Care and Feeding Of Your Zombie

 You may have a pulse inside, but on the surface you're dead.  You Beautiful Zombie You.

  When you consider that your body is in a constant state of repair due to the regeneration of cells, from the major organs to the skin that holds it all together, you realize that we are all looking at a zombie in the mirror every morning. That's because the skin is rebuilt from the inner layers outward, thus the outer layer that everyone sees is comprised of already dead skin cells.
 Caring for those zombie cells is not nearly as hard as most corporations would have you believe, but it will require a few special considerations.

 

  First: Avoid Axes To the Head:

 There are a few tips to skin care that most people are barely aware of. All of the expensive creams in the world are useless if your zombie is dealing with suicidal habits.

•  Avoid touching your face.

 Dirt is transferred from your fingers that can become lodged in the pores. Use an oil-absorbent paper or get in the habit of carrying a packet of Kleenex. Acne-prone skin types are especially susceptible to those finger germs.

•   The Sun is not your friend.

  Drying and premature wrinkling are just the beginning. Skin cancer can take decades to brew to the surface, so the Summer tans that you enjoy showing off in your twenties can easily become the melanoma that drops you to your knees in your fifties.

•  Garbage In, Garbage Out. 

 Healthy skin starts and ends with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Fruits and veggies are vital, especially those citrus fruits that are high in vitamin C, along with lean meats and at least thirty minutes of heart healthy exercise every day. Dump the trans fats and fried foods that are adding toxins to your diet.

   Basic Zombie Care:
 Proper skin care doesn't have to be expensive, and you don't need to get up an hour earlier just to look good. You will however need to use a little common sense to keep your favorite zombie from falling apart and scaring the neighbors.

  The hardest part for most people is learning to ignore all of the misleading marketing from companies that want you to feel insecure about your ability to care for your body, so that you will pay anything for their "magic solution" that does little, if anything, for your skin.
  Look at it this way: The profits to be made from a cure are a drop in the bucket, compared to the ocean of profits to be made from treating your problems.
 
 The cancer industry has fallen into this profitability model, and as long as corporations are allowed to control the health industry, this won't be changing anytime soon. The real money is in the treatments.
 The point of this rant is simply that nearly all of the big promise products start with a natural ingredient like Aloe or Lanolin and then add nasty chemicals and perfumes that you don't want or need as their signature.

 Respect yourself and your wallet by keeping it simple. A six month supply of Aloe Vera gel runs about five bucks, so why would you pay a company ten times as much to whip it up with toxins?

 The care part is just as simple, and should include the two prime steps: Clean and Moisturize.

  > Exfoliate.
  You've heard it before because it not only works, it's vital to healthy skin. Scrubbing those dead flakes of skin from your face allows the world to see those healthy, pink skin cells underneath, as well as removing the dirt and oils trapped between them.
 Loofah or sea sponge, washcloth or spinning brushes, proper cleaning is best served daily.
For my money, it's natural sea sponge. Cheap to replace, easy to rinse clean after use, and gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin types.
Habits are the key, and new, healthier habits are easy to start. Simply decide, and do.

Finding the right cleanser for your skin type is not quite as simple, but simplicity is still the theme of this story. Did you know that you can cleanse the skin with milk or yogurt? Not many do, but it's not only true but for the organic types out there, it's the best solution to proper zombie care.

 > Moisturize.
 Between your soaps and shaving, air pollution and the Sun, your skin takes a beating and tends to dry out. It is dead, after all. Replacing lost moisture isn't hard and starting a daily habit of lotion or oils is just as easy.
 Choose water-based lotions and avoid those that use an alcohol base. Apply a thin layer after the shower to replace the oils that you just scrubbed off.
 Dry skin types will benefit from a routine of vitamin E oil instead of lotions. A bottle runs just a few dollars (I found it at a dollar store once), and makes an excellent prime for those who like to blend their own moisturizers as I do.

 I mentioned Aloe Vera gel earlier in Basics: I have an Aloe plant on the kitchen windowsill that grows very well, and provides me with organic Aloe gel for my twice-weekly moisturizing treatment.
 I just snip a half-leaf and squeeze one of Nature's greatest moisturizers directly onto the face and massage it in.   The plant cost me $4 at a local farm, and has paid me back for years.

 Told you it was simple.
Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind, though they won't apply to everyone.

 - Avoid the sun during peak hours (10-4). 
  Drying and wrinkles are avoidable. If you must go out, use a sunblock of SPF15 or more.
  - Quit smoking.
 Premature aging and wrinkles are the free bonus, Especially around the mouth.
 - Keep showers under 15 minutes.
 Hot water is harsh on the skin, and long showers remove too much of the good oils.
 - Wait 20 minutes after a shower to decide if you need a moisturizer.
 If the skin starts to feel tight, apply a good lotion or natural oil.
 - Wash the face in warm water and rinse in cold water.
 Warm water helps to open the pores, but again, hot water has minerals that dry the skin.

Bonus:
 - Use olive oil as a natural makeup remover.
 Not only is it one of the natural oils that are good for your complexion, but this one tip can save you from those ugly crows feet in the sensitive areas around the eyes.

  Copyright JB Stran  2015   HealthySelfCures.com

Happiness Pursuit: Destination Addiction Secrets

 The Pursuit of Happiness:  Beware of Destination Addiction

  First of all, your happiness is never guaranteed. Never was, and never will be.

 Even our founding fathers were smart enough to understand that too many people suffer from a condition known as "destination addiction" (DA), which is why you are only granted the right to pursue it.

 Having it, and keeping it, is entirely up to you.

 So what is "Destination Addiction"?

In the simplest terms, it means that you subscribe to the belief that your happiness, and I mean real happiness, lies just around the next corner. When you get the next job; when you meet the next short-term goal; when your divorce comes through; in the next prescription; or with the next new love affair.

 Notice in the last two examples that I have touched on the root cause that applies to nearly half of those affected by DA: Placing responsibility for their own happiness on someone else's shoulders, in this case the doctor who is happy to charge you for chasing the uncatchable, and the boyfriend or girlfriend who shouldn't be asked to bear an extra weight that is destined by design to fail.

 Sadly, the core fault that causes far too many divorces can also be traced back to a partner who simply refused to acknowledge the individual's responsibility of providing their own personal happiness. Naturally, they found over time that their life partner had neither the interest, nor the resources, to provide it for them.

  "Happiness Depends Upon Ourselves"

- Aristotle

So, are you ready for the simple truth?

 It's rather ironic, actually. The truth of personal happiness, this thing that so many people will spend an entire lifetime searching for but never find, while others seem to be born with it, is this:  You Had It All Along.

   You already have it, but environmental influences have trained you to ignore it and to start a lifelong quest to hunt for it. A rather expensive and personally exhaustive quest; but don't worry, there's a pill for that, too.

  You can call these influences society in general, peer pressure, commercialism, television advertising, specialized marketing (or Madison avenue, if that one actually applies anymore), retailers, or any of a hundred reasons (excuses?) that the AD victim can offer to define the path that led them to becoming hopelessly addicted to the BBD*.

*Sorry, this may be a bit "old school" for today's readers, but in my youth AD was called chasing ghosts and the destinations were referred to as the Bigger, Better Deal (or, the BBD as in "he's addicted to the BBD").  Kinda rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

 The real reason that so many people seem to be born into their own happiness, regardless of personal wealth or societal standings, is because they fully grasp, at a young age, the concept of personal happiness being the individual's responsibility.

 You can credit this to good parenting if you like, and in many cases you would be right, but the truth is that some people just get it. It clicks for them, and no further explanation is required.

 Like water rolling off a duck's back, they just seem able to repel troubles and remain happy.

 I have seen this first hand over many years.  This rollercoaster of a life has found me homeless more than once, and one of the most valuable memories that have endured is of genuinely happy families that literally had nothing material to offer, but were willing to share none the less.

 In some cases all they had to offer was a hug. And in my case, at that time, it was enough.

 I have also known some extremely wealthy families, and found only one that I can recall who was really happy, but to be perfectly honest she was what most would call totally clueless.

  She was blissful, if you get my drift.

  It's easy to hide personal misery under new vehicles and a lot of alcohol, but a lack of personal fulfillment is one of those things that simply won't stay hidden for long. 

 Either you have it or you don't, but you definitely can't buy it. Many have tried, and all have failed.

 In case you missed the answer, here it is again:  BE.

  Stop chasing happiness. Just Be.  Yes: it really is that simple.  No one can sell it to you, though many are going to offer.
 Car dealers, drug manufacturers (and their licensed drug dealers, aka your local doctor), home builders, cosmetics retailers, and dozens of others who are staking millions on your ignorance will continue to promise to sell you some happy. Be smarter. Learn to see through the smoke & mirrors, and choose to be happy.

 Step off the treadmill, even for a minute, and try becoming less hamster and more human. A responsible human who is willing to accept full responsibility for the thoughts that are coming from your own mind.

 Because what you think, you become: Happiness included.

Whether you believe that you can, or you believe that you can't: You are never wrong.      ≈ JB

 Happiness is a gift that that you give to yourself. Happiness is a gift that cannot be taken away from you, though again, some are going to try. 

 In a society that is peppered with so many truly miserable people, seeing someone who appears to have found actual happiness has a way of plucking a lot of people's nerves. Even a few friends may even try to sabotage your apparent self-satisfaction, albeit unconsciously.

 Misery, after all, really does enjoy company. This too is just more smokescreen, so don't fall for it.

 Understand them and the motivations behind their negative actions, and you will manage to hold firmly to your newfound happiness as a sailor holds his compass through rough seas.

 Learn to be more present, to live in the NOW.  Let the past be, stop worrying about the future, and be right here, right now. Then, be happy. Right here, and right now.

 It has always been nothing more than a simple choice, so Choose Happy.  Get it? Got it? Good.

 ≈ namaste

2015   J.B. Stran     § Copyright HealthySelfCures.com