It turns out that anxiety isn’t all bad. In fact, the more you worry the less you may have to worry about. New research shows that those who have anxious thoughts tend to be more intelligent. So no worries smarty pants, anxiety and stress might not be as bad as you think.

The Link Between Anxiety and Intelligence

A study published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences found that people who struggle with anxiety have a much more active imagination that allows them to anticipate threats that many people might not see coming. This is especially true of complicated threats that are harder to deal with when you don’t see them coming. And while those with anxiety might spend time fearing threats that will never happen, they are still more ready to deal with the threats that do happen than those who don’t have anxiety. What’s more, a vivid imagination is also a sign that you’ve got quite a bit going on upstairs.

Anxiety Helps Focus the Mind

An Israeli study followed 80 students asked to evaluate a piece of artwork on a computer. However, the actual research had little to do with the artwork and more to do with flustering the participants. Once students got on the computer, they encountered a computer virus and were asked to contact IT. But along the way, according to the story on LifeHack.org, students encountered all sorts of hindrances. The students that were the most anxious about getting the task accomplished were also the most likely to get it done and get it done well. Therefore, anxiety was also linked to the ability to hone in on the task at hand.

How to Increase Focus

You don’t have to suffer from anxiety to have a focused mind. And it is true that those with more focus are more likely to get things done well. You can take steps to focus your mind. These include:

1. Start early.

When you have to focus on a task, make sure you start with that first. Don’t get distracted with emails and other administrative work first thing in the morning when your brain is primed, save those tasks for later in the day when you’re less focused. For most of us, mindless work is a much better fit in the afternoon.

2. Take a moment to get centered.

Before you start work in the morning, take a few minutes to get focused on the task at hand. Close your eyes, take a few minutes to breathe deeply and hone in on clearing the mind of clutter and focusing on what needs to be accomplished.

3. Identify your focus.

Here’s the thing with focus: you can spread it too thin. If you interview really focused people, you’ll find they’re not very good at multitasking. Choose the task that needs your focused energy and only use your energy on that one item. Maybe have a focus of the day, week, or month.

4. Unplug.

Again, you don’t have to return an email or text the moment you get it. When I’m working, I like to put my smartphone in another room so that I’m not tempted to scroll through Instagram or answer a text. If it’s an emergency and someone really needs me, I can hear the phone ring. A distraction-free workplace is crucial to focus.

5. Take pinpointed breaks.

We tend to be the most effective in the morning for the first three hours of the workday and then again in the afternoon for as much as 90 minutes at a time. So while you can work beyond that time and not take breaks, you may actually be getting less done that way. Utilize your most effective focus periods by taking breaks periodically throughout the day. Get up, take a walk, call a friend, or do some yoga, whatever you like.

How Smart People Deal with Stress

As part of this article, I did a mini survey of my five most accomplished friends. When they feel anxiety, how do they deal with it? What tips and tricks can we glean from those with anxiety but are able to use that anxiety toward success?

1. Be strategic about your worries.

It’s most helpful to worry about only the things you can control. For example, the more prepared you are for whatever work project you have coming up, the less room there is to worry about it. Don’t just worry about the work that needs to get done, get to work on doing the work. Do what you can for every aspect of your life where you can affect change.

2. Are threats rational?

Take an aerial look at the threats at hand to see if they’re rational. If they’re not rational, then take a closer look at what’s contributing to your worry. Is it really what you think?

3. Start with a clear head.

Anxiety can wreak havoc when your mind is not clear. Start your day with some sort of healthy routine like running or yoga in order to ensure that your mind is healthy and ready to look at the threats you face.

4. Write a list.

Sometimes, anxiety is hard to pinpoint. You can feel it physically, but you’re not completely sure where it’s coming from. That’s when it can be helpful to write down what could be contributing to your stress and decide what steps should be taken to deal with it.

5. Sometimes it’s a good thing.

Remember that sometimes stress and anxiety about time constraints or the ability to get things done effectively, can actually help you accomplish your goals. Therefore, it’s not always such a bad thing.

But if stress and anxiety are becoming problematic and making it difficult for your to function, or you feel you may be suffering from anxiety and stress related to depression, make an appointment to talk with your primary care physician about it.

What makes you stressed? Do you think there’s a difference between stress and anxiety? We want to know! Drop us a line via Twitter @EcoSalon.

Related on EcoSalon
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Are you in a constant state of stress, possibly without even realizing it? Could be due to that endless chatter in your head. Time to tame the monkey mind.

Hey, you are not alone. Most of us have some repetitive thoughts going on in our minds most of the time. It’s a state often called “monkey mind.”

Some say this metaphor came from Buddha, others claim it is of Chinese or Hindu origin. Wherever it began, the term monkey mind does a good job of summing up incessant and racing thoughts.

This mental chatter could be causing worry, anxiety, distraction, lack of creativity, and other negative emotions. There are ways to tame these beasts and gain control over your mind.

6 Monkey Mind Taming Tips

1 Strike a Pose: You probably aren’t surprised to see yoga on this list. Why does practicing yoga have a calming effect on the mind? The intentional breathing done while practicing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers blood pressure and  heart rate, and slows breathing. Calmer body, calmer mind. Try these yoga poses for instant calm.

2 Get Om: Another usual suspect on getting centered. Sick of the meditation revolution yet? As we’ve said here before, there are many ways to meditate beyond the crossed-legged om-chanting posture. Try guided meditation or get yourself to a meditation studio. And I love this list of fun ways to meditate, especially number two.

3 Do What You are Doing: Sounds easy enough, right? But how ‘in the moment’ are we when folding clothes, doing dishes, making dinner, and other daily tasks? Chances are, not very. These mundane duties give us a chance to plan, contemplate, and make decisions–and fret, worry, and obsess. Eckhart Tolle, master of living in the present moment, maintains that being in the here and now is the route to peace and happiness. It may take some getting used to, but give mindful tasking a try. Need some inspo? Eckhart shares with Oprah two ways to get present.

4 Talk With the Monkeys: Okay. I admit this one sounds a little crazy. But this is an important exercise in confronting your fears. Trying to avoid problem thoughts often makes the issue seem much worse than it is. Ask yourself what it is that’s truly bothering you or that you can’t quit thinking about. What’s the worst that will happen if this thought happens in real life? Can you handle that? Most likely, you can. It’s amazing how addressing fear can abate worrisome thoughts.

5 Step Away From the Device: Yes, the cell phone, tablet, or laptop. What’s the big deal? Manoush Zomorodi, host of WNYC’s New Tech City podcast, found that less screen time can free up mind space. Through her seven day Bored and Brilliant campaign, Zomorodi put participants through daily tasks aimed at awakening awareness. The biggest take away from the campaign: people felt less distracted and more inspired when they stopped multitasking and allowed their minds less distraction.

6 Gaze in the Right Direction: You may be surprised to learn that what we look at and for how long affects how focused or distracted we are. Duke University researchers studied monkeys’ eyes (I know, again with the monkeys) for links to the brain’s focus. The study distracted monkeys from a task by showing them pictures of other monkeys. By monitoring brain activity, scientist found that a set of neurons were only active when the monkeys were trying to do two things at once, complete a task while being distracted by pictures. The neuron sets were inactive when the monkeys were doing just one task at a time. The theory goes that when humans are trying to pay attention to two different things, it triggers a “conflict” circuit in a region of the brain called the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The dACC is part of a larger brain structure that controls rational thought and emotions. Moral of the story, try concentrating your focus on one thing at a time for better productivity and peace of mind.

Quieting the noisy mind is something we all deal with. Do you have other tips to taming your inner monkeys?

Related on EcoSalon

The Many Benefits of Meditation for Your Mind and Body

Refuse to Worry (And How to be More Useful for Your Friends)

Positive Thinking: Health Benefits of PMA

Image of monkeys via Shutterstock

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Having trouble with anxiety or insomnia? Try ASMR, the Big O for your head.

ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is a pleasurable sensation, typically in the head or scalp, sometimes moving down the spine and arms, in response to visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or cognitive stimuli.

Otherwise known as “head orgams.”

Yes, you read that right. This sensory trend has people watching videos of woman tapping on wooden surfaces, running fingertips over brush bristles, and whispering soothing words. The reported tingling sensation is not only said to feel great, but many feel it has helped them with anxiety and insomnia.

I know what you are thinking. Porn incognito. ASMR creators and devotees are quick to point out that, while sensual, these videos are geared toward the desire for affection and caring rather than lust.

At first glance (okay, after several glances) these videos seem mind numbingly boring. But maybe that is what ASMR seekers are after, in a way. While many use these videos as a form of connection and being comforted by another human, the fact that they are rather monotonous would surely help to induce calmness and sleep.

After viewing several different ASMR vids on everything from role play (bubble gum chewing barber?) to magazine page flipping, I admittedly could not wait to turn them off. None that I watched were offensive or inappropriate, more just … pointless. And long. Most ASMR videos are between 20 and 30 whispery, smacky minutes.

But perhaps I was missing the point. ASMR has been compared to Magic Eye 3-D Images. You know those visual puzzles containing a hidden image that you can’t see until you can? Maybe the sensory effects aren’t experienced until they are, then there is no turning back.

If you are confused, no worries. Explaining this whole ASMR thing is like describing a sunset, it has to be seen to get a clear grasp. Following are a couple of ASMR videos that will give you an idea of what this whole thing looks like.

Now you get the picture. Well, sort of. Did either of these videos do anything for you? Make you feel more sedate, drowsy, tingly? Annoyed, bored, weirded out? Not everyone likes yoga, massage, or meditation. Same for ASMR. This practice may not be for everyone.

For those who do partake in a big way, the calming benefits and euphoric feelings keep them coming back. ASMR video creators take the ritual very seriously. YouTube sensation, Maria (pictured in the videos above), uses high tech microphones to capture every tiny swish, whisper, and tap. This does make a huge difference. ASMRers who use regular equipment are so hushed you have to turn your volume way up to get beyond lip synch status. And Maria has quite the fan following, almost 100 million women and men tune in regularly to get their tingle on.

Or, as Maria puts it, “showers of sparkles.”

Related on EcoSalon

Have an Orgasm a Day Because It Keeps the Doctor Away: Sexual Healing

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Image of happy woman with hair flying via Shutterstock

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It’s tempting to want to control every aspect of your life sometimes. And while planning and being thoughtful of the steps you take are certainly tips for success, it also sometimes closes you off to your potential. It’s about taking one focused step forward everyday but at the same time, being aware of what’s going on around you. Not sure how to go with the flow?

Two years ago my best friend from childhood was taking a break from work to finish writing her book. She was headed to Indonesia for inspiration and she invited me to come along. But I had just moved to a new city–money was tight and I wasn’t exactly sure what my schedule would look like. But at the same time, the trip sounded like a great opportunity to travel a long distance with a friend that I knew well. In the end, I decided to hit the road and I’m so glad that I did. I had to let go of controlling timing and go when the opportunity opened up. While I know I would have never regretted going, if I had passed on the trip I would have looked back sadly.

Learning to go with the flow isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. Here are some tips to get started:

1. Stop comparing.

Don’t worry so much about what in life makes other people happy, rather be focused on what steps in your life will expand your happiness. It’s easy to tighten around societal expectations. Try and maintain your authentic self and be true to your needs.

2. Step outside of your controlled environment.

At those times when you feel stuck in life and have trouble letting go, it can be helpful to step outside of your controlled environment. That’s why every time you get back from longterm travel or a retreat of some kind your perspective has expanded. If you feel like fear and control are keeping you from reaching your full potential, consider completely stepping outside of what you know. You’ll be glad that you did.

3. Become friends with your intuition.

Yoga, meditation, and general mindfulness are all tools that help you to establish a stronger relationship with yourself. It’s this open awareness that allows you to better hear your intuition. It’s the voice deep within you that tells you all you need to know, often right when you need to know it.

4. Breathe.

It’s not what happens to you in life, it’s how you react to it. Learn to soften and take life one long, deep breath at a time. My yoga teacher once called it “surfing the waves of life”. If you try and resist change you’ll constantly be trying to hold back the rapids of a river. Instead, relax, breathe, and let it flow.

Related on EcoSalon

9 Perfect Ways to Relax On The First Day of 2015

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50 Quotes About Yoga and Meditation

Image of girl at a waterfall from Shuttershock

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So, how many of you have ever had a panic attack while at work? Have any of you had compulsive thoughts about a person, thing, or event? If so, The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast should be on your must-listen-to list.

Paul Gilmartin, a talented comedian, helms The Mental Illness Happy Hour. Gilmartin started the show to give people who are “affected by depression, addiction, and other mental challenges” a place to kickback, listen, and cringe. The hour-plus long podcast typically consists of an interview Gilmartin does with a listener, another comedian or creative type, or a professional. He and the interviewee traverse, in depth, on the guest’s mental bug-a-boos.

I’ve only listened to this podcast for a month or so, but I can say, as a card-carrying nutty person, that Gilmartin’s work is amazing. He is incredibly open with his guests and has shared his story on more than one occasion. The way he handles sensitive issues and mental illness is spot on. He never talks down to a guest or shames anyone for his or her thoughts or feelings. It is truly one of the safest, most cathartic pieces of art I have ever heard. I can’t count the number of times he’s had a guest on and I’ve said to myself, “Holy crap — other people do that, too?” Apparently, depression, anxiety, and weirdness aren’t all that uncommon!

Gilmartin founded the podcast to give listeners a place to connect because no matter how alone people with mental illness feel, they aren’t alone. To help facilitate an open conversation, he also has created a message board where people can converse. He also allows listeners to fill out surveys. The surveys allow people to share their inner turmoil in an open, anonymous, and non-judgmental way.

Along with providing an awesome, weekly podcast, Gilmartin also has a blog where professionals post to and give advice.

While this podcast is totally killer and should be part of your weekly playlist, remember: it’s not a substitute for therapy. However, it’s a great therapy companion. Think of it as adding 10mg to your daily antidepressant (or choice of herbal supplement), or getting an extra therapy session a week that’s free!

If any of this appeals to you, head over to The Mental Illness Happy Hour and get listening. I recommend starting with Lauren Ashley Bishop’s interview. It’s raw, hilarious, and amazing.

Related on EcoSalon

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What is OCD? (It Doesn’t Always Look Like What You Think it Should)

Image: Bernard Goldbach

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Try these untraditional comfort foods for healthy and delicious ways to improve mood.

The idea behind the traditional interpretation of “comfort food” is not so ill-conceived. When our blood sugar levels are low, we are hungry or we are upset, nothing feels quite as satisfying – as filling, in more than the physical sense of the word – than sitting down and enjoying a delicious, warm, nostalgia-ridden, heavy meal. It’s comfort. But beyond this brute definition of comfort food, there’s what lies between the fine lines. Some foods provide comfort because of their nutritional content and how they fuel the body to biochemically relax, fight stress and feel physical comfort. Why destroy your dietary goals after a break up by feasting alone on a pint of ice cream when real comfort comes in a lighter, healthier package?

Here are 5 ways to improve mood with real foods that help to fight stress and overcome bouts of depression without weighing you down or defeating their initial purpose.

Now, it will take more than just a bit of one of the following comfort foods to completely dissolve you of all your worries, but they will contribute to you keeping your cool. Better yet, all of the following 5 comfort foods are vegan! Sit back, relax and enjoy.

1. Asparagus

I love when asparagus season is in full swing, and it takes very little effort to enjoy them. A dash of salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a stint in the oven later, you have yourself the perfect side dish. And that’s exactly what asparagus is good for – ease. According to one study, asparagus attenuated the elevated weight of adrenal glands and increased the reduced weight of the spleen induced by stress, making it a fit anti-stress food.

One cup of cooked asparagus contains 67 percent of the RDA of the B-vitamin folate, which, when deficient in the body, induces oxidative stress, increased blood pressure and insulin resistance. A diet rich in folate can prevent this from occurring.

2. Chocolate

It’s true. Women’s intuition has outpaced scientific revelations when it comes to chocolate. A recent study has shown that dark chocolate lowers blood pressure due to the antioxidants polyphenols and flavonols.

3. Cashews

I always pick the cashews out of any nut mix I encounter, mostly because they taste the best, but maybe I was fishing for comfort, too. Cashews are rich in zinc, containing more than 50 percent of the RDA in a 100-gram serving. Zinc deficiency has been linked to mood disorders, anxiety and depression. Just be sure to limit your serving size, as cashews are high in calories and fat. A handful is enough.

4. Blueberries

When life gets tough, it’s not like we run to the refrigerator and feast on berries, hoping to chill out, but maybe we should? Blueberries are exceptionally high in antioxidants and vitamin C, an anti-stress warrior. Vitamin C lowers blood pressure and attenuates the adrenal stress hormone, the anti-inflammatory polypeptide response to prolonged exercise and circulating cortisol.

5. Avocados

Avocados are creamy and full of healthy fats. They also contain a power antioxidant called glutathione, which blocks intestinal absorption of certain fats that cause oxidative damage. Because avocados are largely fat, they also fill you up and keep you satiated, which is its own form of comfort.

Related on EcoSalon

6 Ways to Embrace Mother Nature

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Photo Credit: @rsseattle

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Looking for the root of our anxiety requires a drilling down into the heart of the matter.

Tummy trembles. Brain fuzz. That discombobulating feeling that you’re not quite sure what you should be doing but you should be something to keep your act together. Anxiety. Sometimes it slips away with a few deep breaths, other times you need to beat it off with a stick or some little white pills.

Naturally, we want try to get as far away from anxiety as possible – which usually just results in us being anxious about being anxious. You resist and so it persists. But what if rather than pushing it away, we actually welcomed anxiety when it showed up? What if, rather than dreading the discomfort it brings, we looked at anxiety as a delivery service of inner truth and other such soul goodies? Because every time anxiety shows up, it’s our psyche’s way of saying, “Knock knock, I’ve got something to show you about yourself that you really should see.”

Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard explained anxiety is a natural condition. (How liberating!) He believed that anxiety is “a cognitive emotion that reveals truths that we would prefer to hide but that we need for our greater health.” And that it’s a valuable tool for shaping our ideal lives. Think of it this way, beneath the butterflies in your stomach, behind the clouds in your mind … is your greater truth, and it’s trying to break on through.

TURNING ANXIETY INTO POWER

STEP 1: Face reality. “I’m anxious.”

Simply notice your anxiety. Firstly, you need to be aware of your actual indicators of anxiety … they can be different for everyone. A lot of the time anxiety is trying to talk to us and we’re just not picking up on the physical or mental cues. For me, anxiety manifests in what I call, priority confusion. If I wander from room to room in the house, unsure if I should tidy, check my email, walk the dog, or write a novel, then I know something is up. I’m typically very laid back and laser-like decisive so if I can’t figure out what’s first on the to-do list, I know that anxiety has come callin’.

When you see the signs of it, all you need to do is simply state it. “I’m feeling anxious.” There. You said it. You probably feel better already. Getting real is always the best first step.

STEP 2: Inquiry. “So, why am I anxious?”

This is the step that requires real work. It’s the kind of inquiry that calls for both concentration and compassion… a tricky combo. Having an “inquiry image” might be helpful. I often see dilemmas as layers of soft, earthy sediment within myself, and each question is a drilling down through the silt. “So why am I anxious?” I ask myself. “Because I don’t want to be late.” Not quite, that doesn’t feel true. “So why am I anxious?” I repeat. “Because I’ve got so much to do.” Nope, that’s not it either, it’s not making sense to my heart. “So why am I anxious?” I drill down. “Because I’m afraid that when I show up I’ll be rejected.” Bingo.

When you get to the true reason for your anxiousness, and there may be more than one explanation, then there’s usually a softening that occurs when you come across it.

So you called it like you see it. That’s powerful. And you’ve identified the reason – even more powerful. Now you’re ready to rise above it.

STEP 3: Take responsibility.

This is where your real power comes in. This is the fun bit, where you get to be a creative grown up, the master of your own domain. Once you’ve discovered why you’re feeling anxious … whether it’s fear of failure, or a memory of past hurt or humiliation, then you need to counter the fear and negativity with courage and optimism. It’s that simple – and that challenging.

Whatever you want to call it, positive thinking, re-framing, self-encouragement, ra-ra-rah, this is where you need to step up to the plate, look at your fear head on and confront it with your truth. The truth being, that you manage to get through everyday whether with grace or grit; that fear will not kill you; that your God, or your friends, or your grandma in heaven will have your back; that you have risen above before, and that you will rise above again; that, it’s only life after all.

Anxiety doesn’t come bearing the solution. It’s just there to direct your attention to the problem. It’s like a headache that signals to you that you’re hungry. The headache reminds you that your body needs nourishment, and then it’s up to you to feed yourself. Self-care is a divine responsibility. To befriend anxiety is to choose your deepest strength. It’s turning brain fuzz into brilliance, and the jitters into vital fuel to help you shine brighter than ever.

Danielle LaPorte is the author of  The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide for Creating Success on Your Own Terms. An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec, and business strategist, she is the co-author of  Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. DanielleLaPorte.com is named one of the top 100 websites for women by Forbes Magazine. Find Danielle on Facebook+ Twitter @daniellelaporte + at her digital temple: DanielleLaPorte.com

Image: GabrielaP93

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From sunblock to liver cleansing, we celebrate 20 uses of green tea you may never have known about.

Green tea is hailed as an antioxidant-rich, anti-aging phenomenon. With reports that regular green tea consumption can lower the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, it’s a popular drink among the health conscious. However, green tea is more than just a cup of tea. Here are 20 unusual, thrifty and eco-friendly uses for green tea that will surprise, challenge, and excite you.

Dark Circles and Puffy Eye Relief

After you’ve enjoyed a cup of green tea – or two – let the tea bags cool and place one over each closed eye. Tea contains polyphenol particles known as tannins. Tannins are an astringent and are able to shrink living tissue, including human skin. Green tea bags can reduce swelling and tighten the skin around the eyes by reducing the dilation of the blood vessels under the eyes.

Irritation and Redness Alleviation

Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce redness and irritation. Steep a few bags in boiling water. Allow the water to cool and soak a washcloth in the water. Wring the washcloth of excess water and use the rag to pat irritated or red skin.

Facial Scrub

Take advantage of green tea’s skin-tightening ability and use it in a facial scrub. With the addition of water and white sugar, you are not only infusing the skin with the benefits of green tea, but also exfoliating it to a smooth finish.

Teeth Health Boost

According to a research study published by Preventive Medicine, drinking one cup of unsweetened green tea could increase teeth health. People between the ages of 40 and 64 who drank one cup of green tea per day were less likely to lose their teeth. According to the study, antimicrobial molecules called catechins are the reason for this effect. Grab a green tea infused toothpaste off pharmacy shelves or be sure to get your daily dose of tea.

Weight Loss Aid

According to a 2009 study by the Department of Human Biology, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht, the catechins in green tea proved to significantly decrease body weight an as well as maintain body weight after a period of weight loss. This is good news to those looking to shed a few pounds.

Bleeding Reduction

The tannins found in green tea help stop bleeding by coagulating the blood. Steep a tea bag in hot water, remove it after one minute, and then let it cool. Place the tea bag on top of the bleeding area or dip gauze into the tea water and apply the gauze to the gash. You could also use a green tea extract for application.

Sunburn Treatment

While green tea does not block UV light, it protects exposed skin cells from damage. Studies have shown that when green tea is directly applied to the skin, it helps to protect the skin from sunburn and skin cancer. You could apply a green tea extract to the skin or a cooled cloth that was soaked in brewed green tea. Drinking green tea regularly a few weeks prior to sun exposure can also reduce the possibility of skin damage, due to the tea’s powerful antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate.

Fridge Odor Elimination

Sometimes things can get a bit stinky in the refrigerator. To counteract an odor that just doesn’t seem to budge, take a handful of green tea leaves and place them in a thin cloth bag or cheese cloth. Place in the refrigerator. The leaves will absorb the odor and render your fridge fragrance-free.

Humidity Reduction

Much like it reduces odor, green tea also diminishes ambient humidity. Take a thin cloth bag full of green tea leaves and hang it in a room or area of your house that collects too much humidity. The leaves absorb the moisture.

Silk Worms Fodder

Got silkworms hanging around? Feed the harmless little creatures leftover green tea leaves. Apparently, what goes around comes around – it is said that silkworm extract is a natural aphrodisiac.

Wrinkle Reduction

The potent antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate found in green tea prevents the activation of collagen-digesting enzymes called matrix metalloproteinase. These enzymes are what causes wrinkling of the skin. Green tea also has anti-inflammatory properties that assist in preventing wrinkles and fine lines. By applying lotions and creams with green tea extract or drinking the tea on the regular, you can steer clear of premature aging and the onset of wrinkles.

Carpet Cleaning

Take a handful of moist, but not wet, green tea leaves and scatter them across the carpet. The tea leaves attract dust, so vacuuming is twice as effective.

Foot Bath

Soak your feet in a strong green tea brew to get rid of foot odors. Green tea is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. It also helps to get rid of bad smells.

Plant Water

Green tea is packed with antioxidants and is a great way to improve the health of plants. Soak tea leaves in water for a few days, remove the leaves, and then use the water to fertilize plants.

Liver Protection

Everyone’s liver could use a little help these days. Given the toxicity of our environment and diet, even if we live as eco-conscious and healthy as possible, our lifestyles still take a toll on our livers, which processes just about everything you ingest and absorb. The antioxidants in green tea help us to prevent liver disease as well as to boost the overall health of our livers.

Lingerie Freshening

Place green tea leaves in a thin cloth bag and toss it into your lingerie drawer. The leaves will absorb any odor and leave your precious apparel fresh and ready to rock.

Anxiety Remedy

An amino acid called theanine is found in green tea leaves and it is thought to give a relaxing and tranquilizing effect on the body.

Acne Treatment

Due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antioxidant, and anti-fungal properties, green tea is a powerful anti-acne treatment. Find a moisturizer or cleanser with green tea extract or take the homemade route and simply rub green tea leaves on your face and body before rinsing.

Deodorant

Dab green tea water that has cooled to your underarms and you can avoid a smelly summer afternoon. It’s a cheap and effective way to battling the effects of heat and stress.

Ice-Cream Flavor

Oh, how surprisingly delicious green tea ice cream is! Many Japanese restaurants feature a green tea ice cream on their menus. Considering all the benefits of the green tea, we have yet another excuse to indulge in dessert. Order it or try your hand at a homemade version.

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

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A round-up of what we’re reading right now.

Eating consciously does not have to be expensive. As it turns out, you can eat like a vegan and be on food stamps. [Via Ecorazzi]

Looking to decorate? This line of reclaimed lumber can be used on walls, on floors and even on your ceiling. [Via CasaSugar]

You can stop looking for the perfect summer project; DIY lighting it is! [Via Curbly]

$500.50 for a pound of coffee beans? Sure, that seems reasonable. [Via New York Times]

It’s good to have daily reminders of happiness. Some of the best? Children. [Via Elephant Journal]

Mixed drinks do add up; for every $100 the average American spends, about $1 of it goes to alcohol. [Via NPR]

There are things in life you should worry about, like courage. Then there’s a lot of other stuff that you really should just let go of. [Via Lists of Note]

Just imagine what you could accomplish if you were just a little more anxious. [Via Jezebel]

Image: puuikibeach

The post Link Love: Being a Vegan on Food Stamps, $500.50 for a Pound of Coffee, and Things You Shouldn’t Worry About appeared first on EcoSalon.

Did you see the archetypal serial-killer looking guy lurking around our place the other morning? He was wearing a hoodie drawn low over his eyes. He might as well have been holding up a sign that say “Cross the street or I will eat your liver with fava beans.” Yes, I crossed the street. After I watched him continue past our house. No, I didn’t notice the small dog he was walking. Maybe if the dog had been wearing a hoodie, I would have.

But am I more fearful than the average woman? Hyperbole aside, no. I’m not afraid to leave the house alone, nor am I afraid to do recreational activities by myself. I do admit to a heightened awareness of my surroundings, as I was raised by a former FBI agent. (One of my best friends is also the daughter of a G-Man and she reacts to situations exactly the same way as I do. High five, progeny of J. Edgar Hoover.) But am I more fearful than my husband? Yes, it would seem that I am.

The world is unquestionably a dangerous place for women. The “gift of fear” is often bandied about in pop culture without really revealing what that means. Yes, it’s a good to be on your guard in a dark parking lot. It’s a good to check to make sure the shady-looking person you just passed on the street isn’t following you. It’s good to lock your doors at night. But I’ve never thought of fear the same way I’d think about, say, a charitable donation or a new handbag. It doesn’t feel like a “gift.”

Fear likely doesn’t feel like a gift to the people for whom it has become debilitating. Anxiety disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorders or neurotic fear, are very real and best addressed by medical professionals. Nor am I talking about the fears someone might experience living under totalitarian rule. Rather, I’m talking about the natural, everyday concerns that surround our lives which can be rooted in, simply, fear of the unknown.

These are fears than can pervade women’s lives. But when do they hold us back? The fear inspired by a nightmare is probably the closest many people get to real terror. Women often attest to a gut-wrenching explosion of terror if they wake up thinking someone is standing over their beds.

But if you think about it, isn’t it the same feeling some of us have carried through our lives? It was the fear we felt as children when we thought something was under our beds. The fear some of us we felt as adolescents when we dreamed of walking into school naked. This became a fear of career failure, a fear of a young mother, a fear of the bogeyman on the street. Namely, it’s senseless, primal, reasonless fear – and often, it seems to call on women.

What would a world without fear look like? Via ScienceBlog, the Journal Current Biology recently reports on a woman who cannot experience fear. She is a 44-year-old American who suffers from an extremely rare genetic condition called Urbach-Wiethe Disease. She can feel other emotions but not fear. She’s been studied for almost two decades by researchers. According to the journal, “based on interviews with her and her three children, the authors suggest that she probably has not experienced fear at all throughout the whole duration of her adult life, despite having encountered an unusually high number of traumatic and life-threatening events.”

This woman has had a knife held to her throat by a drug addict and was once nearly killed in a domestic violence attack. And yet, she is completely unafraid. After all, as Discovery points out, fear is nothing but “a chain reaction in the brain that starts with a stressful stimulus and ends with the release of chemicals that cause a racing heart, fast breathing and energized muscles, among other things, also known as the fight-or-flight response.” This woman’s fear response doesn’t work.

Do we envy her…or fear her? What would our lives look like without fear?

Images: Claus Rebler, showbits

The post Are Women Too Fearful? appeared first on EcoSalon.