5 shocking health boosters for women

Shocking health boosters for women: Coconut milk for healthy hair

11.03.2013 LISTEN

Manuka honey for your skin

Flawless, healthy skin is something every women wants, which is why the average woman owns at least eight skincare products, according to Vaseline's research. To make sure the products you use are actually helping to improve your skin, you should turn to Mother Nature and give manuka honey a go.

Maunka honey is a type of honey produced in New Zealand. It is thought to help improve the health of your skin because the honey is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. Therefore when applied to your skin it is thought that this type of honey can cleanse skin. Plus women also report that manuka honey can help soothe, smooth and soften skin. If you want to give your skin a health boost and try manuka honey be aware that each jar comes with a UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) that goes from 10 to 20. The UMF number relates to the honey's antibacterial properties; the higher the number, the higher the potency.

Bicarbonate of soda and strawberries for healthy teeth

When our teeth first grow they are white, yet as we get older the food we eat and our dental habits can mean that our white enamel breaks down, revealing the yellow tooth dentin that sits beneath our enamel. If your teeth are no longer pearly white, using bicarbonate of soda and strawberries might help to give your teeth a much-needed health boost.

Bicarbonate of soda is thought to help remove stains from your teeth, as do strawberries. The malic acid in strawberries is thought to naturally whiten and brighten teeth. You can make a strawberry and bicarbonate of soda paste by crushing a strawberry in a small bowl, adding bicarbonate of soda and dipping in your toothbrush. Be careful not to use this mix too often on your teeth as the acid can negatively affect teeth if used too regularly.

Versatile hairstyle for fitness

Shockingly it seems that women's hair is getting in the way of their fitness. A recent study has found that African-American women from North Carolina regularly skip the gym if they have recently gotten their hair done. In the study, which surveyed 103 women, the researchers found that two out of five women skipped their exercise session to avoid messing up their hairstyle.

So, if you often find yourself skipping a workout because of your hairdo it's time to experiment with a new look. If you have a fringe you could pin it back into a 1950s pinup girl style. Or if you're worried that after your workout you will have to wash it and restyle you could always try a more natural look, which means washing and restyling takes a lot less time. Finally, if none of these options work for you, on those days when you don't want to mess up your locks you could do less sweat inducing activities, like yoga.

Coconut milk for healthy hair

Glossy strong hair can make you feel body beautiful. If you want to improve the health of your hair you can use coconut milk as a natural, health boosting treatment. The Journal of Cosmetic Science found that when people applied coconut milk either before they washed their hair or after they washed their hair they lost less protein from their tresses.

Although you may not think protein is important when it comes to your hair, you'd be wrong. Protein does all sorts of wonderful things for our locks, from minimizing damage through breakages to giving hair a beautiful gloss and shine.

Counteract the effect of news stories for healthier stress levels

New research published in the PLoS One journal found that when women read negative news stories and later did a scientific stress test their levels of (the stress hormone) increased. Yet when men read the same news stories and did the same scientific stress test as the women the men's stress levels were unaffected. The researchers who conducted the study believe that this increase in women's stress levels could be to do with their empathetic nature, which is the result of a woman's natural disposition to nurture.

Although we don't suggest you stop reading the news to avoid increasing your stress levels, you can do certain things to combat stress. Exercising and eating foods that contain tryptophan can help you to reduce your stress levels.

Want to uncover more shocking facts? Find out why your lipstick could damage your heart

Originating at www.realbuzz.com