It's no wonder that February is an amorous month - it's cold, it's barren, and it's all we can do to keep from snuggling up to one another. And for me, there's nothing better than getting a heavenly dose of hug from my man! And then some. I especially love to lay my head against his shoulder - unless, of course, he's just come from the gym. Pee-yew! But that's easily remedied by a hot shower, which eliminates any smelliness. Sweatiness of the good kind always ensues.
For some of us, though, curing bad body odor isn't as simple as bathing!

Causes Of Body Odor

Sweat does not smell. You see, sweating is the body's way of ridding itself of toxins, so sweating is a good thing. In fact, it's important that we work up a good sweat everyday to help rid ourselves of accumulated poisons! Daily exercise, saunas, and bathing all help cleanse our systems naturally.

Contrary to much popular belief, it is not the sweat that makes us stink - it's the bacteria present! What happens when we sweat is that bacteria living on our skin attacks the sweat - producing "offensive" odor. This, then, is the main cause of B.O. But it's not the only cause.

Internal ailments, deficiencies and other sorts of imbalances can also cause bad body odor!

Some other common causes include:

• Smoking: Not only does smoking leave an unpleasant surface odor in the hair and on the skin, smoking wreaks havoc with internal organs.
• Liver Toxicity: Our liver is a major detoxifying organ. When we are over-exposed to environmental and dietary pollutants, the liver can become stressed or clogged. This backs up waste removal, which can add to bad body smells.
• Constipation: Pooping is another way that our body's remove wastes. If we can't go, our system is not removing enough of our toxins.
• Magnesium or Zinc Deficiency: These two minerals are responsible for major bodily functions. With deficiencies in either or both, toxin removal is slowed.
• Meat: People who eat large quantities of meat and animal products tend to have stronger body odor.
• Choline: Some people can't metabolize this - found in foods like eggs, fish, liver, and legumes. The result: a fishy smell.

Natural Treatment

Personal care companies manufacture antiperspirant (stops you from sweating) and deodorant (makes you smell nice, though synthetic) like it's going out of style. While these products can help alleviate stinky symptoms in the short-term, they aren't healthy in the long-term! Why? Sweating, as I've explained above, is a natural, necessary process that our body undertakes to remove wastes. By preventing the sweat glands from doing their jobs, our toxins aren't removed. Not only that, chemicals in conventional personal care products can cause all sorts of toxic conditions in the body - making our bodies want to sweat even more.

Try some natural alternatives to getting rid of bad body odor:

• Quit smoking!
• Try a liver cleanse, seasonally! Spring is always a great time to help move the sluggish winter system along.
• Supplementing with Magnesium
• Avoid foods containing choline: eggs, fish, liver, and legumes.
• Go vegetarian! Or raw, as I always say.
• Poop more. Try a diet like THIS, to get things moving! And try some fiber.

So go ahead, get sweaty. You know you want to, which is the point of this article, anyhow.

Hot and bothered, Sage

Photo Credit: randychiu