February 23, 2012

How to Have Healthy Glowing Skin

August 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Image via Flickr (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You love the glow healthy skin gives you, and you want to achieve that look every day. But healthy, glowing skin doesn’t just show up overnight. You have to take proper care of your skin to get the look you want. Follow these steps to help make your skin glow:

Cleanse Properly

The first step to achieving a healthy glow is proper cleansing. Determine your skin type: Is it normal, dry, oily or a combination? Once you have your answer, you’ll be able to find the right type of cleanser. Gently wash your face using your hands or a washcloth. Don’t scrub your face, as this can cause irritation. Rinse your face thoroughly with warm water, followed by a splash of cold water, and pat dry. Cleanse your face twice a day. Make sure you’re removing all of your makeup when you cleanse before bed.

Moisturize

Moisturizing your skin is important, even if you have oily skin. Use a moisturizer made for your skin type after washing your face. Gently dab on a small amount — about the size of a pea — and spread it evenly into your skin. Let it soak in naturally. Don’t apply your makeup until it has completely absorbed into your skin. Use a nighttime moisturizer before bed to help keep your skin soft, which will help it glow.

Photo via Flickr (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use Sunscreen

Don’t forget to add sunscreen to avoid exposure to harmful UV rays. Use a moisturizer with sunscreen built in for the added protection and convenience. You’ll want to use a product that contains an SPF of at least 30 for proper protection.

Exfoliate

Once a week, use a microdermabrasion system or exfoliating cleanser with microbeads to gently exfoliate your skin and remove dead skin cells. This will reveal the healthy skin underneath and help your skin glow. Rinse your skin thoroughly after allowing the product to sit for the amount of time directed, and then moisturize your skin.

Use a Facial Mask

In addition to exfoliating your skin, you may want to use a facial mask. Masks can remove excess dirt and oil from deep below your pores to help expose fresh, glowing skin. You can choose from several types, including clay, gel, fruit extract and yogurt. The easiest mask to use is a mix of oatmeal and water or milk.

By following these steps, you’ll help the glowing skin you have hidden beneath the surface come out. It only takes a few minutes a day and an hour or two extra a week to get soft, healthy skin and rosy cheeks. When shopping for the right products for your cleansing regimen, check out skin care products on eBay. You can find exactly what you’re looking for at great prices. Start your skin regimen today, and reveal the skin hiding beneath the surface.

Filed Under: Diet & Nutrition, Exercise Tagged With: , , ,

Stress Relief: How to Handle Life’s Nasty Curveballs

July 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Stress. Just hearing the word causes one’s blood pressure to rise. According to the American Institute of Stress, it’s the #1 health problem in the country. Yet, for some reason, we tend to let it rule our lives. But why should we let this nasty hang around?

Think about it. If you had a friend who continuously increased your heart rate, had you feeling anxious and caused you many sleepless nights, you would give them the boot, right? So why on earth do we let stress hang around when it does all of those things?  Often there are solutions to our stress like a paycheck advance when money is tight, or tips to reduce your stress at work.  This is the guide to manage all of life’s many issues.

Erasing Stress

 Stress has become the nasty little friend that we can’t seem to get rid of. If you are a woman, you are three times more likely to report experiencing stress than your man.

What can you do if you want to say goodbye to stress? Well, unless you shut yourself off from the modern world, not much. There are, however, different ways you can deal with the stress that pops up in your life.

Home Sweet Stress

 Stress in the home is a big trigger for many people. Depending on your lifestyle, there are many things which can be triggers such as

  • screaming children,
  • fighting parents,
  • noisy neighbors, and
  • no privacy

to only name a few.

Dealing with stress in the home can be tricky. Although situations can be short term, some can last longer, especially if a situation such as divorce or illness is introduced. Although caring for your family is probably your number #1 priority, it is important to take time out for yourself.

It could be anything, from a few minutes to an entire day. Catch up with a friend, read a book, or meditate. Do whatever your heart desires, and maybe later down the track your heart won’t palpitate from all the stress!

Working Is a Health Hazard

 According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety

  • 40% of workers surveyed reported that their job was very or extremely stressful
  • 25% of workers surveyed viewed their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives
  • 26% of workers surveyed said they were “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work”

For many, work related stress is created from being a ‘yes’ person. These are the lovely people who take on any task shoved at them. The only problem for them is that, even though this may look favorable to bosses, the added and unnecessary workload creates pressure and, ultimately, stress. If this sounds like you, then it’s time you start saying no.

Although doing anything and everything asked of you may do your career good, what good is a career if you don’t have your health? Pace yourself and only take on as much as you can handle and that is within your job description.

Stress Is a Part of Life

 Stress is a significant contributor to illness and disease. Trauma experienced at a young age can continue to cause problems  throughout a person’s life. The stress of such traumatic incidents as abuse, an accident, or even a major illness such as Leukemia can continue to have ramifications into adulthood.

Counseling can help keep stress from childhood trauma under control. It can be through a professional therapy session or just a casual chat with a family member or friend. Bottling emotions up inside will only feed the stress monster, so share the load and it will lighten a little. If you’re feeling stressed and don’t have anyone to talk to, write it down in a journal.

Take Some Advice from Country Folk

 Scientists have recently found that those living in cities experience higher levels of stress than those who live in the country. Sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? Of those who participated in the study, it was found that those who lived in cities have weaker coping mechanisms for stressful situations than those who did not live in cities.

Surely those who live in bustling cities would be more adapted to stressful situations because they would be surrounded by them every day. According to the scientists, not so! A country reprieve allows the mind and body to recuperate and gather its thoughts, so to speak. If you live in a city, the chaos does not allow you to do this.

If you live in a bustling city, take a day trip on the weekend to escape the rat race for a few hours. If you live near a coastline, visit a beach. If not, find a quiet park to enjoy some time with family or friends, or just to meditate!

Money Can’t Buy You Love…

 But it can buy you stress! Many people list finances as a major stressor in their lives. Whether it be too little or too much (yes that’s right, some people stress because they have too much money), the financial burden can be agonizing. In the current economic environment, some of the leading causes of stress include:

  • job loss,
  • mortgage foreclosure,
  • debt and
  • bankruptcy

If you suddenly find yourself in a stressful financial situation, ways of bringing in some extra cash include:

  • having a clean out and a yard sale
  • selling home made goods to neighbors
  • doing odd jobs for people, such as lawn mowing or dog walking
  • renting out a spare room or car space
  • getting a payday advance

The Body Remembers

 Old habits die hard. For many, when a stressful situation emerges, they run for comfort food. This will only end up making the situation (and your health) worse. If you are feeling stressed, skip the cookies and go for a walk, a run, or turn up the music and dance around your bedroom.

Bad habits we have developed as children to deal with stress follow us into our adult lives. The more you reinforce these bad habits, the stronger they become. Taking the first step to healthier stress management is hard, but every step gets easier.

The more steps you take, the more your body will remember to think of activity instead of food in a stressful situation. Your health (and your waistline) will thank you later!

CONCLUSION:

If all else fails, laugh at yourself! Laughter and the act of smiling increases the production of endorphins in the brain. They’re what will get you feeling good when you’re feeling stressed.

Watch a funny movie or just joke around with your friends. It will not only help to relieve all of your stress, it will improve your health and make you feel better. And anyway, If you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

Filed Under: Mental Health Guidance, Tips & Tricks

Prevention Tips to Help You Stay Healthy

July 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Healthy eating pyramid similar to that of the ...

Image via Wikipedia

 

 

As you age, it becomes increasingly important to take care of your health. The best way to prevent illness and injury is to start getting your body in shape early on in life.

One way you can prevent illness is to eat healthy. Having a good diet makes it easier to control your weight, gives you more energy and keeps your body working at its best. This can be simple to do by cutting down on high fat foods, avoiding eating out too often and keep caffeine to a minimum. You can eat sweets, but do so in moderation. This reduces your chances of becoming overweight and having heart disease later in life.

A good exercise program is vital to keeping your blood pressure low, your weight under control and your bones healthy. Lifting weights keeps your bones strong and reduces the chances of osteoporosis, especially in women. Find an activity that you enjoy doing and spend at least thirty minutes a day doing it. This will give you plenty of exercise and keep you fit and trim. It is also a good idea to change the kind of exercise that you do every so often. This prevents your muscles from becoming accustomed to a particular type of exercise.

Seeing your doctor for regular checkups is another good preventative measure. This helps to make sure that any illness or disease is caught early and treated. Your doctor can help you to find a good eating and exercise plan with suggestions on how to best get started.

Filed Under: Diet & Nutrition, Exercise Tagged With: , ,

The Importance of Health Insurance for Families

July 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Having good health insurance is one of the best investments that you can make for your family. It can be a lifesaver when it comes to paying medical bills and related expenses.

When you set up your insurance policy at work, make sure that you understand all of the different plans and options that are available to you. Supplemental policies can be a huge help when it comes to unforseen circumstances such as job loss due to an injury, disability or other crisis. For example, supplemental disability insurance can help to pay bills if you become disabled and cannot work. Dental and vision insurance can also help with expenses for exams, glasses and other procedures.

You need to know your co-pay amount for doctor visits and how much your deductible is. A deductible is the amount that you must pay out of pocket before the insurance kicks in. This can range anywhere from $500 to over $1,000 dollars, depending on your company. It can also vary for different items, such as hospital visits, doctor visits and therapy. Talk with your agent to get a clear idea of what you will have to pay if an illness or accident occurs.

You should also add a life insurance policy for yourself and each of your family members. This can cover the costs of bills, funeral expenses and related costs if you or a family member were to pass away. Taking the time to get the right health insurance company can give you and your family greater piece of mind.

Filed Under: Benefits, Exercise Tagged With: , ,

Medical Care for Children

July 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Children need to have regular medical care each year to help prevent childhood illness and give them the best chance for a healthy life. Parents should start this preventative care from day one.

The most important thing for young children is to have their booster and immunization shots as scheduled. This is critical for avoiding childhood illnesses and to keep them healthy. Your doctor can give you information about the time frame when these need to be done. You should also have your child get an annual physical each year. This helps to identify problems, such as allergies, early and treat them before they become problematic.

The other healthcare provider your child needs to see each year is the dentist. A yearly exam and teeth cleaning can help to keep your child cavity free and instill lifelong habits for oral health. Your dentist can show them in a fun way the best methods for brushing and flossing their teeth every day.

At home, you can make sure that your child eats a healthy and well-rounded diet of fruits, vegetables, meat and grains. Teaching them good eating habits when they are young can help to build a lifetime of smart food choices. Encourage your child to try new foods that can give the needed nutrients and protein to keep them up and running. Minimize the amount of fast and processed food that they eat, which can cause heart disease and poor health later in life.

These tips will help you to keep your child fit, healthy and happy during the growing up years.

Filed Under: Benefits, Exercise Tagged With: , ,

Creating a Checklist for your Pregnancy

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There are a lot of things to prepare for when you’re pregnant. Women going through their first pregnancy are often worried about all the different things that could happen, good and bad, during their pregnancy.
While it’s a lot of work, once you give birth and hold your newborn baby in your arms, it will all be worth it.  From toning up and fighting off stress during pregnancy to creating a budget and thinking about becoming a working mother, there are many different things expecting mothers need to think about.
There’s a lot to take into consideration when you’re pregnant. What many people don’t always know is that there are decisions to make during each stage of a pre

gnancy. By creating your own pregnancy checklist, you can make things go more smoothly. The last thing expectant mothers need is stress.

The First Trimester

During your first trimester, you’ll be going to the doctor’s office quite often, which is normal. The main concern is what the insurance will cover. Before choosing a doctor, find out exactly what is covered. This is the best time to create a budget and begin saving up for items your baby is going to need.
Getting exercise is something you’re going to want to do during your pregnancy. Start out doing minor exercises and increase based on what your doctor recommends. Women going through their first pregnancy don’t always know how much exercise to do or what type of workout routines they can handle. When going to your first or second doctor’s appointment, ask your doctor some questions. Most doctors will help set some fitness goals for you to accomplish during your pregnancy.

The Second Trimester

Fetus at 8 weeks after fertilization 3D Pregna...

Image via Wikipedia

During the second trimester, your baby will need a few things. During this time, most mothers are going to think about their work situation. They will decide if they’re going to return to work full-time or on a part-time basis. Being a working mom can be a rewarding thing. If you’re returning to work full-time, it’s important to decide early on what you’re going to do for childcare. Some places require you sign up several months before the baby is even born.

The Third Trimester

During the third trimester, begin looking for a pediatrician. This is going to be the doctor that will be caring for your baby so take your time interviewing people before making a decision. If there are any baby items that still need to be purchased, it’s best to do this now. Be sure to prepare your baby bag for the hospital, send out thank you notes for the shower gifts, set up the nursery and install your car seat. Let your employers know when you’re taking off for your maternity leave and when you’ll be returning.
There are a lot of things to do in order to fully prepare for the birth of your baby. Having things all planned out in advance will make it go a lot better.

Filed Under: Diet & Nutrition

Helping Children Cope With Doctor’s Visits

June 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
House / Playing Doctor 

Image by lior shapira via Flickr

Doctor’s visits can be hard for adults so just imagine how difficult it can be for children. The buildings are often large and cold in spite of efforts to the contrary and with all the sick people sitting around, children may wonder if the place causes illnesses. A routine visit can be overwhelming but there are some ways to help them cope.

Read a children’s book about doctors

Many times we take for granted that children know what doctors do and some parents may believe it is not necessary for a child to know. Imagine if you were going to a strange man in a white jacket who wanted to look down your throat and you had no idea why! Reading a book about what doctors do can make them more comfortable with the idea.

Explain the visit beforehand

Preparing a child the day before will help a child deal with negative emotions and give them time to ask questions. Dragging a child into an unusual place without preparation can cause anxiety.Giving them an explanation of what will happen can cause them to feel more at ease and even look forward to the experience.

Play doctor

Children learn and process things through play time. Dress up as a doctor and walk your child through some of the activities they will experience. Look into their eyes, ears, throat and create fun by making up silly request like “do jumping jacks” Allow the child to be the doctor and be a willing patient, by the time the actual visit comes around they will feel secure and more willing to participate.

 

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , ,

Helping a child cope with sick siblings

June 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Sibling Shot 

Image by eryn.brianna via Flickr

It is hard enough for parents to deal with children that suffer with illnesses but when additional children are also part of the equation, the stress and concerns can be unbearable. Sadness, fear, jealousy,worry, guilt are just some of the emotions children endure when their siblings are ill. Already burdened parents may not even consider the stress the other children are under or they may feel guilty themselves for the pressures on the family.

Help children cope by providing a listening ear

A child that is healthy physically may be struggling emotionally. Ask how they are feeling and allow them to express themselves without being angry or judgemental. If you routinely get the answer “fine” or “o.k.” with no elaboration, have them write down what they are most scared of, excited about or worried about. Giving them a prompt may get the ball rolling.

Have a special time for the healthy child

Children with siblings that are ill often feel neglected and then feel guilty because of it. Having a time set aside for the well child to do something fun or spend quality time with mom or dad can go a long way in maintaining important relationships and showing the child that they are still important.

Let them help

Adults are not the only ones who have feelings of helplessness. Show a sibling that they are needed by teaching them simple tasks to help their brother or sister, this will create family unity and prevent feelings of isolation. Do not force a child to participate using threats or guilt but do give them the opportunity to be involved.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , ,

Why don’t more Americans exercise?

June 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
McDonalds on West 42nd Street in Times Square,... 

Image via Wikipedia

Whole government agencies have been created to assist Americans in loosing weight. The argument is that most diseases arise from poor habits that the American people end up paying for. The kicker is that most Americans know this. We know what makes us fat and or sick and that exercise is good for us yet there are many who only exercise sparingly or not at all? Why?

Freedom

The meaning of freedom is that we all get to decide what we want and what we don’t. As the poster child for freedom, Americans decide on a regular basis that they want another piece of cake and less time at the gym. Freedom is the ability to make choices for ourselves whether good/bad, wise or unwise. If we are going to be a free people than the decision to have another 400 calorie slice of pie is ours to make but the consequence will also be ours along with the responsibility to pay for them.

Excessive and permissive lifestyles

It is believed that Americans have too much of everything, because of this, addictive and excessive lifestyles are common. Fast food restaurants practically line the streets of every major city. Almost every retail establishment provides sweets and sodas of one type or another. So “bad-for-you” foods are accessible to the rich and poor. Not only this but it is permissible and expected to eat what you like, when you like. No one is scorned because they choose the Oreo Blast over a cup of fruit. In this country if you can afford it, you can have it and that is why people keep coming to America.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Exercise Tagged With: , ,

Taking Care of your Health in your Older Age

June 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Those first few grey hairs are turning into a mop of silvery white.

It takes a little longer when you get up in the morning and your grandchildren stare back at you blankly when you reminisce about your favorite movie stars and musicians. What you crave is a nice sit down and a cup of tea in the afternoon and maybe even a nap.

Yes, it’s official that you are getting old!

What can you do to ensure that you remain fit, healthy and active in your golden years?  Well there is actually quite a lot that you can do, but here are 6 tips to get you started:-

1. Daily exercise is really important, make sure you go for a walk every day, even if it’s just into town to pick up daily groceries or the newspaper.  If you live too far away to walk, then invest in a treadmill or an exercise bike so that you can get your heart pumping without going out into the cold.

2. Eat well! You may be retired and on a tighter budget, but look for specials at the deli counter and buy seasonal fresh vegetables.  Keeping your body fuelled with the best food possible is important.  If your body is full of the right vitamins and nutrients, then you are less likely to get ill.

3. Protection. This is very important, get your flu shot and immune defense vitamins such as vitamin c and zinc.  Keep warm on cold days and your body protected with a little force field of goodness and anti-oxidants.

4. Stress Less! It’s important as we get older not to let stress affect our lives.  Work stress, financial stress and family/relationship stress can all affect our health.  Work on the main stress factors in your life and how to reduce them. Take a small positive step in the right direction and you will soon feel the weight lifting from your shoulders.

5. Socialize. It can be hard to socialize with others on a regular basis, especially if you are living alone or just retired.  Social interaction, however, is important to keep our minds active and stimulated.  Join a volunteer group where you can engage with others, exercise and do some good for the community all at the same time.  Or maybe you have always wanted to write your memoirs?  Join a local writing or reading group and get those creative juices flowing!

6. Your life insurance policy. Healthy people spend less money on life insurance policies and premiums than those that lead unhealthy lifestyles. That means keeping fit can also keep your wallet healthy!

You may be heading towards the next chapter or your life, but that’s exactly what it is: the next chapter.  Your world hasn’t stopped and, yes, you may be getting a little older but you can still look after your body, your mind and your family. Who said retirement was boring?

 

Filed Under: Diet & Nutrition Tagged With: , ,
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