9 Reasons to Use Epsom Salt

Found an interesting read and its a relatively cheap item (not as costly as all those massage oils and services you have to pay for) and easy to store and use too.

9 Reasons to Use Epsom Salt  
by TheAlternativeDaily.com

Epsom salt is a mineral compound comprised of magnesium and sulfate, and gets its named from a saline spring at Epsom in Surrey, England. Epsom salt has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for a number of ailments and also has many beauty, gardening and household uses.

Both magnesium and sulfate are readily absorbed into the skin which makes the health benefits readily accessible. Over 325 enzymes in the body are regulated by magnesium which also helps reduce inflammation, alleviates hardening of the arteries and improves muscle and nerve function. Sulfates improve the rate at which nutrients are absorbed and help to flush out toxins.

Here are just a few of the many wonderful benefits of Epsom salts we uncovered:

Ease Stress

If you are stressed, you may be deficient in magnesium and you may have elevated adrenaline. When Epsom salt is dissolved in warm water it is absorbed through the skin and can naturally replenish lost magnesium. This magnesium helps the body produce serotonin, which is a mood elevating chemical in the brain.

Magnesium also increases energy and stamina by encouraging the production of ATP – the energy powerhouse of the cell. Bathing in Epsom saltthree times a week can help increase your energy, improve your mood and reduce the negative impacts of elevated adrenaline. Use 2 cups of Epsom salt in each full bath.

Eliminate Toxins

The sulphates in Epsom salt draw heavy metals and other toxins from cells which can ease muscle pain and improve cellular function. Adding Epsom salt to your bathwater pulls salt out of your body along with harmful toxins. Add 2 cups of Epsom salt to a warm bath and soak for at least 10 minutes for detoxification.

Relieve Pain and Cramps in Muscles

If you have sore muscles, migraine headaches or bronchial asthma, you may want to try an Epsom salt bath. It can relieve both pain and inflammation. If you are on your feet all day you may want to soak them in warm Epsom salt. It can also help neutralize foot odor.

For Beauty

Try the following beauty treatments that use Epsom salt:

Exfoliating Facial Cleanser - Mix a small handful of Epsom salt with a tablespoon of coconut oil and rub on your face. Rinse and pat dry.

Blackhead Remover - Add a teaspoon of salt and 3 drops of iodine into half a cup of boiling water. Apply mixture to blackheads using a cotton ball.

Skin Mask - For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 organic egg, 1/4 cup of nonfat dry milk, the juice of one lemon and half a teaspoon of Epsom salt together. Dampen your skin and place the mixture on your face – avoiding the eye area. Allow the mask to harden and set for about ten minutes – rinse and pat dry.

Home and Garden

Use Epsom salt around your home and garden:

Clean Bathroom Tiles - Get those dim and dirty tiles in your bathroom clean by mixing equal parts of Epsom salt with liquid dish detergent. Scrub tiles with the mixture and rinse well.

Fertilize Plants – Plants need nutrients including magnesium and sulfur in order to grow their best. Sprinkling Epsom salt once a week on houseplants, flowers and vegetables will provide them with nutrients they need to thrive.

Greener Grass – Magnesium is necessary for seed germination and is vital for the production of chlorophyll which plants use to change sunlight into food and helps the soil absorb phosphorus and nitrogen.

Sulfur also contributes to chlorophyll production and, as mentioned above, makes nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium found in fertilizers more effective. To help your grass be as healthy as it can, apply 3 pounds of Epsom Salts for every 1,250 square feet of lawn using a spreader. You can also dilute it in water and apply with a sprayer.

Enjoy all of these benefits of inexpensive old-school Epsom Salt!

The Gym

Should I or shouldn't I join the gym? I miss the workouts I get in the gym. But I do find it a lil' difficult to juggle the time (hence I stopped a year ago after my office moved and everything else became inconvenient and the extra drive seemed just a waste of time), as nowadays I don't get to send kids earlier, and by the time I set foot in the gym it'll be bit late and I wouldn't get much done.

But...but...the attraction is that the office is subsidizing half of the monthly fees!! It's so attractive. Where else can you get a chain of outlets where you can go to at less than RM100? No way, man! I'm in such a dilemma. And evenings are bad because almost everyday I have to fetch the kids too. Haish. I need a personal driver to chauffeur my kids :)

Dilemma of a first world problem!

Pityriasis Alba

Exotic name. What do you think it is?

:) Actually a skin disorder. Not too serious, but it is a common skin condition affecting children and occasionally young adults. Several round or oval slightly scaly pink patches appear, leaving pale marks when the redness has faded. Easily mistaken as 'panau' where it can happen when your skin/body is hot/sweaty and then you wipe/wash with water.

Took AIR2 to the doctor to get it checked as she had in the beginning one small patch on her cheek (I never saw the red part, only noticed the white) and after a few days, there was another smaller white patch closer at side. And of course her grandma panicked more than me. So I was given a cream to 'encourage the pigment' to develop in the white areas. Although internet sources seem to have varied cures to it, let's just hope this doctor's cream works.

I hope she gets better soon, before grandma's next visit, otherwise I'll hear no end of it :P

So what is it when it happens to the not-so-young-adults like me? :P I do have these too, but I guess its just attributed to uneven skin tones? hahaha and aging skin? kihkihkih

The haze is not gone, but today was better than yesterday and the weekend. Looking forward to clearer days ahead as I'm going insane not running!! (but I managed to steal a short one just today).

It's a long way to the weekend!

2015?

OMG!  I miss blogging! Shucks! It's been so long. Since April. And I've not been very consistent recently either.

So much to tell and so little time.

So at 6, AIR1 has just participated in a run. Yeah 3km. I believe he could've done better but for one, he lacked training and the other, he refused to listen to instructions.

I'm now quite cautious about uploading photos...I'd just prefer those abstract ones...particularly FOOD! :) Not so keen on photos particularly of kids.

Need to be working on that drama plot again :)

Too many to update

I've not been so great (again) at updating my blog.

And since 2015, alot of things were changing, in the work scene and even time for managing the family. Worse when February came and a change in role in such a short notice meant a whole lot of kelam-kabut-ness (topsy turvy) in everything. I had so little time but so many things to do. Some may say, that is a typical corporate world thing, but mind you...it was not THAT bad until Feb.

For the first time, my nights after putting the kids to bed, I was on the laptop. My weekend nights were that too, and sometimes weekend daytime, where lounging around at home. I was burnt out.

To top it off, I was trying to put in training hours as I am training for a 68km run. I really didn't have time and I was worried.

Now finally I can breathe. So I shall slowly update my blog. :)

Stay tuned.