Earth element personality in balance mirrors by taking care of family, feeding, loving, caressing and encouraging.

The Earth element personality enormously values friendship. Earth types are very kind and nurturing to their friends.

Like the matriarchal Earth archetype, an Earth element personality in balance is pillar of the family and often the community. This personality will create a safe, secure enriching environment and always with a steady hand and loving touch.

The Earth element personality must live in yin-yang energy balance to be well adapted in Earth. This means Earth types are spiritually and emotionally well grounded individuals.

The Earth element personality—when well adapted to the element—nurtures herself or himself as well as family and friends, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The balanced Earth element personality offers many gifts to loved ones:

• an empathetic ear

• reliability

• comfort

• selflessness

• concern

• grounding for the family.

For all of these reasons and more, everyone wants to be balanced an Earth element personality’s friend.

But the Earth element personality can also be out-of-balance.

• selfish; self-absorbed

• overly pensive; gripped by paralyzing mind chatter

• needy; uncooperative with others, and/or

• judgmental and rigid (including physical inflexibility)

Nevertheless, the out-of-balance Earth element personality or type truly can transform:

• self-absorption>>>to empathy and selfless caring for others

• the prison of an overactive ruminating worrisome mind>>> to the freedom and the comfortable ability to take action

• neediness>>> to dependability so others will know they can be counted on and are loyal.

The Spirit of the Earth Element and How it Supports the Earth Element Personality

TCM calls the intellect Yi. It’s the spirit of the Earth element and also our center. It balances the transformation processes of all the other elements.

Yi gives us the capacity to make scholarly achievements, to set intentions and digest thoughts and information all while keeping us centered in our core. But when an Earth element personality, or anyone for that matter, overthinks and worries, it damages Yi.

On the other hand, when your Yi is healthy, you can remain present and attuned to the gut-brain axis(1) and your solar plexus chakra. The Yi seems somewhat esoteric, but a balanced Yi supports healthy physical digestion which is a very grounded concept.

Especially if you’re an Earth element personality, get really attuned to the element of Earth. It’s very therapeutic. It will bring you into harmony with nature and support the Yi spirit. Then Yi is able to sustain a calm clear mind as it listens to the gut-brain for intuitive information.

Balancing the Maladapted Earth Element Personality

An undernourished childhood—both literally, through lack of nutrition, physical touch and nurturance, and figuratively, through lack of unconditional love and emotional support—often negatively affects the Earth element personality and for life.

The Earth element personality may be unable to resiliently respond to stress because of an inner empty feeling created by an inappropriate maternal experience.

All children need to be held in their mother’s arms, most especially. They need to be told everything is alright. They need to feel a deep connection with Mother. Children require mother’s unconditional love, affection, attention and care.

But a lack of motherly nurturance often affects the Earth element personality’s ability to genuinely and empathetically care for others.

Finding contentment and satisfaction in family, work and relationships can become difficult, out of balance with the  Earth element.

The Earth element personality needs to know she’ll be heard, understood and supported. But lacking this she becomes needy. Out of neediness, the Earth types will often turn to whoever will listen to them as they seek attention through complaining.

They’ll also be constantly striving to fulfill their need to be listened to and understood. The maladapted Earth element personality wants to have her plights recognized. they feel the sympathy and empathy they elicit from others proves their friends and loved ones understand them.

The maladapted Earth element personality can also become overly self-sacrificing. This behavior can often be inappropriate boundaries are crossed in the spirit of helping someone else.

Earth types feel very challenged to simply be empathetic and allow others to work through their problems themselves. The maladapted Earth type wants to solve others’ problems for them.

The Earth element personality out of balance may find self-care challenging. This personality’s driving force and reason for living is all about taking care of others and not himself or herself.

The Earth element personality out-of-balance can also often feel anxious and insecure when his stable predictable lifestyle has been threatened. He may worry about this or other issues excessively and obsessively. And it’s this worry that prevents him from making decisions and completing projects. His mind gets chaotic and feels stuck and paralyzed. 

The maladapted Earth element personality can find a pathway back into balance through service, gratitude, self-care, and mindfulness practices. 

Utilizing the Energies of Earth for a Balanced Personality in Any Element

The Earth element is substantive.

Earth can conjure fierce images in your mind like erupting volcanos and intensely vibrating earthquakes.

But Earth also and mostly calls to mind nurturing soil, the bounty, healing crystals and stones buried beneath, and all the plants and animals it sustains.

You might like to visualize Earth itself from space as gentle reminder we live on a magnificent celestial island.

You can call upon Earth’s energies to facilitate your manifestation efforts. She’ll help you put down strong roots so your dreams can grow into reality.

The Earth element can provide you with a sense of reality and productivity. It gives you the capacity to turn nearly everything you touch into something tangible.

Earth can be not only a great ally but wise guide.

Whether you’re an Earth element personality or a personality of any of the other four elements of TCM, call on Earth’s energies for assistance. Call on Earth for help with grounding, growth, protection, your work with the Law of Attraction, and the inner workings of your soul, life cycle and abundance.

Earth holds a gateway enabling you to communicate with animal and plant spirits. She offers you the necessary grounding to keep one foot firmly planted on terra firma. Especially if you’re a gardener, crystal worker or herbalist, Earth will support you in your service.

The energies of the Earth element will help keep you aware of your valuable and enlightening ancestral roots. They’ll also encourage you to keep the garden of your life free of weeds in the here and now.

Whether you’re in or out of balance as an Earth element personality, feel gratified by your Earth Mother archetype. Reach for her wondrous qualities of composure and serenity whenever you feel unsure.

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Endnotes:

1. Gut-Brain Axis (GBA): Researchers now call the gut the second brain having discovered there is an enormous number of neurologic connections and neuro-regulatory bodies in the gut microbiome. From the nasal sinuses to the rectum, the GBA comprises the largest macro-membrane in the body with a surface area of two tennis courts.

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Sources:

Levitt, Susan. Taoist Feng Shui: The Ancient Roots of the Chinese Art of Placement. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1999.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2010.

Happiness and Beauty Are Interconnected

Authentic beauty goes way past that surface skin deep beauty most people chase after. As with anything, both happiness and beauty radiate from what's within you. People who struggle finding happiness often also struggle with their sense of personal beauty.

Loving yourself creates the foundation of happiness and beauty.

If you can’t love yourself your emotions dwell in the negative. And negative emotions can never create beauty.

Happiness and beauty are like a partner dance. If you feel deeply content, you feel happy. You’re pleased with who you are on the inside. Your inner happiness shines through as outer beauty.

“…the idea of being beautiful really comes down to two big umbrella concepts: First, love the people in your life and practice trusting and forgiving them. Second, and equally important, love yourself and all of your imperfections.” — Michael F. Roizen in YOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Happiness and beauty are about 1) being, 2) feeling and 3) then looking beautiful.

Our quantum energetic skincare lines balance skin conditions while they balance emotions. And we purposely formulated them to exalt your innate happiness and beauty and they balance your skin condition.

It’s the quantum energy in this skincare that works to provoke emotional equilibrium. We’ve looked high and low and no other skincare in the world is offering quantum energy in skincare that balances both skin condition and emotion for your exalted natural beauty.

A motto of PHYTO5 skincare is:

I am a beautiful person.

We publish this motto reminder on our emotion balancing quantum energetic five-element mini serum kit. We designed this kit to balance the five major emotions according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Each emotion corresponds to one of the TCM’s five seasons and elements:

• Spring–Wood: anger and lack of confidence

• Summer–Fire: joylessness or over-the-top expressions of joy

• Between seasons–Earth: overwhelm and a feeling of being stuck as a result of over-caretaking

• Fall–Metal: regret and worry

• Winter–Water: fear

When you make balancing your emotional state a priority, you feel content. Then that contentment expands into happiness. And finally, your happiness grows at your core. It becomes radiant and it shines through on the outside as exalted natural beauty.

If you don’t know it now, you can know that you’re a beautiful person by keeping your emotions balanced.

You can buy and wear the latest fashion or even use makeup and other skincare products and still feel neither happy nor beautiful.

Happiness is like the hand that goes in the glove of exterior beauty.

“If we cannot feel beautiful on the inside, our outward perceptions of beauty become warped… I believe inner joy has a direct impact on outer beauty. This concept doesn’t have anything to do with makeup or clothing choices. It has everything to do with loving ourselves and appreciating how wonderful we really are.” — Kari Romero in Becoming Beautiful: A Personal Journey Towards Happiness. 

Our beliefs shape our happiness and beauty.

We start developing limiting beliefs about ourselves at an early age. It’s not our fault. It’s the way the world is.

We can’t blame our parents. They too were subject to all the same limitations and judgments and often, even worse. They did the best they knew how to do.

Living with those beliefs kept you emotionally imbalanced. You compromised your happiness and beauty.

But the fact you’re reading this blog means you’ve begun breaking free of those limiting beliefs. You had eyes clear enough to see how your vast life experience has made you wiser. And with that wisdom comes contentment.

These life experiences have helped you realize how important your inner well-being, founded on balanced emotion, really is.

You’re realizing that happiness and beauty are interconnected. You notice you glow when you’re happy.

If you want to present yourself as genuinely alluring, appealing and charming, you must achieve both authentic happiness and beauty.

For true happiness and beauty, make the exciting journey of balancing your emotions and discovering your authentic self.

Emotional balance is crucial for natural beauty.

Begin with a simple little helper and emotion balancer in PHYTO5’s five-element serums. This is a good place to start and your skin will benefit equally as much.

Let precisely formulated Phyt’Ether serums for each emotion balance your inner state:

• anger and lack of confidence (Wood element Phyt’Ether)

• joylessness or over-the-top expressions of joy (Fire element Phyt’Ether)

• overwhelm from over-caretaking (Earth element Phyt’Ether)

• worry and regret (Metal element Phyt’Ether)

• fear (Water element Phyt’Ether)

In a state of even emotion, explore your beautiful uniqueness. This is what happiness and beauty require to be realized.

Embrace your imperfections for happiness and beauty.

Instead of focusing on your flaws, learn to accept and love them because they make you so unique. See your imperfections not as weaknesses but as strengths.

Transcend societal standards and expectations. Accept yourself wholly. This is your powerhouse of natural beauty.

Let balanced emotion help you clearly identify and embrace what makes you unique. Your uniqueness makes you beautiful.

Like the pregnant mother or the woman in love, when you’re fundamentally happy you glow. It’s your spirit and natural Light shining through. You radiate a renewed more youthful vitality and brightness.

Your inner glow is spiritual. Happiness and beauty are spiritual.

Anytime you exalt your mind or spirit, your beauty shines and glows. Out-of-balance emotion dampens your spirit and diminishes the light you shine.

As you recapture your inner happiness, people around you will wonder what’s changed. You might hear, “Did you get your hair cut?” Or you’ll hear the exclamation, “You look so radiant!”

And the compliments are true because you’ve recaptured happiness and beauty.

You’re distinct with an inner and outer glow that enhances your physical features. You smile with your eyes. You embody happiness and beauty.

Happiness and beauty comes from your resilient response to stress. Your resilient response to stress creates more happiness and beauty.

It’s a beautiful symbiosis. One creates the other and back again.

When you’re happy, you lower your adverse response to stress. Your body releases endorphins that make you feel good. You smile more. And a smiling face is always more attractive than a frowning one no matter your age.

When you’re at peace with your world no matter what’s going on around you, you generate the quality of beauty.

“Make no mistake, I am still working on it. But I think I am a much prettier woman today than I was ten, twenty or even thirty years ago because today, I am at peace with myself. I am happy and it shows.”— Kari Romero

People who embody happiness and beauty usually practice good self-care.

Here’s another symbiosis: We find it easier to take care of ourselves when we’re happy and self-care bolsters our happiness and beauty.

Happiness and beauty are a 1-2 stair step that reflects your overall well-being.

When you prioritize your happiness, practice self-care, and embrace yourself fully, you radiate a glow no makeup or skincare product can replicate. True beauty comes from the enduring heart and soul—not any type of fleeting physical experience.

So nourish your soul, cultivate happiness and contentment in your life. Unleash your natural beauty through practices of gratitude, forgiveness, empathy. compassion and peace.

Don’t wait for happiness to just happen to you. It doesn’t work that way.

Begin embracing your magnificent self and love who you are. Discover all the best parts of yourself and make those discoveries come alive in your life.

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Sources:

Romeo, Kari. Becoming Beautiful: A Personal Journey Towards Happiness. United States, Balboa Press, 2018.

Roizen, Michael F., and Oz, Mehmet. YOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty (Google eBook). United States, Scribner, 2008.

Image courtesy of cottonbro studios at pexels

What Is Quantum Health? Is Quantum Beauty a Result of Quantum Health and Energy?

A quantum field lies at the core essence of each of us. It’s where true wellness originates: quantum health and quantum beauty. Here a fluid symbiotic communication between mind and body takes place. It can lead you to many quantum health solutions at the foundation of holistic health. Quantum health is next level health and well-being and it leads to quantum beauty. It’s not superficial. It’s real. But how do we approach it to create radiant well-being?

What are quantum health, quantum energy?

Quantum health is rooted in the principles of quantum physics. The science increasingly proves that everything in the universe is made not only of energy but is interconnected.

Our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects are interconnected. This means that imbalances in one system or aspect can affect the others. Left unattended, it ultimately negatively impacts our overall health and longevity.

We know stress negatively affects our health and well-being. But quantum field energy holds the very real potential to very positively affect our health. Instead of mere health or symptom solutions, you experience quantum health solutions.

Now you begin to achieve not only quantum health but radiant quantum beauty.

If we apply our understanding of quantum energy correctly, we can use it to completely heal what needs to be healed.

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Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

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The PHYTO5 approach to skincare offers quantum health solutions leading to quantum beauty and well-being.

PHYTO5’s approach and philosophy combine the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with quantum energy and Swiss-made precision.

We’ve brought these three together to create a synergy. We find this three-fold synergy holds a much higher potential to promote true well-being and natural beauty through our products.

We charge our Swiss-made five-element skincare lines with quantum energy. PHYTO5 doesn’t claim to be the cause of quantum health but we do provide a system of actions that promote elevated health and well-being.

We figured out how to take our products next level—to be more than high vibrational. They’re impregnated with quantum energy. As a result, our products go far beyond what other plant-based skincare offers. Quantum energy skincare is far more effective at balancing the body's vital energy (chi), a requisite for skin health and vitality.

Knowing what we know about the quantum field, aiming for quantum energy in skincare makes perfect sense. It seems logical that quantum energy creates quantum health solutions. This means radiant authentic natural health and beauty for you. We know this is how true healing and transformation occur and we want to share it with you.

We also support you to participate in the potentials of quantum health solutions for skin that already exist. These often include the simple practices of diet, exercise, sleep, emotional balance and mindful choices.

PHYTO5 aims high and our products and service are rather a ‘best kept secret.’ We’ve looked high and low in the beauty industry and no one else is doing what we do.

This approach creates quantum health solutions for radiant well-being and quantum beauty.

True quantum health encourages us to look beyond the physical symptoms of conditions or illness. We’re aiming for real quantum health solutions. And so PHYTO5 quantum energetic five-elements lines work to address energetic imbalances at the root level.

We strive to help you create a beautifully conditioned skin canvas—the essence of quantum beauty.

Authentic healing is quantum healing. It goes straight to the underlying energetic cause or skin condition. Now you’re taking a direct and proactive role in your well-being. You’re looking at yourself as a whole picture instead of mere fragments. And you’re nurturing not just your body but your mind, spirit and emotions.

Mindful practices like meditation and energy healing can contribute to both quantum health and quantum beauty. You must be very diligent to be able to access that quantum space in mindful practices.

Conscious quantum energetic skincare rituals that PHYTO5 can offer you a slightly more direct route to quantum health solutions.

They help you organically align your energies with the natural rhythms of the universe inherent in our essential oil skincare.

PHYTO5 skincare offers you an actual lifestyle approach to not just skincare but quantum beauty.

Authentic quantum health solutions lead to quantum beauty.

“The life within us can be best cared for and healed with living things. We have a strong affinity for plants—particularly the flower oils. Their blossoms are the ‘face’ of the plant that are used for facial care in essential oil cosmetics.”

— Erich Keller in Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care: A Guide to the Use of Essential Oils for Beauty and Healing

We begin by creating synergistic blends of high grade essential oils. These oils already brim with a vital energy of their own. According to Keller cited above, the flower oils’ molecules are so small they penetrate the skin at its core essence. These molecules instinctively share their survival and longevity properties with your skin to bring balance.

But you don’t just absorb the flower molecules through the skin. Uou also breathe in and absorb these aromatic molecules through the nose and mouth as you use the products.

That’s the start of something great.

But by further amplifying the plant molecules’ energetic fields to quantum, the plants’ quantum energies begin communicating with your own quantum field. You and the plant molecules develop a symbiosis. This symbiotic communication balances not just skin but your coursing vital energy and emotions.

And quantum beauty isn’t merely a product of beautiful skin. It comes from a deeper place—balanced emotion. When your emotions are balanced your skin will be more beautiful and healthy.

When people have certain skin conditions, sometimes an emotion is associated. Emotions are expressed in the physical health of both body and skin.

Because PHYTO5 five-element skincare is permeated with quantum energy, it goes straight to the deepest core of your mind-body system to address your skin condition. The minute you treat your skin to quantum energetic essential oil rich skincare, the oils go right to their healing and balancing work. This balancing takes place at the level of skin, vital energy and emotions.

And they do so at the level of skin but also at the deepest core of you—the quantum field. It’s where you’ll find ineffable peace, serenity and sheer balance. If you can go to the quantum field you can access this serene balance and encourage it forward. This field offers all the quantum health solutions you could ever want.

This quantum energy of serenity and perfection is equilibrium. It is balance. And it’s the only state where authentic healing happens.

And this is why we worked so hard to find a way to imbue our five-element lines with quantum energy. We knew skin’s balance and beauty largely come from balanced emotion and vital energy you can abundantly find in the quantum space.

We wanted to offer that extra-something called quantum energetic potential to help you uniquely achieve quantum beauty.

The silent, perfectly serene field of quantum energy offers quantum health solutions. It’s pure potential waiting for you to partake of it.

Embrace the quantum health solutions that exist for you.

“Unlike our physical body, which is subject to aging, injury, and decay, the quantum body exists on a sub-atomic level and is the infinite, invisible source of everyday reality that affects your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and biological responses. Without your quantum body, there is no physical body. And this lack of awareness of the most crucial part of ourselves negatively impacts our lives every day.”

—  —Deepak Chopra, MD in Quantum Body: The New Science of Living a Longer, Healthier, More Vital Life

You’ll always see quantum health show up first in your skin. You’ll begin to notice your emotions have leveled. You’re happy and healthy, achieving real natural quantum beauty.

Pursuing real and true quantum health solutions invites you to see yourself as a dynamic, energetic being with the power to shape your own wellness journey.

When you integrate this perspective into your daily life, you give yourself the greatest gifts. You organically cultivate a profound sense of balance, harmony, and vitality that shows up as radiant quantum beauty and health.

“Beauty defeats ugliness. Truth defeats lies. If you focus on your own evolution… you will be aligned with the cosmic design.”

— —Deepak Chopra, MD in Quantum Body: The New Science of Living a Longer, Healthier, More Vital Life

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Sources:

Keller, Erich. Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1999

Chopra, Deepak. Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old. United States, Harmony/Rodale, 2009.

Chopra, Deepak, et al. Quantum Body: The New Science of Living a Longer, Healthier, More Vital Life. United States, Harmony/Rodale, 2023.

What Is Jing Energy? Understand It to Know How to Increase Your Jing Essence.

What is Jing energy? Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) defines Jing energy or essence (tsing, ching) as ancestral energy. When your Jing essence is depleted, you die. But can halt the ways you deplete and waste Jing energy. And methods exist to help you preserve and often even rebuild Jing energy. But employing the methods comes from best understanding the answer to the question: What really is Jing energy?

What is Jing energy? Jing isn’t the same as chi (qi) or vital energy.

Qi (chi) is the TCM term we use to identify vital energy and its five different aspects. TCM’s Theory of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) explains qi. TCM defines qi as a circulating life force. Chi forms the basis of much Chinese philosophy and TCM.

Both cosmic views of Taoism(1) and TCM see qi the same way. They see it as the invisible life force regulating the universe, all activities on the planet, and the inner workings of the physical body.

But both disciplines also consider much more when it comes to energy. They very much consider an entire trilogy of interdependent energy forces known as the Three Treasures.

In TCM, Jing essence, chi, and shen compose the Three Treasures of interdependent energy forces.

There’s no clear definition for each of these in English but the closest notions are:

• Jing is essence.

• Chi is vitality and/or energy

• Shen is mind and/or spirit.

All three interrelate. Without Jing essence, neither chi nor shen can exist.

A strong qi or vital energy strengthens Jing energy and vice-versa. Both cooperate to maintain a strong and healthy body, but shen works to assist them as well.

The mind is master of the body’s functions. A centered shen keeps Jing energy strong and it activates chi.

Strive for the ideal of sane mind in a sane body to achieve all three in balance. You will win the ultimate prize of the Three Treasures.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

What is Jing energy? It’s an inherited energetic essence you received prenatally from your parents.

You derive Jing essence from your father's sperm and mother's ovum. It’s source qi energy which is different from the qi (chi) we commonly understand.

Jing is the root of yin and yang energies. As life code it impels our development through life.

In Chinese medical theory, Jing or essence is the origin of the entire body… Jing transforms into the first energy in the body: source qi. It also transforms into the first channel: the Chong channel.(2) From an energetic and channel perspective, the Chong channel is the unfolding of the genetic and destiny code contained in Jing. —David Twicken in Eight Extraordinary Channels - Qi Jing Ba Mai: A Handbook for Clinical Practice and Nei Dan Inner Meditation

Jing and the self—your core nature—intertwine with each other to form a oneness.

After receiving Jing energy prenatally you continue to accumulate it after birth. We call this postnatal Jing energy.

You’ll derive postnatal Jing energy throughout your life from food, water, and oxygen. But you can also deplete your Jing essence as a result of environmental and social conditions.

The lifestyle choices you make directly bear on your vitality. These choices constantly repeated enter the Jing and take root as part of your body’s constitution.

Do you regularly subject yourself to substance abuse, pollution and toxins, for example? All these can directly deplete your Jing essence.

What is Jing energy? It’s the foundation of the body and an essence centered in the kidneys.

The kidneys house the Jing essence.

With weak kidneys you have weak Jing energy. Then coping with even the simplest of tasks becomes difficult.

In our blog on the kidney as root of life, regeneration and vitality, we wrote:

[Kidney] provides us with a reservoir of energy we can tap into to regain self-assurance, trust, and faith in surviving our challenges in life.

Strong kidneys make us better able to work efficiently for long periods of time. We focus more sharply for greater productivity.

But weak kidneys do exactly the opposite. We lose endurance and physical strength. Fear and anxiety can grip and prevent us from productivity if we don’t take care of our kidneys.

TCM tells us we store our core vital energy—qi—in the kidneys. Therefore when you strengthen your kidneys and keep them in balance, you regenerate your body. You prolong youth and vitality.

The kidneys contain your blueprint for health. They are the body’s most important receptacles of Jing energy which TCM also calls the “Root of Life.” Yin and yang energies of your body system find their root in the kidneys.

What is Jing energy? It’s the foundation of sexual energy and conception.

Recall that we discussed above that we derive Jing essence from our father's sperm and our mother's ovum.

Women lose a certain amount of Jing essence when giving birth and losing blood during menses.

The good news for women is that menopause arrives to limit Jing energy loss. Women’s bodies innately know to commence menopause so they can preserve blood and Jing essence for a healthier longer life.

But when men wastefully ejaculate they lose more and more Jing essence.

Men can limit loss of Jing caused by ejaculation by practicing the Tao of sex. This is a tantric teaching instructing men to injaculate to recycle Jing essence. And it doesn’t prevent orgasm.

Taoist and other spiritual masters have long known about the practice of injaculation. In the near 100-year old book, Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, a Himalayan Master says this about the practice:

When one has been awakened so that he will conserve all the life forces and let them be distributed to the nerves in the natural way, then let them go coursing along the nerves to every atom of the body, without deforming it with thoughts of sex-lust or passion, the exhilaration will be permanent and the sensation will far transcend that of sex…

If man could understand that this life fluid is many times more vital than a corresponding amount of pure blood, he would conserve instead of dissipate it. But he shuts his eyes to this fact (he may be entirely ignorant of it) and goes on, either in blindness or ignorance, until the Reaper arrives. Then a wail goes up, for he does not admire the harvest.

Both Lao Tzu and Confucius recognized China’s founding father, the Yellow Emporer Huang Ti a foremost practitioner of Taoism (around 2700 BC). In the book, The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity, author Daniel Reid writes about the Yellow Emporer:

He is credited with having discovered the secret of immortality through the subtle blending of male and female essence during sexual intercourse and the transmutation of the resulting ‘elixir’ into pure energy and spirit.

Image of the Yellow Emporer's harem generated at Midjourney by the author

The Yellow Emporer kept a harem of 1200 women for frequent coupling but he followed the tenets of the Tao of Yin and Yang during sexual intercourse. He didn’t see it as yin energy vs. yang energy. He blended the two as they should be, yin and yang working in concert to balance each other.

Contrary to the yang masculine impulse, he practiced restraint so his female partner could enjoy her full measure of pleasure.

Huang Ti observed his partner’s responses in the “flowery battlefield” of sex and held reverence for the sexual act itself. He knew that sex is internal and injaculation is only achieved by harmonizing yin (inner/quiet) and yang (outer/active) energies.

Here Jing essence transforms into pure energy.

The Yellow Emperor consulted with three women on sexual matters: the Plain Girl, the Mysterious Girl and the Rainbow Girl. He learned a great deal from these conversations about the Tao of Yin and Yang Energies.

According to author Reid, their recorded conversations in The Classic of the Plain Girl provide:

…a gold mine of original material on ancient Taoist techniques in which sexual energy is skillfully utilized to bolster health and prolong life.

The Yellow Emperor died at 111 after a lifetime of disciplined sexual encounters with his massive harem.

What is Jing energy? It’s key to the free flow of lower belly sacral chakra energy.

For both men and women, the lower belly sacral chakra, located just below the navel, is the body’s natural center of balance and movement and source of the body’s vitality.

When energy flows freely through the sacral chakra, you feel strong, alive and full of vitality. In other words, you feel your Jing energy alive and well within your body.

When the goal is orgasm and orgasm alone, we close our sacral chakra and inhibit sexual energy flow. We most often achieve the goal of orgasm but at the cost of Jing essence.

Every metabolic activity of the body consumes Jing energy. When we’re young, we have Jing essence in excess. It’s that abundance of Jing energy that gives us with the vitality and immunity of youth.

When we advance in age, unless we practice Jing essence preservation, we no longer have excess Jing energy. This forces our bodies to draw on Jing energy reserves in the kidneys.

Progressive loss of Jing essence leads to weakness and aging.

What is Jing energy? It’s an internal force that directly responds to how we live our lives.

When you live in harmony with the five energetic seasons and elements of TCM you can strengthen your chi and preserve Jing energy.

PHYTO5 five-element skincare formulated according to principles of TCM provides an exciting year ‘round experience for living in harmony with the seasons and elements. PHYTO5 skincare offers a lifestyle approach to care and balance of skin, vital energy and emotions in concert with the seasons and elements.

You can rebuild a certain amount of Jing essence with mindful (qi gong and meditation) and lifestyle choices (acupuncture and sexual practices).

The following seven ways to preserve your essence prove the answer to the question, “What is Jing energy?”

1. Eat in harmony with the energetic season. Subscribe for our newsletters. When each energetic season stars, we send best eating and other lifestyle tips for the seasons and element. But to start, make sure you consume a balance of flavors: pungent, sweet, sour, bitter and salty.

2. Get proper sleep to recharge the body. Sleep in alignment with the sun’s rising and setting. When you subscribe to our e-newsletter, we’ll also send you sleeping tips according to TCM for each season.

3. Balance work with rest. It creates a vigorous healthy life. If you provoke imbalance in either work or rest, it can lead to sickness.

4. Exercise to a healthy normal degree. Exercise will help you store Jing essence.

5. Avoid drug and excessive alcohol use both of which deplete Jing essence.

6. If you’re a sexually very active man, investigate the tantric practice of preserving your semen. Guard against losing life essence through excessive sexual activity.

7. Meditate every day for at least fifteen minutes. It disintegrates the stress that depletes Jing essence.

Tao is the primal power that forges all phenomena in the universe, from the infinite the the infinitesimal. Invisible yet ever present, Tao permeates the world with the very breath of life, and those who learn how to harmonize themselves with Tao may harness that power to enhance and prolong their own lives. —Daniel P. Reid in The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity: A Modern Practical Approach to the Ancient Way

…

Endnotes:

1. Taoism is a Chinese philosophy based on the writings of Lao-tzu (fl. 6th century BC), advocating humility and religious piety.

2. Chong circulates Jing essence. It’s one of the eight psychic or extraordinary channels that influence the body according to Taoism and TCM. Chong’s energetic properties include the unfolding of yin and yang. You connect with and experience your prenatal nature through the Chong medium.

…

Sources:

Reid, Daniel P. The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity: A Modern Practical Approach to the Ancient Way. Simon & Schuster, 2014. 

Anand, Margot. The New Art of Sexual Ecstasy: Following the Path of Sacred Sexuality. Thorsons, 2003. 

Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, Vol. 1. DeVorss & Company, 1935.

Twicken, David. Eight Extraordinary Channels - Qi Jing Ba Mai: A Handbook for Clinical Practice and Nei Dan Inner Meditation. United Kingdom, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2013.

…

Main image by samsara at Getty Images via Canva

Getting in the Spirit of the First Earth Day Festival: The Incredible Story You May Not Have Known

Americans celebrated the first Earth Day Festival which was actually more of a demonstration on April 22, 1970. At that time, people didn’t understand a toxic environment directly affects our health and longevity. Most had no idea they were absorbing environmental toxicity through their skin, breath, and food. But the first Earth Day Festival began to bring that awareness to light. A budding consciousness of toxic drinking water, air pollution and the effects of pesticides became clarion calls to millions. They heard the call, followed through and demonstrated.

Abuse of the environment without conscience provoked the first Earth Day Festival.

It was San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson who backed the first Earth Day grassroots demonstration. They inspired participants to want to improve, protect and save an environment becoming more and polluted and disrespected every day.

Americans of the 60s thought of the environment in terms of conservation of parks and recreational areas. They only started embracing the more robust concept of ‘environment’ near the end of the decade.

Before 1970, an American factory could legally pump black clouds of toxic smoke into the air. They could dump unchecked quantities of chemical toxic waste into streams and rivers without consequence. There were no EPA and no Clean Air or Clean Water Acts at the time. American industry could liberally abuse the environment without any oversight.

Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson was Earth Day’s founder. Nelson wanted to get people talking more about the environment. He raised public awareness of environmental issues by launching a non-profit, non-partisan organization called Environmental Teach-In, Inc. And he modeled the organization after the now historic anti-war teach-ins of the day.

“In the waning months of the 1960s, environmental problems were proliferating like a many-headed hydra, a monster no one could understand let alone tame or slay. Rampant air pollution was linked to disease and death in New York, Los Angeles, and elsewhere as noxious fumes, spewed out by cars and factories, made city life less and less bearable. In the wake of Rachel Carson’s 1962 bestseller, ‘Silent Spring,’ there was widespread concern over large-scale use of pesticides, often near densely populated communities. ”

— Jack Lewis in The Spirit of the First Earth Day

Many environmental issues that initiated the first Earth Day Festival still exist today.

Unfortunately, we’re still bombarded with a toxic environment to this day. Some of the delivery methods of toxins to our physical bodies have shifted. Technology created new ones like electromagnetic fields (EMFs). But very many have remained the same.

The Earth element synergistic facial product trio

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Earth doesn’t just apply to the Earth itself. It applies to one of the energies of the five elements we all embody as a physical and emotional person.

You could be what TCM calls an Earth type person. (We all embody the energies of the five elements but one will often be more dominant than the others.) If you’re an out-of-balance Earth type you might have the Earth skin condition. This condition shows up as enlarged pores, acne and blemishes in your skin. Your lymph flow might be sluggish.

When the body can’t pump out toxins through good lymph and blood circulation, it shows up all over the body. And the first unpleasant signs always show up in skin.

PHYTO5’s Earth element line of skincare is very Earth reverent. We work with the energies of Earth’s five elements. Careful curation of the highest quality plant-based ingredients create the foundation of every product we make.

Add to these famed Swiss precision and the loving care we put into our products as we fill many of them by hand. In respect for the Earth, we pay close attention to eco-friendly, sustainable, and the environment. Pure water from gorges near to our Swiss factory are unique to PHYTO5 skincare. And we harvest certain flowers grown in our factory’s immediate area and create flower waters to use in our skincare.

In the spirit of Earth Day where purity is held high, Earth skincare is formulated to normalize skin. It works to support the flushing of toxins.

Earth type personalities tend to love and reverence the Earth. Earth Day Festivals are big for the Earth type personality.

If you’re an Earth type, you probably love things earthy and organic. Animals and gardening are probably important to you and so are your relationships. And you’re probably very grounded mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

To read more all about yourself if you’re an Earth type personality, read our blog, The Earth Type Personality: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance.

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Let’s return to the story of the first Earth Day Festival.

25-year old Denis Hayes, the dynamic former President of the Stanford student body became national coordinator of Environmental Teach-In. He immediately got to work making plans for the inaugural Earth Day Festival.

Hayes had only $190,000 to work with—an extremely limited budget. So he rented a humble office in Washington and gathered an enthusiastic cadre of volunteers. Many of the volunteers were students.

With some of the $190,000, Hayes purchased a full-page ad in the New York Times in early February 1970. And it proved to be a stroke of genius.

The ad announced citizens would demonstrate for a cleaner environment at locations throughout the U.S. on April 22, 1970. Contributions immediately started pouring in.

The ad aroused the curiosity of major news organizations. And the New York Times and Washington Post gave front-page coverage to Earth Day the day before the event.

Television networks followed suit. They reported about it in a way that created the aura of a national holiday.

The first Earth Day Festival was a resounding success.

“On Earth Day in 1970… twenty million Americans–10 percent of our population–… demanded that our political leaders return to our people the ancient environmental rights taken from our citizens during the previous eighty years. Motivated by that extraordinary show of grassroots power, Republicans and Democrats working together passed twenty-eight major laws over the next ten years, to protect our air, water, endangered species, wetlands, and food supply. Those laws, in turn, became the model for over 150 nations that had their own versions of Earth Day and started making their own investments in their environmental infrastructure.”

— Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in Beyond Earth Day: Fulfilling the Promise

“To countless participants, Earth Day was a turning point in their lives, which they remember to this day with awe and reverence. ‘It was something magical and catalytical,’ remarked Denis Hayes, ‘touching a huge cross-section of Americans.’ ‘A charmed event,’ ‘a joyous occasion,’ ‘a public-relations masterpiece,’ ‘foundation of a national environmental consciousness’ were words of praise conjured by participants.”

— Jack Lewis in The Spirit of the First Earth Day

That year in December Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues. They named it the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And with the new EPA the environmental movement entered a new phase.

When is Earth Day celebrated and why?

Earth Day Festivals are always celebrated on April 22 of every year.

Founder Senator Nelson knew he needed the idealism of college students to carry the first Earth Day festival. So he chose April 22 because it fit well between Spring break and final exams.

Little did Nelson know that Earth Day April 22 every year falls just five days into what TCM calls the Earth season.

Earth is one of four 18-day periods that fall in-between the seasons of Spring (Wood), Summer (Fire), Fall (Metal) and Winter (Water). The Earth element in TCM corresponds to these four periods of the year that create ‘bridges’ or transitions as we go from one energetic season to another.

It’s incredibly appropriate that Earth Day Festivals around the world are celebrated during traditional Chinese medicine’s Earth season. The energy of the season encourages what Earth Day Festivals are all about.

“Earth Day continues to be a momentous and unifying day each and every year. We look forward to being a part of this historic climate summit and making active progress to Restore Our Earth.”

— earthday dot org

…

Endnotes

Image courtesy of Michelle Henderson at Unsplash

Nelson, Gaylord, et al. Beyond Earth Day: Fulfilling the Promise. University of Wisconsin Press, 2012. 

“The Spirit of the First Earth Day.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 16 Sept. 2016, archive.epa.gov/epa/aboutepa/spirit-first-earth-day.html. 

To Feel and Look Better and Younger, Understand Your Gut Health and Skin Health Are Directly Related

In the human digestive tract lives and thrives an ecosystem of an estimated 100 trillion friendly and unfriendly flora. (Flora is the scientific term for a group of bacteria or plant life.) We call these flora gastrointestinal microbiota or probiotics. For both good gut health and skin health, you need to support a diverse healthy microbiota.

Our intestinal tract is so packed with bacteria that half of the stool isn’t leftover food. It’s microbial biomass. And just as quickly as they're excreted, the microbiota multiply to replenish their numbers.

The more species of bacteria in your gut the more able you are to combat sickness, disease, decline and outward signs of aging in skin. Especially for visitors to a site such as ours, your gut health and skin health and consequently, your natural beauty are directly related.

Internationally recognized educator and thought leader on the microbiome(1) Zach Bush, M. D. tells us:

At the center of human health is the microbiome: 40,000 species of bacteria, 300,000 species of parasite, hundreds of thousands of species of protozoa, three and a half million species of fungi.

All species of bacteria perform a wide variety of tasks and functions. Most of them have not yet been cultivated in a lab and many are yet to be identified.

The intestinal is the largest bacterial ecosystem in the human body.

The National Institutes of Health tell us that gut microbes occupy one to three percent of our body mass which is often heavier than an average three-pound brain.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

A well maintained inner garden creates better brain health.

The microorganisms in the intestines, the bacterial flora, make up your intestinal garden. It’s a garden that needs to be maintained just like any garden.

A well-cared-for inner terrain will make everything the brain needs and will signal that information to the brain.

By adjusting the types of bacteria in the belly, brain health improves along with many other chronic conditions.

Over a lifespan, if you don’t maintain your inner garden your inner bacterial population will slowly shift. Now it will begin to encourage rather than prevent disease.

Flora imbalance can impede the body’s ability to detoxify, metabolize calories, and handle insulin production. 

Equally so, a flora imbalance can negatively impact brain function and behavior.

Kelly Burris, Ph. D, in Depression Anxiety and the Brain in Your Gut: How Thought, Emotion and Behavior Work and How to Get Back to Normal tells us this:

With over 500 million neurons (brain cells) in the gut and bidirectional communication with the brain via the vagus nerve, gut health must not only be considered in emotional wellness (mental health) but must also be measured.

Researchers find that stress and an inability to adapt to it not only makes us more likely to develop emotional imbalance, it makes the gut more permeable to bad bacteria.

Beneficial flora are good for immunity.

At least 70% of our immune system strength resides in the gut and the makeup of our intestinal bacteria.

Scientists have discovered that our intestinal good and bad bacteria are thrown out of balance when we use antibiotics, consume the Western diet, accept certain medical treatments, and live with obesity.

Intestinal flora imbalance contributes to chronic conditions like autoimmune disorders, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and more.

But if we can balance the gut microbiome we get to enjoy a whole range of health benefits.

Studies show it helps lower the occurrence of cancer, strokes and obesity, for example.

The intestinal tract contains more chemical detection and signaling molecules than any other organ. And these microbiota offer protection against all kinds of diseases that don’t even occur in the intestines.

When in healthy numbers, they diligently work to shield us from diseases associated with aging.

Gut health and skin health are directly related.

Probiotics can help reduce inflammation that can trigger certain skin conditions. Studies very obviously demonstrate that gut health and skin health are linked. They find, for example, friendly flora very promising in the treatment of skin conditions like acne, rosacea and eczema.

To further advance the notion of gut health and skin health being inextricably linked, some evidence suggests that beneficial bacteria may help to build collagen. Collagen is the all important main protein in skin that affects both its texture and tone.

Gut health and skin health shows up as:

• better hydration ability of aging skin

• reduced damage from sun exposure

• lessened appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

• restored pH of acidic skin

• oxidative stress alleviation

• attenuation of photoaging (skin damage caused by UVA and UVB exposure)

• improved skin barrier function; and

• enhanced quality of the hair.

Epidemiological researchers have recently proven there's a direct link between gut health and skin health.

New York City dermatologist Whitney Bowe advocates for a gut-changing diet in her book, The Beauty of Dirty Skin.

The diet is primarily based on low-glycemic index foods combined with bacteria-rich fermented ones. It alters and shifts the trillions-strong population of intestinal flora and reduces inflammation including skin-related outbreaks. 

Says Justin Sonnenburg, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine:

It is certainly true that what happens in the gut isn’t confined to the gut, he said—that it’s part of the integrated system that is you. Your gastrointestinal micro-organisms affect metabolism, immune response, stress. Change something in the gut microbiome—diet is one of the most powerful levers for that—and the effects ripple outward, potentially to the skin.

Skin can be improved from within when the intestines have a good balance of friendly flora.

The best way to support both gut health and skin health is through the foods we consume.

• Eat a diverse diet rich in whole foods.

• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes and beans which are the best sources of nutrients for a gut health and skin health. These are all high in fiber which can't be digested by your body but can be digested by certain bacteria in the gut. This stimulates growth of friendly flora. In addition, soil is the first place we indirectly encounter friendly flora through the plant foods we eat. So plants are an obvious excellent source of friendly flora.

• Consume fermented foods and beverages for both good gut health and skin health. The fermentation process uses microbes such as bacteria and yeast to preserve foods. These beneficial microorganisms eat sugars and can support intestinal health. Fermented foods are shown to provide actions in the body that:

• work against cancer cells

• mitigate obesity

• prevent constipation and promote colorectal health

• reduce cholesterol and blocked arteries

• provide antioxidation and anti-aging action

• improve brain health

• fortify the immune system fortification and

• improve overall skin health. 
  

Fermented foods for gut health and skin health include:

• yogurt (People who eat a lot of yogurt appear to have more lactobacilli in their intestines and have fewer Enterobacteriaceae, a bacteria associated with inflammation and a number of chronic diseases.)

• kefir (a fermented dairy product similar to yogurt)

• kimchi

• sauerkraut

• pickles

• miso

• tempeh

• fermented tofu

• tamari

• kombucha

• apple cider vinegar.

• Consume prebiotic foods. These are foods that promote the growth of beneficial microbes in the small intestine. They are mainly fiber or complex carbs that can't be digested by human cells but can be digested by certain species of bacteria which use them for fuel.

• Eat whole grains with lots of fiber and non-digestible carbs. These carbs aren’t absorbed in the small intestine. They instead travel to the large intestine where they’re broken down by the microbiota. This promotes the growth of certain beneficial bacteria.

• Consume polyphenol-rich foods. These are plant compounds that can't always be digested by human cells and consequently make their way to the colon where they can be digested by intestinal flora.

Examples of health-enriching polyphenol-rich foods include:

• cocoa and dark chocolate

• red wine

• green tea

• almonds

• onions

• blueberries

• broccoli

• A number of studies show artificial sweeteners can negatively affect both gut health and skin health. It’s smart to remove those from your diet.

…

Endnotes:

(1) The microbiome is the combined genetic material of the microorganisms in a particular environment.

Rubin, Courtney. “Keep Your Gut Healthy and Your Skin May Follow.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/27/style/gut-health-skin.html.

Sharma, Divya, et al. “Anti-Aging Effects of Probiotics.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology : JDD, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26741377

Park, Kun-Young, et al. “Health Benefits of Kimchi (Korean Fermented Vegetables) as a Probiotic Food.” Journal of Medicinal Food, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24456350.

Klatz, Ronald, and Bob Goldman. The Official Anti-Aging Revolution: Stop the Clock--Time Is on Your Side for a Younger, Stronger, Happier You. Accessible Publishing Systems Pty Ltd., 2008.

S., Robert, et al. “Is There a Role for Probiotics in Liver Disease?” The Scientific World Journal, Hindawi, 11 Nov. 2014, www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/874768/.

Bowe, Whitney, and Kristin Loberg. The Beauty of Dirty Skin: the Surprising Science to Looking and Feeling Radiant from the inside Out. Little, Brown and Company, 2018.

Burris, Ph.D., Kelly. Depression Anxiety and the Brain in Your Gut: How Thought, Emotion and Behavior Work and How to Get Back to Normal. United States, Illumine Studios, 2016

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp

Of all the diseases associated with aging there’s one more devastating for most people than all others. Most of us abhor, even fear, cognitive function decline, dementia and specifically Alzheimer’s.(1) But you can discover how to keep your brain healthy and sharp. And all the ways make complete sense.

The Mayo Clinic says about Alzheimer’s:

While dementia is a general term, Alzheimer's disease is a specific brain disease. It is marked by symptoms of dementia that gradually get worse over time. Alzheimer's disease first affects the part of the brain associated with learning, so early symptoms often include changes in memory, thinking and reasoning skills.

And The National Institute on Aging tells us how Alzheimer’s was discovered:

Dr. [Alois] Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After she died, he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary, or tau, tangles).

These plaques and tangles in the brain are still considered some of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease. Another feature is the loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. —What Is Alzheimer’s Disease? National Institute on Aging

Many dread the loss of independence from declining mental capacity even more than physical decline. Most people accept it as part of aging and something they can do nothing about. The question of how to keep your brain healthy and sharp doesn’t even enter the mind.

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: See Your Brain as Control Tower

Without question, our brain is our single greatest asset because it’s where health and vitality originate. So brain health is every bit as important as the health of any other part of the body.

Your brain is a control tower that directs the operations of your entire body.

Take a head-first approach in your own healthcare. Don’t make your brain the last place you look to for creating health.

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: Seek Out a Holistic Cognitive Function Specialist If you Notice Signs of Decline.

Once the brain begins to deteriorate, evidence shows it can be slowed or halted. A doctor who specializes in holistic healing approaches to cognitive function may be able to help you. 

The Institute for Natural Medicine (naturemed dot org) says:

Licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) have effective approaches for the prevention of cognitive decline based on rigorous training in and an emphasis on addressing the underlying causes of disease.

Functional medicine and chiropractic care can also help. Chiropractic is very much based on the entire nervous—the brain an integral part of that system.

Functional medicine emphasizes food and nutrition for healing and maintaining health of the whole body. It seeks to discover the root cause of disease and helps you find balance with your body’s systems.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: Focus on These Two Major Keys in Brain Health.

First you must slow the rate of brain cell death. And second, you need to grow new brain cells to replace the dying ones.

Loss of brain tissue is caused by many factors. Do all you can to reverse these if you have them.

• oxidative stress

• chronic inflammation

• mitochondrial dysfunction(2)

• hormone deficiency/imbalance

• impaired microcirculation to the brain and

• accumulation of toxic protein aggregates (amyloid-beta and tau as mentioned above in the National Institute of Aging quote on Alzheimer’s; these build up around the brain’s synapses and prevent the vital flow of neurotransmitters).

Your brain needs two critical things to be happy and healthy.

Give your brain fuel and your body exercise. That physical exercise will further fuel and balance your brain health.

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: Give It the Right Nutrition, Especially Fatty Acids.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are critical for brain health. Get your omega-3s.

Nutrition plays a critical role in mental health. This is because the brain relies on both macro- and micronutrients for development and function.

Optimal brain development and function particularly require omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). When the brain doesn’t get these fatty acids, it’s a proven fact that any of a number of mental health conditions over a lifespan can occur.

This list includes:

• developmental disorders and mental retardation in childhood

• depression

• bipolar disorder

• schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder

• an unbalanced response to stress

• hostility and aggression in adulthood and

• cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in late adulthood.

Omega-3s are important components of the membranes surrounding every cell in the body. Some research shows that people who consume more omega-3s from foods like fish, fish oil, flaxseed and omega-3 specific dietary supplements have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive function decline.

Fatty acids are key for how to keep your brain healthy and sharp.

There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids:

• alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

• eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and

• docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Get ALA from plant oils of flaxseed, soybean, and canola. ALA is an essential fatty acid. This means your body can’t manufacture it so you need to get it from food.

Find DHA and EPA mainly in fish and other seafood.

Your body can convert some ALA into EPA and then to DHA but only in very small amounts. So getting EPA and DHA from foods and dietary supplements is the only practical way to increase omega-3 fatty acids in brain and body.

Along with encouraging brain health, omega-3s provide calories the body converts to energy. Omega-3s have many beneficial functions in the heart, blood vessels, lungs, immune and endocrine systems (the network of hormone-producing glands).

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: Exercise and Especially, Walk.

Exercise, especially walking, is vital for brain health.

Walking encourages the brain to release endorphins—a neurochemical that boosts mental health, decreases sensitivity to stress and pain, and sometimes induces a state of euphoria.

Exercise helps lower the incidence of depression while improving overall cognitive function.

Walking releases the protein Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) for healthy neuron survival and cognitive function.

Science Daily explains that BDNF is a protein:

essential for neuronal development and survival, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive function.

Impaired release of BDNF is associated with neuro-degenerative disorders like Alzheimer's Disease.

A January 2018 study found that walking for thirty minutes at a moderate rate increased production of BDNF in the brains of post-stroke patients. Somewhat brisk walking is key to maintaining a healthy brain and mind.

Walking also clears up cognitive haze. When one group of people age 55 to 80 were studied, they significantly improved their brains’ signaling communication simply by walking regularly.

"As we get older, communication pathways within the brain begin to bog down. But in the study, the brains of couch-potato adults who enrolled in a year-long walking program showed significant improvement in cognitive functioning and communication signaling at the end of the study period.” —Michael Gollust, ShareCare dot com

Walking increases blood flow to the brain and improves creativity. A 2014 Stanford University study found that walking increases creative output an average of 60 percent.

Walking is the quintessential avenue for how to keep your brain healthy and sharp.

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: Give Your Brain Mental Exercise.

Certain pastimes and exercises will help you keep your brain sharp and bright.

Even at an older age, learn to play a musical instrument. Researchers find that learning to play a musical instrument enhances verbal memory, spatial reasoning and literacy skills.

Musical instruments force you to use both sides of your brain which strengthens memory power. And the fine motor skills you develop to play an instrument stimulate brain activity. 

Learn to speak a foreign language or rediscover more advanced mathematics like algebra.

Or seriously apply yourself in using moderately complicated computer software applications.

This is how to keep your brain healthy and sharp—work your brain. Put it through its paces.

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: Practice Tai Chi.

Whatever your age, practice Tai Chi. This martial art is a gentle, low impact ancient Chinese mind-body exercise. It improves balance, strength, and flexibility and reduces anxiety and adverse responses to stress.

A study published in the Journal of Neuro-Imaging shares that Tai Chi promotes neuroplasticity(5), loosely described as a more resilient brain. It also encourages the two most necessary outcomes of a healthy brain mentioned near the outset of this article:

• Tai Chi helps your brain generate new neurons (brain cells).

• Tai Chi slows the rate of neuron death.

What simpler way other than walking is Tai Chi for how to keep your brain healthy and sharp?

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: Exercise the Brain Even More Deeply Through Meditation.

Meditate to increase brain neuroplasticity. A meditation practice also helps create the growth of new neural connections and neurons.

The following study of meditating subjects showed very positive alterations in their brain pattern function. Researchers scientifically assessed these results using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

The study found meditation has a very positive impact on mental focus. By measuring alterations in amplitude and synchrony of high frequency oscillations in the brain, the researchers found that meditation plays an important role in connectivity in the brain’s widespread circuitry.

“In a recent visit to the United States, the Dalai Lama gave a speech at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Over the past several years, he has helped recruit Tibetan Buddhist monks for and directly encouraged research on the brain and meditation in the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The findings from studies in this unusual sample as well as related research efforts suggest that over the course of meditating for tens of thousands of hours the long-term practitioners had actually altered the structure and function of their brains.” — Richard Davidson and Antoine Lutz in Buddha Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation

How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp: Think of and Treat Your Brain Like a Muscle. Stay Engaged in Life.

When we don’t consistently use any muscle of our body it begins to atrophy. The very same concept applies to the brain. 

Neural circuits not actively engaged in executing certain tasks for an extended period of time begin to degrade.

If you don’t use an area of the brain for a period of time, you’ll lose the function previously stored there.

Stay engaged in life.

As we advance in age, we amass a whole treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge we can share. It’s the very time we should be contributing and sharing that knowledge rather than withdrawing from life. 

Withholding your gifts, withdrawing and reducing activity leads to atrophy of both physical health and cognitive health.

Affirm your life, your brilliance and your health and vitality. Keep both body and brain well nourished and active.  Participate in and contribute to life.

Discover how to keep your brain healthy and sharp. Practice what you learn and you’ll live long, healthy and well.

…

Endnotes for this article:

1. Alzheimer’s is named after Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915), the German neurologist who first identified it. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age as a result of generalized degeneration of the brain. It’s the most common cause of premature senility.

2. dysfunction of the organelles (specialized subunits within a cell that have a specific function) that generate energy for the cell. Mitochondria are found in every cell of the human body except red blood cells and convert the energy of food molecules into the ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). ATP is a complex organic chemical that provides energy to drive many processes in living cells, e.g. muscle contraction, nerve impulse propagation, and chemical synthesis that powers most cell functions.

3. DHA levels are especially high in the retina of the eye, the brain, and sperm cells.

4. The hippocampus is composed of the elongated ridges on the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain, thought to be the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system.

5. Neuroplasticity describes the brain changes that occur in response to everyday experience.

Sources:

“National Institute on Aging.” National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. Accessed 7 January 2024. www dot nia dot nih dot gov slash health slash alzheimers hyphen and hyper dementia slash what hyphen alzheimers hyphen disease

Davidson, Richard J, and Antoine Lutz. “Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation.” IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 2008, ncbi dot nlm dot nih dot gov slash pmc slash articles slash PMC2944261

Sinn, Natalie, et al. “Oiling the Brain: a Review of Randomized Controlled Trials of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychopathology across the Lifespan.” Nutrients, Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Feb. 2010, ncbi dot nlm dot nih dot gov slash pmc slash articles slash PMC3257637

“Office of Dietary Supplements - Omega-3 Fatty Acids.” NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ods dot od dot nih dot gov slash factsheets slash Omega3FattyAcids hyphen Consumer slash

Stansfield, Kirstie H, et al. “Dysregulation of BDNF-TrkB Signaling in Developing Hippocampal Neurons by Pb(2+): Implications for an Environmental Basis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.” Toxicological Sciences : an Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology, Oxford University Press, May 2012, www dot ncbi dot nlm dot nih dot gov slash pubmed slash 22345308

Morais, Viviane Aparecida Carvalho de, et al. “A Single Session of Moderate Intensity Walking Increases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the Chronic Post-Stroke Patients.” Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2018, ncbi dot nlm dot nih dot gov slash pubmed slash 29078742

“Tai Chi May Improve Brain Health and Muscle Recovery.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, psychologytoday dot com slash us slash blog slash urban hyphen survival slash 201804 slash tai hyphen chi hyphen may hyphen improve hyphen brain hyphen health hyphen and hyphen muscle hyphen recovery

Stanford University. “Stanford Study Finds Walking Improves Creativity.” Stanford News, 24 Apr. 2014, news dot stanford dot edu slash 2014 slash 04 slash 24 slash walking hyphen vs hyphen sitting hyphen 042414

Gollust, Michael. “Clear that Brain Fog with this Easy Exercise.” ShareCare dot com. September 2023. sharecare dot com slash exercise hyphen fitness slash walking slash brain hyphen fog hyphen easy hyphen exercise

Chinese New Year 2024: Wildly Active and Expansive Year of the Green Wood Dragon

This year’s Chinese Lunar New Year 2024 began February 10 and ends January 28, 2025. We’re living the energies and effects of Green Wood Dragon 2024 all the way until late January 2025. In this lunar year we’ll reap the fruits we’ve sown in the previous lunar 2023.

Green Wood Dragon 2024 probably won’t be an easy ride but consider it a self-expansive, even spiritual journey. With the right attitude, you can be resilient during this potentially turbulent year.

This Chinese New Year 2024 may be “ baptized with blood and conflict…” —Gahl Eden Sasson in The Astrology of 2024

We'll probably experience a number of natural calamities, ideological clashes and turbulent frequencies. But then we experience major events like these every year. There’s rarely a year that doesn’t bring us major challenges. And wrapped inside every challenge is the golden kernel of growth, new opportunities and expansion.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural bxeauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique holistic beauty tips and offers.

While Green Wood Dragon 2024 may have its challenges, we have a great deal to look forward to also.

Many beneficial seeds which have already been sown in the previous year will begin to sprout this year.

Keep in mind this year that Dragon offers you its bold energy. Green Wood Dragon 2024 opens a window of opportunity to harness its bold energy and use it to your advantage.

Chinese astrology differentiates the aspects of the Lunar New Year Dragons by the five elements.

The element of Wood (one of the five elements in Wuxing Chinese philosophy)(1) symbolizes and embodies growth and development. Its color green agrees with the very positive sprouting of nature, new life and vital energy flow.

This year might bring us palpable intensity but Green Wood Dragon 2024 also brings hope and new life.

PHYTO5’s Wood element line of skincare will help you balance emotions you might feel with all the intensity of this year. Our 5-element skincare lines are quantum energetic. As a result, they do even more than balance skin conditions. They balance your vital energy and emotions. The Wood line helps balance anger and lack of confidence. Let these lines, especially Wood, help get you through Green Wood Dragon 2024.

Align yourself with the energy of Green Wood Dragon 2024 and you’ll enjoy enormous self-growth. You’ll experience the budding of many new revelations and grow as a person. 

In Green Wood Dragon years so much will seem enormous—victory as well as misfortune. But the noble Wood element offers mercy and kindness to get us through with flying colors.

The element will also support us to gain more awareness and understanding of objective reality during 2024.

How the Chinese Zodiac Works

The Chinese New Year begins with the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice every year. For this reason, the lunar New Year always occurs late January to mid-February.

Twelve zodiacal signs make up the foundation of Chinese astrology. Dragon is the fifth of the twelve.

Each sign is associated with a different animal. And each animal demonstrates five different elemental aspects. Each aspect corresponds to one of the five elements of Wuxing philosphy(1) (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

The Chinese lunar calendar circles back to the same animal sign every twelve years. This circling back responds to the ruling cycles of the beneficial planet Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system.

Since there are five elemental phases, every 60 years, the same combination of animal and element returns. 

1964 Offers Clues for Green Wood Dragon 2024

1964 outrageous coiffure; image generated at Midjourney by the author

This 60-year cycle mirrors the astrological cycle known as the second Saturn return. So to grasp the significance of the year, look back to Green Wood Dragon years 1964, 1904 and every 60 years back thereafter.

In 1964, the U. S. Congress authorized President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate against attacks and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia (Vietnam)(1).

… more American servicemen were dying, and after three civil rights workers were murdered in Mississippi, the president signed the Civil Rights act of 1964. But this did not stop the violence as it continued to increase in many American cities.

Lyndon Johnson was also returned to power after a landslide victory. This was also the year The Beatles took the world and America by storm… Beatle Mania went into overdrive as they released a series of number one hits including, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand’ and  ‘All My Loving.’

Other British groups also found success including The Rolling Stones and The Animals… Together with the American talent of The Supremes and Bob Dylan, many say this was one of the greatest years for music in the last century.

Also one young loud talented boxer by the name of Cassius Clay won the Boxing World heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston.” — thepeoplehistory dot com slash 1964

• The first race riots of the 60s in America took place in 1964. 

“In 1964, two weeks after the landmark Civil Rights Act passed, outlawing racial discrimination, police in New York City shot and killed a black teen, sparking a six-day-long protest-turned-uprising in Harlem and other large African American communities around the city.” —Farrell Evans in The 1967 Riots: When Outrage Over Racial Injustice Boiled Over at the History Channel

Race riots broke out not only in Harlem but in Rochester, New York, Elizabeth, Paterson and Jersey City, New Jersey, Dixmoor and Chicago, Illinois, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize. And Nelson Mandela and seven others were sentenced to life in prison in South Africa.

• South Central Alaska experienced the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history at a magnitude of 9.2 on Good Friday that year.

• Ford Motor Co. produced its first prestigious Ford Mustang. It was an immediate massive success far surpassing sales predictions.

Potentials for This Year of the Green Wood Dragon 2024

Dragon is notably the only supernatural creature among the twelve zodiacal animals.

Symbol of authority and power, Dragon is depicted holding a magical pearl in its mouth. The pearl represents both Moon and Sun and the spiritual essence of the universe.

For these reasons and more, Dragon years are believed to be the most auspicious. 

This Chinese New Year of the Green Wood Dragon 2024 is a yang/active/masculine energy year, Wood being a yang element. We’ll see much activity and bold movement. 

Change will be the provocative theme for the year.

No matter your sign of the zodiac, you’ll feel the restlessness of Green Wood Dragon 2024. If you’re a tuned in person, you might make many changes in your life.

Many people will decide to move, get new jobs, or get married. Some people will do all of them!

This Green Wood Dragon 2024 won’t be exclusively tumultuous with obstacles at every turn.

You should find much more good luck and increasing health and strength on the rise in your life. All these are associated with the color green.

But the year brings with it an electric energy. And the atmosphere that electricity creates can elicit folly in peoples’ minds. So be cautious when considering making gambles and taking risks which come part and parcel with this year.

Don’t overvalue your abilities while undervaluing the abilities of others.

Dragon, as everyone can easily perceive, is mighty. The mythical creature will mightily usher in surprises for the year and upset the status quo.

Clues from the Wood Element for Green Wood Dragon 2024

Wood is a creative element and its color green symbolizes life, change, growth, and self-discovery.

The bold decree of realization, “I am!” is a natural product of the influences of the color, element and animal. But take care to be humble with the bold statement at the same time.

Green Wood Dragon 2024 will inspire us with its natural characteristics: 

• innovation

• creativity

• compassion

• tolerance

• harmony

• beauty

• boldness

• steadfastness

• idealism

• organization and

• competitiveness.

Green Wood Dragon 2024 will be good for relationships but only if you allow them to naturally develop.

If you already have a partner, the year should be interesting. The year’s energies will evoke a need to apply firmness and empathy at the same time with your partner.

Trees (the element of Wood) grow both upwards and downwards until they die. Trees and Wood embody the yang/masculine principle of expansion. Dragon itself is a masculine sign.

For this reason, Green Wood Dragon 2024 promises to be a year of great expansion and action.

"We are looking at an action-adventure packed year filled with thrilling sequences, spectular CGI and superhero feats.” —Gahl Eden Sasson in The Astrology of 2024

The Dragon In the World’s Cultures Gives Us Clues for Green Wood Dragon 2024

Dragons, echoes of the dinosaurs and memory buried deep in our DNA, have captivated the imaginations of many cultures.

In Japan and China, the Dragon is auspicious symbol of power, wisdom, and fortune. These cultures also believe Dragon so powerful it can control climate.

Much folklore speaks of dragons who stand for the conquest of fears and overcoming challenges. And they’re often portrayed as wise mentors.

European folklore portrays dragons in duality. They’re fire-breathing benevolent or malevolent creatures to take counsel from or defeat, respectively.

Attributes of the Green Wood Dragon 2024

The attributes of the Green Wood Dragon will definitely shine in 2024.

Dragon years typically align with Dragon’s legendary status. 

We’ll probably be going through periods where we feel we’re teeming with energy. And we’ll find ourselves perhaps more curious, passionate, and adventurous.

But we might also go through bouts of pride, arrogance and excess. Keep humbleness in mind, make thoughtful decisions, and recognize you’re not infallible.

Watch out for these more erratic swing periods especially during the March-April and September-October eclipse periods.

This lunar year Green Wood Dragon 2024 begins and ends with a retrograde. Many people feel that launching new projects during a retrograde is ill advised. If you believe in retrograde energies affecting you, you might want to keep this in mind.

Consider working with jade and malachite gemstones to embody the essence of the Green Wood Dragon and live in harmony with this auspicious Chinese New Year of the Green Wood Dragon 2024.

…

Endnotes:

1. Wuxing (pronounced woo-shing), usually translated as Five Phases, Five Agents or Five Elements, is a five-fold conceptual scheme used in many traditional Chinese fields of study to explain a wide array of phenomena, including cosmic cycles, the interactions between internal organs, the succession of political regimes, and the properties of herbal medicines.

2. Three North Vietnamese torpedo boats attack the U. S. Destroyer Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin and the U. S. Congress authorizes war against North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

…

Sources:

Dragon Horoscope 2024. N.p., Alina A Rubi, 2023.

Numerology and Chinese Horoscope 2024. N.p., Alina A Rubi, 2023.

Levitt, Susan. Taoist Astrology: A Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1997.

Theitic, Andrew. The Witches' Almanac 2024-2025 Standard Edition Issue 43: Fire: Forging Freedom. United States, Witches' Almanac, 2023.

The Astrology of 2024: A Cosmic Navigator Guide to Piloting the Once and Future Year. N.p., Gahl Eden Sasson.

www dot history com slash news slash 1967-summer-riots-detroit-newark-kerner-commission hashtag

Antioxidant Ingredients in Skin Care: Superstars To Help You Slow Down Aging

Antioxidants slow the aging process. That’s a well-established scientific fact. Researchers estimate that 80 to 90 percent of all degenerative diseases involve age-causing and accelerating free radical activity. This makes including antioxidant ingredients in skin care a primary goal for smart cosmetic formulators.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Antioxidants lessen the damage that free radicals cause in the body and skin. They help prevent the onset of disease. Some can even slow or reverse the progress of disease already underway.

We can very easily find a plethora of antioxidants in colorful fresh produce. If your dinner plate is devoid of color, you’re not consuming many antioxidants. Consuming a diet rich in fresh produce is key to slowing signs of aging.

Consider your diet your first form of skin care. You can get many antioxidant ingredients in skin care that directly comes from your diet.

Recognizing this fact, many cosmetics companies also formulate antioxidant ingredients in skin care products.

PHYTO5 is all about formulating antioxidant ingredients in skin care.

Benefit from natural antioxidant ingredients in skin care in PHYTO5’s Ageless La Cure, Metal and Water element lines of skincare. Antioxidation is integral to the mission of Ageless La Cure.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals are incomplete unstable molecules. They are waste produced by various chemical reactions in our bodies’ cells. When free radicals build up, they harm the cells of the body.

Here’s how it works.

1. Electrons hold molecules together. Normal molecules have pairs of electrons.

2. When a molecule loses one electron from a pair of electrons, the molecule becomes a free radical. This makes the free radical molecule unbalanced and extremely reactive with other molecules.

3. Electrons are compelled to be in pairs. So they scavenge the body searching for another electron to pair up with once again.

4. This action damages cells, proteins and DNA and leads to disease and symptoms of aging.

We generally call this process oxidative stress.

How do we develop free radicals in the body?

The Huntington's Outreach Project for Education at Stanford University says we ingest substances daily that generate free radicals thereby creating oxidative stress.

We find these damaging substances in the food we eat, the medicines we take, the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Just a few examples are fried foods, alcohol, tobacco smoke, pesticides and air pollutants.

In the 2010 article, Methods of Molecular Biology, researchers report that no officially recognized symptoms of oxidative stress exist, however generally recognized symptoms include:

• fatigue

• headaches

• noise sensitivity

• memory loss and brain fog

• muscle and joint pain

• wrinkles and gray hair

• compromised vision and

• lowered immunity.

What are good sources of natural antioxidant ingredients in skin care and in food?

There are probably thousands of substances that can act as antioxidants.

The most familiar and most used antioxidant ingredients in skin care and naturally existing in food are vitamins C and E (D-alpha tocopherol, beta-carotene and other related carotenoids. Many minerals also function like antioxidants including selenium and manganese.

You can find many of these vitamin and mineral antioxidant ingredients in skin care products.

The plant-based diet is based on high intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-rich plant foods. These foods naturally work to reduce risk of oxidative stress-related diseases and aging symptoms.

In the very comprehensive Antioxidant Food Database we learn a key fact: Plant-based foods deliver significantly more antioxidants to the body than non-plant-based foods.

“A plant-based diet protects against chronic oxidative stress-related diseases. Dietary plants contain variable chemical families and amounts of antioxidants. It has been hypothesized that plant antioxidants may contribute to the beneficial health effects of dietary plants.”— Monica Carlsen et al, The Total Antioxidant Content of More than 3100 Foods, Beverages, Spices, Herbs and Supplements Used Worldwide

The study goes on to report:

“The results demonstrate that there are several thousand-fold differences in antioxidant content of foods. Spices, herbs and supplements include the most antioxidant rich products in our study, some exceptionally high. Berries, fruits, nuts, chocolate, vegetables and products thereof constitute common foods and beverages with high antioxidant values.”

Examples of Antioxidant Ingredients in Skin Care and In Food (In fact, they’re superstars.)

• Allium sulphur compounds: leeks, onions, garlic

• Anthocyanins:(1) blue and blue-black foods like eggplant, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, forbidden rice, black lentils, black currants. PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Water line of skincare formulates many products in the line with these antioxidant ingredients in skin care.

• Beta carotene: pumpkin, mangoes, carrots, apricots, spinach, parsley

• Catechins:(2) matcha green tea,(2) other teas, red wine, cocoa, coffee(3)

• CoQ10 also known as ubiquinone

• Copper: beef liver, avocados, buckwheat, olives, sunflower seeds, lentils, almonds, dark chocolate and asparagus

• Glutathione is made up of three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. It’s the master antioxidant of the body.

  • The human body synthesizes glutathione so it’s present in most mammalian tissue. Glutathione directly scavenges a whole range of oxidants.

  • It also catalytically detoxifies a host of toxins. It protects cells from oxidants by recycling vitamins C and E. The reduced glutathione supplement has a direct reputation for mitigating symptoms of  aging.

  • Glutathione also brightens skin when you take it as a supplement to your diet. Clinical tests have demonstrated the effectiveness of oral glutathione. A Penn State College of Medicine study shows oral supplementation is quite bioavailable while the body is able to store the nutrient.

• Hydroxytyrosol is found in olive leaf and olive oil. It just may be the most powerful super-antioxidant discovered to date.

  • Hydroxytyrosol has an exceptionally high ORAC(4) value of 68,576. It’s 15 times higher than that of green tea and three times higher than CoQ10. Hydroxytyrosol is very bioavailable.

  • Several assays show significant benefits for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It’s not only a potent antioxidant, it reduces inflammation as a significant anti-inflammatory.

• The organic compound alpha lipoic acid has gained a great deal of attention as a super anti-aging agent in recent years.

  • The human body produces alpha lipoic acid naturally but only in small amounts. This is why many older people turn to supplements which pack up to 1,000 times more bioavailable alpha lipoic acid in one capsule than they can naturally get in their daily diet.

  • Research suggests alpha lipoic acid plays a role in weight loss, diabetes, lowered blood sugar levels, reduced inflammation, improved nerve function and slowed aging of skin.

  • Animal products like red meat and organ meats contain alpha lipoic acid. Plant foods like broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, and brussels sprouts also contain fairly good amounts of alpha lipoic acid.

• Licorice root extract

• Witch hazel water; enjoy this antioxidant ingredient in skin care in PHYTO5’s Skin Toner in the Ageless line.

• L-arginine amino acid; also an effective hydrator

…

Endnotes for this article:

1) Anthocyanins are blue, violet, or red flavonoid pigments found in plants; from the Greek, antho means flower; cyan means blue.

2) Catechins are naturally occurring plant chemicals with well-demonstrated antioxidant activity; the particular catechin concentration in matcha green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

EGCG is proven to reduce melanin secretion and production in melanoma cells.

“Together, these results suggest that EGCG might be used as a cosmetic ingredient with positive effects on skin hydration, moisture retention, and wrinkle formation, in addition to radical scavenging activity and reduction of melanin generation.” — Eunji Kim et al in “Skin Protective Effect of Epigallocatechin Gallate.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 19,1 173. 6 Jan. 2018, doi:10.3390/ijms19010173

3) Coffee is a potent source of healthful antioxidants showing more antioxidant activity than the two antioxidants green tea and cocoa. Researchers believe chlorogenic acid, an important antioxidant found almost exclusively in coffee, helps prevent cardiovascular disease. Note: while green coffee beans have high levels of antioxidants, roasting is necessary to destroy the harmful compound acrylamide present in green coffee beans.

4) Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity defined as the ability to absorb cell-damaging free radicals.

Sources:

Carlsen, Monica H, et al. “The Total Antioxidant Content of More than 3100 Foods, Beverages, Spices, Herbs and Supplements Used Worldwide.” Nutrition Journal, BioMed Central, 22 Jan. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841576/.

Miller, Dr. Bruce. Antioxidants: Your Answer To Over 60 Degenerative Diseases Involving Free Radical Activity. Oak Enterprise Publications, 2015.

Palmieri, Beniamino, and Valeriana Sblendorio. “Current Status of Measuring Oxidative Stress.” Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20072906.

Yashin, Alexander, et al. “Antioxidant and Antiradical Activity of Coffee.” Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 15 Oct. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665516/.

Watanabe, Fumiko, et al. “Skin-Whitening and Skin-Condition-Improving Effects of Topical Oxidized Glutathione: a Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial in Healthy Women.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, Dove Medical Press, 17 Oct. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4207440/.

https forward slash x2 pdfs dot semanticscholar dot org slash cf75 forward slash f70fd56fc31c55081ba2018217139eee575e dot pdf

Vilaplana-Pérez, Cristina, et al. “Hydroxytyrosol and Potential Uses in Cardiovascular Diseases, Cancer, and AIDS.” Frontiers in Nutrition, Frontiers Media S.A., 27 Oct. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4428486/.

Weiss, David J, and Christopher R Anderton. “Determination of catechins in matcha green tea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography.” Journal of chromatography. A vol. 1011,1-2 (2003): 173-80. doi:10.1016/s0021-9673(03)01133-6

Kim, Eunji et al. “Skin Protective Effect of Epigallocatechin Gallate.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 19,1 173. 6 Jan. 2018, doi:10.3390/ijms19010173

Eby, Myra Michelle, and Gazella, Karolyn A.. Return to Beautiful Skin: Your Guide to Truly Effective, Nontoxic Skin Care. United Kingdom, Basic Health, 2008.

Minerals Are the Unsung Heros in Anti-Aging Skincare.

Surveys show an alarmingly high number of Americans know little or next to nothing about nutrition. As a population, we don’t directly link our diet, health, well-being and quality longevity in our minds. And at the crux of nutrition is the mighty mineral. Minerals aren’t just good for basic health. Minerals are good for skin. Without them, all the creams in the world won’t work very well.

Minerals are good for skin. Not only that, they’re extremely necessary in human nutrition.

Two primary factors cause mineral loss in skin:

1. the normal process of aging and

2. living in stressful conditions. 

A number of minerals play an enormous role in skin health. Some even provide therapeutic benefits for certain skin conditions.

Skin has to have a good mineral delivery system in order for it to hold hydration, support collagen production and heal itself.

If you don’t get those minerals in your diet or skincare products, remember, all the creams and applications in the world won't help very much.

Good for Skin Mineral: CHROMIUM

Continual blood sugar spikes diminish skin health and accelerate aging.

Eating foods that release sugar into our bloodstream very fast causes blood sugar spikes.

1. When excess sugar reaches the dermis, it first quickly begins to bond with collagen and elastin.

2. Next, it creates cross links between fibers that cause the natural collagen lattice to become stiff.

This is one way we lose skin’s youthful elasticity and accelerate aging.

The trace mineral chromium helps stabilize blood sugar levels. This means sugar will be less likely to deposit itself in the skin’s collagen matrix leaving your collagen matrix supple.

Good dietary sources of minerals good for skin, especially chromium are:

broccoli, brewer’s yeast, barley, oats, green beans, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and black pepper.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Mineral Good for Skin: SELENIUM

Selenium is both trace mineral and potent antioxidant. It plays a key role in long-term skin health.

Selenium is a cofactor (a substance required for the production of another substance) in the production of another extremely powerful antioxidant—glutathione peroxidase.

Glutathione plays a significant and vital role in protecting cells and tissues from damage caused by mutated cells (free radicals) responsible for aging. Glutathione is known as the master antioxidant of the body.

Selenium is also anti-inflammatory for body and skin. 

Get selenium by eating these foods including minerals good for skin:

brazil nuts, shiitake mushrooms, sunflower seeds, whole grains, potatoes, prawns, tuna, oysters and salmon.

Good for Skin Mineral: SILICA

Silica is imperative for healthy youthful skin. It activates certain enzymes involved in the production of collagen. It rests inside collagen acting like glue between connective tissues.

Silica helps prevents wrinkles, provides a lifting effect, and strengthens and regenerates skin and bone tissues.

A strong carrier of oxygen, silica helps give skin a healthy glow. It assists red blood cells to carry more oxygen throughout the body thereby improving skin’s hydration balance.

These foods also provide lots of dietary silica mineral good for skin:

cucumbers, watermelon, echinacea root, alfalfa, kelp, bell peppers, leeks, green beans, wheatgrass, apples, berries, onions, almonds, sunflower seeds and grapes. You can get silica from the horsetail plant as an excellent source of the mineral.

Mineral Good for Skin: SULPHUR

Sulphur, the beauty mineral, is one of the most important nutrients for skin structure. It’s a key component of proteins and essential for healthy skin.

Deficiency symptoms of sulphur are dry scalp, eczema, rashes and acne.

Get the sulphur mineral good for skin in these foods:

eggs, meats, fish, garlic, onions, dairy, beans, greens, dandelion greens, celery, cabbage, kale, soybeans and asparagus.

Good for Skin Mineral: IODINE

Iodine helps heal skin infections, increases oxygen consumption and skin’s metabolic rate. It helps prevent roughness and premature wrinkling and contributes to skin tone.

Consume iodine mineral good for skin by eating sea salt and these plant-based foods:

blue-green algae, kelp, barley grass, and sunflower seeds.

Mineral Good for Skin: ZINC

Zinc is a trace mineral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that stimulates collagen and elastin synthesis. It works towards the alleviation of acne and is naturally photo-protective.

Zinc accelerates wound healing, cell growth and immunity. 

The zinc mineral good for skin can be found in:

pumpkin, seeds, legumes, mushrooms, spinach, shellfish, nuts, grains, kale, and eggs.

• PHYTO5’s Oligo5 trace mineral spray delivers much needed zinc to skin.

• If your skin is toxic, blemished or acneic, benefit from zinc in PHYTO5’s Earth element Night Cream.

Good for Skin Mineral: MANGANESE

Manganese is a trace mineral or salt important for everyday skin health. This is because it plays a significant role in collagen production.

Good for skin mineral manganese is also involved in the synthesis of vitamin B1. It acts against free radicals and has soothing, calming and protective properties.

Manganese functions like an antioxidant. It works to protect skin against oxygen related damages caused by ultraviolet light exposure.

Manganese is an ingredient in a number of PHYTO5 skincare products:

• Ageless La Cure’s Five Secrets Serum and Cream Duo for a 3-Week Cure

• PHYTO5’s Oligo5 trace mineral spray

• Wood Night Cream

The manganese mineral good for skin can be found in following foods:

nuts, beans, legumes, whole grains, green leafy vegetable, pineapple, açai and dark chocolate.

Mineral Good for Skin: MAGNESIUM

Trace mineral magnesium cleanses skin and detoxifies the epidermis. It’s also quite effective in treating areas of skin prone to allergic reaction. The mineral helps combat acne and skin breakouts.

Magnesium is very effective in reducing wrinkles and fine lines. It works to renew cells and produce energy within the cells. For this reason, people who are tired or overworked benefit from magnesium.

As a cellular protectant, magnesium has many functions:

• actively restores cellular magnesium levels

• facilitates effective and safe detoxification

• provides aches and pain relief and

• encourages healthy skin tissue growth.

Eat avocados, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, tofu, and dark chocolate to get the magnesium mineral good for skin.

• Also get magnesium in PHYTO5’s Oligo5 trace mineral spray. 

• If your skin is slightly more mature, congested, puffy, showing fine lines and lacking minerals, PHYTO5’s Metal Night Cream with magnesium will benefit you.

Good for Skin Mineral: COBALT

Cobalt contributes to health and the human cell in an essential way.

It’s the cobalt ion that allows cells to manufacture B-complex vitamins. Cobalt is part of vitamin B12, the vitamin essential for producing red blood cells and maintaining the nervous system. 

A cellular deficiency of cobalt is linked to pernicious anemia among other blood disorders.

Together with sulfur, cobalt helps to maintain and repair the myelin sheath,(1) transport glucose from the blood into the cells, and manufacture/absorb B-complex vitamins.

Cobalt works to ease inflammation and provides anti-oxidation of free radicals that help counteract symptoms of aging.

It’s possible to take in small amounts of cobalt as in a liquid colloidal suspension. But too much intake of cobalt can cause enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter). It can also reduce the activity of the thyroid. Cobalt may also increase blood sugar levels.

Because of these important cautions, it’s best to get cobalt in vitamin B12 rich food:

fish, nuts, leafy green vegetables, and cereals.

“The human health-supporting properties of dietary cobalt are under-appreciated,” say Dr. Michael Glade, clinical nutritionist and Dr. Michael Meguide, professor emeritus of surgery, neuroscience, and nutrition at the Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York.

• Get the right amount of cobalt to help counteract signs of aging by using PHYTO5’s Oligo5 trace mineral spray.

• PHYTO5’s Fire element Night Cream (generally for red, irritated sensitive skin) also includes cobalt as a key ingredient.

Mineral Good for Skin: COPPER

Copper promotes healthy skin, supports healthy cartilage and tendon regeneration, and assists the body to absorb iron.

Copper supports anti-oxidation so necessary for slowing and mitigating signs of aging.

It’s also required for normal iron metabolism and red blood cell formation.

Copper activates many enzymes, including lysyl oxidase. This enzyme increases elastin and collagen production.

Copper helps replenish supplies of collagen and elastin, ultimately reducing the intensity of wrinkles.

Playing an important role in melanin production, copper is key for retaining hair and skin pigment.

• Copper is an important ingredient in PHYTO5’s Oligo5 trace mineral spray and in Water element Night Cream.

Get the copper mineral good for skin by eating these foods:

beef liver, avocados, buckwheat, olives, sunflower seeds, lentils, almonds, dark chocolate and asparagus.

…

Endnotes for this article:

(1) Myelin is a lipid-rich (fatty) substance that surrounds nerve cell axons (the nervous system’s wires) to insulate them and increase the rate at which information (encoded as electrical impulses) is passed along the axon.

…

Sources:

Pinnock, Dale. The Clear Skin Cookbook: the Vital Vitamins and Magic Minerals You Need for Smooth, Blemish-Free, Younger-Looking Skin. Seven Dials, 2018.

Null, Gary. Get Healthy Now! with Gary Null: a Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment and Healthy Living. Seven Stories Press, 2006.

“Cobalt, the Forgotten Mineral, Found to Offer Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Health Benefits.” NaturalNews.com, 7 Feb. 2019, www.naturalnews.com/2019-02-07-cobalt-anti-inflammatory-antioxidant.html.

Hydration and Wellness: For a Younger Looking and Feeling Body, Keep Your Body Hydrated

A human body replete with hydration and wellness is approximately 70% water. Bones are 30% water and blood 90%. Approximately 75 million Americans are chronically dehydrated and don’t know it.

Chronic dehydration is one of the principle sources of many of the health conditions many Americans experience today. Dehydration shows up as many different symptoms beyond thirst and dry, sagging skin. And reversing these to achieve hydration and wellness are not just easy but enjoyable.

Aside from these, general symptoms of dehydration include:

• headache

• weakness

• dizziness

• fatigue

• loss of balance

• lethargy.

Stay consistently dehydrated and symptoms can scale up more seriously. These more serious warning signs include:

• dry mouth, skin or eyes

• little or no urine output

• sluggishness

• high blood pressure

• rapid heartbeat

• fever

• loss of skin elasticity.

These symptoms demonstrate the very opposite of your goal of hydration and wellness.

Dehydration Is the Opposite of Hydration and Wellness and It Shows Up Most In Older Adults.

We also find the following symptoms in out-of-balance seniors, people who are generally even more dehydrated than the average person:

wrinkling, body mass and size shrinking, increasing weakness, degrading posture, falling and breaking bones, high blood pressure causing strokes, constipation, incontinence, quick temper and irritability, complaining and grumbling, mood swings, sadness and depression.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Hydration and Wellness Require Skin and Body Tissue Are Given Ample Water.

“We may not get enough water into our cells, where it’s crucial for metabolism and countless other functions,” says Dana Cohen, MD, author of Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration.

Hydration and wellness means you have to keep the brain lubricated. The brain is the control tower for your whole body and your health. And it requires the greatest amount of water to function. This is because water facilitates the electrical functions that essentially command the entire body.

Achieve optimal hydration and wellness by drinking water. You can get water from eating but drinking water should be your first priority. Most of the water we supply to the body comes from what we drink. The rest comes from food and leftover cellular metabolism. We lose 80% of our fluids in urination and 20% through perspiration through the skin or respiratory system.

Move water through the body with exercise for better hydration and wellness. Water runs through our veins, arteries, glands and organs in order to feed, pump, and transport fluid. Even gentle workouts or walking help disperse water through the body. When you move your connective tissue through exercise, it helps pump water through the body. It establishes a good level of hydration and wellness.

Water also regulates body temperature by distributing heat and cooling the body through perspiration. It stabilizes body temperature by helping regulate blood flow. When the body is dehydrated, blood flow reduces leading to an increase in body temperature. When the body is properly hydrated, blood flow increases helping cool the body. Beautiful balanced hydration and wellness result.

Dehydration adversely affects blood pressure. Water makes up about 73% of the human heart. So staying hydrated is a key factor in regulating blood pressure and feeling well.

Dehydration also raises sodium in blood which can lead to high blood pressure.

“Drinking water can help normalize your blood pressure but doesn't necessarily lower your blood pressure unless you are dehydrated. Because your blood is made up of 90% water, the overall volume will decrease when you are dehydrated. When this happens, the body will respond by narrowing blood vessels, causing blood pressure to rise.” —Yvette Stines, MEd, MS at Very Well Health

Hydration and Wellness Result When You Take Good Care of the Kidneys. 

Kidney, the organ of the Water element in traditional Chinese medicine, suffers when the body’s dehydrated. Lack of water can affect your kidney function and increase the risk of kidney stones.

Constipation is another side-effect of dehydration. Regular bowel movements are very good signs of hydration and wellness.

Dehydration also leads to muscle damage and weakness along with brittle bones. Both of these can lead to falls and bone breaks.

The 5 Stages of Life According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Give Us Important Clues to Hydration and Wellness.

In the fifth and last of the five phases of life, after 60 years of age, is when many people become seriously dehydrated causing stiffening and loss of skin tone. TCM’s Five-Element Theory astutely assigns Water the element of this life phase.

Especially in this phase of life, dynamic yang energy is at its lowest point. Most people in this phase stop exercising, being active, drinking water, and eating very well. They begin demonstrating the opposite of hydration and wellness.

As one result, they experience a notable loss of collagen.

Collagen absolutely needs water to do its job of holding the structure of skin.

“… collagen is very dependent on associated water for its mechanical properties. In skin, where type I collagen is dominant, there is a longstanding concern that the skin and therefore collagen may partially dry out and result in structural degradation.” —Richard G. Haverkamp et al in the article, Collagen dehydration in the  International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

For these and other reasons, continued good hydration is critical.

But many older adults don’t feel thirsty even as their bodies require more hydration than ever.

Many older adults experience a decrease in receptor sensitivity (osmo- and barareceptors) responsible for detecting the fluid within and around cells.

Even though their bodies require more water, they don’t feel thirsty. Older adults need to drink several glasses of water a day whether they feel thirsty or not.

Amp Up Hydration and Wellness by Drinking Gel Water.

Gel water charged by electrolytes fuels the cells of the body.

Groundbreaking research from Harvard and Cornell Universities has found that the water in both human and plant cells is not H2O but H3O2. 

This is a gel-like structured water charged by electrolytes acting as fuel “for every action of every cell,” notes Gerald Pollack, PhD,(1) head of the University of Washington’s Pollack Water Lab.

Colloquially called “gel water,” gel water is produced when fruit, vegetables, cacti, chia seeds, and collagen are introduced in small amounts to drinking water.

The Pollack Water Lab’s findings about water, hydration and wellness indicate that the food we consume is almost as important as the water we drink.

Certain studies show drinking water alone is not enough to be well hydrated. Some subjects in these studies proved this when they couldn’t achieve hydration even though they were over-drinking water.

Dr. Pollack believes gel water primes our cells for optimal function. He says it’s actually more hydrating than water not improved with produce.

The vitality and absorbability of gel water is much greater than normal drinking water. The Pollack Water Lab describes it as water that’s not quite liquid, vapor, or ice and identified by an extra hydrogen and extra oxygen atom.

Increasing gel water in the body “is one of the best things you can do for your body. I’ve seen amazing results in hundreds of patients,” says Dana Cohen, MD, author of Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration.

By drinking gel water, Cohen says:

“Weight loss becomes easier than we ever thought possible. We also think better, move better, sleep better, age better…” 

European research shows that consuming plants rich in gel water is up to twice as hydrating as regular drinking water.  Gel water passes more readily into our cells. It’s denser and less likely to leak out of damaged or aging cells.

Here Are Tips for Consuming Gel Water to Optimally Improve Hydration and Wellness.

• Just keep drinking plain water but add a slice of citrus, piece of fruit or leaf of lettuce, for example.

• Another way is to sip water while you consume:

• potassium-rich foods like bananas and broccoli or

• magnesium-rich foods like avocado and dark chocolate.

• You can also add a pinch of Himalayan salt to your water to add electrolytes. This transforms regular water into gel water.

• Eat six servings of gel-water-rich foods daily. In other words, eat six servings of fresh produce whose water has not been cooked out. 

• For every dehydrating grain-based food you eat, add an extra portion of fresh gel-water-rich produce to compensate.

• Always avoid processed foods because they siphon off fluid during digestion.

• Eat plant-based healthy fats.

“Water enters cells through an oil-guarded membrane,” author Cohen says. “Good fats, especially omega 3s, keep membranes supple, increasing absorption.”

• Add a teaspoon of crushed chia seeds to  your smoothies. When the blender crushes the seeds more gel is created.

• Cook with bone broth. It’s full of collagen and gel water.

• Cook with coconut oil or ghee both of which are full of gel water and electrolytes.

• Using an infrared sauna creates gel water inside the body. The light waves in the red wave spectrum range reach the water molecules in your body. They then split into positive and negative charges and shift their molecular structure into gel water.

• The sun does exactly the same as the infrared sauna method above. Modest exposure to the sun is nature’s way of purifying, charging  and optimizing water right inside your body.

• In theory, the subtle electrical charge of the planet could help split the water molecules around and within us for optimized hydration. Learn more about how to harness earth’s beneficial electrical charge in our blog, Embrace Earth's Energetic Vitality and Feel Renewed. Ground Yourself.

Hyaluronic Acid Supports Hydration and Wellness.

Hyaluronic acid retains water in the body very well.

Be sure you eat hyaluronic acid-rich or -promoting foods especially if you’re older.

Our bodies produce hyaluronic acid naturally. It’s a chief component of all connective tissues. It forms a gelatinous protective matrix that surrounds our cells.

A quarter-teaspoon of hyaluronic acid holds about one and a half gallons of water. Scientists have found hyaluronic acid all throughout the body, especially in eyes, joints and skin.

Hyaluronic acid helps joints work like a well-oiled machine. It keeps bones from grinding against each other which could cause pain and injury.

It helps with wound healing, reduction of scars, elasticity of skin and smoothing of lines.

Bone broth is touted to be the best source of hyaluronic acid.

There are very few actual vegan sources of hyaluronic acid. Most plant-based foods support your body to produce its own hyaluronic acid.

Actual vegan sources of hyaluronic acid are derived from bacteria and yeasts through a process of fermentation. This process  creates cells of a small molecular weight ideal for absorption and skin health.

The green algae chlorella is another vegan source with many other health benefits including being the only known plant source of vitamin B12.

These vegan foods help boost your body’s own production of hyaluronic acid:

• soy (tofu)

• beans

• dark leafy greens (kale)

• sweet potatoes

• citrus fruits

• berries

• tomatoes

• almonds

• dark chocolate

• red wine

…

Endnotes for this article:

1. Jerry Pollack (Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington) is recognized worldwide as scientist, speaker and author. His passion lies in plumbing the depths of natural truths. The Pollack Lab is best known for its work with wate. It also conducts research on energy, health, and fundamental physics

Pollack discovered and published the first research on gel water in 2009. He received the first Emoto Peace Prize and is a recipient of the University of Washington's highest honor, the Annual Faculty Lecturer Award. He is founding Editor-in-Chief of the research journal WATER and Director of the Institute for Venture Science. Dr. Pollack's (award-winning) books include: The Fourth Phase of Water (2013), and Cells, Gels, and the Engines of Life (2001).

…

Sources:

“You've Been Doing It Wrong: Why You're Still Dehydrated.” Goop, 17 Jan. 2019, goop.com/wellness/health/structured-water-youve-been-doing-it-wrong-why-youre-still-dehydrated/.

Alnuweiri, Tamim. “What Is Gel Water?” Well+Good, Well+Good, 1 July 2017, www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/what-is-gel-structured-water/.

Staff, Editorial. “Simple 'Gel-Water Diet' Is the Weight-Loss Solution That Improves Sleep and Fights Brain Fog.” Woman's World, Woman's World, 2 Aug. 2019, www.womansworld.com/posts/h3o2-gel-water-diet-168246.

“Consequences of Dehydration.” European Hydration Institute, www.europeanhydrationinstitute.org/consequences_of_dehydration/.

Popkin, Barry M, et al. “Water, Hydration, and Health.” Nutrition Reviews, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/.

Stines, Yvelette. “Yvelette Stines, Med, MS.” Verywell Health, Verywell Health, www.verywellhealth.com/yvelette-stines-5077313. 15 August 2023.

Haverkamp, Richard G et al. “Collagen dehydration.” International journal of biological macromolecules vol. 216 (2022): 140-147. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.06.180

Fallacara, Arianna et al. “Hyaluronic Acid in the Third Millennium.” Polymers vol. 10,7 701. 25 Jun. 2018, doi:10.3390/polym10070701

If You Want to Look and Feel Younger Longer, Keep Your Lymph Movin

Many beauty professionals understand the enormous importance of lymph fluid movement for anti-age skin care. But most consumers don’t. Unless you learn about it on your own, you won’t hear about it from most cosmetics manufacturers. Generally, most cosmetics manufacturers don’t make skincare products formulated specifically to help move lymph. But PHYTO5 does.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural bxeauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique holistic beauty tips and offers.

What exactly is lymph?

Essentially, lymph is a colorless fluid that carries waste out of the tissues by way of the bloodstream, specifically venous or blue blood circulation.

An average human  body contains about two quarts of lymph fluid or one-third the amount of blood of that body.

While blood relies on the sturdy and powerful heart pump for steady and constant flow, lymph has no such pump. Breathing, body movements and gravity are responsible for lymph movement.

Lymph starts out as interstitial fluid(1) carrying waste material the cells have discarded. Lymph vessels collect waste matter from the cells and tissues and then slowly moved the waste to lymph nodes. There are roughly 400 to 600 lymph nodes connected to lymph vessels.

Lymph vessels are similar to blood vessels with thin walls. They transport more than waste matter through lymph fluid. They also carry soluble molecules and immune cells to the lymph nodes.

The 1-2-3 of Waste Removal by the Lymph

1. The waste matter in the interstitial fluid is sucked into lymph ducts.

2. There white blood cells in lymph fluid bathe then drain the processed and liquified waste through the complex network of lymph nodes forming the lymphatic system. (The lymphatic system consists of organs, ducts, and nodes.)

3. Lymph then carries waste out of the body by way of the bloodstream where it’s mixed with blue blood before re-entering the heart and into venous circulation.

Unlike blood, lymph flows in only one direction and leaves nothing behind. Lymph’s movement also helps balance the constant volume of blood.

The lymphatic system is critical to the body's immune system.

Lymph helps defend the body against disease by producing and distributing lymphocytes (lymph cells). These lymphocytes protect us against antigens like viruses and bacteria. This is why lymph and lymphocytes are vital components of immunity.

Whenever lymph flow gets blocked the immune system weakens and the aging process accelerates.

Conversely, the intensity of the natural aging process itself affects lymph’s good function and flow.

If you want to look and feel younger longer it’s vital to counteract lymph's sluggishness as you age. You want to do everything you can to keep lymph moving in your body.

Function and capacity of the lymphatic system gets sluggish with age for three reasons:

1. The muscles that help circulate lymph lose mass and become weaker (called decreased lymphatic contractile pressure). 

2. We tend to experience a decrease in lung capacity with age. Breathing causes the diaphragm to act as a billow that promotes lymph movement or drainage. It is one of the principal ways our body moves lymph.

3. The body is challenged to deal with higher oxidative stress and less antioxidant activity. This creates a more acid inner terrain which leads to lymph congestion. (Journal of Lymphoedema, 2017, Vol. 2, No. 2)

Lymphedema and Lymphoma

Lymphedema occurs when fluid is retained in a localized part of the body and the tissue swells.

A compromised lymphatic system is the most frequent cause of lymphedema. Parasitic infections or complications from cancer treatment also cause lymphedema swelling.

Lymphedema is incurable and progressive. We can only potentially reduce the symptoms of swelling, discomfort or pain. Lymphatic massage and wearing compression clothing can help.

Lymphoma is a disease in which lymphocytes become malignant and grow too fast or live too long. The malignant lymphocytes then accumulate in the lymph nodes or other areas of the lymphatic system forming tumors.

It’s important to be aware of and proactive with your body’s flow of lymph.

There are many ways to keep your lymphatic system functioning properly:

Exercise with weights regularly to maintain muscle strength and lean body mass. Muscle contraction forces tiny one-way valves of the lymphatic system to open and close, pushing the fluid through the system.

Walk or rebound consistently. Each step or jump you take is a weight-bearing repetition. When you lightly pound the ground, floor, or pavement through walking, it creates desirable pump-like gravitational pulls on the lymphatic system.

Practice yoga or stretching to help direct lymph through the deep channels of the chest. Practice yoga or stretching promotes lymph flow throughout the body.

Practice deep breathing. The act of breathing creates a lymphatic pump in itself. It helps direct lymph through the chest. Deeper breathing is the most important facilitator of lymphatic function. Shallow breathing leads to lymphatic congestion. For help with a proper breathing exercise, read our blog, Six Breaths a Minute to Slow Aging and Its Causes here.

Get manual lymphatic massages from a licensed lymphatic massage therapist.

You can also receive a facial and full body lymph drainage treatment performed by a PHYTO5 trained professional with the Biorhythmic Drainer. PHYTO5's award-winning Biorhythmic Drainer mechanically, rhythmically, and precisely reproduces the gentle movement of a manual massage. It focuses on moving stagnant energy and fluids.

Drainage is a medical term and does not remove any fluid. It indicates movement or circulation. When there is an insufficiency or an excess of fluid, a drainage can help balance fluid and energy flow.

The well-known Japanese cosmetics company, Shiseido,(2) found in 2015 that impaired dermal lymphatic vessels are an integral cause of sagging skin(1) rather than collagen loss.

Stay hydrated to help prevent stagnant lymph flow. Lymph gets thicker and more sludgy when you’re dehydrated but flows well when hydrated.

Avoid processed foods and bad fats. These can cause inflammation which leads to lymphatic congestion.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables especially green. Chlorophyll in green produce not only purifies the blood, it purifies lymph.

Avoid chemically driven skin and body care products, cleaning products and pesticides. All these hinder the body’s natural detoxification processes.

Learn how to resiliently respond to stress. The waste products of stress-fighting hormones are acidic. Acidity leads to lymph congestion.

Stop wearing tight fitting clothing including tight underwear and underwire bras. All these restrict the flow of lymph.

Stay away from unhealthy habits like smoking.

Know where your lymph nodes are. If you know where they are it can help you support lymph flow in those areas. They’re typically found concentrated in the face, neck, groin, and armpits. Check these areas periodically if they feel uncomfortable. A sore lymph node will be sensitive to the touch. (See adjacent diagram for a snapshot of the body’s lymphatic system.)

#####

Endnotes for this article:

(1) Interstitial fluid is the fluid that carries cells throughout the body.

(2) In 2015, the well-known Japanese cosmetics company, Shiseido, found impaired dermal lymphatic vessels to be an integral cause of sagging skin. Before 2016, sagging skin was mainly attributed to collagen loss. Their press release states:

“Shiseido Co., Ltd., through joint research with Professor Nobuyuki Takakura of the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, has revealed for the first time that impaired function of dermal lymphatic vessels lead to accumulation of subcutaneous fat, which ultimately causes ‘sagging’ of the skin.”

Sources:

Zolla, Valerio, et al. “Aging-Related Anatomical and Biochemical Changes in Lymphatic Collectors Impair Lymph Transport, Fluid Homeostasis, and Pathogen Clearance.” Aging Cell, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Aug. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4531072/.

Dr. Baumann, Leslie. “The Connection Between Lymph and How You Look.” Miami Herald, July 21, 2014. www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/skin-deep/article1976385.html.

Walking: First Step to Keeping Your Heart Healthy and Hold Aging at Bay.

Heart disease tends to show symptoms as people grow older. It impacts how youthful, strong and mobile people feel. And if ignored it can seriously affect your quality of life.

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Cardiovascular Disease: The Big Umbrella

“Cardiovascular disease is the term for all types of diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels, including coronary heart disease (clogged arteries), which can cause heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease.”—National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute at National Institutes of Health

Heart disease is a type of cardiovascular disease.

“‘Heart disease’ is a catch-all phrase for a variety of conditions that affect the heart’s structure and function. Keep in mind: All heart diseases are cardiovascular diseases, but not all cardiovascular diseases are heart disease.

The most common type of heart disease is coronary heart disease. In fact, when people talk about ‘heart disease’ they often mean coronary heart disease.” —National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute at National Institutes of Health

Various high risk factors for heart disease build up over time and compromise cardiovascular health. They include:

• high blood pressure

• high cholesterol

• smoking

• diabetes

• overweight and obesity

• poor nutrition

• physical inactivity

• excessive alcohol use

• vascular stiffness and inflammation, and

• mental stress.

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Coronary heart disease is a type of heart disease.

“Coronary heart disease is often referred to simply as ‘heart disease’ although it’s not the only type of heart disease. Another term for it is coronary artery disease.

Coronary heart disease occurs when plaque (a combination of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood) builds up in your arteries. You may have heard this called clogged arteries or atherosclerosis.

The plaque reduces the amount of oxygen-rich blood getting to your heart, which can cause chest pain (also called angina). Plaque can also lead to blood clots, which block blood flow and are the most common cause of a heart attack.” —National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute at National Institutes of Health

Cardiovascular disease can provoke heart attack, stroke and accelerated aging.

Impeded blood flow results in swelling of legs, feet, ankles or belly. It can even end in stroke since it deprives proper oxygen supply for the heart and the rest of the body. Plaque can also dislodge from an artery and cause a block resulting in heart attack.

Poor blood circulation causes chest pain (angina) and impaired cellular function. People experiencing angina report shortness of breath, fatigue and weakness. 

Cardiovascular disease also directly accelerates the aging process. With poor blood circulation your body isn’t getting all the nutrients it needs as efficiently as possible. Nourishment of the body contributes to vitality. Balanced blood circulation is also associated with radiant younger looking skin. 

The stress of experiencing the symptoms of cardiovascular disease also accelerates aging. This is because the body has to work overtime to compensate for all the imbalances it’s being confronted with.

Similar to our other muscles, you can strengthen the heart and even reverse some of its aging symptoms.

Delay, lower, or possibly avoid or reverse your risk of heart disease with these exercise strategies.

Regular Cardio Exercise

"Research continues to show that exercise is the best way to slow your heart's aging process," says Dr. Aaron Baggish, Director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. 

Cardiovascular doctors often urge increasing exercise and physical activity to improve overall heart health. This is because physical exercise forces the heart to pump more blood throughout the body and to the muscles and lungs. 

Over time, increased exercise relaxes blood vessels causing more efficient heart function. Relaxing the blood vessels helps improve blood flow, in turn, keeping blood pressure low.

Walking flat out improves cardiac risk factors. 

You can pursue cardio workouts from beginner to advanced levels at your gym, or on the treadmill or bicycle. But a really simple way to get your cardio in is to walk briskly and consistently right in your neighborhood.

Fitness experts advise aiming to walk briskly for about 150 minutes per week all told. Many sources urge walking 5,000 to 7,000 total steps a week.

If you’re just beginning to endurance walk after years of a sedentary lifestyle, take it easy and build up to it.

Walk to the end of your driveway or to your street corner if it’s all you can do today. Tomorrow you’ll be able to walk further. Every day you walk above and beyond your customary steps of the day will build on the previous day’s accomplishment.

Remember and live by the old adage: “By the yard it’s hard. By the inch it’s a cinch.” In a month you’ll be amazed at how far you can walk without getting winded.

“When comparing the results of the most recent National Runners’ Health Study with the National Walkers’ Health Study, researchers found that the energy used for moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running resulted in similar reductions in risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease over the study’s six year period.” — Elaine Murtagh et al in Walking: the First Steps in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people who consistently walked several thousand steps a week improved many health factors:

• blood pressure

• slower resting heart rate

• reduced body fat and body weight

• lower cholesterol and

• increased physical endurance.

The study also showed improved depression scores now that the participants were creating better quality of life.

Walking is a perfect fitness prescription for inactive people.

You don’t have to access walking like you do a fitness center or coach. People of all ages and social groups who are able to walk can make walking a practice. You don’t need money to walk and it poses little risk of injury. 

“In a report that included findings from multiple well done studies, researchers found that walking reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 31% and cut the risk of dying by 32%. These benefits were equally robust in men and women. Protection was evident even at distances of just five and a half miles per week and at a pace as casual as about two miles per hour. The people who walked longer distances, walked at a faster pace or both enjoyed the greatest protection.” — Walking: Your Steps to Health. Exciting benefits of walking for heart health, including lower risk of heart attack and stroke, Harvard Men’s Health Watch

If You Notice Breathlessness

When you do moderate intensity exercise like brisk walking, it’s normal to breathe a little harder. But if you’re breathless and can’t speak while walking, you should see a doctor.

This could be a sign of a potentially serious heart condition. Coronary heart disease (the cause of heart attacks), heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation(1) can all cause breathlessness. 

Most heart disease is treatable, but it’s vital to have it diagnosed before it’s too late. 

If you can endurance-walk without getting winded, this can, at least in part, indicate you have a good level of cardiovascular vitality.

Walk briskly as consistently as possible to improve blood pressure. Lower cholesterol levels and reduce weight and obesity with a walking practice. Walking also helps with mental stress which is another risk factor for heart disease.

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Endnotes:

(1) Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm caused by rapid and irregular beating of the atrial chambers of the heart. Atrial chambers are two upper chambers of the heart that receive blood from the circulatory system.

Sources for this article:

Harvard Health Publishing. “Get Moving to Slow Cardiovascular Aging.” Harvard Health, www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/get-moving-to-slow-cardiovascular-aging.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/heart-health-and-aging

Steinhilber, Brianna. “Why Walking Is the Most Underrated Form of Exercise.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 4 May 2018, www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-walking-most-underrated-form-exercise-ncna797271.

Hanson, Sarah, and Andy Jones. “Is There Evidence That Walking Groups Have Health Benefits? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, 1 June 2015, bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/11/710.

Murtagh, Elaine M, et al. “Walking: the First Steps in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.” Current Opinion in Cardiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Sept. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3098122/.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/FactSheetKnowDiffDesign2020V4a.pdf

Embrace Earth's Energetic Vitality and Feel Renewed. Ground Yourself

The surface of the earth radiates an enormous amount of electrons with a beneficial negative electrical charge. Whenever you place your body in direct contact with earth’s surface, negatively charged electrical volts begin circulating between the earth and the top of your head.

Stand outside on a sunny day wearing just about any type of shoe and your body will benefit only minimally from this charge. Most shoes today have soles made of synthetic materials. Unless your shoes’ soles are pure leather, they’ll prevent you from receiving all of the beneficial charge you could be getting.

But stand barefoot on the earth and now your whole body is in full and beneficial electrical energy exchange with earth’s surface. 

The longer you stay in unobstructed contact with the earth the better. But you can benefit from earth’s negative electrons after just 30 minutes of bare earth contact. This includes putting your body in contact with grass, stones, sand or trees. Stand in one place, walk, or lay down.

The body is electrically charged just like the earth. By grounding ourselves to earth (also called earthing), we allow this full natural energy exchange with the earth.

Harmful electrical fields are constantly bombarding our bodies and most of it happens right inside our homes causing chronic illness in some. Daily or frequent earthing brings balance to the insulting charges we receive in the course of the day.

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Our modern lifestyle isn’t serving us all that well.

Many centuries ago, people walked either barefoot or in footwear made of animal skins. They also slept directly on the ground on animal skins or furs. People then were in near constant contact with the earth's surface electrons.

Today we wear shoes with thick soles often made of rubber. Most of us live in houses made of very unnatural materials. We walk on asphalt surfaces. The thought of going barefoot or surrounding ourselves with the natural world seems unreasonable. We’ve nearly completely cut ourselves off from the wonderfully charged flow of balancing electrons earth continually offers us.

Here’s how the energy exchange works.

Both your skin and the earth’s surface form a continuous charged surface with the same electrical potential. The flow of charge is pushed up and away from your head creating a protective shielding effect. You are literally standing under an umbrella of earth’s natural electrical field. 

To understand how earthing works consider the household electrical outlet. The outlet contains a ground wire—the third prong/semi-circular hole under the other two prongs.

In the event of a short circuit, the third prong ground wire provides a path for the electrical current to be absorbed into the ground. Without this grounding, you might touch your refrigerator and your body will complete the ground path. This could cause you an electric shock or even electrocution.

Grounding the body works the same way as grounding an electrical appliance. Without consistent grounding our bodies short-circuit. This short-circuiting contributes to physical, emotional, and mental imbalances.

We can achieve a re-balancing of our electrical system with regular connection to the earth. Biophysicist James Oschman explains it this way in Energy Medicine—The Scientific Basis:

“The moment your foot touches the Earth, or you connect to the Earth through a wire, your physiology changes. An immediate normalization begins. And an anti-inflammatory switch is turned on. People stay inflamed because they never connect with the Earth, the source of free electrons which can neutralize the free radicals in the body that cause disease and cellular destruction. Earthing is the easiest and most profound lifestyle change anyone can make.”

Could the sharp increase in chronic diseases, sleep disorders, immune and inflammatory diseases be related to our disconnection with earth’s surface and the natural world? 

It seems so. Gaétan Chevalier et al. say this in their scientific paper, Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons:”

“Environmental medicine generally addresses environmental factors with a negative impact on human health. However, emerging scientific research has revealed a surprisingly positive and overlooked environmental factor on health: direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth. Modern lifestyle separates humans from such contact. The research suggests that this disconnect may be a major contributor to physiological dysfunction and unwellness.”

Get the health benefits of grounding.

Earthing our bodies isn’t only achieved by walking barefoot on the earth. You can wear specially designed earthing shoes, socks and wristbands, and sleep on earthing bedsheets. 

Grounding offers many physiological and mental benefits. They can help mitigate sickness and symptoms of aging:

• a clearer mind and thinking process

• more balanced emotions

• more calm nervous system, less anxiety and improved response to stress

• elevated energy

• better managed pain and reduced inflammation

• improved sleep quality and patterns

• better regulated circadian rhythm

• boosted immunity

• lessened inflammation

• more balanced metabolism

• improved circulation

• neutralized free radicals

• reduced oxidative stress

Scientists found in one experiment(1) that grounding during a single night of sleep reduces the primary indicators of osteoporosis.

The same scientists discovered in another study that earthing helps regulate thyroid function. This is a significant finding since thyroid hormones affect almost every physiological process in the body.

In still a third study they found that earthing accelerates the immune response in humans.

Grounding yourself makes you more present to life.

When we’re grounded we’ll feel centered, solid, strong and balanced. We’ll feel truly and firmly rooted in our bodies.

If you feel like a leaf blowing in the wind, shaky, spacey, at loose ends, less present or fragile, get in touch with the ground.

Earthing's an important way to make you feel more rooted to the home that sustains you, the Earth. It’s virtually the simplest, most natural healing device known to humankind.

Grounding is not a panacea. But do consider it a part of a holistic approach to ever-improving health, healing and age mitigation.

Let the surface of the earth help clear and balance your energy every day. Then notice how much more balanced and alive you feel on all levels and in all ways.

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”

— Kahlil Gibran

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Endnotes and Sources:

(1) Discussed in: Rosch, Paul J. Bioelectromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine. CRC Press, 2015.

Oschman, James L. Energy Medicine: the Scientific Basis. Elsevier, 2016.

Chevalier, Gaétan et al. “Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth's surface electrons.” Journal of environmental and public health vol. 2012 (2012): 291541. doi:10.1155/2012/291541

Ober, C. et al. Earthing: The Most Important Health  Discovery Ever. Basic Health Publications, Second Edition. 2014

Sokal, Karol, and Pawel Sokal. “Earthing the human body influences physiologic processes.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) vol. 17,4 (2011): 301-8. doi:10.1089/acm.2010.0687

Lean Body Mass Is More Important Than Ever As You Age. Learn How to Create and Keep It.

Experts who study aging people notice they tend to experience decline in one or more of the following areas: 

1. food and water intake

2. lean body mass

3. physical activity and the ability to perform even normal activities of daily life.

---

Are these declines the result of the aging process or is a more sedentary life in older age the culprit? Doesn’t it seem that each of these three declines contribute to each other?

Medical professionals often label these declines caused by “old age.” But are they looking at their patients’ whole picture? Conventional medicine doesn’t usually do so. You have to find a good holistic healthcare practitioner for that.

In our previous article we discussed how a regal long tall posture is vital for living a good life all our lives long. In this article, let’s look at the topic of Lean Body Mass–how to get it and why we would want to.

“Studies in elderly people who have been active all their life such as the Lapps* in Finland and Sweden show no decline in functions until the date they sell their reindeer and sit down, whereafter they quickly decline to the level of other people of the same age.” —Mikael Fogelholm in Physical Activity: A Part of Healthy Eating? Report from a Nordic Seminar

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When the Loss of Lean Tissue Begins

The human body is made up of fat, lean tissue (muscles and organs), bones, and water. After age 30 our bodies slowly begin the process of atrophy–the loss of lean strong tissue. This is when our muscles, liver, kidneys, and other organs may lose some of their cells. We lose lean tissue and take on body fat.

As a case in point, seniors tend to have one-third more fat than when they were young.

If we do nothing to counteract the onset or continuation of atrophy, we head down the road of steady fat accumulation and increasing weakness. We become more and more debilitated over time.

Men generally tend to gain weight until about age 55. At about that point, they begin to lose weight. This weight loss is caused by a drop in the male sex hormone testosterone.

Women generally tend to gain weight until age 65 and then begin to lose weight. A great deal of this excess weight localizes in the girth around the internal organs and, unfortunately, this weight is mostly fat. 

With older people, hormonal and lifestyle changes are often the cause of weight gain or loss.

Weight loss later in life, especially in non-active seniors, occurs partly because fat replaces lean muscle tissue and fat weighs less than muscle.

Without a healthy proportion of muscle in the legs combined with a tendency to stiffer joints, many older people experience compromised mobility. They’re challenged to navigate their bodies with ease. Their balance is compromised making the possibility of falls more likely.

Our lifestyle choices affect how rapidly aging progresses. These same choices can even positively affect atrophy in very advanced age. 

Physical training in older people proves very positive for increasing lean body mass. It increases work capacity in older people including the very elderly. Weight resistance training is key for improving work capacity for an independent lifestyle.

“A training intervention study in 85 year old women, including endurance training, showed that a 10 month training program was able to rejuvenate their work capacity by 10 years.” —Mikael Fogelholm in Physical Activity: A Part of Healthy Eating? Report from a Nordic Seminar

Weight resistance exercise helps reduce fat and weakness, but we should do it wisely to prevent injury. It’s not about how much weight you can lift. It’s about repetitions (even of light weights) and consistency in your practice.

You want to gradually build up to a well rounded workout program that targets all your muscle groups. Take periodic days of rest between several consecutive workouts. Combine your weight resistance training with good nutrition and other exercises like walking and/or yoga.

Diet combined with exercise is also important for developing lean muscle body mass.

We mentioned at the outset of this article that a decline of food and water intake is the hallmark of an aging sedentary person.

A vigorous exercise program signals the body to consume nutrition. And it encourages increased water intake which is vital for all body functions. Eating and drinking water are no longer a problem for the active nutrition conscious senior.

Eating much less animal fat combined with more physical exercise can help you get lean and spry.

Fats from vegetables, nuts and seeds are usually a better alternative and are extremely beneficial for health.

If you curb the offenders in your diet while adding a consistent weight resistance and flexibility program, you’ll start noticing results very quickly. Learn what those dietary offenders are for you. Observe your food sensitivities and don’t stress your body by eating them anyway.

In older age, any kind of stress just packs on more fat. 

Learn, too, what good nutrition actually is. It’s not necessarily what the magazine covers say. 

Find your sweet spot of consistently practiced diet plus exercise and you’ll lose that extra fat and weight incrementally over time. You won’t need TV-advertised cool sculpting or liposuction from a plastic surgeon.

You’ll accomplish weight loss and a leaner firmer body organically.

Lean body mass is a key determinant of survival during bedridden serious illness.

Without enough lean body mass you’ll have less strength, function and mobility. When you lose fat and gain muscle firmness and tone, you’ll have a strong body able to easily meet the physical challenges of daily life.

Should you find yourself bedridden for a period of time you want to be sure you’re not going into it in a deficit position. Near complete lack of movement aggressively and rapidly atrophies muscles.

Critically ill people typically lose 1% of muscle protein for each day of illness. That makes it vitally important to build up a healthy store of lean body tissue. Lean body mass is a key determinant of survival during bedridden serious illness.

“A smaller lean body mass may mean that many older people lack the physical reserve to withstand a prolonged period of critical illness, where more than 1% of body protein may be lost each day even when adequate energy and protein are being provided.” —Nancy Bernhardt et al in "Nutrition for the Middle Aged and Elderly”

Lean tissue loss is pretty inevitable during prolonged bed rest if you become ill. You can only counteract it with a robust countermeasure like exercise.

Studies find that muscle loss is more accelerated in older adults during periods of bed rest.

“… data from the only study to examine older adults suggests that the loss of lean tissue in healthy older adults during bed rest far exceeds the losses experienced by their younger counterparts.” —Kirk English et al in “Protecting muscle mass and function in older adults during bed rest.”

Even just one week of complete bedrest is damaging:

“Prolonged immobility is harmful with rapid reductions in muscle mass, bone mineral density and impairment in other body systems evident within the first week of bed rest which is further exacerbated in individuals with critical illness.” —Selina Parry et al in “The impact of extended bed rest on the musculoskeletal system in the critical care environment.”

Lean body mass is also important for:

• respiratory muscle strength

• improved circulation of blood to the organs which keeps them healthy and able to rid the body of toxins

• the ability to fight diabetes because muscles store glycogen for readily available energy source when needed

• improved bone strength and density; although exercise targets muscles it also strengthens the bones because bones, like muscle, react to the demands we place on them.

Calorie Burning and Lean Muscle Mass

An interesting fact about calorie burning is that muscles burn two to three times as many calories as the same amount of fat. So the more muscle you have the more calories you’ll burn and the less calories will be available to be converted into fat.

If you consume less calories than you need to burn on a daily basis, your body will actually convert your fat cells into energy and burn them instead.

When you build lean muscle mass you naturally decrease your body fat percentage. And once your muscle mass begins to increase as your body fat decreases, you’ll notice you have the greatest prize of all–more energy.

For great health and a high quality of life lean body mass is key. 

Lean body mass gives you the ability to undertake daily activities with confidence as you mitigate and slow the aging process. A strong lean body raises your self-esteem and helps you live better.

Your body shape and weight may change naturally as you age. But many people prove every day that you can alter that process with simple yet powerful lifestyle choices.

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Endnotes/Sources:

Tallis, Raymond, et al. Brocklehurst's Textbook of Geriatric Medicine. Churchill Livingstone, 2003.

Bernhardt, Nancy E., and Artur M. Kasko. Nutrition for the Middle Aged and Elderly. Nova Science, 2008

Fogelholm, Mikael. Physical Activity: A Part of Healthy Eating?: Report from a Nordic Seminar, Lahti, Finland, February 2000. Nordic Council of Ministers, 2001.

TodayShow. “Can Exercise Detox Your Body? It's Not about the Sweat.” TODAY.com, 17 Dec. 2012, www.today.com/health/can-exercise-detox-your-body-its-not-about-sweat-1C7634616.

English, Kirk L, and Douglas Paddon-Jones. “Protecting muscle mass and function in older adults during bed rest.” Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care vol. 13,1 (2010): 34-9. doi:10.1097/MCO.0b013e328333aa66

Photo courtesy of Nina Hill at pexels

How to Correct Posture Problems: Master the Art of a Regal Healthy Posture for Ageless Beauty and Timeless Vitality

Most people accept that sickness and physical deterioration are unavoidable parts of life. But we don’t recognize or maybe we even refuse to look at a basic health fact: Our thoughts, attitudes, emotions and beliefs create health or sickness, enduring youth or old age. And all of these reflect in our posture, regal or not and vice versa.

Correcting bad posture to healthy posture supports your very possible quality longevity.

People like Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and New York Times bestselling author have proven that healthy longevity is possible.

Buettner’s coined the phrase Blue Zone to describe any area of the world where people live far longer than average. The phrase Blue Zone first appeared in Buettner’s November 2005 National Geographic magazine cover story, The Secrets of a Long Life.

If we don’t live in a Blue Zone we can still mimic many of the practices of the Blue Zone people. We can create lifestyle strategies for ourselves that we practice not just from time to time but everyday.

This is how we can ensure a wonderful quality of life, often running circles around people decades younger.

The first strategy excerpted here from our e-book, the Art of Ageless Beauty, focuses on our physical structure. It involves the skeletal system, musculature, and connective tissues that form a healthy posture.

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Adapt the long tall corrective or healthy posture.

A long tall standing posture makes us not only look but feel beautiful and confident and grounded in our bodies.

You want to aim for a neutral, upright spine that’s not flexed either too far forward or backward.

In a body with an excellent healthy posture, the organs all have enough space to function.

Compression caused by poor posture causes organs to function in less space. When compressed, your organs don’t function quite as well. You need to get about the business of correcting bad posture for your health.

Poor posture can cause many conditions:

• back, neck, shoulder pain; even headaches and jaw pain

• poor blood circulation

• impaired lung function

• poor digestion

• constricted nerves

• misaligned or curved spine

• stress incontinence (when you leak a little urine if you laugh or cough).

You might think only a weakening body creates physical posture. But you can degrade a previously healthy posture by thought alone.

The body follows thought and emotion. Our blog, The Body Only Understands Emotion discusses this key concept in depth.

Dwell on the inevitability of sickness and death, family worries and drama, or fear of not being able to survive and your posture will probably slump. Feel hopeless, dread, anxiety, depression, or sadness and it will reflect in your physiology and your previously healthy posture.

Thought and the emotions that come from thought affect physical health and structure. They can shift our stance of a previously healthy posture to a new focus of how to correct posture problems.

Seniors tend to feel fear the older they get. This prevailing emotion works against a healthy posture.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, people past the age of 60 enter the Water element phase of life. The principle emotion of Water is fear.

As many people grow older, their end of life rather than their contributions to it takes center stage in their minds. They become out-of-balance in the Water element and with the emotion of fear.

We must always strive for emotional balance for the best most healthy posture and ensuing health possible.

By embracing one or both of the Water element’s archetypes we can remarkably lessen how fearful we feel. We’ll begin leaning into life once again instead of leaning away from it with a backwards posture.

This backwards leaning posture demonstrates a fear of walking into what’s ahead.

The positive archetypes of the Water element are:

• the Sage/Philosopher and the Curious Child.

Both Sage and Curious Child move with a slower rhythm. They take their time. They have patience. Hurry doesn’t enter their consciousness. Calm is evident in their manner of speaking and speech, gait, breathing, healthy posture and natural response to life.

• Learn more about these archetypes in our blog, The Water Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance.

Incredibly fearful or maybe just plain exhausted with life, some people trudge the rest of their lives with a physical and mental posture of holding back. Rather than living actively, joyfully and by their design in the way of the balanced Water archetypes, they give up and give in.

People who live in joy and appreciation are open, expansive and their healthy postures are tall and upright.

Those who live in fear, downtrodden and full of worry pull physically inward. They become closed. So much fear affects the body badly.

The body responds to fear on a hormonal level, has difficulty accepting nutrients, becomes weaker and starts shutting down on many levels. And it’s all also reflected in the bent or hunched over posture.

Such people, most often seniors, are in serious need of corrective posture techniques (described below).

Just about the best posture corrector for seniors is the emotional support called happiness.

So we see that our emotional state is just as important as our physical health. Our emotions and physical function work in a symbiotic cipher of energy. One feeds the other and back again.

One way to uplift and help balance emotion is to create a robust practice of appreciation and high minded thinking. This daily practice can help lead to happiness.

• PHYTO5’s quantum energetic 5-element lines of skincare do more than balance skin conditions. They also balance your emotional state because of the quantum energy they radiate. All products in the line support your emotional balance with this energy very much concentrated in the Phyt’Ether serums.

  • Feel more kind and confident with Wood quantum energetic skincare.

  • If you’re feeling joyless or maybe over-the-top joyful, bring it in to balance with the Fire line.

  • Trying to take care of everyone but yourself and now you’re in overwhelm? The Earth line will help you get off dead center.

  • For people engulfed in worry and regret, sample products from the Metal line.

  • Bring fear and agitation to balance with Water element skincare.

When we feel negative emotions our shoulders slump. But when we feel happy our physiology naturally perks up. It straightens because we feel more energetic and alive.

In our blog, A Theory of Happiness: We Probably Can’t Be Totally Healthy and Well Without It, we said:

We can learn what makes us happy and how to get there more of the time… Happiness is what reinforces our innate sense of our true self. It is when life brings to our experience people, things, places, and conditions that resonate with us on a deeper level—the level where we feel peace, inner joy, and happiness. Happiness is also felt when the mind is at rest and free of worrying thoughts.

There are some physical factors that negatively affect healthy posture but there’s a posture corrector for seniors that involves diet.

Two major factors contribute to poor posture in older age: osteoporosis and osteomalacia.

Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass. Osteomalacia is the softening of the bones.

Over time, bones tend to lose some of their minerals and become less dense (a condition called osteopenia in the early stages and osteoporosis in the later stages).

Older adults often lose height because of osteoporosis when bones become weak and fracture.

Older adults also can lose lean muscle mass while gaining fat. We call this condition sarcopenia. It too causes weakness, frailty and loss of height.

You can help prevent height and stature loss by consuming a consistently healthy diet and staying physically active. Both diet and physical activity help prevent bone loss.

Diet directly impacts bone health. If you don’t get enough nutrients important to bone you increase your risk for bone loss and osteoporosis.

Bone formation requires an adequate and constant supply of nutrients: calcium, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, potassium, and fluoride.

There are also a number of vitamins and minerals needed for bone formation: manganese, copper, boron, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, and the B vitamins.

Women more than men develop hunchback or age-related postural hyperkyphosis. Hyperkyphosis impairs mobility and increases the risk of falls and fractures associated with older age.

Experts haven’t established all the exact causes of hyperkyphosis but they do believe it generally develops from one of two conditions:

• muscle weakness and degenerative disc disease (causing vertebral fractures and worsening hyperkyphosis), or

• vertebral fractures that occur first in the spine and then precipitate development of a hunched over back.

The best posture corrector for seniors is to proactively prevent bone loss and the need for corrective posture techniques.

Don’t want to wait to take action until you start suffering bone loss and poor posture. Even if you’re well below senior age, healthy diet and sensible exercise will keep you feeling strong with a tall healthy posture all the way into your future.

But as soon as you notice your posture’s degrading, no matter what age that is, aggressively work to mitigate, even reverse it.

• Eat lots of dark leafy greens to enrich bone density and improve your health. Be sure you get enough vitamins and minerals in your food.

It’s best to get your nutrients from food. Make supplementation a secondary option if you can’t get all the nutrition you need from food.

• Like diet, simple exercise like walking will also not only strengthen your musculature but nourish your skeletal system as well. It can help return you to a regal healthy posture.

• Include a weight resistance exercise program and a regimen of stretching exercises (or yoga).

If correcting bad posture is important to you, you absolutely need a set of strong abdominal muscles. It’s your abdominals that hold your body up tall and strong and not your bones.

Abdominal strengthening is the best posture corrector for seniors.

Make a good set of core-strengthening exercises the foundation of your exercise program. What you're really after is developing the abdominals underneath the surface abdominals. These are called the transverse abdominis.

Often, just getting in to the gym consistently improves your self-image so much your posture naturally straightens and rises.

A great benefit of weight resistance is that it’s also very grounding. It will make you feel like you’re fully in your body. You’ll feel more substantial, agile and stable. With a renewed regal healthy posture you’ll rarely fall, if ever, and nearly eliminate your risk of bone fracture from falling.

• Give your spine specific flexibility exercises while you also develop flexibility over your entire body. The more flexible the spine is and stronger your core, the more regal and healthy posture. Many gyms offer equipment to help improve spinal flexibility and strength.

Create an all around healthy posture improvement program. Blend a sensible yoga or stretching practice with weight resistance workouts, nutrition, appreciation, balanced emotion and high minded thinking.

Here’s an ultra simple yet powerful technique to achieve not just a healthy posture but a corrective posture.

• Direct your awareness to your center chest.

• Imagine a string pulling straight upward from your heart area.

• Let the upward pulling string lift your chest and encourage your taller straighter posture.

• Practice this healthy posture often.

…

Sources:

Katzman, Wendy B, et al. “Age-Related Hyperkyphosis: Its Causes, Consequences, and Management.” The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907357/

Zamon, Rebecca. “Want To Improve Your Posture? Walk Around Barefoot.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 23 Nov. 2015, www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/11/23/barefoot-walking-benefits_n_8629098.html

Palacios, Cristina. “The Role of Nutrients in Bone Health, from A to Z.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2006, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17092827.

https://www.bluezones.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Nat_Geo_LongevityF.pdf

Quartz in Skincare: Revitalize Skin with Crystal Quartz Infused Cosmetic Clays

Quartz is a mineral and fossilized resin. It’s one of earth’s strongest materials. What makes quartz in skincare valuable in skincare is its silica content. Silica is one of the largest components of collagen, the main structural protein in skin and other connective tissues and important factor in skin soft, supple and moisturized skin.

Quartz in skincare helps remove dead skin cells.

The most common form of quartz is silicon dioxide or crystalline silica.

Silicon is very important for skin health which is why it’s more and more formulated into cosmetic clays.

All six ever-moist cosmetic clays created by PHYTO5 contain quartz which is specifically prepared for cosmetic use. The clay masks gently remove dead skin cells and perform these specific functions:

• Wood element green Clay Mask encourages vital energy flow and helps balance oily skin.

• Fire element red Clay Mask soothes sensitive, irritated red blotchy skin and balances blood circulation.

• Earth element yellow Clay Mask helps detoxify skin with acne, blemishes and enlarged pores. It encourages flow of lymph which bathes tissues of toxins carrying them out through the bloodstream.

• Metal element white Clay Mask mineralizes, oxygenates and decongests puffy dull skin with fine lines. It helps balance micro-circulation.

• Water element black Clay Mask deeply hydrates skin and encourages elasticity, tone and water balance in the skin.

• Ageless soothing pink Clay Mask improves circulation, helps regenerate skin and by strengthening collagen fibers and skin’s elasticity.

Quartz in skincare is best in certain cosmetic applications.

This very hard mineral proves stable in all types of cosmetic formulations including those that are water-based. But because quartz can be difficult to maintain in suspension PHYTO5 primarily uses quartz crystal powder in its thicker cosmetic clay formulations.

Cosmetic ingredient formulators have to precisely prepare quartz to make it suitable for face exfoliation. They grind quartz down to extremely tiny particles with a gently rounded shape. No radiation or chemical process is involved.

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Quartz in skincare offers skin many glowing benefits.

Completely natural and pure quartz provides many benefits for skin including exceptional exfoliation.

When finely pulverized quartz is added to cosmetic clays it naturally and precisely exfoliates skin.

Synthetic polyethylene micro-beads are most commonly used in exfoliating skincare. But PHYTO5 finds finely pulverized natural quartz crystal powder superior in helping to remove layers of dead skin cells.

It buffs old skin cells to reveal new softer more illuminated skin.

Quartz in skincare also encourages better micro-circulation—the circulation of blood in the tiniest blood vessels. In this process it helps renew the stratum corneum or outermost layer of the epidermis. This action leaves skin refreshed, rejuvenated, healthy looking and beautifully flushed.

Quartz indirectly helps improve skin strength and elasticity. It helps your body synthesize collagen and activate detoxifying enzymes.

Expertly prepared quartz in skincare encourages skin regeneration by smoothing the epidermis. It does this without affecting skin’s hydrolipidic film.(1)

Of all minerals, quartz might be the most energizing. It’s well known for its calming, comforting and protective properties.

Quartz in skincare can support your vital energy flow. Known to generate light, it can bring light to your skin on a subtle level.

Benefit from quartz in skincare with PHYTO5 quantum energetic ever-moist Clay Masks.

They’re easy to apply and enjoyable to use:

• You can do it with your hands but using an application brush is best.

• After completely covering face and neck, leave the ever-moist mask on for 10 to 15 minutes.

• Next, wet your hands lightly and with your fingertips gently massage the mask in small circular motions over face and neck. This further promotes the exfoliation effect.

• Finally, rinse well with warm water to remove the clay.

Along with helping create a peel effect the quartz and other other clay and essential oil hero ingredients in the clays help oxygenate skin. This gives skin a healthy glow.

The regenerating and age-mitigating effects offered by quartz in skincare goes back many thousands of years.

The ancient Egyptians believed quartz could slow the aging process so they often applied a powdered form to the skin.

Egyptian and Roman women made rose quartz face masks to clear facial congestion and, of course, look younger.

…

1. The hydrolipidic film is a a protective film which helps skin retain moisture and the prevent harm from environmental aggressions.

Sources:

Yukami. “Quartz Mineral: Facts, Properties, and Commercial Uses.” PT Yudian Kawan Mineral, 13 June 2023, www.yukami.co.id/what-is-quartz-mineral/.

Araújo, Lidiane Advincula de et al. “Use of silicon for skin and hair care: an approach of chemical forms available and efficacy.” Anais brasileiros de dermatologia vol. 91,3 (2016): 331-5. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20163986

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin

Juniper berry essential oil (Juniperus communis) is excellent for skin health and promoting radiance in more mature skin. Juniper oil benefits for skin include improved circulation, cleansed skin and blood and inflammation reduction.

Juniper berry essential oil works to keep moisture balanced in skin. For all these reasons juniper berry essential oil is a hero ingredient in many of PHYTO5’s Winter quantum energetic skincare products.

Crisp, fresh and woody notes give hints of juniper oil benefits for skin

Juniper is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to most states in North America. Their cones and foliage are usually quite aromatic.

Juniper boasts a rich history dating back to ancient civilizations. The Greeks, Romans, and Native Americans have revered both the berry and the tree for their curative properties.

Resembling blueberries, juniper berries take two or three years to ripen. Only blue ripe berries can be picked to make the essential oil through steam distillation. Juniper berry smells distinctive, crisp, fresh, woody and herbaceous with a hint of sweetness.

If juniper smells a bit like a cocktail to you, it’s because juniper berries are used in gin.

Swedish bitters, known for their health benefits, often include juniper berry in their concoctions. So does the famous Jaegermeister bitters alcohol beverage. The Swedish bitter beer Drikke (or Gotlandscdricka) also combines both juniper boughs and berries with malt, hops, yeast, water and sugar to make the brew.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

The sweetest most lovely oil comes from the berries of the tree. Essential oil producers harvest a less potent juniper oil from the needles and twigs. 

You can forage for juniper berries quite easily in the U. S. Find the berries within two feet of the branch tips. 

There’s a time-honored way to pick the berries: Place a sheet underneath the shrub, grasp a berry-laden branch and gently shake. The blue ripe berries will fall off easily. Don’t take green berries because they'll rot before they have a chance to dry.

Wild foraged juniper berries have long been used in food, beverages, and medicine. Norwegians home brew juniper berry tea, for example.

In medical applications, juniper berry helps treat respiratory and urinary tracts. The berry works to fight cold, congestion, cough, arthritis, and gout.

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin: Purifying and Cleansing

Juniper essential oil is very purifying. Juniper berry essential oil works to eliminate dirt, germs and dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. This purifying action yields a natural glow and a clearer complexion.

• PHYTO5’s formulates Water element black Clay Mask with juniper berry essential oil for its purifying action.

Juniper aggressively works to balance excess oil production.

With antiseptic qualities associated with purity, juniper oil is particularly beneficial for acne and blemishes.

In addition to its antiseptic action, Juniper oil benefits for skin include counteracting toxic acne by detoxifying blood.

And even though fighting acne requires a great deal of strength, juniper oil is still gentle on the skin. 

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin: Toning

Juniper oil’s natural astringent properties aids in minimizing pores and toning skin. It effectively minimizes the appearance of pores.

• Juniper berry essential oil is a hero ingredient in PHYTO5’s Metal skin Toner.

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin: Soothing

Anti-inflammatory juniper oil calms red, irritated sensitive skin.

The oil is very effective for inflamed skin like dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and long unhealed wounds.

• Juniper berry essential oil in PHYTO5 Hand Cream works to heal dry hands suffering from eczema. 

It’s obvious to enjoy juniper oil benefits for skin topically in skin care. But you can also enjoy its benefits =in your diffuser at home. Juniper oil can help promote a sense of inner tranquility. Psychologically, juniper berry essential oil strengthens and uplifts the spirit.

Juniper supports the nervous system and the emotion of the Water element according to traditional Chinese medicine. That emotion is fear and left unbalanced may lead to stressful reactions and more negative emotions.

• All of PHYTO5’s five element lines (Water is one of the five) are quantum energetic. This means all the products in those lines are capable of helping balance emotion.

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin: Antioxidant Age Mitigating Powerhouse

The blue-black juniper berry indicates it’s high in highly potent anthocyanin antioxidants which fight age-causing free radicals in the body.

Juniper oil benefits for skin encompass the powerful defense against free radicals that wreak havoc on the skin. Free radicals cause premature aging but juniper works to neutralize this oxidative stress. Any time you can effectively accomplish this action, you’ll notice your skin looks more youthful and rejuvenated.

These same antioxidants in juniper oil help protect skin from environmental insults too.

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin: Balancing Skin Conditions Caused by Hormone Imbalance

Juniper berry essential oil effectively treats skin conditions caused by stress reaction and hormone imbalance.

Stress initiates the production of more cortisol in the body. When the body produces too much cortisol, sebaceous glands begin producing more oil in skin. Excess oil contributes to acne and can worsen acne that already exists.

Prolonged and chronic stress and increased cortisol production causes inflammation in skin. It can contribute to or worsen conditions like eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.

Skin’s natural protective barrier function suffers when cortisol levels raise. This causes irritated dry skin unable to maintain its own moisture balance. This is a key reason why juniper berry essential oil is a key ingredient in many Water element line products.

Juniper oil benefits for skin include balancing excess oil, reducing inflammation, and strengthening skin’s natural barrier function.

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin: Circulation Promoting

Juniper promotes elasticity of blood vessels, thus improved blood circulation.

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin: Balancing Moisture Retention

Juniper berry essential oil works to balance dehydrated scalp and dandruff. It can help strengthen and hydrate hair and create conditions that support hair growth. 

• Enjoy the benefits of juniper berry essential oil in Water element Yogi Body Gel and Selextreme alpine exfoliating salts.

• Another product from the Water line, Day Cream, also utilizes the power of juniper to help balance water retention in skin.

• This essential oil is a unique ingredient in PHYTO5’s Water element Shampoo that works to restore hydration, volume and luster to hair.

Juniper Oil Benefits for Skin… and Body

Juniper berry essential oil offers still more health benefits.

People have long found juniper berry to have purifying and healing properties. They used the berries to fight the spread of plagues and contagious diseases. During a smallpox epidemic, hospitals in France burned juniper wood to stop its spread.

Juniper berry also helps cleanse the liver and improve its health and function. Especially if you have or are at risk for fatty liver, juniper berry may benefit.

Essential oil of juniper berry works to detoxify not just skin but the colon, kidneys, and lungs.

Juniper oil benefits for skin and body also include:

• enlivens dull skin

• tones skin naturally by unblocking pores and balancing oily and blackhead- and acne-prone skin

• provides relief for psoriasis and eczema when applied in diluted form

• smooths stretch marks and scar tissue

• helps reduce orange peel appearance just under skin (lipolytic properties)

• soothes skin eruptions when used in a cool compress; an anti-irritant

• regulates oiliness of the hair 

• helps treat dandruff when used in a hair rinse

• lessens varicose veins

• acts as antibacterial and antiseptic; a disinfectant for ureter and bladder infections but not for acute kidney infections

• can serve as a diuretic

• improves cartilage elasticity

• offers sore muscle relief and joint support

• soothes rheumatic and arthritic pain

• helps ease cramps from menstruation and assists in regulating the menstrual cycle

• treats yeast infection and vaginitis

• alleviates symptoms of cystitis by adding a few drops of juniper berry oil in a warm shallow bath

• relieves chronic gas trouble

• lessens kidney stone discomfort when placing a compress with juniper berry oil on the lower back

• stimulates sluggish body functions

• supports digestive function; helps balance metabolism

• improves elimination

• helps heal ulcers

• purifies and detoxifies the blood

• alleviates varicose veins

• reduces unwanted water retention

• helps shrink varicose veins and hemorrhoids

• an actual tonic, helps tone muscles and tissues

• promotes nerve regeneration after injury

• enhances the filtration action of kidneys

• combats free radicals

• speeds healing

• normalizes acid-base reactions in the body

• provides relief as expectorant for bronchitis, colds and coughs when its fragrance is gently inhaled

• helps recovery from influenza

• offers respiratory support

• purifies the air, repelling insects

• eases mental exhaustion and nervous tension acting as a sedative

• acts as a grounding agent for anxiety

• helps sharpen memory when used in aromatherapy

• dispels negative emotions of guilt, loneliness and insecurity

• helps release suppressed anger and negativity when used in aromatherapy or during meditation

• helps relieve irritability and an out-of-balance stress response; mentally stimulating

Juniper oil benefits for skin indicate it’s non-toxic and is generally non-sensitizing.

Some people do have a reaction to the essential oil, so be cautious when using. Make sure you do a skin patch test first. Apply a diluted drop on your arm and see if any reaction occurs.

Concerning precautions or contraindications, Dr. Joseph Mercola says this about juniper berry essential oil:

“Because it can stimulate the uterine muscle, juniper berry oil should not be used during pregnancy. I do not recommend this essential oil to nursing moms and very young children as well… Those who suffer from any type of kidney or liver disease should refrain from using juniper berry oil.”

From its antioxidant-rich nature to its soothing effects, the myriad juniper oil benefits for skin make it a must-have in your skincare arsenal. Whether you're looking to combat signs of aging, banish blemishes, or simply pamper your skin, juniper oil can deliver excellent results. Embrace the power of juniper oil and unlock the secret to radiant, healthy skin.

…

Sources:

Curtis, Susan, et al. Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home. DK Publishing, 2016.

Rector-Page, Linda G. Linda Page's Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-healing for Everyone. California: Traditional Wisdom, 2000. Print.

Calisto Media, Inc. Essential Oils for Beginners: The Guide to Get Started with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. Berkeley: Althea, 2013. Print.

Lis-Balchin, Maria. Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London: Pharmaceutical, 2006. Print.

Wilson, Roberta. Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty. Avery, 2002.

Fischer-Rizzi, Susanne. Complete Aromatherapy Handbook: Essential Oils for Radiant Health. United States, Sterling Publishing Company, 1990.

Ananieva, Lyudmila. Essential Oils for Your Health and Beauty: Part 2. Italy, Tektime, 2017.

Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Revised and Expanded: Over 800 Natural, Nontoxic, and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health, Beauty, and Safe Home and Work Environments. United States, New World Library, 2016.

Essential Oils Natural Remedies: A Complete Guide to Nature’s Gifts. N.p., Norwalk Publishing LA, 2019.

Rubin, Jordan, et al. Essential Oils: Ancient Medicine for a Modern World. United States, Destiny Image, Incorporated, 2017.

Essential Oils Reference Guide for Healthy Skin: How to Use Essential Oils to Cure Acne, Remove Scars, Achieve Smooth Skin. N.p., Erika Robinson.

Combs, Dawn. “Juniper Berries: How to Find, Harvest, and Use Them.” DIY Natural, 26 Oct. 2017, diynatural [dot] com [forward slash] juniper-berries

Damask Rose Benefits: Exceptionally Skin and Health Enhancing

Damask rose is very skin enhancing and rejuvenating. In the world of essential oils, damask rose benefits skin so much it’s revered the queen of all essential oils. Damask rose oil is unrivaled in both fragrance and healing properties. PHYTO5 takes advantage of these damask rose benefits and formulates it as floral water or essential oil in many skincare products:

• Ageless soothing pink Clay mask

• Firming Eye Serum

• Perfection Cream for hyperpigmentation

• Five Secrets facial Cream

• Skin Toner

Ancient Egyptians knew about damask rose benefits for beauty.

Deriving its name from Damascus, Syria, this rose didn’t originate there. Many believe the damask rose originated in Asia, but the damask rose goes back all the way to ancient Egypt.

The ancients found damask rose benefits remarkable for health but the flower was somewhat scarce. So the damask rose became highly prized in ancient times and still is today.

Archeologists have discovered the damask rose in Egyptian tombs. Historians believe damask rose entered Egyptian culture during the reign of Ramses the Great (1279-1213 BCE).

As time went on, people discovered even more damask rose benefits.

A photo of rosa damascene by atulvi at Unsplash

They used the rose water as a cure for all ills, an aphrodisiac and complexion treatment. People who could produce damask rose water and oil never lacked for business.

The damask rose requires good irrigation. So the Near East eventually became the perfect cultivating ground for the rose. They invented equipment to manufacture damask rose water. Then they branched out into producing the oil, called otto in the essential oil industry.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Damask rose benefits encompass natural inherent beauty and health.

Almost everyone finds the fragrance of rose exquisite. The fragrance of the variety damask rose (Rosa damascena), and in particular its essential oil, is even more sublime.

Symbol of spirituality and mysticism, romance and allure, damask rose benefits are near countless. The rose oil or water works to balance the nervous system, ease emotional shock and grief, and open the heart.

Associated with the Venusian(1) concepts of beauty—especially no makeup beauty—damask rose benefits skin by conditioning it to create a beautiful foundational skin canvas.

A photo of rosa damascene by firexion7 at Unsplash

Prepared as floral water, damask rose benefits skin by toning and hydrating it. It acts as a natural antiseptic. This excellent skin tonic rejuvenates tired skin, helps balance skin conditions and works to heal wounds.

Damask rose benefits cell and tissue regeneration so important for dry and mature skin.

As an essential oil, damask rose is a versatile therapeutic oil.

Skincare formulators use it for its sweet floral and slightly spicy fragrance alongside its impressive skin health benefits.

Damask rose benefits dry skin, broken capillaries and mature and sensitive skin. It’s also an excellent antibacterial and antiviral. One study shows damask rose effective against 15 different strains of bacteria.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses rose to cool and clear moist heat and inflammation. Chinese medicine finds that damask rose benefits the body’s yin energy and combats anxiety and depression.

Damask rose benefits include:

• rejuvenation of skin

• skin damage prevention

• reduction of the appearance of fine lines

• lessening of the appearance of broken capillaries on the skin

• softening of the appearance stretch marks

• sun-damaged skin repair

• soothing of dry, itchy skin

• clearing of acne

• bacteria fighting

• easing of poor circulation

• reduction of high blood pressure

• boosting liver and gall bladder functions

• alleviation of symptoms of asthma and hay fever

• regulation of digestive problems and stomach upsets

• nausea relief

• constipation relief

• decongestion and strengthening of the liver and gall bladder

• cooling hot inflammation and swelling

• heightening feelings of vitality

• lessening of grief

• creating a sense of well-being

• bringing calm into stress-related situations

• toning of the uterus and easing of painful menses

• minimizing of the effects of premenstrual syndrome.

With a strong presence of the phytochemical and antioxidant lycopene, damask rose benefits skin and body by helping prevent many diseases and conditions free radicals cause.

According to the scientific study, “Pharmacological Effects of Rosa Damascena”(2), damask rose has:

“an anti-HIV, antibacterial, antioxidant, antitussive, hypnotic, anti-diabetic, and relaxant effect…”

You can even get damask rose benefits for beauty by consuming damask rose petals.

All rose petals are edible as long as they’re organic. Damask rose benefits include anti-age action because of its high amount of antioxidants. Damask rose promotes more youthful skin and body.

If you use rose petals in food preparation, remove the bitter white base.

Float rose petals in beverages, desserts and salads. Flavor jams and vinegars with rose petals.

Use dried rose petals and buds in herbal teas. It makes the tea more fragrant and provides a calming and mildly diuretic action.

Damask rose benefits are greater than any other rose variety.

Damask rose produces the highest quality essential oil and floral water.

Petals of rosa damascena by hasanalmasi at Unsplash

It takes about 60,000 roses or 200 pounds of petals to make one ounce of rose otto.

There are two types of essential oil derived from the damask rose: otto and absolute.

They offer slightly different in potency damask rose benefits because of two different methods used to produce them.

• Absolute is solvent-extracted and is thick and very concentrated. Though thicker than otto, the absolute is still viscous. It is amber colored and somewhat less costly.

• Rose otto is the essential oil derived from the petals and no other part of the flower. It’s produced by the more costly method of steam distillation. It’s clear or pale yellow. The otto is rich and intense and a better quality of oil than absolute. Though it’s more expensive than absolute, less otto can be used than absolute to achieve the desired effect.

The most damask rose crops are grown in the Valley of the Roses, Bulgaria.(3) In the world of essential oils, Bulgarian damask rose produces the finest quality attar (fragrance).

“Ounce for ounce, the ‘liquid gold of Bulgaria’ is nearly as expensive as gold.” —Audra Avizienis in Essential Oils: Essential Oil and Aromatherapy Recipes for Wellness, Beauty, and a Healthy Home

When and How Damask Rose Is Harvested Determines the Quality of the Damask Oil.

The damask rose grows as a deciduous shrub about six feet tall and wide. The rose grows on long bowing stems with stout curved prickles and stiff bristles.

The stems bear heads of loosely cupped light to moderate rose pink petals. The shrub sprouts pinnate of five-petaled leaves.

The essential oil content of damask rose depends on how mature the bloom is.

The rose offers a higher more valuable health promoting terpene content when the petal whorl (pattern of spirals) is harvested just as the petals begin to open.

(Terpenes are vibrantly fragrant molecules that occur naturally in plant life. They’re chemicals that  provide pigment, scent and flavor.)

When harvesting begins in the Valley of the Roses, more than 50,000 harvesters painstakingly collect the roses by hand. They harvest the roses during a short window of time when the rose’s essential oil is at its highest volume. This optimum time period is the cooler hours of the morning before sunrise.

This time of harvest also helps ensure the greatest damask oil benefits to skin and health.

Bulgarian rose pickers harvest the rose just like they’ve done for centuries—by hand, one rose at a time. It’s labor intensive but they pick the flowers by hand so they don’t lose the potential oil of the flower.

The damask rose petals are very delicate so they steam distill the flower the same day they harvest. Waiting too long to distill will not only cause loss of the prized essential oil, it will reduce the myriad and potency of damask rose benefits when formulated in products.

All the steps of the harvesting method ensure a maximum quality essential oil yield.

Damask rose benefits come from the seeds too.

The seeds of the damask rose also yield a nourishing oil.

Rose seed oil is excellent for treating broken capillaries, sun damage, redness, scars, stretch marks, acne, acne rosacea, enlarged pores, loss of elasticity, fine lines and overall aging of the skin.

It’s a rich source of essential fatty acid omegas 3 and 6. Rose seed oil helps regenerate cell membranes and tissues and is a good source of natural vitamin A.

Damask rose benefits emotional well-being.

The ability to embrace the myriad of damask rose benefits  is as individual as ourselves.

When we come into contact with rose, our olfactory system and the brain connect and communicate. Based on past memories and feelings, we identify an attitude the rose expresse to us in the moment.

Damask rose benefits importantly include its ability to uplift our state of consciousness. We immediately notice it stimulates a well-being response within us. Our response may be love, tenderness, wistfulness, serenity, or joy. And our bodies may spontaneously respond to and align with its healing energy as we absorb all the damask rose benefits, energies and frequencies.

We make the myriad of damask rose benefits for health, beauty and skin simply by partaking of a few drops of oil or water. We align to its healing properties, become enlivened, often even healed by it.

…

Endnotes and Sources:

1. Aphrodite, later known as Venus was the goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, and prosperity. Yet, it is her representation of beauty that she is most well known for. Painters and sculptors have personified her, embodied her and epitomized her. “Physical Beauty, Venus - Google Arts & Culture.” Google, Google, artsandculture.google.com/usergallery/ggKCrztJLXu0KQ.

2. Boskabady, Mohammad Hossein et al. “Pharmacological effects of rosa damascena.” Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences Vol. 14,4 (2011): 295-307.

3. The damask rose originated in Damascus, Syria, Persia, Alexandria and sixteenth century Europe. Damask rose is currently also cultivated in Europe, Iran, Turkey, Russia and India.

Sources:

Harkness, Peter. The Rose: An Illustrated History. Buffalo, NY: Firefly, 2003. Print.

Avizienis, Audra. Essential Oils: Essential Oil and Aromatherapy Recipes for Wellness, Beauty, and a Healthy Home. United States, Printers Row, 2019.

Das, Kuntal. Essential Oils and Their Applications. India, New India Publishing Agency, 2013.

Houghton, Marlene. Essential Oils & Aromatherapy: Your Personal Guide. United States, Wellfleet Press, 2018.

Kynes, Sandra. Llewellyn's Complete Book of Essential Oils: How to Blend, Diffuse, Create Remedies, and Use in Everyday Life. United States, Llewellyn Worldwide, Limited, 2019.

Mojay, Gabriel. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit: Restoring Emotional and Mental Balance with Essential Oils. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts, 1999. Print.

Curtis, Susan, et al. Essential Oils: All-natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body and Home. United States, DK Publishing, 2016.

Neals Yard Remedies. Essential Oils. 1st ed. N.p.: DK, 2016. Print.

Godfrey, Heather Dawn. Healing with Essential Oils: The Antiviral, Restorative, and Life-Enhancing Properties of 58 Plants. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 2022.

Gailing, Stephanie. The Complete Guide to Astrological Self-Care. United States, Wellfleet Press, 2021.

Curtis, Susan, et al. Natural Beauty: Natural Makeup, Soothing Therapies, Homemade Preparations. United Kingdom, DK Publishing, 2015.

Verbena Essential Oil and Flower Water: Most Excellent in Skin Cleansing and Anti-Age Formulations

The verbena flowering plant has an incredibly rich history of healing and well-being properties. Verbena has historically been used in folk medicine to treat everything from headache to heart failure. It helps firm and tone skin and is an excellent anti-age agent. PHYTO5 makes organic verbena essential oil a unique ingredient in many products of PHYTO5’s Earth element and Ageless lines of skincare.

Origins of verbena’s distinctly lemony fragrance

Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) starts with a refreshing, pronounced lemon-like scent that gradually transforms into a sweet, fruit aroma. It smells so lemony it would remind you of lemon sherbet.

Verbena gets its fragrance from the terpenes(1) geraniol, neral and limonene.

• Geraniol is an anti-age free radical fighter, an anti-inflammatory and an acne fighting antibacterial. It’s also quite mentally relaxing.

• Limonene is also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory with the added benefit of reparative action.

• Neral aids in acne prevention. It helps purify, soothe and tone skin.

Researchers believe the terpene content of the plant helps calm people suffering from anxiety.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Verbena essential oil and the flower’s extract offer very many health benefits.

“Behind the sunny, uplifting scent of lemon verbena lies some serious healing properties. It has a toning and strengthening effect on the nervous, digestive, respiratory, and immune items. Its antiseptic action aids healing, while anti-inflammatory properties restore tired postworkout muscles.” —Susan Curtis et al in Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home

For the skin

• helps soften and tone the skin

• reduces skin puffiness and inflammation

• tightens the skin because of astringent properties

• cleansing to the skin; very beneficial for acne prone skin

• slows aging of skin because of antioxidant richness

• helps heal eczema and other skin disorders because of antiseptic properties

• speeds wound and sore healing

PHYTO5 products containing verbena essential oil and/or flower water are anti-age products in the Ageless line: Cleansing Foam, Perfection Cream, soothing pink Clay Mask, and Nourishing Cream.

Earth element Day and Night Creams provide toxic skin with verbena’s healing and cleansing properties.

For the body

• supports immunity

• soothes irregular digestion

• promotes good liver function

• helps relieve fever by encouraging perspiration

• fights colds and flu

• loosens congestion in sinuses and lungs

• eases irritating coughs

• tones muscles and relieves buildup of lactic acid

• lowers abnormally high breathing and heart rates

• encourages repair of weak connective tissue

• speeds healing of joint-related injuries

• lessens pain of arthritis

• increases mobility

• relieves upset stomach and nausea

• alleviates menstrual cramps

For the mind and psyche

• alleviates lethargy and apathy

• stimulates creativity and concentration

• improves study retention 

• grounds the receiver to the present moment

• eases feelings of panic and calms nerves

• offers pleasant aphrodisiacal properties

• bolsters the spirit when dealing with stressful situations

• assists with insomnia

Verbena’s centuries long history demonstrates how powerful a healing cleansing agent the flower is.

Very interchangeably called vervain, verbena goes by many other names.(2). The name verbena comes from the Celtic term ferfaen. Fer means to drive away and faen means stone. The Celts gave the flower this name because they found the flower effective for treating kidney stones.

Vervain was historically also named Tears of Isis. As legend has it, wherever Isis’ tears fell as she grieved over the murder of Osiris, vervain grew.

Historical lore recounts places verbena growing at the foot of the cross where Jesus was crucified. Many believe verbena flowers were pressed into Jesus’ wounds to stop the bleeding. This is why verbena is also called Herb of the Cross.

Hippocrates himself applied verbena flower to wounds and prescribed it for fevers and nervous disorders. 

The ancient Egyptians and Chinese believed vervain to have hidden powers.

The magi, the mystic sages of Persia, used verbena as an herb to help them see the future and the unseen.

Cleansing detoxifying verbena has long been used in purification rituals. King Solomon cleansed the temple with verbena and the Romans placed it on altars to honor Venus and Diana.

The Druids’ highly revered verbena. They utilized it in divination practices, consecrations, and ritual cleansing of sacred spaces. 

Priests and heralds carried verbena with them everywhere. Heros and poets wore head wreaths and garlands made of the flower.

Roman soldiers carried verbena with them into battle for good luck and protection. They sprinkled their homes and temples with verbena petals to keep out evil. They buried verbena in their gardens to bring them prosperity.

The polymath and herbal healer Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) prescribed a decoction(3) of vervain and vermouth for toxic blood infections and toothache.

In the Middle Ages, the people used vervain as a treatment for acne. They found it so effective they began to use vervain to treat other skin problems.

The 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper found many medicinal purposes for verbena.  He prescribed to cleanse toxic skin cleanser and to lessen dandruff by mixing with vinegar. Culpeper used verbena to treat many serious conditions: jaundice, gout, cough, bleeding gums, shortness of breath, fever, kidney stones, congestive heart failure and even the plague.

The Aztecs used mashed verbena roots as a diuretic.

In 18th century Spain, the Jesuits prescribed vervain as remedy for headache, jaundice, and other ailments.

During the Revolutionary War, military physicians used vervain for pain relief and to induce vomiting.

Many Native American tribes found all sorts of medical treatment and curative uses for verbena. They used verbena for fever, gastrointestinal problems, stagnant circulation, headaches, insomnia and hepatitis.

Many modern day people of Mexico use verbena tea to treat bad colds and flu.

“Contemporary herbalists recommend vervain as a tranquilizer, expectorant, menstruation promoter, and treatment for headache, fever, depression, seizures, wounds, dental cavities, and gum disease.” –Michael Castleman in The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More than 125 of Nature’s Most Potent Herbal Remedies.

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Endnotes:

• Terpenes are vibrantly fragrant molecules that occur naturally in plant life, especially in conifers, bearing pigment, scent and flavor.

• Other names for verbena include Dragon’s Claw, Tears of Isis, Herba Veneris (herb of Venus), Persephonion, Demetria, Pigeon Grass, Simpler's Joy, Altar Plant, Herbe Sacrée, Holy Plant, Herb of the Cross and Herb of Grace.

• A decoction is the liquor resulting from concentrating the essence of a substance by heating or boiling, especially a medicinal preparation made from a plant.

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Sources:

Curtis, Susan, Pat Thomas, and Fran Johnson. Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home. New York, New York: DK, 2016. Print.

Castleman, Michael. The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More than 125 of Nature's Most Potent Herbal Remedies. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2009. Print.

Bonyani, Atousa et al. “Anxiolytic effects of Lippia citriodora in a mouce model of anxiety.” Research in pharmaceutical sciences vol. 13,3 (2018): 205-212. doi:10.4103/1735-5362.228941