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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Natural Beauty Aids from India

The health and beauty aisle at Indian grocery stores includes several natural products in wide use among Indian women. Here are some popular ones available in America.
Henna: Women mix powder from the henna plant with water to use as a natural hair dye and conditioner.
Coconut oil: Indian women regularly massage a natural oil into their scalp before washing to keep their hair healthy and prevent the scalp from drying out and itching. “Coconut oil helps to grow hair long,” advises Bibya Malik, owner of Bibya Hair Design, a salon chain in Chicago. “It is probably the most widely used hair oil in the Indian subcontinent; amla oil, jasmine oil and other herbal oils are used, as well.”
Rosewater: Most often used as a skin toner, some women also like to spray rosewater on their face as a refresher. Rosewater has a long history as a fragrance and as a flavoring in dessert recipes.
Ubtan: This mixture of turmeric, gram (chickpea) flour and herbs is combined with milk or water as a beauty treatment. Indian brides scrub their skin with it in the days prior to their wedding.
Source: Bibya Hair Design, research by Bushra Bajwa
natural Natural Awakenings Eco Tip
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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