New Location for blog posts!

All Real Raw Women blog posts can now be found by using this link.

http://www.realrawbeauty.com/blogs/news

You can also access future blog post by going to www.realrawbeauty.com and clicking blog in the top

left corner of the page.

Until next time,
Jan

Nature's Botox

I am always on the look out for natural solutions to surgical procedures or prescription drugs.  And  I love sharing my "beauty secrets", especially when it is a product that I am completely obsessed with. This is the best skin supplement that I have ever come across. I wish I had known about it years ago. Completely natural and it works.

The creator of this supplement is a world renowned scientist, Dr Patrick Flanagan. For over three decades he has studied the remote regions of the world where people live healthy active lives past the age of 100. He discovered that the water in these regions was almost identical and came from frozen glaciers that had melted. It is known as "glacial milk". It is very different from the water that most of the civilized world drinks.

After much research it was discovered that the this water can be absorbed directly into your cells with much greater ease facilitating hydration and nutrient uptake. The water from this regions contained massive quantities of negatively-charged hydrogen ions.

He spent over 30 years developing and creating a powder that can hold Hydrogen ions stable over time and release them in your body when they come in contact with water.

So what does that mean for your skin? Hydration, which results into plumper skin with less visible fine lines and wrinkles.
The  H-ions neutralize all known free radicals, recycle all known antioxidants and increases ATP production by 4 times. Free radicals are considered the number one cause of aging skin.
It also protects telomeres from damage during cell division. (look back at an older post " Save the Telomeres, Don't be Frayed", to read about telomeres)
Because of it's high antioxidant potential it is shown to be 100 times more powerful than other plant based antioxidant sources. It delivers far more Hydrogen ions than by eating pounds of raw fruits and vegetables or drinking gallons of healing waters.

Hydration at the cellular level is vital to regeneration.

I wish I had taken before and after pictures of my skin, so that you could see the visible difference.

Mega Hydrate causes increased hydration to your skin cells,  which causes plumper skin which means less visible wrinkles. Your skin just looks plumper, moist, dewy and radiant.

It also neutralizes free radicals which means slowing down the aging of the skin.

David Wolfe has a short video on Mega Hydrate that I wanted to share. So if you have a few extra minutes, give a watch.







Add Mega Hydrate to your Real Raw Beauty Daily Routine and you have a recipe for outstanding skin.

I buy mine from Amazon. I started out taking 2 per day. Now I have increased to 6. I take 2 with a 12 oz glass of water first thing in the morning before I drink anything else.
Check it out and see what you think.

Until next time,
Jan
www.realrawbeauty.com

Anxiety, Depression and Metal Focus-Natural Help

About a month ago I started reading about this supplement called GABA.

The benefits that are listed at the top of the page are what got me reading and researching. The improved mental focus and improvement in sleep were the 2 that I was most interested in. The rest would just be a bonus!
I guess because I am a Capricorn I always have to know the science behind any supplement that I decide to take. Then I have to read tons of reviews to see what other people have experienced before I lay down the money and order. So for just a sec I want to give you a little background on GABA.

Gamma-Amino Buttyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid which acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It inhibits nerve transmission in the brain, calming nervous activity. 
In our brain Glutamate speeds things up, and when they are going too fast, GABA slows them down.
It is also touted as increasing the Human Growth Hormone levels.
Without GABA, nerve cells fire too often and too easily. Anxiety disorder such as panic attacks, seizure disorders, and numerous other conditions including addiction, headaches, Parkinson's syndrome, and cognitive impairment are all related to low GABA activity.
GABA has a calming and quieting influence.

People take Benzo's and Sedatives, such as:
Xanax
Valium
Ativan
Klonopin
Ambien
Sonata and Lunesta to try and increase the effectiveness of GABA. To the extent that they are successful, these drugs will produce a calming effect for a time and then apparently cease to work, because people have developed a tolerance to the drug.

Five years ago almost 10 million people were taking some form of these drugs or pain medication.
The long term effects of these drugs is not good.

So here are the claims that are being made about taking GABA as a supplement.

It is able to stop the actions of various brain chemicals which are especially active in people suffering with Anxiety.
Helps treat Depression
Improves Mental Function
Helps improve issues that contribute to lack of sexual desire.
Lessens signs of aging
Lowers stress
Helps promote deeper sleep

I wanted to take this because I have had sleep issues for 15 years. I also wanted  the benefits of increased mental focus. I will say that I have been sleeping better and I have noticed that I am more focused daily and my creative juices are flowing much better and faster. I am sure over time I will begin to notice more and more of the other benefits.
I don't really have anxiety or depression but I will say that you just feel "chill" all the time. I have found for me that it is really hard to even work up being mad about something.
I have been taking a brand of GABA from the bulletproof executive website. It's called GABAwave.
I bought it because you need to take a brand that will cross over the brain barrier. And this particular brand does according to the product description. It is liquid and comes in small little plastic ampules. You can only take 3 per week. 1 every 36 hours. If you take more it has an adverse effect on you. I would even recommend starting off with 1/2 the ampule. It doesn't taste all that great, but you can acquire a taste.

I always tell everyone to do their own research. Don't just read this and go order it. But for me I am so enjoying the benefits. There may be other brands that are just as good as this one.
Check it out, do your homework and come to your own conclusion. But it may be a great solution for you or someone you know especially if you struggle with anxiety or depression.

Until next time,
Jan
www.realrawbeauty.com



This blog is for information purposes only. Always contact your Natural Path or Physician with Health issues.

Vitamin D

I just recently went to get a checkup and had my blood work done. One result that showed up on my results, that I did not expect to hear,  I was critically low in vitamin D. I was completely shocked. I mean I live in Florida for goodness sakes-the Sunshine state!!

Vitamin D deficiency is dangerous. It can cause all types of Health problems that can lead to some very serious illnesses. Most of us get our Vitamin D from the sun. If you are not getting 15-20 minutes of unprotected sun per day, you are probably deficient in vitamin D. If you don't have plans to get some blood work done anytime soon, go ahead and get some plant based vitamin D supplements and start taking them. My doctor has me on 5,000 units a day.

I ran across an article from Natural News when I was researching information to help me understand the importance of this particular vitamin. Here is some vital information.

NaturalNews
 Imagine a line stretching across the U.S. from Philadelphia in the East to just north of San Francisco in the West. That's about 40 degrees latitude. If you live north of that line, chances are, you're not getting enough vitamin D. And even if you live in the more southerly latitudes, if you're not getting outside to enjoy the sunshine for at least 15 minutes each day, it's pretty likely you're not getting enough D either. Likewise if you're dark-skinned, overweight or older.

That's because most of us get our D vitamins through sun exposure. When exposed to the UV rays of the sun, compounds in the skin work to convert chemicals into vitamin D. People in more northern latitudes are seasonally limited to the amount of sun they receive, and for those who have dark skin or who are older, the skin isn't as efficient at converting sunlight to vitamin D.

Vitamin D is different from other vitamins because it's available in only a few foods -- mostly fatty fish and mushrooms that have been exposed to UV rays. As a result, vitamin D supplementation is typically the best way for most people today to ensure that they get enough of the vitamin.

Until just a few decades ago, vitamin D's effects were largely believed to be solely related to healthy bones. Researchers understood that vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for healthy bone development. But more recently, evidence has surfaced that's shown there's much more to this vitamin than originally believed.

Strengthening Bones and Muscles

Multiple studies have shown that the risk of fractures, especially among older people, is significantly higher when vitamin D levels are low. In a summary of evidence found in 12 studies, researchers determined that taking vitamin D supplements reduced hip and other non-spinal fractures by 20 percent. (1)

And another study found that, among an older population, vitamin D's muscle-strengthening powers helped decrease the risk of falls -- a common cause of disability and death -- by nearly 20 percent. (2)

Preventing Heart Disease

Just like bone and muscle cells, heart cells also have special receptors that attract and bind vitamin D. No surprise, since the heart itself is a type of muscle. Multiple studies have found that vitamin D deficiency contributes to heart disease, although the reasons why aren't clearly understood. Many researchers believe that it's because vitamin D can help prevent three of the most common diseases that contribute to heart disease -- high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and diabetes.

Preventing Cancer

To date, studies have shown a strong link between low levels of vitamin D and the development of colorectal cancers, but more studies are being conducted to learn how the vitamin may play a role in the development and prevention of other cancers, including breast and prostate cancers.

Preventing Kidney Disease

Studies conducted during the past decade have shown that low levels of vitamin D play a role in the development of kidney disease, but as recently as last year, researchers learned that monitoring the levels of the vitamin can actually help identify the disease in its earliest stages before significant kidney damage occurs. According to the results of that study, people with deficient levels of vitamin D were two times as likely to have protein in their urine -- a condition known as proteinuria, one of the earliest signs of kidney damage. (3)

Strengthening the Immune Function

Low levels of vitamin D have been shown to contribute to tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, flu and even the common cold. It's also been associated with type I diabetes, the type of diabetes that's related to the immune system and begins almost exclusively in childhood. Low levels of vitamin D have also been associated with type II diabetes, which usually occurs in adults over the age of 40 and is not associated with the immune system. Most researchers believe that the vitamin's ability to ward off inflammation is at the root of its immune-boosting abilities. (4)

Studies indicate that about 1 billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D. (5) Especially in recent years, vitamin D's role in preventing a host of diseases is becoming more clearly understood. Multiple studies are underway to explain these roles, but one thing is clear: Getting enough vitamin D is vitally important to maintaining good health. Since getting enough of the vitamin can be so difficult, taking a supplement is the best way to enjoy its benefits.

Also vitamin D has to be present in our body to be able to absorb calcium.  

So as you can see from the article we need to make sure our vitamin D levels are where where they need to be. 

Make this matter a priority and get on the right track with Vitamin D!


Until next time,
Jan
www.realrawbeauty.com

Winter Blues? A natural solution!

Winter is almost over!! We are all counting the days until Spring! Here is a great herb to help you get through the final days. 

                                                 If you would like to go from this to this:

                                                               Then keep on reading!!

I call Rodolia Rosea-happy pills!! About six months ago I was doing research to find a natural supplement to help my husband deal with the anxiety and stress he was experiencing. I ran across this herb called Rhodolia Rosea. I immediately got on Amazon and ordered a bottle. I personally wasn't experiencing stress in my life but when they arrived I decided to try them out along with him. Wow, I could not believe that an herb was this amazing. By the second day I felt a real calming effect from them. It was a euphoric happy feeling that comes over you and stays with you without any physical side effects. Needless to say I loved it and began taking them everyday. When you are taking this supplement you feel like you can handle anything that comes your way. You start noticing that nothing is ruffling your feathers or bothering you. I truly don't know anyone that couldn't use a little dose of that kind of goodness!!

Here are a few benefits of Rhodiola Rosea:

• Aids in reducing anxiety associated with day to day life
• Helps reduce fatigue
• Supports overal heart vitality
• Promotes improvement in general well being
• Protects muscle tissue during exercise
• Natures energy booster
• Improves the body's response to stress
• Enhances the healing properties of one's own nervous system
• Protects the nervous system against oxidative stress, enhancing healthy sleep, lifting depressed mood, relieving anxiety and maintains blood sugar within a healthy range.

I will have to say for me I have experienced all of these benefits listed above.





Since 40% of American women between the ages of 40 and 50 are on prescription anti-depressants, the medical community is taking a serious look at this herb. Many physicians are now prescribing Rhodolia Rosea to cure depression and anxiety instead of prescription drugs. That to me is wonderful progress!!

Like I said, I order mine from Amazon, I have tried several different brands and have chosen the gaia brand as my favorite. I take 3-4 a day. I carry them around in my purse because I never want to be without them

Take some time and read about it yourself. I actually think the whole planet should be on this herb!!

Until next time!!
Jan

Toners

Real Raw Beauty announced a new product this week, Radiant Toner. We added this product because so many of you have written and asked for it. Our toner is a 100% Organic hydrosol based product. Meaning that 75% is made with lemongrass hydrosol water.

Hydrosol water or hydroflorates are products from steam distilling plants. The water has the properties of the essential oil but far less the concentration. The process to obtain hydrosol water starts with a distiller. The lemon grass plant is put into a large cooker/steamer and as the temperature rises the glands of the plants burst to release the essential oil and the essence of the plant into the steam. The oil will rise and be collected in a container on one side and the steam from the oils are collected in another container. Hydrosol waters are the by product of essential oil removal from plant leaves. The collected steam droplets become the Hydrosol water.
Hydrosols contain all the essence and qualities of the plant in each drop but are in a milder form, making them suitable for toners.

Added to our lemongrass Hydrosol water are Organic oils that work with your skin as an antiseptic, antibacterial and anti fungal.

After cleansing your skin with the Radiant Face Wash, apply the toner to a cotton pad. Immediately you will notice the clean smell of the combined Hydrosol and Organic oils.

The Radiant toner will not dry out your skin. But you will feel and see it working to remove any remaining residue and shrink the pores and firm the skin.

The ingredients in our Radiant Toner will help to kill bacteria, remove environmental toxins, replenish, clean, refresh and cause your skin to look healthier and brighter. It is a perfect addition to your current skin care routine.

Check out our newest product and website!! www.realrawbeauty.com

Also we have a Valentines Sale this week-
14% off your order if you order between Feb 8-14. Type in the discount code Love at checkout!

Happy Valentines!

Until next time,
Jan

MSM

I have been taking MSM powder off and on for 20 years.  I take it for the incredible benefits for your skin. I recently came across an article from Natural News and it reminded me how wonderful and beneficial this supplement is for you.  So I wanted to share the Natural News article with my readers.

The supplement form of MSM is a white, odorless powder and is most well known for its use as a natural arthritis remedy since it helps to soften the joint tissue and restore flexibility. This is one of the primary reasons MSM is so effective as a topical skincare ingredient, among other properties it possesses. It is water soluble as a supplement, so will not build to toxic levels as your body just uses what is needed and flushes the rest out.

Some people also report they experience improved skin when supplementing with MSM internally. This is no surprise since our skin cells are also "soft tissue" cells that need to retain their pliability and flexibility, and this compound helps the cells do just that both topically and internally.

MSM softens the skin and makes it smoother, more hydrated and "flexible"

MSM has a softening, deeply penetrating effect on the skin when applied topically. It has the unique ability to penetrate several skin layers and therefore provides a better, more deeply hydrating and smoothing effect for longer periods of time. For this reason, it is one of the best ingredients to look for if you have chronically dry or mature skin that has lost a lot of its elasticity.

The sulfur compound also has an anti-inflammatory and skin-repairing effect, which may be useful for inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, acne and psoriasis. It also may help smooth and soften acne scars and hasten the healing of existing lesions.

MSM helps make the skin cells more permeable, and therefore more absorbent and receptive to plumping and hydration. This means that if it is an ingredient in your facial moisturizer, it can help the other ingredients gain entry to the skin cells in order to hydrate them more effectively. It can also accomplish this when taken internally as a supplement, especially when plenty of water is taken in throughout the day to enhance consistent skin hydration.

MSM helps even skin tone, diminish hyperpigmentation and age spots

MSM has been reported to help reduce hyperpigmentation issues such as melasma, pink or faded-red acne scars, age spots, freckles and sun damage both as an internal supplement and external application although most people consistently reported greater success when using it topically for this purpose. It has a brightening and luminizing effect on the skin overall when applied topically, and over time may also help reduce uneven skin tone and help correct areas of darker pigmentation as well.

Since MSM makes the skin cells more permeable, it may very well have to do with the synergy of other lightening ingredients contained in a cream or lotion, so it may also allow natural skin brighteners to better penetrate the skin. The exact mechanism of this topical skin-lightening and brightening effect is not clear, although it is likely due to its ability to soften the cells.

So as you can see it has some very important benefits for the skin and body. The brand that I take is  Omica.

Check it out for yourself. There is a lot of great information out there on this supplement.

Also, remember we have a new Acne and problem skin care line at Real Raw Beauty.  www. realrawbeauty.com

Until next time,
Jan

Problem Skin? Help is here!

We now have a Face Wash and Moisturizer specifically formulated to target and help heal acne and problem skin. One of our clients that has tested the products for us has been so gracious to allow us to use her before and after photos.

                                                Before Real Raw Beauty for problem skin

                                                                     Six Weeks later

Our Acne and problem skin line Starter Package includes:
Radiant Face Wash for Problem skin
Radiant Moisturizer for Problem skin
Pink Himalayan Salt Face Exfoliator
Dead Sea Mud Mask

We have found that in order to achieve the results that you see in the pictures above, it is necessary to use all 4 of the products together on a weekly and daily basis. In order to see these type of results it requires diligence and consistency with the 4 products.  Our wonderful volunteer followed this routine in order to clear up her skin, and achieve the outcome you see.

Some people think that putting oil on top of an oily face will only make it oilier. Quite the opposite. Oils dissolve oil. Soaps and cleansers  dry out your skin and cause the body to work over time to produce more oil to balance your skin's PH. Result, oily skin, which clogs pores and leads to breakouts. The oils in RRB face wash and moisturizer will balance the skins PH.
Bacteria on and under the skin is another contributor to breakouts. These new formulas contain several anti bacterial, anti fungal oils to fight and kill bacteria. 
There are a lot of reasons for breakouts and acne, these are only a few. We also know that this skin care routine works much better with a healthy diet and the removal of foods from your diet that contribute to breakouts, but that is for another blog post. 

So here is our 4 product routine


Night routine
Cleanse the face with the RRB Face Wash
Re apply and sleep in

Mornings
Exfoliate
Apply Daily Moisturizer for problem skin

2 times a week apply the Mud Mask

It's actually that simple and fast. The Face wash is a cleanser, toner and night time moisturizer.

The oils in the Acne line are completely different than the ones in our regular skin care oils. They were selected because of their benefits and healing properties for skin that is broken out or prone to breakouts. They will also help heal scarring which can be a by product of challenging difficult skin.

The Face exfoliator will help the skin eliminate dead skin cells from the surface of the skin which are one of the reasons for clogged pores, which lead to breakouts.

The Dead Sea Mud Mask will help pull toxins out of the skin and dry up breakouts.

These can be purchased in a kit to begin the program, then replaced individually as they are used up.

All of this is done without the use of chemicals,  or toxins, only 100% Organic unrefined oils.

You can go to the Real Raw Beauty website at www.realrawbeauty.com and click on the products and read more on the oils included in each product and their benefits.

If you are suffering from skin that is prone to breakouts, definitely check out our problem skin line.

Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time,
Jan
www.realrawbeauty.com

Organic, Unrefined and Unfiltered

Organic symbols are everywhere you look today. Produce, clothing, soaps, spices, coconut water, fruit drinks, protein powders, cosmetics. and oils....the list is endless. I want to share with you a little bit of information about organic oils that you may not know.
Just because an oil says that it is organic doesn't mean that there has not been chemicals involved in the extraction process to remove the oil from the nut or seed.  Take Almond oil for example. You can grow an Organic grove of almond trees and never put any pesticides or herbicides on them in the growing process and follow all the organic guidelines to meet the criteria  to say-grown Organic. But you may not be aware, when the oil is extracted form the organic almond, most companies use petroleum or some other chemical solvents to extract the oil along with extremely high temperatures. Now your organic almond oil has chemicals in them. This process is called refinement. This type of extraction saves companies lots of money, but you think you are buying 100% Organic. What we need to be looking for in oils is not just the word Organic but the statement, Organic, unrefined and unfiltered. 

In order for an oil to be labeled unrefined the nuts must be extracted by some type of cold pressed method. This type of extraction of the oils does not use any solvents, hexane or alcohol and this means that the oils have not been processed through heat intensive hydraulic extraction, which will produce unhealthy, lower quality oils.
Unrefined oils maintain their rich strong flavor and color and nutrients.

Also oils may go through a filtering process that uses bleaching or synthetic silica to eliminate carotenoids, fatty acids and pesticides or active carbon to deodorize and reduce orders. Needless to say these steps produce a lower standard oil.

Oils that say unrefined do not go through this process.

So when choosing oils, choose 100% Organic, unrefined and unfiltered for your skin. This guarantees quality and integrity for your skin. This is our standard at Real Raw Beauty. Our oils that are extracted from a seed or a nut are not only Organic, but unrefined and unfiltered. It makes a difference. And when you use Real Raw Beauty oils on your face and body you will see and feel the difference. Check out the ingredient labels on your skin care.  Unless it says 100% Organic, unrefined, unfiltered.....it's not.

Until next time,
Jan
www.realrawbeauty.com

The Hormone of Desire

I just recently came across and read a book, "The Hormone of Desire" by Dr Susan Rako. She is a Harvard trained Boston based psychiatrist that wrote this book almost 20 years ago. Created out of her own experience, addressed to women and to their doctors, this book redefines the concept of hormone replacement therapy to include testosterone for the large population of woman who need it for the maintenance of vital and sexual energy-whether their testosterone deficiency has been caused by natural aging and menopause, surgical removal of ovaries, or the effects of chemotherapy.

She states in the beginning of the book,"My experience began like that of many women approaching menopause. I have always been comfortable with my body's female manifestations and rhythms. I had expected to go through menopause "naturally" without the the use of hormones. When I was 47 still having menstrual periods-irregular-I could not make sense of loss of general vital energy, loss and thinning of hair, and loss of sexual energy I experienced. To say that I was lacking a feeling of well-being was an understatement.
In a search to learn what I could find about loss of sexual and vital energy at menopause, I became very familiar with the stacks of Harvard's Countway Medical Library. The data was there. But it didn't say estrogen was what I needed. It said testosterone.
I soon learned that research has shown:
1. A woman's normal physiology includes the production of a critical amount of testosterone, essential to her normal sexual development, to the healthy functioning of virtually all tissues in her body, and to her experience of vital energy and sexual libido.
2. This critical amount of testosterone decreases after menopause, in many women resulting in a loss of vital energy and sexual libido."

And that is just the first couple of paragraphs at the beginning of the book. I wanted to share this book because it helped me so much. She not only goes deeply into the symptoms and what to expect in our 40's, 50's and beyond from deficient testosterone levels, but provides solutions. There is so much information out there and available for men and testosterone replacement, but you really have to dig to find information for women. This book is a great place to start.

I am not a doctor and would never give any medical advice. But I do take my health into my own hands and find solutions to any and everything that pertains to me living a vibrant, healthy, satisfying   happy life.

Also, if you have never heard or read about Pine Pollen and it's benefits, here is a link.  http://www.surthrival.com/news/pine-pollen-benefits/

Until next time,
Jan
www.realrawbeauty.com