Look Bright and Young

Get rid of excess facial hair and dark underarms!!

Ways to get rid of unwanted facial hair: especially from the area below the chin. Facial hair is most commonly found on the upper lip, chin and sidelocks. Laser hair removal will give you the best possible results. In this method, a laser beam is transmitted down the hair shaft to destroy the hair root. The pain is minimal and so are side effects. This is especially true for lasers suited to Indian skin types. You will require several sessions-at 4-8 weeks interval-depending on the thickness and density of hair. Although it is not a permanent hair-removal method, it definitely reduces the appearance of hair by  80-90%. It is imperative that you get the procedure done by a trained and trusted dermatologist.

The reason for dark patches on underarms and thighs. Indians are prone to darkening of inner thighs, especially near the pubic area. Darkening of underarms related to weight. Ideally height, 4 feet 9 inches, should be weighing 48-49 kilos. Harmones could also be responsible for the dark patches. Repeated waxing of the pigmented area can aggravate pigmentation. You should instead go for permanent laser hair removal.

You could also try products such as as a hydroquinone or a Kojie acid cream. Take care not to use the hydroquinone cream for more than a month. Use a mild soap with no or minimum perfume. Avoid strong perfumes as they aggravate pigmentation. This kind of pigmentation takes a long time to clear up. After using products for a month, if you don't see any improvement. You consult a dermatologist. He/She may start you on procedures such as microderma-brasion or chemical peels that also reduce pigmentation.

|More

Back To Top

Related articles by Zemanta

• Remove Age Spots On Face - Belisi Rx Skin Care (slideshare.net)
• Laser Hair Removal: Treatment 26 (mt-soft.com.ar)
• Assara Laser Releases Complimentary E-book - 'Your Guide to Hair, Grooming, Beautiful Skin and Lasers' (prweb.com)
• Dreams of a Silky Smooth Body (fundable.com)

To-Do List

Image by Pink Sherbet Photography via Flickr

Research shows that list makers are healthier and happier. Here is why-plans 8 surprising ways this organisational basic improves every area of your life!

People every where are making lists-and they go way beyond what to buy at the suppermarket. Most of us, especially those who juggle work and home, keep to-do lists, and used them as a reminder to pay phone bills, or track long-term goals at office, or build better relationships by remembering to wish a distant nephew on his birthday. Earlier people managed well with just mental lists but now with the number of transactions and responsibilities going up, the need for a physical list (where you jot down tasks on a paper or on electronic diary) is keenly felt. This trend  has spawned a slew of websites and books devoted to the art of such inventories, and for good reason. New research shows that writing lists does the mind and body good in many ways, from making you happier to increasing your workout frequency. There's more, List making can also help you:

1 Gain Control Surprisingly: lists help us reach our goals even when we don't accomplish everything on them. Each time you cross something off, it's a mental reminder that you're  making progress, an advance that's both gratifying and empowering. People who are in detail-oriented jobs would do especially well with a list, with minor but important tasks listed in it. This can act as a stepping stone to the final goal.

2 Maximize Brainpower: You can keep only seven to nine different things in your working memory at the same time. So when you try to remember all the errands you need to run, you use up your cognitive energy. But if you make a list, you free up brainpower to analyse your tasks and priorities, delegate, or even eliminate some. Plus, you have a much better chance of actually picking up your stuff from the laundry. And you avoid wasting energy on less important jobs.

3: Make Tough Decision: If you're paralysed by indecision, make a brainstorm list. Jot down anything that comes to mind, no matter how improbable. Such spontaneous lists can reveal solutions or alternatives to your problem that you might not think of otherwise. The simple act of the problem on paper can also help you feel better equipped to handle it, as you can then focus on resources that will help you achieve the target of the decision reached.

4: Beat a Slump: List your happiest moments, such as the day you first fell in love or bought your puppy. Then close your eyes and relieve an event as though you were actually there. One study found that people who reminisced 10 minutes, twice a day, reported increased happiness after 1 week-and the more vivid the memories, the greater the gains.

5: Find Motivation: People who compiled weekly gratitude lists exercised for 80 minutes more per week than those who didn't, perhaps because they were more enthusiastic about life in general.

6: Achieve Balance:  When you seem to be losing sight of your priorities, make a "my-life-would be complete-if" list. By enumerating and giving priority to the things that would provide you the most lasting happiness, such as spending as spending more time with your family, you'll see where to focus your energy.

7: Feel Joy Every Day: Make a list of up to 100 personal pleasures from reading a good book to visiting a new restaurant, talking to an old friend. Pursue one a week, and start planning the more ambitious ventures within the year.

8: Boost Confidence: List-making can make you feel better about yourself and improve quality of life in general. Parents, seniors or bosses often complain that they had asked you to do 5 things and nothing has been done. Now with a list in place which helps you complete jobs, appreciation from others will work as a tonic and improve your capability. You will feel re-energised with a new-found condidence to take n more tasks and move ahead. The sense of accomplishment, at striking a task off, will be sweet.

|More

Back To Top

Related articles by Zemanta

• Money does not make you happy 'but therapy does' (telegraph.co.uk)
• Study: Feeling Bad Can Make You Smarter [Science Of Sadness] (jezebel.com)
• Stuff that, do this! (retailsmart.com.au)

Work-Life Balance

Image by aazz2009 via Flickr

 

Your worries are not unjustified; a lot depends on how you handle them. Our ability to cope with emotions affects our future. Many people have dealt with similar situations successfully, and you too can work towards creating a better future. Try these pointers to get a life you enjoy.

• Start a Career: Think about what you really enjoy doing. Do you enjoy activities that involve people or working alone? Are you a more logical or an emotional person? This can help you make a career choice. You could look at the IT industry, beauty, health and fitness or fashion designing as same options. Make a plan and start work, you self-esteem will improve.

• Take up new hobbies: Surf the Net for other fun activities that you feel naturally attracted to. It could be cooking, candle making, playing an instrument, or some sport or painting. This will keep you busy and may even develop into an interesting career.

• Build a social network: We need to inculcate a few qualities to start new friendships and we need to give up some old habits to stop losing friends. Once you start forming new friendships, add value to your friend's lives.

• Get involved with a social cause: Research shows that one way to feel happy is to contribute towards other people's welfare. Decide on the cause and the time you wish to dedicate to it.

• Think positive thoughts: Emotions that come up spontaneously are created by conditioned thought patterns. Therefore, identify the events that cause negative emotions and try to dissociate with them. Finally, from your mind it appears that you have a healthy life-style. So continue with Yoga and a healthy diet. Also, visualise positive situations you wish to create. This will definitely make you feel better!

|More

Back To Top

Look Good Easily

Effective  ways to get glowing skin and a thick mane Healthy,glowing skin needs daily care with the right products. Your daily skin care routine should include cleansing,moisturising,and a sun-screen. Clean your face with a mild face wash at least twice a day.Avoid using soaps,as they change the pH level of the skin.Remove make-up with good quality cleansing lotions. You are planning to take a profession that will require you to wear make-up for long hours.Therefore,make it a habit to hydtrate your skin well with a moisturising lotion before you go to sleep.The daily application of a sunscreen with SPF 30 will protect your skin from sun damage.Exercise should be the most important part of your routine.It helps flushing toxins out of your system through sweat,leaving us with clear skin.A daily diet of low fat milk,three different kinds of fruits,salads and vegetsbles,are also a must for healthy skin.

HOW CAN CONTROL HAIR FALL

Hairfall can be attributed to various causes-a recent,major illness (typhoid,malaria,jaundice,high grade fever),harmone imbalance or inadequate protein in your daily diet.Have three glasses of fat-free milk,three different kinds of fruits,two bowls of vegetables and salad/soups daily.Add supplements like vitamine B-complex and amino acid preparations to your diet;take them twice a day.

|More

Back To Top

How to grow taller by eating healthy

Image via Wikipedia

Do you want to grow the tall the natural way? Don't be fooled by scams that claims that doing certain exercises can stretch your body and make you taller. Your bones are not fatty,often all and such claims are preposterous. However, by altering your diet and how you dress,you can not only make yourself taller but prevent the height changes that often occur with old age. Many don't realize that their wor-drobe can effect how their height is perceived. For example,wearing khakis with a dark purple shirt may sounds stylish,but it actually makes you look shorter,as the contrasting colors bring attention to your middle,instead,wearing black pants and a black turtle neck will create a taller appearance.Similarity,pinstriped pants or stackings can make your legs look considerably longer. Your shoes are also important in helping you grow tall.It's obvious that wearing shoes with heels or un-sole will make you look taller,but did you know that by wearing strappy sandals,you can actually make yourself look shorter? By wearing bulkier shoes,such as boots,clogs or tennis shoes,you make your feet look bigger-which,strangely enough enhances your height. Your posture and diet also have drastic effects on not only whether or not you grow taller,but your health as well. By maintaining proper posture-spine straight shoulders back,chin held high-you not only look taller,but you are preventing many of the aches and pains that occur with poor postures as well. Keeping a diet that's rich in protein,calcium,amino acids and healthy calories can keep your bones and body strong.Calcium in particular is an important nutrient in preventing many bone deteriorating disease.Keeping your bones stronger in old age can keep them from shortening as your body gradually changes. Exercise can also be useful in helping you growth tall. While you are going through puberty,steady exercise can make your bones healthy and strong while speeding and enhancing your growth spurts at the same time. When you are older,slimming down and becoming muscular is a useful tool in looking taller.

|More

Back To Top

Stay Healthy All Winter

Image via Wikipedia

Foods that keep winter chills at bay and help you cheer up.

SNIFFLES AND BLUES don't have to be part and parcel of this season. You can keep them away by eating right. Winter is the season for keeping your immune system ticking as well as providing the the brain with "feel good" chemicals. Here is a list of foods that can help boost immunity and keep you warm and happy.

Beat the Blues

• FISH: Vitamin D, found in especially high levels in fish, can help relieve mood disorders by increasing the amount of serotonin-one of the neurotransmitters responsible for the feel good factor-in the brain. According to a study by the Department of Medicine, Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, St. Luis, low levels of Vitamin D were associated with poor moods and the inability to complete certain mental tests. Oily fish such as sardines, mackered and salmon are a good choice.

• EGGS: Eggs are rich in phospholipids that help keep the brain sharp as well as enhance our memory.

• ORANGES & SPINACH:  are commonly linked to Vitamin C, but they are also high in foliate. Foliate is said to play an important role in enhancing moods and like Vitamin B12, it helps in the creation of serotonin.

• NUTS AND SEEDS: Most nuts contain selenium, which helps in preventing depression and is vital for good mental health. Having 4 almonds and 2 walnuts a day can help keep the blues away.

Beat the Snifles

• VEGGIES-BEST EATEN SLIGHTLY CRUNCH: Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, mustard greens, spinach and fenugreek leaves are a protein source of beta-carotene, vitamins C, E, foliate and calcium. Orange and yellow coloured veggies such as pumpkin and squash are rich in carotenoids and Vitamin A-both powerful antioxidants. In a Boston University School of Medicine study, researchers observed that pregnant women who consume at least seven servings (80 g per serving) of fruits and vegetables per day reduce the risk of developing an upper respiratory tract infection.

• MUSHROOMS: such as shiitake, maitake, and reishi contain polysaccharides, sterols, vitamins, minerals anthat increase your immune function. Mushrooms are rich in zinc which has anti-oxidant and immunity boosting properties.

• WHOLE-GRAINS: Wholewheat, oats, quinoa, rye, jowar, bajra and brown rice are rich in B vitamins, zinc and selenium, which look after our immune system. Their fibre content keeps our intestines healthy, often considered the first line of defence against illness.

• SPICE: Onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, oregano are anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. They are also rich in anti-oxidants and can help ward off and fight infections. Ginger, for instance, is an excellent tonic for sore throats. 

• YOGURT: It may not seem like the ideal winter food, but yogurt helps to maintain the right balance of flora in the gut. The friendly bacteria in our gut help prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and candida, keeping infections at bay. They are also vital for optimal digestion.

|More

Back To Top

Food for Your Skin

GLOWING, SOFT, SUPPLE, RADIANT, FRESH, CLEAR, SMOOTH, like baby's bottom! Isn't that just the kind of skin you would want, for ever and ever? Although the skincare market is brimming with products that promise you glowing, blemish-free skin, nothing makes you as beautiful inside out as a healthy, skin-friendly diet.

Irrespective of skin type, to be at its best, your skin needs adequate supplies of B vitamins and anti-oxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, zinc and solenium. Anti-oxidants enhance the immune system's ability to fight it out better and cope with allergenes--essential for sensative skin types. Not to forget the importance of drinking plenty of water and consuming essential fats to moisturise skin from within. Therefore, the main foods to focus on are wholegrains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Increase consumption of essential fats such as Omega-3s, in the form of oily fish and flaxseeds. These foods calm inflammation and moisturise skin from within-crucial for dry skin, sugary, refined foods are best avoided as they are empty calories. Caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating, therefore not conducive for healthy, glowing skin either.. Smoking, which ruins your skin! Here are some tips for specific skin types.

Sensitive Skin

Look at food intolerences/allergies to ramp up your immunity as they play a huge role in skin flare-ups.

Eat this way:

• Keep a food diary and eliminatd  foods that cause skin reactions.
• Avoid processed, sugary and refined foods. Additives such as food dyes an and preservatives stimulate the body's inflammatory pathways.
• Sensitive skin is prone to redness and irritability.Deficiency of B vitamins can cause dry, flaky and sensitive skin, Therefore, eat more wholegrains, legumes and pulses-they are rich in B vitamins.

Oily Skin

Harmones have been linked to this skin type as they act on the sebaceous glands and stimulate them to produce excess sebum. If you have oily skin you should aim to balance your harmones.

Eat this way:

• Eat a varied diet rich in wholegrains, fruits and vegetables for adequate fibre intake.
• Focus on phytoestrogens from soya, chickpeas and lentils.
• There is also a possible link between a deficiency in Vitamin B2/B5 and oily skin. Wholegrains, beans and nuts are good sources of these vitamins.
• Feast on cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower as they are big in indoles that help eliminate excess oestrogen and hence balance hormones.
• Get more zinc from your diet to fight blemishes. Mushrooms and pumpkin seeds are good sources.
• Avoid xenoestrogens (chemicals that interfere with hormones) that are formed heating food in plastic containers in the microwave.
• Avoid saturated fats from dairy and red meats as they interfere with the metabolism of essential fatty acids.

 Dry Skin

Most of us complain of dryness in the winter months. However, it gets to be a problem when you have chronic rough patches, redness and irritation.

Eat this way:

• Vitamin E helps maintain skin elasticity and keeps it moisturised. Almonds, eggs, leafy greens, nuts, wheatgerm are rich sources.
• Ensure that your diet is rich in zinc as it helps skin to heal.
• Choose foods with high sulphur content as it promotes skin rejuvenation. Eggs, garlic and onions are good source of sulphur. 

|More

Back To Top

WEIGHT-LOSS simple guide

Image via Wikipedia

WALK for at least an hour a day to begin with.Don't worry about the speed or the distance you cover in the beginning.As you get stronger,focus on increasing the speed gradually.Aim at covering at least 6km in an hour in 2-3 months;time.While walking wear proper walking shoes and apparel in order to reduce chances of an injury.Hydrate well before,during and after the walk.Fix your walk time so you get into a routine.Otherwise results won't show.

JOIN a yoga class 2 months after you start walking.Yoga will improve your flexiblity and strength,gently.

GYMMING twice a week to your routine,4 to 6 months after you start walking. In addition,if you can, swim for half an hour once a week.

Your weight-loss plan will be incomplete without a diet intervention.Your diet should be low in fats and bereft of sugar in any form.Keep away from junk-food,colas,packageed juices and alcohol.Eat 5-6 small meals through the day in place of 3 bigger meals.This will rev up your metabolism and help you burn more calories.

Remember: this advice is applicable if you are otherwise healthy.If you have any ailment,it would require proper investigation;fitness advice would then differ.So first check with your doc.

|More

Back To Top

A Healthy Living-Stay Fit

HEALTH is not just mere absence of disease but a state of physical,mental, social,spritual and financial wel-being of a person.

Learn to live a healthy life: Diet and exercise are an integral part of staying fit and healthy. Proper nutrition along with exercise will help keep you in shape and keep you healthy. There are many types of diets and exercise for all types of people.

Walk or Jog-and get- fit

You don't have to pay gym fees or buy expensive equipment, Just slip into your sneakers

Done right,running or walking is the perfect exercise. It's convenient you can do it anywhere,at any time and it's cheap,since all you need is a good pair of shoes. It also provides a good cardiovascular,weight-bearing workout,so it helps to prevent osteoporosis and burns calories.

SHOES: A good shoe supports the foot as it absorbs three times your body weight during running. Look for light-weight shoes, breathable shoes with built-in cushioning. Running shoes have more shock-absorbent heels than walking shoes,which shoild allow your foot to move with a controlled,rolling motion from heel to toe. Higher prices reflect new features,but the key is how well they fit your-feet.

SOCKS: Polyster microfibre socks,designed to draw moisture away from the skin,help keep feet blister-free

SURFACES: Walk or run on the sofest,most even surfaces you can find.A running track is best as it contains a shock-absorbent rubber asphalt mix.otherwise,an asphalt road is better than a hard,concrete pavement or uneven grass. Consistently running along slopes increases risk of injury.

FORM: Adopt a comfortable posture leaning forward from the ankles,not from the hips or back. Be careful not to overstretch your stride length; this can tighten hamstrings and stress knees and other joints.

INTENSITY: If you can say two or three sentences without gasping for breath,you're in a good range. How hard does your workout feel? If zero is what you'd feel sitting on the sofa and ten is when you're working so hard you can't breathe,aim for five.

WARM UP AND COOL DOWN: Always warm up by walking or jogging lightly for 5-10 minutes.Do the same in reverse after exercise,to relax and loosen up. Then stretch muscles while they are still warm,for 15-30 seconds each,repeating 2-3 times.

|More

Back To Top