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| home : how we can help : prevention, screening, & diagnostics : answers to cancer : diet & nutrition
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In the spring, most of us have thoughts of going outside without jackets, going for walks, swimming, enjoying the trees and flowering plants and lots of other fun activities. Along with more skin being exposed, our thoughts turn to making ourselves look nice. Eating a balanced diet can help with providing supple, smooth, skin, strong teeth and bones and shiny hair. Also, foods can provide nutrients and essential oils that, when applied to the outside of the body, make our skin look and feel nicer.
As a child growing up in the country, part of life was to know that using rainwater was "the best" for shampooing hair and the last cold water rinse always had to include cider vinegar or lemon juice. This was used to "make sure that all of the shampoo was completely rinsed out." Current knowledge is that vinegar and lemon juice can be used in a rinse after shampooing to help to condition the hair. Herbs can be added to help to condition and make hair look shiny and smell "clean." The most common herbs added for this are rosemary and mint although others can also be used. Egg yolks or mayonnaise can be applied before shampooing for conditioning. The lecithin content of the egg yolks provides the rich conditioning. You should leave them on your hair for a few minutes and then thoroughly shampoo them out.
Other items from the kitchen cupboard and the garden can be used to soften and smooth our skin and help our fingernails. Softening of the skin can be done by use of a number of foods or plants for lotions. An example is the old-fashioned mixture of glycerin and rose water that was used as hand and body lotion by the ladies in the 1930's and 40's. To add skin conditioning to the bath water, oatmeal or dry milk powder can be added while the water is running. The bath could also include a mixture of oatmeal which is tied into a piece of cheese cloth with herbs such as lavender, rose hips, thyme, honey, dried apple and even dry milk powder. Your skin will be softer and better conditioned. A few drops of baby or mineral oil or just plain honey can be added to bath water alone; but great care needs to be used with the use of any of these items. If you are not careful, they could cause a fall due to a slippery tub surface.
For a homemade and rejuvenating facial, the use of cucumber, peaches, strawberries, honey, oatmeal, dry milk powder, egg white, avocado, apricot or almonds made into paste can be mixed with herbs of various types and rubbed onto the face. This is left for 15 to 30 minutes to condition or moisturize the facial area. Care should be used not to put any of these mixtures too close to the eyes, leave them for the allotted time and then remove with warm water. The instruction that is most often omitted is that these moisturizing or conditioning facials should only be used once per week. Some of them exfoliate the skin and this may cause irritation if done too often. Slices of cucumber, white potato (raw), or small pieces of cloth soaked in skim milk are common treatments for puffy or bloodshot eyes. Apply them directly over closed eyelids for a few minutes.
Consumption of the right foods for a balanced diet can produce a healthy body and help you to feel your best from the inside. On the outside, application of a combination of plants, foods, and herbs can enhance the external parts of the body to look their best. This could be known as a balanced diet-inside and out. Please remember: While undergoing treatment for cancer, your skin may be sensitive due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Patients undergoing radiation therapy should not apply anything to the area being treated unless prescribed by your Doctor or Nurse. Do not apply or use any of these treatments to irritated, open, or sensitive skin or scalp, and discontinue use if any problems do occur.
written by LaDonna Hinch, Registered Dietitian
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