Tips To Having More Beautiful Feet

Feet are always under some kind of assault. Whether we’re walking barefoot or have some kind of tight shoes on, or just walking period, our feet have to put up with a lot from most of us. At a certain point, they just can’t take it any more, and start looking pretty bad. But since many people, both men and women, like to walk around with parts of their feet exposed, here are some tips for making your feet more beautiful.

1. Stop wearing very tight shoes. Women sometimes think squeezing their feet into smaller shoes will make their feet look smaller. Instead, it usually makes their feet swell, and they have problems walking. You might need to go to a professional to have your feet measured so you can find the proper size for you. These days, there are so many styles of shoes for all sizes of feet that everyone can look good and glamorous in shoes that actually fit.

2. Take your shoes off and give them some air when you’re home. There’s no sense in walking around in your shoes while you’re in your own home. Even if you don’t have carpet down, buy some house slippers to wear, and make sure you have plenty of room and that they’re soft and comfortable.

3. Soak your feet from time to time in oils. Nothing makes your feet feel like you’re pampering them as much as soaking them in some oil or salts. Make sure the water is warm, because that works best, and you’ll find that it makes the rest of you feel pretty calm also.

4. Get a pedicure/foot massage. Some people you go to will do both, but there’s nothing wrong with pampering your feet by paying someone else to do it from time to time. The thing to watch out for with a pedicure is that sometimes the people doing it can be moving so fast that they’ll nick you. That’s never pleasant. However, finding someone who can give you a soothing foot massage without hurting you will feel wonderful.

5. Wear socks instead of hose whenever you can. Although socks seem more bulky, feet actually breathe better in socks than they do in hose. That, plus socks have more cushion, therefore protect your feet better in shoes. They look horrible in heels, but work great in flat shoes and sneakers.

6. Get your toenails painted. Adding a little bit of style to your feet can take other people’s eyes away from the rest of your foot if your feet don’t look great. You can get colors or patterns of any type, and being creative has never hurt anyone.

7. Do some foot stretching. Even taking care of your feet, sometimes they can get cramps. Stretching your feet not only makes them feel better, but it can help your calves loosen up also, and it helps to relieve the tightness if you happen to have, or be heading towards, plantar fasciitis.

Taking these steps towards protecting your feet will make your feet want to thank you, and it will feel good.

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Taking Care Of Your Nails

When most women think about taking care of their nails, they think about putting polish on them, or possibly applying fake nails so that they look longer. However, there are a host of physical things that can happen to nails unless you take care of them, along with your hands and the rest of your health. Here are six tips for taking better care of your nails.

1. Limit the number of alcohol products that you put on your hands. If you’re in the medical field you might not have much choice, but for everyone else too much alcohol isn’t good for your hands. There’s alcohol in nail polish remover, some soaps, some lotions and even some nail polish itself. Alcohol dries the skin, but it can also make nails dry and brittle, and start to remove the luster from them. Using it every once in awhile won’t hurt, but if it’s something you’re doing every day, try to find other products that will work just as well, but don’t contain alcohol in them.

2. Wear gloves when cleaning around the house. Even if alcohol isn’t in certain products, there might be other chemicals that can damage your nails. Cleaners especially have lots of products that work hard at removing stains, even those that are used to shine floors or metals. It’s not just your nails specifically, but your cuticles and the other skin around your hands needs protection as well.

3. Give your nails a break from too much glue. You might like wearing fake nails, but your nails don’t like it as much. Wearing fake nails constantly doesn’t give your nails time to get any air, which means they could get soft or they could dry out, depending on what’s in the glue. Cuticles also suffer damage from too much glue. One shouldn’t constantly be wearing fake nails for your own good.

4. Cut your nails straight across. This is counter to what many women feel is a beautiful looking nail, but the truth is that cutting and then shaping your nails into a rounded shape makes them weaker and more susceptible to breaking. This more specifically applies to having longer nails, but can mean the same thing for shorter nails. Luckily, more fashions are showing women with nails cut straight across, so you might be on the verge of making a major fashion statement.

5. Buff your nails. Buffing your nails brings out the natural oils that are contained within them, making your nails shiny and healthy before you put anything on them. More women in today’s world are buffing and leaving them alone, as the natural luster can be quite appealing on its own.

6. Take care of your cuticles. When you go for a manicure, often they’ll cut your cuticles, which lessen the protection around your nails. Try to limit how often you do that, if you do it at all. Also, think about using cuticle oils to help keep your cuticles soft, which also helps to protect your nails, as you don’t ever want them hard and crusty.

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Protect Your Eyes

We all get only one set of eyes. Vision is considered a big deal for most of us, and protecting our eyes is probably one of the most important things we want to make sure we hold on to. Yet, every day, our eyes are subjected to potential danger, sometimes of our own doing. Here are five tips you should follow in making sure you protect your eyes from danger.

1. Protect your eyes from the sun. If you’re outside and you’re squinting, it means your eyes are under assault, and they need protection. It could be from sunlight or wind or dust or aromas or almost anything else. Squinting is what the brain tells your eyelids to do to try to offer them some kind of protection. You need to think about wearing sunglasses of some type to help. Get the kind with UV (ultraviolet) protective covering on them, as that will help stop rays that can’t be seen from coming through. You might need to wear goggles if conditions are such that all sorts of things are blowing around, or you’re underwater. If you’re going to take your sunglasses off and you’re still in the sun, try to shield your eyes a little bit because your pupils will go from being fully dilated to trying to shrink quickly, and that could cause disorientation. One final warning; never stare directly into the sun.

2. Protect your eyes from bright lights. The same thing we talked about with sun pertains to regular lights also. However, wearing sunglasses inside doesn’t make as much sense. If you’re going to have bright light in the house, try to keep it behind you instead of in front of you, and like with sunlight, never stare directly into it. Some people don’t handle bright lights directly over them either, so stay aware of whether you find yourself squinting or not.

3. Keep your eyes closed if you’re using sprays around them. Almost everyone has had an incident at least once in their lives when they’ve sprayed something and their eyes have gotten irritated. Luckily, most of the time all you need to do is wait awhile and things will be fine, but it only takes one mistake to seriously injure your eyes. If you spray something around your eyes, keep them closed even after you’ve stopped and try to wave something to clear the air around you before opening them.

4. Wear protection if you’re in an area where lots of small things are flying around. We’re not talking small bugs here, but things such as sawdust, sand, metal flakes, ashes and blowing debris. If you’re doing any sort of work with something that sends shavings out, even clay sometimes, you want to think about getting goggles of some kind, even if you wear glasses, because things can pop up and over glasses just as easily as going directly into the eye.

5. Always use water first to flush out your eyes. If you do get something in your eyes, even before you might need to go to the doctor, flush your eyes out with water. Many people will say cool water because it makes your eyes feel better, but any water will do. Don’t start with saline solution because the salt might make your eyes feel more irritated. It’s always good to have water around anyway, so it’s perfect to use for this purpose.

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The Hidden Secrets Of Yawning

Yawning may not be so boring after all. As some have suggested it is the brain looking for more action and getting it by using the yawn. Take a look at some other tips on yawning here in this article.

One of the best things a yawn may do for you is to wake you up. Why do we yawn when we are tired ? It is the brain revving up areas of itself because of the sluggishness we have through lack of sleep. Brain scans reveal that the area called the precuneus is activated neurologically by a yawn. The cortex along with the precuneus seem to hold the self-memories and self-perceptions as they work in harmony. This activation of the precuneus would seem to also be the preparation for storing the memories of the day. Dreams are the the replaying of many of the activities of the day. This combined with the expectation of sleep could very well be the preparation of the brain for the body to enter sleep. That is quite a complicated way to explain that a yawn is the precursor to sleep, but now you know why.

Another tip about yawning is that it has the capacity to relax. If you take time out of your busy day ( even right now ) to do ten yawns, you will be feeling much better afterwards. Perhaps this is why yawning is contagious ? No data just yet on that, but most people have said or heard said; ” Made you yawn !” after doing a yawn themselves. It is only contagious for humans and apes. Go ahead and do about ten yawns right now and relax yourself.

Yawning is said to bring about more alertness. This is debatable if it is the actual yawn or the infusion of extra oxygen into the brain that makes you more alert. Perhaps it is both. It has been noted scientifically that yawning makes you more alert. Everyone has noted that those students who are bored with their teachers are prone to do a yawn or two. This is to stay awake of course, but again, the yawn helped it to happen. Yawning is advertised as a great way to meditate, since meditation heightens your alertness.

Yawning regulates the temperature of the brain. Have a hot head ( physically speaking ) ? Try yawning a few times. This aspect of yawning can help to make your brain more efficient. The body ( like machines ) burns energy and runs more efficiently when it is operating with a slightly cooler than ambient temperature. A yawn can make your thought processes and neural network more efficient so you can get more done in less time, a rare gift in this day and age.

Oxytocin is another thing initiated by yawning. Oxytocin is synthetically made and applied to women who are near or at childbirth. It helps to induce labor. If you are pregnant and want to have a natural birth, forget the fake chemical stuff and yawn a few times during childbirth. It may not only relax you, but give you an easier birth.

Yawning can increase or decrease your defense mechanisms. The hormonal chemical oxytocin is what regulates the “fight or flight” routine of the brain. Socializing as well as yawns help to release oxytocin. Social people are less likely to be violent. Instead they learn to adjust to others. Yawning can help this process also. It is interesting that yawning is also contagious. The “group yawn” may be a great way to start a “group therapy”. Read more on oxytocin and find out more about this particular neuro-hormone. It has some good benefits.

Yawning can help to control emotions. Dopamine is used by the brain to control movement of the body and to control the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland controls all the other hormonal glands in the body. You can see this one coming right ? If you are feeling a bit “hormonal”, try yawning. It may well calm you down. Do not forget the relaxing effects mentioned above. A by-product of this is that you can use yawning to stop an argument or to defuse one. Yawning can enhance closeness, so you can say with some certainty that those couples who yawn together, stay together.

Yawning will escalate a spiritual experience. If you pray or meditate make sure to include a yawn in your routine. It will heighten your routine and give you a higher level of enjoyment. Yawning is advantageous in many aspects and these tips can be used during a normal day or during stressful days. If you yawned while you read this article, good for you!

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4 Ways To Stay Fit During Holidays

If you are like many people in North America, Europe, and other places, you are concerned about gaining too much weight during the Christmas holiday season. You can eat some things and enjoy yourself during the holidays and still avoid becoming a blimp to do so. There are ways to eat and still stay slim. Lets look at four ways to stay slim for the holidays.

The best and healthiest way to stay slim is to not feel hungry. How do you do that ? Carry a quick snack in your pocket. You can carray a small bag of peanuts or something similar in your pocket or purse and snack on it during the day. This will prevent those cravings that are hard to deal with. You do not have to choose only peanuts of course. You can use chewing gum or anything that will increase your blood sugar level. Your natural hunger kicks in when you reach a certain low level of blood sugar. As long as you stay above this level, you may not ever feel hungry.

If you get into a system of eating breakfast and eating at certain times of the day, your body will get accustomed to the schedule. You can use this to your advantage during the holidays. Eating a good breakfast is already a healthy habit to get into. But eating a good breakfast before you head out, or whatever it is you do during the day, will help you not be hungry until about four hours later. This is a general statement, because if you have a physically active morning, you will feel hungry regardless of what you eat in the morning. Since Christmas dinners and parties are mostly during the night you can arrange your eating schedule to have enough food in your system to not be overly hungry at night. This means when you are confronted with the calorie-ridden cakes and sweets you can eat a small amount of them instead of having a belly full of them.

If you can not take advantage of any of the above, you have another way to stay slim during the holidays. When you attend parties or gatherings, head for the vegetables first. Those carrots sticks and broccoli sprouts can take away your hunger. Most get-togethers that include food have a salad section to munch on. If you want, you can avoid the sweets altogether and just eat raw vegetables. Believe it or not raw vegetables are so healthy for you that certain people have lived past their hundredth birthday by simply eating raw vegetables.

The fourth way to stay slim during the holidays is to hang around with those who are slim during the holidays. Have you noticed that those who are overweight usually choose overweight friends to be around ? Reverse engineer this to your advantage. Start hanging around with the slim folks and learn their habits. You will either find out that they have a high metabolism or learn their eating habits. Either way you learn something good. A way to increase your metabolism is to drink green tea. You can also eat smaller meals more often to increase your metabolism. Exercising increases your metabolism. There are other ways to stay slim during the holidays but these are some basic ones. Use them in good health.

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How To Do A Skin Check On Yourself

Cancer does not seem to be be getting much of a fight from the medical industry. Back in 2006 cancer became the number one killer disease of those in the United States. Does this statistic spell an end to the fight against cancer ? For you, we are hoping the answer to that is a resounding; “NO !”. Do not let the failures of the medical industry keep you running scared from cancer. It really is not necessary.

If you have wondered in the back of your mind how to do a skin check on yourself, it is not all that hard. Are you a person that even needs to do a skin check ? If you live in the Southern United States, if you have many moles, if you do not get enough exercise and have a poor diet that is devoid of nuts, fruits and Vitamin D, you are the perfect target for skin cancer. Read this article closely if you fall into many of the categories above.

First of all, check monthly to see if your moles change or if you get a new one. If they change color or seem to get “deeper”, you should be concerned. If you have had moles for years and years that have never changed you probably already know they are less dangerous than others that do change. That does not necessarily mean they are not dangerous. Depending on variables, cancer can take years and years to grow and become dangerous. This means you need to be diligent to track moles with a monthly skin check even if you think they are not dangerous.

The aspect of a mole is important. If a mole changes colors, especially the colors of red, grey, white or blue, be concerned. If the border becomes scalloped or irregular it is also a negative sign. If the mole obtains a diameter of bigger than six millimeters you should be concerned. If a mole is or becomes asymmetrical it is sign that is becoming or is malignant. A mole should look similar in geometry to a fried egg, being somewhat ovule and having distinct defined edges. Another tip is; if one mole looks definitely different from the rest this is also a bad sign.

While learning how to do this on yourself is important, this article is not going to be able to give you everything you need to do it completely. Go with a dermatologist if you have doubts about any of your personal examinations. The dermatologist should have years ( and I do mean years ) of experience. Check out the recommendations they give to you online or with someone you know has years of experience in dermatology. Your health should be under your care, that is, you should take charge of your own health. If you have an unwavering faith in the medical industry you should consider the amount of people under their “care” that die yearly as a result of their negligience or mistakes. 274 people died today under their care.

One last tip to think on is sunlight. The sun combines with oil on our skin to give our bodies Vitamin D. Lack of Vitamin D has been connected with an abundance of diseases. You have no doubt heard that the sun is bad for you. For the most part, it is only bad for those who have a diet lacking in basic nutrients. Think about the Indians or the Africans who practically live out in the sun and use very little clothing. Why do they not have an abundance of skin cancer ? Answer: their diet. The medical industry tells the world that the sun is bad for you. They are right only if you have a terrible diet. Since most reading this do have a terrible diet, now you know what to do. Learning how to do a skin check on yourself is important, especially if you have a terrible diet that is void of the seventy minerals and the various vitamins necessary for normal health. If this is you, do not get a sunburn and keep a close watch on your skin, especially on any moles you may have. Remember, if you see a mole on the outside, there is a good chance there are more on the inside also.

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How To Address The Problem Of Sagging Of Breasts

Sagging breasts can occur due to a host of causes that include old age, pregnancy, breast feeding, gravity, the size of the breasts. There are many methods of preventing the sagging of breasts too. The first and foremost logical thing to do is to wear bra continuously to prevent the breast from sagging due to gravity.

When the person is involved in many sports activity, the normal bra will not help to hold the breasts in place and so the person who is into sports and many other physical activities should have a sports bra worn during these activities to prevent the sagging of the breasts.

The sagging of breast can also be prevented if the woman does some regular exercises. This includes exercises of the pectoral muscles which are the muscles that help to hold the chest region in place. The person should tome up these muscles by regularly performing shoulder bracing exercises. This will help to make sure that the muscles are all toned and the breast is also in place and rill be held back from sagging by the muscle.


Posture of the person is a very important factor in keeping the breasts from sagging.  There are many people hop have a very poor posture. They lean forward when they stand and this causes the person to have breasts that sag down. This can be prevented by making sure that the posture in standing and also walking is straight. This straight posture will keep the gravity from acting on the breasts and making it sag.

The woman should also lose weight. This is a very important activity that should be done because if the woman is able to lose weight, then the weight loss will have a positive effect and the breasts can be prevented from sagging. There are various simple methods of losing weight that include a mix of regular exercise and diet.

Wearing the bra that is correct size should be the ultimate method of keeping the breast in shape. Any person who wears a bra that is loose fitting even to a small extent is sure to develop sagging breasts.

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Exploring The Tests And Examinations For Treating Autism

Tests and Examinations for Treating Autism

Along with the normal treatment program various tests and examinations also help in getting right ideas and more precise information about the causes and severity of autism in a child, adults or teen. The common tests and examination used to treat autism are discussed below.

Screening Tests

Screening tests are mainly used to identify the signs and symptoms of autism accurately. We know that autism is a brain development disorder so it is important to know that whether a child is really suffering from brain developmental problem or his symptoms are pointing towards the presence of another developmental or personality disorder. Therefore mental health specialists prefer to take screening tests of patient with ADHD symptoms to remove every confusion about his disturbed mental condition.

Physical examination

In case of developmental disorders, the normal growth process of a patient is also disturbs therefore it is considered important to check the weight, height, speaking abilities, hearing, muscle movements, feelings and other developmental progress of a person suffering from autism. For this purpose various physical tests are taken to get satisfied data about the whole developmental process of a patient. These physical tests help to find out the developmental lapses in a child which specify the way of further treatment plan.

Behavioral Assessment Techniques

Various behavioral assessment techniques also prove helpful in treating a patient of autism. These behavioral assessment techniques are discussed below.

1. Using Questionnaire to Judge Developmental Impairments

Firstly questionnaires are used to check the developmental inabilities hidden in a patient of autism. Through this technique answers given by a patient helps a lot to judge his developmental progress as a whole and helps to find out inner complexities and thinking barriers hampering the overall developmental process. In a questionnaire, various questions are asked about every aspects of patient’s life from his personal likes and dislikes to social relationships and norms. Patient’s response to these specific questions actually provides a way to look beyond his outer personality image.

2. Checking Medical History

Secondly medical history of a patient is also taken under consideration to find out any abnormality present at the time of birth or after it. It can help to identify the real factors behind such brain impairment and helps in treating it on right lines. Suppose if his mother was suffering from depression or severe drug abuse at the time of his birth then the chances for his abnormal mental conditions will be much higher than normally delivery condition.

3. Interviewing Family Members

Thirdly questions are asked to the family members of a patient to get adequate information about his likes, dislikes, inclinations, responses and reactions to various actions. This information is very much important to untie the knots of his disturbed mental conditions. Data gathered from family and friends help to identify those aspects of his personality which are hard to recognize in few meetings with patient.

4. Check Response to Specific Situations

Fourthly a patient of autism is kept under various situations to check his response to those particular environments. Such clinical treatment opens provides a chance to examine patient’s responses under controlled environmental setup which means that if due to some reason he get aggressive and stats to act violently he can be controlled and can taken out of that situation with no serious harm to himself and to the people present around him.

5. Taking Intelligence Test to Judge Cognitive Skills

Fifthly specific intelligence tests are prepared for the patient of autism to check his understanding, thinking and discerning abilities and decision making power. These tests show that how much he can think positively or is there a chance for his learning come back or how much effort is needed to make him near to normal thinking level of a normal human being. Some patients show amazing abilities in solving complex questions and in completing difficult tasks within shorter period of time. In this way these intelligence tests help to identify their natural cognitive abilities which are disturbed at the moment due to the presence of a mental disorder.

No doubt that these tests and exams provide valuable data about every aspect of patient’s personal life from his thinking patterns to action taking abilities and facilitates the future treatment process.

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Red Wine Versus Obesity

Some people say that a life without wine is not worth living.

Recent studies show that the specific compound named resveratrol which can be found in grape skins, peanuts and red wine may have the capacity to defend the body from some of the negative changes that appear due to obesity and they most often precede diseases like type two diabetes.

It is known that obesity can influence inflammation in the body and insulin insensitivity.

It took long studies on mice before testing the resveratrol compound on humans. Amongst the effects on rodents there were: extending the lives of obese specimens, increasing their endurance up to having twice more energy to run faster on treadmills.

The research was extended to humans in order to check if the effects could be similar and the benefits could bring a change in human treatments.

The dose administrated to the individuals who were part of the study, 150 milligrams of resveratrol, was lower than the one used on mice in previous experiments, however it was strong enough to make an impact. Researchers approximate that in order to obtain the same level from wine, one should drink more than 13 bottles a day.

The results of the study pointed positive changes in metabolic health, among many other effects. It has been noticed that resveratrol has the power to lower the level of blood glucose, to reduce triglyceride amount in the body, to lower also insulin and fat in the liver levels.

Some of the effects of resveratrol are even the same as exercise training can do or dieting through calorie restriction and these are: the mechanism for muscles to burn fats, increasing the energy factories inside cells, raising activity in mitochondria, lowering inflammation indicators.

Despite all these effects similar or not to exercise training, resveratrol did not help the male individuals who took part in the experiment to lose weight. Thus, it helps the metabolism to be more healthy, but actually to work more efficiently and more slowly.

This compound is thought to have effect upon the aging process and on protecting the cells against stress working by activating sirtuins proteins. The researchers are trying to find a chemical compound to act the same as resveratrol, aiming to find drugs able to extend life.

However, the doctors and researchers that conducted the study and experiment on humans have various opinions. Some are skeptical and they say that the study was made on short term and on a small group of individuals and on long term the effects could be surprisingly higher or zero. Others say that it is an amazing study and the results are important for humankind.

Still, there is no straight advice to take resveratrol for treating obesity or other ilness, until this is more intensely studied to discover how it can affect the human body even after 10 years of treatment or how it interacts with other drugs.

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IBS Gone Through Strict Diet

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that leads to abdominal pain and cramping, changes in bowel movements, and other symptoms.IBS is not the same as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In IBS, the structure of the bowel is not abnormal.

About 1 in 6 people in the U.S. have symptoms of IBS. It is the most common intestinal problem that causes patients to be referred to a bowel specialist (gastroenterologist).

It seems that all these can be gone if the patient follow a low FODMAP diet. This diet is very restrictive and difficult to follow because it is low in certain natural sugars coming from foods like : ice-cream, watermelon, honey, apples, pasta, white bread, wheat, rye and others.

A number of studies, among which one study published earlier this year, found that the positive effects of following a low-FODMAP diet by 43 people with IBS (less bloating, reducing abdominal pain and gass) was seen on more than 80% of the group.

Symptoms range from mild to severe. Most people have mild symptoms. Symptoms are different from person to person.

The main symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain, fullness, gas, and bloating that have been present for at least 3 days a month for the last 3 months. The pain and other symptoms will often be reduced or go away after a bowel movement. They can occur when there is a change in how often you have bowel movements.

People with IBS may switch between constipation and diarrhea, or mostly have one or the other.

On one side, people with diarrhea will have frequent, loose, watery stools. They will often have an urgent need to have a bowel movement, which may be hard to control.

On the other hand, those with constipation will have a hard time passing stool, as well as fewer bowel movements. They will often need to strain and will feel cramps with a bowel movement. Often, they do not release any stool, or only a small amount.

For some people, the symptoms may get worse for a few weeks or a month, and then decrease for a while. For other people, symptoms are present most of the time.

People with IBS may also lose their appetite.

The causes standing at the apparition of the disease are not certain. The general opinion is that it is highly influenced by some types of food and drinks like the ones we said that low-FODMAP diet excludes, caffeinated beverages and fried foods increasing the level of the negative symptoms.

It is not clear why patients develop IBS. Sometimes it occurs after an infection of the intestines. This is called postinfectious IBS. There may also be other triggers.

The intestine is connected to the brain. Signals go back and forth between the bowel and brain. These signals affect bowel function and symptoms. The nerves can become more active during stress, causing the intestines to be more sensitive and squeeze (contract) more.

IBS can occur at any age, but it often begins in the teen years or early adulthood. It is twice as common in women as in men.

FODMAPs are found in the foods we eat. FODMAPs is an acronym (abbreviation) referring  to Fermentable  Oligosaccharides,  Disaccharides,  Monosaccharides and Polyols. These are complex names for a collection of molecules found in food, that can be poorly absorbed by some people. When the molecules are poorly absorbed in the small intestine of the digestive tract, these molecules then continue along their journey along the digestive tract, arriving at the large intestine, where they act as a food source to the bacteria that live there normally. The bacteria then digest/ferment these High FODMAPs and can cause symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Trying low-FODMAP diet is difficult and it’s a strong commitment , but, as some who already tried it say, it is worth it due to its effects.

However, depending on the previous medical condition of the patient, doctors advise people not to try it before going to the doctor and having personalized analysis and to get the help of an experience dietitian.

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Treatment Of The day - Laughter

For decades, researchers have explored how humor helps patients relieve stress and heal.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing is more effective in bringing your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

Scientists tried to discover the effects of humor in various contexts such as: supporting medical professionals to cope with their stressful job, helping the elders to stay open and fit, increasing the communication at workplace, in the relationship between employee-manager.

It seems that people work better and more efficiently in an environment where they have managers or colleagues with a sense of humor used properly, because it helps them to cope with the stress and they deal more easily with the difficulties. It improves your job performance, especially if your work depends on creativity and solving complex problems. Also, students tend to learn more from teachers who know how and when to bring humor into their work.

With this great power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health. Even if you don’t consider yourself the person with the most refined humor or you feel that you just are not particularly funny, this does not have to stop you to enjoy its beneficial effects.

You can integrate humor into your life through different means. Laughter is infectious. Jokes, humor, the sound of roaring laughter are far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body.

Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. It reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort. It reduces blood sugar levels, increasing glucose tolerance in diabetics and non-diabetics alike. Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system; it decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Even more, laughter protects the heart. It improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

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Good Fats - Sounds Impossible?

Generally, all sliming programs and diets exclude many foods, among which, on top places, there is always “fat”. How, than, can it be possible for doctors to recommend fat intake?

In order to understand this, we need to make the difference between “good” and “bad” fats in our food.

The bad fats, the ones that we are strongly suggested to avoid, are the trans-fats. Trans fat is the common name for unsaturated fat with trans-isomer (E-isomer) fatty acid (s). Because the term refers to the configuration of a double carbon-carbon bond, trans fats are sometimes  monounsaturated  or  polyunsaturated, but never saturated.

Trans fat is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation, which makes the oil less likely to spoil. The purpose of using trans fats in the manufacturing of foods is for foods to  stay fresh longer, to have a longer shelf life and to have a less greasy feel.

The addition of hydrogen to oil increases your cholesterol more than do other types of fats. It is thought that adding hydrogen to oil makes the oil more difficult to digest, and your body recognizes trans fats as saturated fats.

What is the food containing trans fats so that we know what to avoid?

They can be found in commercial baked and fried food like : crackers, cookies, cakes, french fries, burgers, doughnuts. In order to choose foods without these fats when you go to the grocery stores, you have to read the labels very carefully and check if the term “(partially) hydrogenated” vegetable oil.

Why should we avoid these trans fats?

Besides affecting our waistline, recent studies show that their effects can be even stronger and wider spread on the body and mind. People have the tendency to eat foods with trans-fats because these make them happy. However, this effect is just an illusion because it passes very quickly and instead you will feel an increased depression.

According to the results of some of the studies, life quality and consuming trans fats are linked and the latter influences life quality scores. The people who participated in the studies and had a diet based mostly on these negative fats  showed a negative attitude towards life, future, work, social activities, the evolution of their health.

The good fats. The generally accepted facts are that our body needs fats because they help nutrients absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity and other processes of the metabolism. The difficulty appears when choosing the fats that are really beneficial to us from the harmful ones.

Which are the good fats?

Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts including peanuts, walnuts,  almonds and pistachios,  avocado, canola and olive oil are high in monounsaturated fats. They have also been found to help in weight loss, particularly body fat.

Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group, as well, and they are very famous for the good impact that they have on health.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in foods including walnuts, some fruits and vegetables, and coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, sturgeon, and anchovies.

Why do doctors insist on us including Omega 3 fats in our diets?

Here you have a few of the benefits of these fatty acids on your body : reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Even more, according to some studies,  omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease.

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Some Hot Tips On Fighting Acne Successfully

This skin disorder generally appears during puberty and always heals, but the process of healing is difficult and can take sometimes several years. Even though acne is not dangerous it must be considered with seriousness as it can cause psychological damage to the affected person.

The causes of acne have not been completely elucidated yet, but it seems that the hormonal changes that occur during puberty are playing an important part in unleashing acne. Along with the hormonal changes some other factors are made responsible for acne: wrong alimentation, psycho-nervous disorders, metabolism disorders, bowel problems and chronic infectious hotbeds. Stress is also responsible for the mess on our face along with dust, certain face creams and bromine contact.

Acne appears due to an excessive sebum production by the sebaceous glands in our skin. This sebum is getting hard inside the face pores and will create visible comedons. Due to the permanent existent bacterium that lives on our skin, inflammations will appear along with hard, red nodules and pus. Mistreated these forms of acne will leave marks on the skin depending on the area they have appeared. The juvenile acne mostly occurs on the face, chest and upper back while some special forms of acne can appear all over the body and have no connection with the person’s age.

Acne treatment must be prescribed by a dermatologist. He will not only give you drugs but will also want you to change you life style. You will have to follow a diet, based mostly on vegetables and fruits. The doctor will also tell you to avoid smoking, alcohol and eating to much chocolate. It is important to avoid constipation by eating linseeds or wheat bran. You will also have to adopt a healthy lifestyle, with enough sleeping and lots of exercising in the nature, avoiding too much stress and also learning to relax.

Also, you must keep your skin clean by washing it twice a day with a non soap cleanser. After washing the face apply on the affected areas an alcohol free lotion based on hamamelis, chamomile, sulphur and salicylic acid. Some of these plants contain vitamin B which is good for the skin.

You can also apply special creams designed for an acneic skin and you should know that some of them are colored as so they can cover the unaesthetic inflammations on the skin. You should talk with your dermatologist before using such crèmes as he is the only person that knows what suits your skin best.

Therapy can be completed with facial steam baths twice a week. In the water you use add chamomile or another plant called horsetail. Resin and bee propolis have given great results even in the worse cases of acne.

Most of all, those who are fighting with acne should have a lot of patience and follow the exact indications of the doctor completing them with using natural products like the ones mentioned above. In the cases of stress based acne the patient can learn to apply anti-stress exercises like yoga, gentle stretching exercise and careful breathing.

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How To Get A Healthy Tan

Sun can be a blessing for our health, but it can also be our enemy if we don’t have the basic information about it. By exposing our bodies to the sun we can benefit of vitamin D which helps calcium absorb better and increase the strength of our bones. This is why as children our parents used to force us take sunbaths during the summer mornings when all we wanted to do is sleep or take baths in the sea.

Since researchers discovered the fact that sun exposure can cause skin cancer people have been careful with sun exposure and quite avoided it. Due to this fact the industry of solariums and tanning lotions had an outbreak as people had more confidence in artificial tanning than in the natural one. Well after a few years, solariums have proven their malignancy on our bodies and people began to trust the old sun again.

Sun tanning can be done in a healthy way by respecting a few principles:

1. Skin exposure to the sun should be made during the morning between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and during the afternoon between 17 p.m. and 20 p.m. These hours are the best for sun tanning as the sun is not that strong and will not burn our skin causing later on skin cancer.

2. Applying and reapplying sunscreen is a must. If you do not only lie on the beach but also swim you should apply sunscreen every time you get out from water. This way you will be fully protected against ultraviolet radiations.

3. Sun exposures should be done gradually. Those who have a fair skin should not stay more than 10 minutes exposed to the sunlight during their first annual session of sun tanning. After a few days their skin will be ready for longer sun exposures and they will be skin burned free.

4. Diet plays an important part in sun tanning. It seems that fish and olive oil are good for the skin during summer time as they increase its capacity of defending itself of the harsh sun light.

Having a chocolate like skin is nice and fashionable, but for achieving it you must not push the limits of your body. Skin cancer is not something to joke about. You might be young, you might thing that your body can pass over a week of intense sun exposure, but the truth is that only in years the consequences of your acts will be seen and then it might be to late for regrets.

Choose life over a fast achieved tan. Sun can be your ally, but you must learn how to cope with it.

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How To Maintain Your Summer Tan

After trying so hard to obtain a healthy tan for a lot of us it would be a pity to let it fade away. There are some tricks that can be applied in order for you to enjoy more of your chocolate looking skin.

Normally the bronze color of your skin is given by the pigment situated in your epidermal layer. In time, due to natural exfoliation of the cells and due to cosmetic treatments like peeling and gommage, the tan will fade away. These procedures should be done within a week before going in vacation and exposing your body to the sun. Also, avoid taking long showers or baths as they will have a resembling effect on your skin as cosmetic exfoliation has.

You should use skin nurturing and hydrating lotions and creams daily as they maintain the healthy aspect of your skin and also delay its exfoliation, meaning that they will help you enjoy more of your tan.

You can work from the inside too, not only from the outside: eat vegetables and fruits that are rich in vitamin E, and zinc. These two elements are vital for a perfect skin. You can find them in broccoli, vinegars, apricots, apples, peaches, watermelon, peanuts and sunflower seeds.

As a last idea, which is more like a cheating idea, you can try tanning body lotions two or three times a week. These lotions act better if they are applied on a skin that has already been tanned and at least they do not cause cancer like solarium bronzing does.

Another thing to remember is water. Drink plenty of water to extend the life of your cells. This way not only your skin look great, but your whole body will feel like millions.

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Information On Supplements That Can Stop Aging

Haven’t you ever wondered why some people seem to age faster than others?  Aging affects all of us in a more or less visible form, but sometimes it seems that time has ran faster for some people than for others and this makes you question yourself why.

The latest researches say that if the human body lacks certain elements, aging installs premature. Here are some supplements that have proven their efficiency into preventing premature aging and even delaying aging:

1. Vitamin E. This is an antioxidant that the body usually lacks as we can never get the enough quantity we need from our daily aliments. Vitamin E is good for protecting arteries against atherosclerosis, it guards the human cells against the deterioration produced by free radicals and it prevents immune system decline and even brain degeneration.

2. Ginkgo biloba. This is a plant that has been used for improving the blood circulation through the arteries and veins. It can improve even the circulation from the brain, aiding the memory a lot.

3. Q-10 coenzyme. This is another antioxidant, just like vitamin E that has been proven to have benefic effects on the heart muscle. It is also great for stopping the external signs of aging and this is why pharmaceutical companies add it to their anti-aging products. The daily doze for those who have cardiovascular problems is 30 mg.

4. L-Carnitine. This is an amino-acid that has a major impact on people who suffer of angina (chest pain) or arrhythmias. Ask your cardiologist about this supplement and he will tell you more on its benefic effects.

5. Garlic. Surprising or not, this smelly plant that a lot of us avoid has anti-aging properties. Certain studies say that garlic protects against cancer, atherosclerosis, internal parasites and brain degeneration. You should eat one clove of garlic a day, but if you can not stand the idea of doing this, you can find garlic prepared as a supplement (tablet).

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Acne Scar Removal Solutions

A lot of teenagers and adults suffer of acne and spend a lot of money trying to find the right treatment that will resolve their problem. Most of them even succeed stopping acne from appearing and having a normal skin after a long time, but their problems do not end here. Acne leaves long lasting blemishes and scars on the skin and this can have a major psychological impact upon anyone.

There are a few things that can be done for clearing up the mess produced by former acne. A lot of dermatological clinics offer solutions for clearing up acne scars. The doctors working there are well documented and prepared for treating various skin lesions. It is indicated that you go to them for a check up and recommendations instead of buying on your own various anti acne products that you have seen on the market and that might not even work for you.

Any dermatologist will tell you that acne scars can be removed only after getting rid of acne. This means that at first the doctor will help you stop acne from affecting your skin. You might need to use an antibiotic treatment in case your acne is caused by infections, or a hormonal treatment if you have hormonal imbalances that lead to acne. Also you might have to adjust your diet and eat more healthy foods.

After getting acne under control, the dermatologist can pass to the next step: acne scar removal. This can be done in several ways:

1. Blue or red light therapy. This treatment is done at a light lamp and it kills bacteria and heals wounds without leaving any scars. The treatment is generally done for 15 minutes, twice per week and is should be continued 4 weeks.

2. Laser therapy. A few years ago, the Fraxel laser was approved by the FDA for usage into treating acne scars and fine lines in dermatological clinics. The treatment is divided into 4 sessions 2 or 3 weeks apart and it has remarkable and long lasting results. Not to mention that after the sessions the skin does not look inflamed at all.

3. Chemical peels. This treatment should also be done by a dermatologist, but unfortunately even some cosmetic centers perform it without having well prepared personnel for doing this, and consequences can occur frequent: the burned skin. If the treatment is performed by a doctor, he will always take in consideration your age, the severity of the scars and your tolerance to certain substances involved in the peeling procedure. The effects are not permanent and you will need to repeat the procedure after a while.

4. Dermabrasion. This is another solution to scars and blemishes, but its disadvantage is that it is painful and needs local anesthesia, and afterwards it leaves the skin red and raw looking for a few days. But afterwards the skin will have a smoother appearance. Direct and indirect sunlight should be avoided for three months after the dermabrasion was done.

You should talk to a dermatologist before going for any of these options as you first need to see which of these solutions will remove your acne scars better.

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5 Of The Most Frequent Scalp Problems We Have To Deal With Daily

A beautiful, taken care of hair is considered by a lot of people to be a precious jewel, a secret seduction weapon and a door opener. Some people have inherited their nice hair and no not have to invest a lot of money and time in order to make it look great. But these people are only a minority. Most of us grown-ups usually have problems with maintaining the spectacular, healthy aspect of our hair. The scalp is most often the source of problems for the hair. Here are some of the most frequent scalp issues and solutions to them:

1. Dandruff. This condition is believed to be triggered by fungus (mostly yeast) and it affects women as much as men. There are a lot of solutions for this problem nowadays, so you do not have to worry any more that you will not be able to control this affection. Special shampoos that contain ketoconazole are quite effective against dandruff. You can buy them over the counter. Sometimes dandruff appears as a reaction to your regular shampoo. Try changing it for a few weeks and see if any improvement in your scalp appears.

2. Dry scalp. This can cause you itchiness and dandruff like aspect of the scalp. As dry scalp is associated with dry hair you must use the right shampoo for you (for very dry hair), that will moisturize your hair and scalp, not dry it even more. Try the shampoos that are found only in saloons as they have a better quality than the regular ones we buy from the supermarket.

3. Oily scalp. Well, a lot of people complain of this affection too. Washing the hair too often is not a solution as the scalp will only end up secreting even more oil than usual and you will end up trying to get away from a vicious circle: you wash your hair daily because your hair looks oily, but at the end of the day the oil is back on your hair. Use an adequate oil free shampoo for your hair. If you use hair conditioner, you should apply it only on the ends of your hair, not on the roots. Sometimes oily hair and scalp is caused by hormonal unbalances, so you should talk with an endocrinologist and see if a contraceptive pill might resolve your problem.

4. Hair loss. I have written a more detailed article about this issue, you can find it here: Hair fall causes and control

5. Ringworm. This affection causes a lot of itchiness, as it is an infection of the scalp. After the itchiness begins you can see one or more rashes on the scalp, which are made of circular red patches. They have the aspect of a worm. The solution for this problem is using a shampoo that contains selenium sulfide (2.5%) or zinc pyrithione (1-2%) along with oral medication prescribed by a dermatologist.

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Hair Fall: Causes And Control

Hair loss can be experienced nowadays by both men and women and even though science seems to have developed a lot in the last decade, remedies for women hair loss are not that many as we would like.

Specialists say we normally loose in a day up to 100 hairs. Of course the hair regenerates continuously and this is why we don’t get to be bold in one month of loosing hair daily.

The reason why women loose so much hair is mostly due to hormonal imbalances that occur during pregnancy and afterwards, if taking certain birth control pills, and during menopause. Genetics can play an important part into hair fall too. Some people start loosing a lot of hair after the age of 12 and this is a family trait, especially in men. In women high levels of testosterone can lead to‘man like’ alopecia. Even infections of the scalp, like psoriasis, eczemas and mycosis can lead to a massive hair fall. Thyroid affections and diabetes, certain drugs and even stress are responsible too for this unpleasant phenomenon.

In case the hair loss was caused by giving birth, you should wait a little while as it will probably grow back in time. Until the hair regenerates you can try a different hairdo, as it will mask the bald areas and will aid you remain calm when going out in the society.

Nowadays there are special lotions based on minoxidil that have helped both men and women into getting back their loss hair. The problem with this treatment is that you must use it a long time, for 3 or 4 moths until the results are visible and afterwards you must continue to use it for an undetermined period of time otherwise the newly regenerated hair will fall again after interrupting the treatment.

Try not to invest so much hope into supplements. Supplements that are based on zinc, silica and vitamin A work in some cases, but only in those that have been caused by an excess of sebum production.

The best thing to do when you see you are loosing too much hair is to go to your family doctor and find out what is the cause of your hair loss. By determining the cause you can get a targeted treatment and not waste money on products that don’t even suit your case.

As a last option, if nothing works and your hair does not regenerate, you can opt for hair transplant. It is a bit expensive, but it will do wonders to your looks and to your feelings too as not all of us can easily accept hair loss.

Give your hair a more matte finish with styling clay hair wax and quality hair treatment products.

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How To Take Care Of The Skin During The Cold Season

As summer seems to be ending and fall gets to bring us some cold rainy days, we have to think a little bit of our skin’s health and make sure that it does not have to suffer due to the harsh weather conditions.

Normally the dry skin is the one who gets to suffer a lot due to the cold weather. Most often you can see during the chilly season that the skin around the nose and mouth is flaking or chapping. This is because cold weather usually ‘steals’ more moisture from the skin, leaving it dry and exposed to injuries. And this is why the oily skin is not that sensible during the cold season as the dry skin is.

The preparation for the dry skin should begin with a purification process of the skin. Normally a soft peeling would solve the problem with the dead cells. The next step to follow is intense moisturizing. You should not continue using the same light body lotion and creams you used during the summer. Replace them with rich formula creams. For the lips you should use as frequent as you can a soothing lip balm. As prevention is always easier than healing you should apply daily on your skin moisturizing body lotions, especially after taking your shower. Facial creams that contain vitamin A, C and E are the most indicated to use when the weather gets cold.

During the cold season external treatment for the skin is not enough, so we need to act internally too by adopting the right diet for this season. Try to avoid consuming any aliments that can lead to a dehydration of the skin. Coffee, black tea, and carbonated drinks are all enemies of your skin during the cold season. Pure water is the best solution if you want to maintain a healthy, lush skin. Drink a liter of water a day and you should not have to deal with dehydration.

Inside your house or at the workplace you should consider placing some humidifiers in order to moisture the air.

Outside, wear adequate clothes that offer skin protection against the wind and cold. For the hands protection wear quality leather gloves and for the delicate area of the decolletage you should wear a cashmere shawl.

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Beauty Key Elements You Should Consider When You Are 20, 30, 40 And 50

The key to having a great body even when you are 50 is to take care of your body and insist on certain aspects when the time is right. Every decade added to our age brings certain problems that can go away nicely or leave behind deep marks to our body if we don’t take measures at the proper moment.

When you are 20

This age is generally great! No wrinkles, no dark circles under the eyes, the skin is firm, maybe one or two zips that continue bothering you before your period comes. The only considerable body problem would be cellulite. Some girls get it when they are 14 or 15, due to hormonal changes that occur at that age, while others get it when they are a little bit over 20. At this age cellulite is mostly caused by an excessive retention of water in the body. Do not panic, as at this age cellulite is only in its early stages and can be defeated with a little bit of effort. By using constantly for a few months special gels that fight cellulite you can rest assure that your body will maintain its lovely shapes. Massage these products on the skin and avoid pinching as you can hurt some of the superficial blood vessels. Diet is also important: try not to consume too many fatty foods, and sodas. Pay attention to the way you dress, make sure your jeans are not too thin and that your belts and socks are not too tight as they can interfere with the process of blood irrigation of the tissues, leading to cellulite too. Also remember this: water is great for the skin so drink plenty of it every day.

When you are 30

At this age women have to deal with marks left behind by pregnancy. Stretch marks are not easy to deal with especially if you are genetically programmed to develop them. Taking care of your body before getting pregnant, during the pregnancy and after delivering the baby by applying special body lotions can help a little bit too. Aliments that increase the skin’s elasticity should be consumed more at this age: fruits, vegetables, yoghurt, minerals and proteins, eggs and especially fish. At the age of 30 wrinkles step forward taking the shape of fine lines on the forehead. You can start now applying daily creams that contain coenzyme q10 as they help your skin delay the wrinkle appearance process.

At the age of 40

As the level of estrogen starts to decrease now and the metabolism does not work so fast as it used to do when you were 20 you have to pay attention at your abdomen as fat might begin to deposit there. Every morning you should apply on the abdomen a body lotion based on coffee or sea algae extracts. Eat three times a week fish as it contains omega 3 acids which are great for reducing the fat from the blood. This way you not only maintain a perfect abdomen but also keep away atherosclerosis which is a deposit of fat on the walls of arteries.

When you are 50

At this age menopause normally installs, and your breast seem to loose their shape. Due to the lack of estrogens even the skin suffers and you are more exposed as ever to wrinkles. In order to maintain a great tonus of your breasts and arms you can do easy weight lifting every morning. Another great method for taking care of the breasts aspect is to apply once a week ice packages over the breasts. Leave them there for no more than 4 minutes. Also, apply special lotions and creams that nurture the breast’s skin and make sure you are well hydrated during the summer days.

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6 Mistakes That Make You Age Premature

Everybody wants to look great and maintain a young, healthy aspect of their skin for as long as they can. A lot of these people go for plastic surgery and pay a lot of money to keep on looking young. If you are not a fan of esthetic surgery or you don’t afford to go to a surgeon for a rejuvenation surgery, than you should know there are a few mistakes you must avoid doing and you will prolong your beauty for more years than you would have ever expected.

1. Give up smoking. Smoking has ravishing effects upon the skin’s beauty. Premature wrinkles, an unhealthy color of the skin and its dehydration are only a few damages that smoking causes, not to mention about cancer.

2. Do not expose yourself too much in the sun. The sun can be damaging for the skin if you stay too long for tanning. The unpleasant effects of tanning are not visible during the first years of lying in the sun. Wrinkles caused by excessive tanning appear only when it is too late to do something about them. Also, skin cancer is more and more frequent between young people and this is caused too by the devastating effects of the sun.

3. Sleep more. It has been proven that those who sleep more have a healthier aspect of the skin, are kept safe from obesity and diabetes and are even more cheerful and optimistic, just like teenagers are. So, try to sleep for at least 8 hours a night and you will assure a few more years of beauty for your skin.

4. Eat less sugar. Studies have shown that eating too much sugar and sweet products that are based on sugar can lead to serious heart conditions and obesity. Try to replace this addictive aliment with fruits and fresh vegetables.

5. The polluted air. Pollution can cause asthma, can trigger a certain sensibility to allergies and can make your skin loose its elasticity in time. Unfortunately, you can’t do much about this problem as you can’t just leave your job, sell your house and move to a cleaner city.

6. Watch your diet. Keep a balance between the healthy foods you eat and the unhealthy ones like saturated fats. I know it is not easy to remove the bad aliments entirely from the diet, but you should keep in mind that you can always replace some of those saturated fats with sea food, olive oil, avocado and coconut. Drink plenty of water daily so that they maintain your body hydrated and your skin young. Keep away from too much alcohol and replace pure alcohol with small quantities of red wine. This will keep your heart and blood vessels going on the right track.

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Are Cosmetics Healthy Or A Source Of Slow Poisoning For Us?

We like to take care of our body and spoil it with all kinds of lotions, creams and perfumes. Also, a lot of us enjoy wearing make-up and so, we try a lot of products that enchant our senses with their lovely aspect and scent trying to convince our ears that they are only protecting the skin against aging, pollution, extreme weather and other dangerous factors for our healthy exterior aspect. But have you ever wondered if these products we use are really good for us?

Let’s take hair dye for example. We use it to change our aspect or to maintain the initial color of the hair when we age and the hair looses its pigment. The bad thing about this cosmetic product is the fact that it contains aromatic amines like toluene and another two compounds that seem to trigger cancer: para-phenylenediamine and tetrahydro-6-nitroquinoxaline. Until now possible cancerous effects of these substances have been proven on animals. Also, a study made by the University of Southern California stated that using permanent hair dyes every month exposes women to bladder cancer. The solution would be using natural hair dyes, or semi-permanent or temporary hair dyes.

Even perfumes seem to be unhealthy for us. We enjoy so much using them but we have no idea to what risks we voluntarily expose ourselves to: synthetic musk seems to be responsible for irregularities that appear in the endocrine system. Nitrate musk like xylene also seems to have a certain involvement into fertility and reproduction problems, as well as cancer. If you still want to use perfumes after reading this, I guess you should look for natural, organic perfumes.

Make-up effects on health. Well, when it comes to make-up, all I can say is that you have reached the paradise of synthetic colorants and you expose yourself to great risks. Lipsticks may contain lead and aluminum which I guess you already know that it triggers Alzheimer’s disease. Watch out for formaldehyde which is used as a preservative and disinfectant. It is considered a carcinogen substance. Avoid coal tar as it has a certain involvement into triggering asthma and allergic reactions, as well as headaches and nervousness. Look on the fine list on any make-up product before buying it. Even though it might state that it contains aloe vera extract for example, you have to make sure it does not also contain carcinogen substances.

As you can see cosmetics aren’t that great as we thought. They might make us look great and improve our self-esteem, but in the end if a disease is triggered by them I don’t think you will still want to look great and be unhealthy. Try to use house made products for taking care of your skin because nature offers us so much help and all we have to do is accept it in order to remain healthy.

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Tips For Getting Rid Of Dark Eye Circles

Usually dark circles under the eyes reflect the lack of sleep, the fatigue and tiredness you might suffer of. In some cases these unpleasant dark circles underneath the eyes show an organic problem: heart, kidney or thyroid affections.

If after trying the next solutions for removing the dark circles you still don’t get any positive effects than you should go to your general practitioner and check if you don’t suffer of one of the previously mentioned organic affections.

1. Black tea bags. As the back tea has antioxidant properties and improves blood circulation, you can be sure that your dark circles and even the bags under the eyes will resorb and fade away. As the effect of black tea is only temporary you should apply this herbal solution every day. Here is how you do it: take two tea bags that you have used for preparing your afternoon tea and place them in the fridge for one hour. Apply them on your closed eyes and wait 15 minutes before removing them.

2. Ice. You can use two cubs of ice too as they stimulate the blood stream and contract the blood vessels. In this way the eyes become clearer and brighter and the dark circles from underneath the eyes will fade away.

3. Cucumber slices. As cucumbers contain antioxidant substances too, they are just perfect for tired eyes. They also contain a lot of vitamin K which is useful for protein production and for stimulating the blood circulation. Apply two cold cucumber slices over your eyes and keep them there for 10 minutes. You will observe positive effects right after removing them. You can apply them twice a day: in the morning and in the evening, or whenever you know you have an important date and you want to look great.

4. Gels and creams. They are a more practical solution nowadays, but they still don’t have a permanent effect against dark eye circles. A lot of these creams and gels are based on natural substance too, like: coffee, black tea extract or chamomile. They must be applied only on a clean skin, in the morning and in the evening. You might also find o the market anti dark eye circles masks. These are to be kept in the fridge first and then applied on the skin. They have a great effect, but if the dark eye circles are caused by an organic condition then they will only improve the aspect of the dark eye circles instead of removing them.

No matter what solution you choose to use against dark eye circles, you should also try to get more sleep and see if this lack of sleep is the source of your dark eye circles. Some women have an inherited pattern in what concerns dark eye circles and in their case the positive effects after applying these natural remedies are quite minimum. For their situation only the esthetic surgery might be the best solution.

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The Benefits Of Green Tea When Talking About Beauty

Green tea has antioxidant properties and is used internally by a lot of people for maintaining the body young and full of energy. What some people don’t know is the fact that green tea can be used externally too, being a beauty allied.

Green tea is an excellent natural solution for treating acne and oily skin. Due to its antioxidant, antibacterial and astringent properties, green tea has a tremendous influence upon dilated pores, black heads and acne. In order to treat the skin that is affected by these previously mentioned problems you should apply regularly on a clean skin warm bandages with green tea.

Another way of applying green tea on the skin is by pulverization. Do this thing after removing your make up and cleaning the skin of the daily atmosphere impurities. In order to have a maximum effect, this external treatment should be associated with the internal therapy. This means that 2 or 3 cups of tea consumed daily will contribute a lot to the detoxification of your body, and will also improve the aspect of your skin.

Green tea is also great for diminishing dark under eye circles. Here is the trick: remove all the make-up from your skin and then apply cold green tea bags on your eyelids. The magical effect on the green tea will be visible right after 15 minutes: the dark circles and the unaesthetic under eye bags will disappear like if they never were there.

If your skin has a tired, unhealthy aspect, green tea can save you once again. Use green tea ice cubes for massaging your skin, in a delicate way. This procedure will reduce the dimension of the skin pores and will improve the blood circulation at this level. You can consider this treatment as a natural face lifting as in the end you will notice how changed and rejuvenated your skin looks. For the days you don’t have the time for such a treatment and you want your skin to remain fresh all day long, carry with you a small bottle attached to a pulverizer and fill it up with fresh green tea. Whenever in need pulverize on your skin some of this tea and you will feel refreshed right away.

You can find on the marked special skin products that contain green tea in their composition and you can use them if you do not have the time to prepare daily fresh green tea for applying on your skin. They might have a resembling effect, or even more depending on what other active substances they contain in their composition.

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Tips For Keeping Acne Under Control

Acne is not an easy condition to deal with. Once it has got to affect your skin and if not treated in time or properly, with the right substances, it seems that it conquers day by day more and more of the healthy skin.

In order to prevent acne from extending it is best to know the right solutions for preventing acne breakouts, this leading to a better control of this condition. A lot of people, especially teenagers find it difficult to keep acne under control especially when they see that acne is marching faster than they do in this fight. Many acne sufferers find their one great solution for keeping acne under control, and if they stick to it they manage to win this long battle for a healthy looking skin. But this solution might work only in their case and not in the case of other people. So, finding the right, perfect solution for managing acne takes some time and a lot of patience.

There are a few important base lines that influence acne control, and they are: keeping the skin pores clean, unclogging the already clogged pores, managing infection and reducing the redness that comes along with acne. Using delicate oil free products for cleaning your skin daily can help with preventing pores from getting clogged. On the market you will find face cleansing products that contain benzol peroxide and you should use them with trust.

Along with the daily taking care of the skin you should include in your beauty program exfoliation. You can do this once a week with a mild exfoliating gel, not a harsh one as your skin is already sensible and there is no need for injury. A mild exfoliation will remove the dry, dead cells from your skin, unblocking the pores and leaving a smooth, healthier skin behind. The process of exfoliation should be performed before bedtime, as during the night the skin will regenerate better and in the morning the positive results will be visible.

Some exfoliating products are meant for daily use and they come as creams that should be applied only on affected areas. These creams contain azelaic acid or sulfur or salicylic acid. All these compounds dry the skin extremely until it exfoliates on its own. This is why they should only be applied on the skin areas that suffer of acne and not on the healthy skin.

Sometimes acne breakouts are caused by bacteria and so an internal treatment with antibiotic drugs should be followed. If you go to a dermatologist you will probably receive a prescription for such medication. Follow the treatment as prescribed and you will manage the breakout. After that the daily external treatment should allow you to keep acne under control.

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What Not To Do When Suffering From Acne

When it comes about getting rid of acne and of the unaesthetic pimples that seem to appear when we mostly need a clean face, a lot of people tend to apply several drastic, not certified measures for resolving this problem without considering the fact that they might only make things worse.

One of the most popular ideas is squeezing pimples out. This is definitely not the best solution to apply on the face as even though it might induce you the idea that you have speed up things a little bit the only thing you actually do is traumatize your skin, leave an opened gate to germs, cause a scar and not even remove entirely the pimple. Don’t expose yourself to the risk of making things worse; just let the pimple take its time on healing.

Some people apply toothpaste on their skin irritations. Ten years ago this trick might have worked as the toothpaste existing on the market those days would have dried out the pimple quite fast. The new generation of toothpastes has in its composition substances that are meant to keep tartar away and for pimples they only make things worse as they do not destroy the bacteria that cause the pimples to appear.

After reading the fact that one of the acne causes is the clogging up of the pores, the idea of scrubbing the face seems quite bright and a perfect solution. The bad thing is using the scrub for each washing up. Scrubbing is normally used once a week and using it oftener can only cause more irritations and delay the process of healing. The solution is to use a gentle scrub once a week and apply it with your hands not with a washcloth.

Don’t use too many face products at once. It is best to buy face products from the same producer, not combine the wash gel from one producer and the toner and cream from other manufacturers. Some substances these products contain might not react well one with each other on your face and you might get your sensitive skin irritated. Also, do not exaggerate with using these products: twice a day, in the morning and in the evening is enough. Of course if you go to the gym you should cleanse your face too after ending your exercising program.

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5 Easy To Apply Tips For Getting A Shiny Hair

Shiny hair is most often associated with the idea of a healthy hair. Movie stars, models and a lot of other celebrities invest a lot of money in their image, and mostly in their hair. Don’t think that all the public faces we see on TV were born with incredible locks. You can have a glamorous look quite easy, and cheap if using natural products that you can find at any time in your own kitchen.

Here are some tips that will help you get a shiny, healthy looking hair:

    1. Try a hair mask made of eggs and olive oil. This is an old, but efficient recipe for all hair types. If you have a short hair you should use two eggs, if your hair is long use three eggs. Here is how you prepare the mask: you mix the eggs with two table spoons of olive oil (or just one spoon of olive oil if you have an oily hair type). Then you apply this mixture on your hair, beginning with the roots and down to the ending of the hair. You should leave this hair mask on for about 30 minutes. Then wash your hair with your regular shampoo and dry it gently.

    2. The simple avocado mask. Avocado is a great nourishing fruit for hair so you can use it by its own for treating your hair. Mash one avocado (or two if you have a long hair) in any bowl you have around in the kitchen and do that until you get a thick paste. Apply this paste from root to tip and wait for 20-30 minutes. After you are done with that you can wash your hair as you normally do each time.

    3. Coconut oil. This solution is most ideal for women who have a dry hair type or have a severely damaged hair. If you have an oily hair type you should not use coconut oil as it will only make your hair even oilier. So, first you should prepare a warm/hot towel (depending on how you can stand the heat) as you will wrap your hair with it after applying the mask. Then warm up three or four spoons of coconut oil and prepare for applying it on your hair. The coconut oil can be applied quite easy if using a comb. So, apply a little bit of coconut oil on the roots and then gently comb your hair so that you spread the oil till the tip of the hair. After finishing this, wrap the hair in the hot towel and wait for 30 minutes to pass. Afterwards you should wash you hair with shampoo and rinse it very well.

    4. Apple cider vinegar. This is a great solution for women who have oily hair. After washing your hair with your regular shampoo and rinsing it with water, you should rinse your hair again with a solution made of half a cup of apple cider vinegar and one quart of water. After drying your hair you will notice that it looks shinier and it seems softer than before.

    5. Good old lemon. Lemon is a great allied for blonde locks. After washing your hair with shampoo and rinsing it with warm water as you normally do, rinse it one more time with a solution made of one lemon’s juice and one glass of water. Your hair will look a lot shinier and will also get blonder after repeating this procedure in the next days.

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Facial Masks: Tips For Obtaining A Beautiful Skin

There is no secret any more that by applying the right face mask for your skin you can get a rejuvenating effect in just 20 minutes. Instead of wasting money on expensive skin treatments and lotions you can go for applying home made natural facial masks that will generally offer you the same expected result: a healthy looking skin.

Still, before applying any facial mask you should know that there are a few things you should always keep in mind if you want to get a maximum effect from your facial mask:

1.  In preparing the mask always use ingredients that are suitable for your skin type. For example: do not use olive oil if you know you have an oily skin type. Use instead aloe vera Face Maskextract, mud or clay, lemon juice. For a sensitive skin you can go for chamomile or even cucumber.

2.  Before applying the mask on the face make sure your skin is well cleaned up. By using the mask on a skin that has not been washed up you might not get the maximum effect that you expect from that mask and you might even get a skin rash.

3.  If you are using products that you have never tried before on your skin you should test them first on the inside of the elbow or behind your ear, especially if you know that your skin is sensitive.

4.  After applying the mask and waiting 20-30min (depending on how fast the mask gets dry) you should rinse it off with warm water ending this procedure with cold water so that your pores close up well. Afterwards moisturising is indicated for increasing the benefits you get out of using a facial mask.

5.  If you have acne I reccomend that you use a clay mask. Here is how you prepare it: add two tea spoons of clay powder, mix it with a few drops of water (until you get a creamy effect) in a porcelain bowl with a wooden stick (you should not use metal spoons or bowls for preparing clay mas as they don’t interact very well). Apply the creamy mask on the face keeping a certain distance from the eyes and the mouth, and wait untill it dryes out. Remove it with warm water and then rinse with cold water. You can also apply in the end an oil free cream in case you feel that your skin gets too dry.

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5 Simple But Yet Essential Tips On How To Maintain Your Hair Healthy

Some women are born with beautiful hair and they don’t have to worry about volumizing, about bad hair days or about the fact that they might loose their hair before they get very old. Besides these lucky cases, we can say that the rest of us need some information on how to take care better of our hair in order to have a better external aspect and of course an improved self esteem.

These tips I will give you in this article are easy to apply, are not expensive and will generally inform you on how to correctly take care of your hair.

1. Diet is 50% responsible of your hair’s aspect. You should know that when your body lacks essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, your hair, nails and skin will be pointing this thing out. A hair that has lost its shiny aspect, that looks friable and even seems to have lost its natural volume is definitely hungry for essential nutrients. Try to follow a balanced diet, and to eat a little bit from everything. Best include in your alimentation foods that are rich in calcium, proteins and iron. Some vitamins are also important for the hair’s growth: vitamin B and C.

2. Be careful how you comb your hair. Some women have this bad habit of roughly combing their hair when it is wet and they only manage to traumatize it. The thing is that a wet hair is very fragile and can be harmed quite easily in that moment and this is why you should comb your hair after you have tapped it first with a dry towel. Also, you should first use a special wide tooth comb for separating the hair tangles and only afterwards use your normal hair comb.

3. Use conditioner. Even though you might always be on the run with daily chars, you should take your time when washing your hair. Always apply conditioner as it will protect your hair against air pollution, chlorine, intense sun light and hard water. In case you have an oily hair you should avoid applying the conditioner on the hair roots and keep it only for the ends.

4. Go to the hairdresser regularly. Normally you should go there every six weeks for taking care of your split ends and once a week for a scalp massage. Improving your blood circulation in the scalp will surely enhance your hair growth.

5. Wear a hairstyle that is appropriate for your physiognomy and your hair type. The hair stylist will be able to advice you on what your hair needs for maintaining its volume and best aspect. Try not to abuse of too many hairstyle changes that might damage your hair irreversibly (and here I mention changing color too often, adopting perms and using hair irons every day).

Treat your hair with patience and respect and you will see you will be rewarded ten times greater, as a perfect hair aspect can do wonders with your self esteem and can open you many doors in life.

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Age Skin Spots And Their Solution

The medical term for these skin spots is lentigo, but people often refer to them as age spots or liver spots. Dermatologists say that these skin spots are not caused by the advanced age itself but they are actually large, smooth freckles that usually become visible due to the sunlight’s influence upon them. So, you might wonder why do they call them age spots after all? The answer is that these spots occur most often due to a lot of sun exposure during lifetime and they will become visible on the skin only with aging. The thing is that age spots can appear at a 30 or 40 year old person too if this person has exposed itself to sun excessively until reaching this age.

Age skin spots are round areas of a brownish color appearing especially on the back of the hands, on the shoulders, on the neck and even on the face.

In order to prevent getting age spots you should consider using a sunscreen every time you go outdoors. Even if you already have age spots you still can help preventing their color from getting more intense if you apply sunscreen on them. Not to mention that you prevent skin cancer too by using such creams and lotions. The sunscreen you will be applying should have a high screen protection factor, of at least 15.

Another thing you can do in order to limit age spots from appearing on your face and neck skin would be wearing a cotton hat with a large brim every time you go to the beach or for a walk in the city. I know this solution might not be to fancy but at least you will minimize the odds of getting even more age skin spots. Baseball hats are good, but not good enough as they only protect your forehead skin and leave your ears, neck, and half of your face exposed to the intense sunlight.

Try to avoid sunlight especially if you have a light skin. It is best to do your groceries and any other business you might have in the morning or late in the evening when the sun is not strong enough to burn your skin. If going to the beach take an umbrella with you and use it when the sun gets to strong.

If you have age spots that bother you and affect your self esteem then you should try bleaching creams. These creams if containing hydroquinone can do magic with medium sized spots that are not too dark in color. These creams can be applied twice a day, but you should be careful to use them only on the affected areas, and avoid applying them on the normal pigmented skin areas for you will remove the pigment from your healthy skin area too.

Be patient, as such creams do not work their magic over night. It will take 6 months and up to one year for getting a normal colored skin.

Another solution offered by dermatologists would be chemical peeling or laser treatment. These are expensive options that not all of us can afford and also require some sacrifices, like not exposing the skin to the light for a few days after the procedure is done as the skin will be too sensible even for a normal sunlight.

The last and most comfortable solution, especially if you are a woman, would be using make-up. If the age spots are not too dark then they can easily be hidden under a light, natural make-up.

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Some Useful Tips On How To Remove Freckles

Some people seem to find a few freckles quite attractive and special while others seem to be willing to do anything just to get them removed from their skin. In some cases the presence of too many freckles can be damaging for the person who owns them, as they can cause low self esteem that is not easy to repair once broken. For those who need some guidance on how to remove or at least make freckles less visible, here are a few ideas that seem to work.

1. It seems that freckles have a predisposition of appearing in spring and summer when we expose our skin more in the sunlight. A good thing to do in order to minimize the occurrence of freckles during these seasons would be applying plenty of sunscreens, especially those rating an SPF of 20 or above.

2. Bleaching creams are also a useful solution. You should purchase creams that contain hydroquinone and kojic acid, which can be obtained without a prescription. With these creams you have to be patient as their effect is visible only after months of continuous usage. In more resistant freckles you should see a dermatologist who can prescribe you a stronger cream against freckels.

3. Other more expensive freckle removal solutions would be laser therapy and cryosurgery. The last procedure involves the usage of liquid nitrogen for freezing each freckle one by one. If you opt for these procedures make sure you go to a specialized clinic not to a cosmetic saloon.

4. I have also looked into several natural methods you can use for taking care of your freckles. You can try a face mask made of lemon juice, parsley juice, and red currant juice in equal quantities, mixed with a little bit of cream or yoghurt. This mask should be applied a few times a week for visible effects.

5. Another natural mask could be obtained from cucumbers, strawberries and apricots mashed up and used together or separately with clay powder. Keep this mask for 20 minutes and then rinse it of with warm water.

I have learned in time that even though we can not get to look as great as we would like to there is no reason for feeling bad and disappointed, and we should always look on the bright side of the things and discover and highlight the good parts of our body instead.

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