Suzie's World of Make-Up

My life with health anxiety started during the summer of 2013, just after my 18th birthday. It all started when my older brother James thought he was suffering from a heart attack one evening and was rushed to hospital by my dad, only to be told that he only had some trapped wind. At the time this was all going on, I thought I wasn’t going to have a brother anymore as the time ticked away well into the early hours, causing me to have extreme anxiety, concern and worry. However, I don’t believe this was the only trigger, I think it was always inside me and was waiting to come out at some point. During my childhood, I experienced many deaths and very sad funerals of close relatives in my family without seeing anything happy such as a wedding. My first funeral I went to was my grandma’s best friend’s funeral who died in 2001. I was 6 years old.

Looking back now, I have realised that seeing so much death and negative things as a young child has made me in fear of my own death and death its self. The thought of it terrifies me. This is what has caused my hypochondria or health anxiety. I remember my non-blood related granddad being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (the second most deadliest type of leukaemia), when I was nine years old and he died a few weeks before my 10th birthday on July 4th 2005. He was 74 years old. Even though I was young at the time, seeing such a tragedy with so many of my relatives in floods of tears, did affect me greatly at a subconscious level.

A few years later, the same occurrence happened with my other granddad (on my dad’s side) who died of a heart attack in the summer of 2007. A year later, my great-grandma died in November 2008 of natural causes at age 106. Thankfully, that was the last death I have witnessed in my life so far that has affected me emotionally. On the plus side, my life now in 2016 is better and I feel much more balanced, knowledgeable and wiser than back then as I gain life experiences each day.

Throughout my childhood and teenage years I had been bullied and I was also socially isolated from people, made to feel inferior and unwanted to others, which added fuel to fire and that’s not just health anxiety but social anxiety too. It made me feel like I wasn’t good enough for people and I don’t deserve to have a voice that should be listened to. This stopped me talking to new people and showing my true self without the fear of judgement and feeling I’d always say wrong things. The amount of times I was humiliated by college tutors, shouted at by teachers and intimidated by other students until was crying my eyes out. This caused so much fear, emotional pain and anxiety in my developing brain. It does make me wonder if this caused my generalised anxiety disorder and health anxiety.

On the August 18th 2013, I had my first panic attack and I was rushed to hospital in an ambulance because I was suffering from very abnormal heart rhythms and palpitations. I also had nausea and vomiting, which made it ten if not hundred times worse because I am also an emetophobic too. At the time I felt like I was going to die and I was unbelievably frightened. Since that day, I started to become addicted to phoning the emergency services which nearly got me in to trouble. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that and they knew I needed help. I couldn’t carry on with researching and examining my own body thinking of all sorts of diseases that I could of had at the time, until my head was going to explode with fear and worry.

Unfortunately the help they gave me was only temporary, I was soon back in to panic, and  in early November 2013, I had my second severe panic attack which I woke up to one morning with palpitations reaching up to 160-170bpm, and there I was again in an ambulance on my way to A&E. When I was at the hospital I had an X-ray of my chest and heart to see if there was anything abnormal (which there wasn’t) and I remember being on an IV to give me water because I was badly dehydrated. No wonder why I was suffering with palpitations, I wasn’t nurturing myself at all! Looking back, I should’ve focused on my own self-care not my fears. After all of that, I was sent to the cardiology department at Southend University Hospital in Westcliff in Essex to have several tests, only to come back with the answer of anxiety being the cause of my health woes.

Since that very bad episode, I knew that there was something missing from my life - good health. You might be laughing, but it was true. My body was missing vital nutrients like magnesium, vitamin D3, zinc, vitamin C and all sorts. My psoriasis was thick, scaly, sore and making me miserable. My body was riddled with inflammation and I knew I had to do something about it, so I learned about natural remedies and foods to heal my heart first as I was my biggest concern. I didn’t start healing my psoriasis until mid 2014 when I finally cut out gluten for good. I remember the first things I bought when I started my healing journey and that was coenzyme Q10, hawthorn berry tea and other herbal teas as well as a mixture of almonds and walnuts.

To me at the time, that was enough for me plus cutting out fizzy and sugary drinks. As time went on, I gained more knowledge about health and nutrition, enough to see drastic changes to my body. By 2014, I became interested in experimenting with essential oils and aromatherapy for healing. I can remember asking my dad to buy me some lavender essential oil because I wanted to heal a very itchy gnat bite after reading an article online.

 Now almost approaching 2017 in about a month and half’s time my life has improved so much through healing myself naturally, so much so I want to become a qualified aromatherapist and eventually a doctor, making scientifically proven natural makeup, beauty and skin care products for people to use to help with aging, acne, eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions without the dangerous chemicals or side effects.

To all you beautiful women and young girls out there, have you ever suffered with painful periods so much so that you had to take a few days of work, college or school? If you have then you might have a condition medically referred to as dysmennorhea.  This condition can cause numerous symptoms such as:

Nausea

Fatigue

Lethargy

Vomiting

Backache

Dizziness (mainly caused by anaemia)

Diarrhoea

Cramps

Headaches

Migraines

Fainting (Anaemia and excessive blood loss)

There are two main types of dysmennorhea - primary and secondary. Primary dysmennorhea is when there are slight cramps that don’t really disturb your daily activities, but secondary dysmennorhea is when you have period pain that is so painful you cannot physically move.This a cause for concern because it is abnormal and there is usually a reason behind it. Some sinister and some not so sinister like just simply adjusting your diet. In extreme cases, it can be an  underlying symptom of endometriosis, fibroids or even cancer.

The reason why you are suffering with this pain is because you have excessive levels of inflammation in your body. This is because there are high levels of cytokines being released by your ovaries and uterine during menstruation. These cytokines are released by the hypothalamus sending neurotransmitters to the ovaries to increase the levels of the inflammatory protein PGE2 so called prostaglandin E2 to warn you that your period has come or coming soon. This important protein is used to tell you when there is chronic or acute inflammation in your body by causing pain. You get this inflammatory response from your immune system when you cut yourself or have an illness.

The protein HMGB1 is a cytokine releasing gene that has been caused by a gene mutation in the DNA and the cells.This protein can cause a lot of inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis, fibromyalgia, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, endometriosis, cancer and many other conditions. HMGB1 has been linked in studies to prostaglandin E2 because they are both pain inducing receptors that are released by the immune system in cases of chronic inflammation.

How to decrease the HMGB1 & PGE2 inflammatory response:

1. Eat mung beans

Mung beans are small green beans that have been consumed in parts of Asia for centuries, particularly in Ancient India and China. These tiny beans have powerful anti-inflammatory properties which can help with cell regeneration, cancer prevention, reduce PMS symptoms, ease menopause to name a few. These tiny beans have powerful anti-inflammatory properties which can help with cell regeneration, cancer prevention, reduce PMS symptoms, ease menopause and many more. Studies have shown that mung bean extract can decrease the levels of HMGB1 in the body.

2. Green Tea Extract

Virtually everyone has read some of what the benefits are of drinking green tea. However, there are more powerful benefits which the Camellia sinensis plant has to offer to the human body, which is to decrease HMGB1 effects by reducing the production of cytokines. The compound that reduces this inflammatory response in green tea leaf extract is EGCG or Epigallocatechin gallate. This polyphenol has shown in studies to improve heart health, kill cancer cells, increase longevity etc.

3. Turmeric Essential Oil, Tea & Extract

Turmeric is a very famous anti-inflammatory spice that has been used in alternative medicine to treat many ailments for a very long time throughout history. The reason is because turmeric contains curcumin which has been shown to kill cancer cells and reduce inflammation in the body. However, there is a catch, curcumin is not biochemically available naturally in the body and needs to be absorbed with piperine (found in black pepper) and a healthy fat like avocado, olive or coconut oil to enhance the chances of full absorption. By doing this, it increases the curcumin levels by 2000%.

4. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet

By eating a very healthy and colourful diet, you can decrease your chances of getting serious illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease by nearly 50%. Interestingly enough, that eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals can increase telomerase in your chromosomes, hence extending your life expectancy.

5. Do research on vitamin and mineral deficiencies

Vitamins like vitamin D3, B6, C, B9 (folic acid and folate) and B12 deficiencies can greatly affect your fertility, immune system, brain health, reproductive health, increase risk of miscarriage and ability to conceive as well as give you very painful periods too. Minerals like magnesium, zinc and iron can prevent muscle spasms and the dreadful symptoms of anaemia due to a lack of iron to produce haemoglobin (red blood cells). Regular intake of a good quality omega 3 supplement can also help with inflammation in all areas of the body.

Things to avoid during your period:

Intense exercise on the first day of menstruation

Do not do this even if it does sound fun. Intense cardio workouts, heavy weightlifting, marathon running and Crossfit will encourage a high output of blood flow which will make you dangerously anaemic on the first day of menstruation. Doing this, you may run the risk of collapsing on a hard surface like concrete causing serious injury. Lighter exercise such as yoga and walking are more beneficial during this time of the month.

Eating dairy and red meat

Dairy and red meat increase PGE2 in the body causing more pain, spasms and cramping, which is the complete opposite of what this post is about.

Eating a diet rich in processed and inflammatory junk foods

This is a no brainer, anything that has been man made in a factory will cause inflammation in all parts of the body. Eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, KFC bargain buckets, kebabs and McDonald’s burgers when you feel like it will not solve your menstrual problems - in fact it will make it much, much worse long-term.

Binge drinking on alcohol

Alcohol is toxic in nature, addictive, cheap and easy to get hold of. This combo is a recipe for disaster if someone wants to maintain a healthy body. Alcohol is a diuretic and naturally dehydrating to the body and intoxicates the brain and liver causing inflammation and cell damage. Binge drinking on alcohol will make your symptoms ten times worse when you’re drunk than when you’re sober.

Smoking

Smoking is one of the biggest causes of death in the world today alongside obesity, alcohol abuse and infectious diseases in developing countries. Smoking cigarettes causes almost 90% of cancers known to man. Each cigarette contains over 4,000 chemicals including arsenic, thallium, beryllium, antinomy, mercury, lead, cadmium, formaldehyde, toluene, and coal tar. Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy will increase the risk of miscarriage, genetic mutations and premature birth. It can also affect your fertility too. Just recently I have found out through research that cigarette smoke activates the p53 gene due to DNA damage, which accelerates the ageing process and it also causes cancer to develop in human cells and surrounding tissues. You can read the study here: http://www.nature.com/onc/journal/v21/n48/full/1205803a.html

Hey guys, I haven’t in a while but I just wanted to share with you all that I’ve only recently discovered the wonderful and healing properties that turmeric tea has to offer. This tea is so amazing that it has significantly reduced the red scar from the psoriasis lesion that was across the shoulder blades and my spine by at least fifty percent. So if any of you are suffering with any kind of skin condition, I totally recommend you try this tea. Turmeric has also shown in scientific studies that it can help in treating leukaemia, breast cancer and repair damaged liver tissue. To make a cup of turmeric tea just sprinkle a small amount in to a cup and add hot water. You can add manuka honey to it too if you want it to be even more potent. Here are the top ten benefits of turmeric tea:

1. Aids in recovery from heavy drinking and hangovers

Turmeric is very detoxifying to the liver and it also repairs any damaged tissue that has been caused by excessive drinking or from eating considerable amounts of junk food, which can result in to Non-Fatty Liver Disease if it isn’t detoxified regularly with liver supporting herbs and a good healthy diet. There are also two other things which you can also use in combination with turmeric tea if your recovering from a hangover: milk thistle and beetroot juice. These are very powerful liver cleansers too and can be used alongside turmeric to help the liver heal after a night out heavy drinking. Beetroot juice must be consumed in small amounts because it can put stress on your liver and kidneys in high doses. Pink urine is a prominent side effect of drinking lots of beetroot juice.

2. Treats Hepatitis A, B, C, D & E 

Like I just said above turmeric detoxifies, protects the liver and it also boosts the immune system. Hepatitis is a serious liver infection that can be life-threatening if left untreated. It is caused by a virus that has been spread from an infected person or animal either by their poo (Hepatitis A & E) blood (Hepatitis B), infected heroin needles (Hepatitis C) or unprotected gay sex with men and it also can be transmitted through unprotected hetrosexual sex especially in developing countries that have poor sanitation (Hepatitis B & D). 

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Hepatitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx#hep-D

3. Fights against cancer

The high curcumin content in turmeric has been shown in studies that it can help in preventing cancers of the breast, leukaemia, liver, lung, stomach, colon, brain, bone, pancreas to name a few. Here are some links you can have a look at: http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/four-cancer-fighting-spices/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/02/curcumin-benefits.aspx

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/expert-answers/curcumin/faq-20057858

4. Prevents the development of Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease

Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and it is very beneficial to the brain. Curcumin can reduce inflammation in parts of the brain such as the hippocampus (memory of names, birthdays, numbers), hypothalamus (hormones & neurotransmitters), cerebellum (memory of how to do basic things such as go to the toilet or get out of bed), the thalamus (recognise images and faces of people or relatives) and the amygdala (emotions). The effects of curcumin are increased when it is combined with omega 3 and coenzyme-q10, as these can reduce symptoms of dementia and prevent the development of it in later life. 

5. Reduces inflammation caused by psoriasis & acne

For me this was the best remedy I have found to cure my psoriasis naturally. Out of everything I have tried from ointments, aromatherapy oils to milk baths and a ultra clean diet and I discovered that this was the most successful thing I have tried so far. I have suffered with this skin condition for many, many years and I have also been severely bullied by it to the point of tears during my time at secondary school, but that is in the past now. I am a much better person and have a very wide knowledge on holistic healing and makeup artistry to share with the world! So if there are any young people out there suffering with psoriasis please drink this tea and stand up to the bullies! Don’t let them and psoriasis get to you!

6. Hormonal Balance, Erectile Dysfunction & Fertility

Turmeric releases progesterone in the body which can help with balancing out hormones in both men and women. Due to most things in the modern world being made of man-made plastic and synthetic chemicals in our personal care products our bodies are full of environmental oestrogens which can affect our fertility, moods, weight and libido.  Men and women are very low in progesterone in the modern world, which is why hormonal cancers and infertility are on the increase. Studies have shown that turmeric boosts sperm count in men and increase sexual desire in both sexes. It can also help with blood flow and inflation of the blood vessels in men with erectile dysfunction.

7. Heals Leaky Gut Syndrome, Cures Food Poisoning, Toxic Shock Syndrome & MRSA

Leaky gut syndrome is a digestive issue, when particles of food enter the bloodstream. This condition is the root cause of skin problems as well as mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Turmeric is used to repair the gut lining to increase gut flora and kill off harmful parasites. The spice can kill dangerous bacteria like E.coli, listeria and fatal staph infections.

8. Anti-ageing & beautifying

Turmeric regenerates skin cells and increase collagen making the skin feel supple, soft and young looking. The empresses of Ancient China used to apply turmeric face masks to themselves to help them keep their beauty in to old age.

9. Beneficial to the circulatory system & reduces bad cholesterol (LDL)

Turmeric reduces LDL cholesterol that has been caused by long chain fatty acids (from conventional meat and processed meat) and short chain fatty acids that have been damaged by high heat. This can block arteries and cause heart attacks and strokes. This spice is very helpful for patients with atherosclerosis (blockage in the arterial wall). 

10. Reduces joint inflammation & arthritis

A continued much shorter post on my previous post about cleansing the lymphatic system. In this this short post I am going to tell you about the top five things you should avoid if you want to keep your body and your lymph glands healthy.

1. Alcohol, Illegal Drugs & Binge Drinking (Alcoholism)

There’s no doubt that this one was the most obvious alongside junk food and smoking. The effects of alcohol are numerous, I don’t even have to write them down, you can simply see them above in the diagram. In several cited studies, The World Health Organisation has associated heavy drinking and drug abuse to cancer, heart disease, brain damage, mental health problems, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and many other conditions. In extreme cases this kind of abuse can lead to premature death. Many celebrities in the past have either died from alcohol abuse or drug addictions, and sometimes it has been both. 

2. Smoking

 Another one which is just obvious and I don’t need to tell you just how harmful smoking is to our bodies as most people know anyway via reading many articles in the media and on cigarette packets. However, these articles and warnings aren’t for scaremongering people - it’s a fact. Smoking causes countless problems in the body, from many cancers, to skin problems, coronary heart disease, COPD, emphysema, ageing, atherosclerosis and premature death. Nicotine and smoke are highly addictive and toxic and should be avoided at all costs, especially by children, teenagers and families with newborns and infants. Second hand smoke can kill young children and newborn babies if they’re constantly exposed to it.

3. Energy Drinks, Fizzy Drinks, Coffee & Caffeinated Teas

Caffeine is another drug that is very addictive and acidic to our bodies. This is the polar opposite to what the lymph fluid likes. Our lymph fluid prefers an alkaline environment to thrive. Consistently drinking caffeinated beverages lead to mental health problems, hormonal imbalances, behaviour problems, heart attacks, tachycardia and stroke. Out of all of these types of drinks listed, energy drinks are the worst of the lot. Horrifyingly, there are some stories on the net about how some people have died from energy drink addictions. Energy drinks can kill by stressing the heart to dangerously abnormal rhythms (160-200bpm) causing a condition called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or a more severe type of tachycardia called ventricular tachycardia (VT), when the heart beats very rapidly with three irregular beats. If any of these types of tachycardia are left undetected for long periods of time, it can eventually lead to sudden cardiac death. However, this doesn’t mean avoid all coffee, green tea, white tea and black tea as these drinks are beneficial for your health if they’re consumed sparingly. People who are prone to anxiety, panic attacks, suffer from schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder should eliminate caffeine altogether. 

4. Conventional medicines & beauty products

Many of the pharmaceutical drugs in the West have nasty and sometimes dangerous side effects. Non-Steriod Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) like iboprofen and paracetamol can damage your gut flora, stomach lining and liver tissue in long term use. These drugs are also another risk factor for developing a legal drug addiction that can be fatal. Beauty products are also loaded with plenty of unpronounceable chemical names and fragrance which harms the skin and the body’s natural pH levels. Chemicals such as sodium laureth sulphate found in shampoo causes blindness and eye damage, fragrance in makeup wipes can cause skin irritation, and in hair removal cream there is urea, which is transformed into formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. These products should be avoided as they are dangerous and are instantly absorbed into the bloodstream.

5. Junk Food

Who knew this was coming!? Another obvious one! Junk food is loaded with artificial chemicals and is designed by companies to make people addicted to their product to increase sales in supermarkets. Psychologists believe that people with any addiction, are dependent on dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that has been linked with infatuation, prominent cravings and impulses. This is why obesity has become so common these days, due to people becoming addicted to the dopamine and adrenaline release from the junk food. This is the main reason why everyone says junk food tastes so good. Obesity has been linked with type 2 diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, poor reproductive health and heart disease.