What's the Skinny on Your Skin?

How to Keep it Healthy and Young

Myriads of products on the market claim to make your skin look younger. But no anti-aging cream, exfoliating wash, European facial, age-defying makeup or herbal remedy is more powerful than the lifestyle steps every woman can take to keep her skin looking smooth and healthy for as long as possible.

Many people begin to develop fine lines around the eyes in their 40s. But any deep facial wrinkles that emerge before age 50 are generally attributable to the cumulative effects of sun exposure, cigarette smoking or both, according to cosmetic surgeons. This observation springs into dramatic relief when you compare the skin on your face and the backs of your hands to the relatively smooth, monotone skin of your buttocks.

To a lesser extent, yo-yo dieting, chronic exposure to wind and over-animated facial expressions may also contribute to premature skin aging.

Aside from Father Time, the only skin-aging factor beyond your control is genetics. If your grandmother and mother looked younger than their years, you and your children probably will, too, in middle age - particularly if you adopt a lifelong habit of using sunscreens, wearing wide-brimmed hats on sunny days, shunning tobacco and secondhand smoke, and avoiding yo-yo dieting and the other aforementioned risk factors.

Types of wrinkles

Dermatologists and plastic surgeons distinguish between two types of facial wrinkles: static and dynamic. Static wrinkles are always visible, even when all the facial muscles are resting. Static wrinkles tend to develop in skin that has thinned and stretched as a result of premature or natural aging processes.

Dynamic wrinkles occur in people of all ages, even young children. Sometimes called "laugh lines," dynamic wrinkles appear temporarily when a muscle contracts and causes the overlying skin to crease like an accordion. Dynamic wrinkles are seen only when you are smiling, raising your eyebrows or otherwise animating your facial expression.

How sunlight harms the skin

Think back to those golden summers of your youth. Like many pre-adolescent and teenage girls, you probably donned your bikini, slathered your body with baby oil and held those foil-covered sun reflectors under your chin in the quest for the perfect, golden tan.

No one told you that decades later your skin would pay the price for those sun-soaked days in the form of dryness, wrinkles, fine lines, liver spots and perhaps even skin cancer. Government health officials have estimated that half of a lifetime's worth of UV exposure occurs by age 18. One research study carried out in Australia found that people as young as 25 already had detectable photoaged skin on their face and the back of their hands--the parts of the body that are chronically exposed to UV radiation. Research indicates that about 90 percent of skin changes that begin in your 30s and 40s stem directly from "photoaging," or the cumulative effects of exposure to the sun's UV radiation.

Simply put, UV radiation - be it from the sun or a tanning bed - damages the DNA of skin cells. To make matters worse, the thinning of the Earth's protective ozone layer is believed to be amplifying UV radiation levels. It takes many years before enough microscopic damage accumulates to create wrinkles and other visible skin changes. Using sunscreens with a skin protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more will filter out most of these harmful UV rays. Even if you failed to use sunscreens in your youth, you can prevent further UV damage by using them religiously throughout the year, even on the ski slope.

During all outdoor activities, including gardening, playing sports, walking and jogging, as well as going to the beach, be sure to use a sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B radiation. Sunscreens work best when applied liberally to all exposed skin about 30 minutes before sun exposure and re-applied every few hours or after swimming or sweating. Don't miss the backs of your hands, and don't be fooled by an overcast day; UV light penetrates clouds and can still harm unprotected skin. Wearing a baseball cap or wide-brimmed hat in addition to your sunscreen offers an additional measure of protection.

How smoking ages the skin

It is well-known that cigarette smoking ages people on the inside by causing lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and an array of other health problems. But fewer people realize that smoking also ages your appearance. Chemicals inhaled from cigarette smoke constrict tiny blood vessels in the skin, reducing the oxygen and nutrient supply to delicate facial tissues. Blood-vessel constriction lasts at least an hour after a cigarette has been snuffed out. Over many years of smoking, the oxygen and nutrient deficiencies cause skin to wrinkle prematurely and lose elasticity, the ability to "bounce back" after being stretched. It is not unusual for the skin of longtime smokers to exhibit a grayish pallor.

To make matters worse, repeatedly pursing your lips around a cigarette hastens the formation of fine vertical lines around your mouth. Squinting when smoke gets in your eyes can cause premature wrinkling of the eyelids.

Dieting and skin aging

Cyclical, significant weight loss and gain, also known as "yo-yo" dieting, stretches the skin, causing it to lose its elasticity and making it more vulnerable to wrinkling and sagging under the force of gravity. Try to stay within five or 10 pounds of your ideal weight and avoid fad or crash diets.

How facial expressions age the skin

In a sense, skin has a "memory." If it is repeatedly folded in the same way by muscle contractions, permanent static lines will eventually form. This is common in sailors who constantly squint to protect their eyes from wind and sun glare. It also can be true of people who smile broadly much of the time and those who scowl a lot. Wearing sunglasses outdoors is one way to prevent continuous squinting. Another is to become aware of undue tension in your facial muscles and to make a conscious effort to relax your face.

Ways to keep your skin looking young

In general, some of the same steps that keep you healthy on the inside--such as not smoking and maintaining a normal weight also can help keep you looking healthy on the outside. Here are some steps you can take to help your skin look younger longer:

* Try to avoid sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are the strongest.


* Apply a sunscreen with SPF 15 or more on all exposed skin 30 minutes before going outdoors.


* Re-apply sunscreen after swimming or sweating.


* Do not sunbathe.


* When at the beach, stay under a beach umbrella, but also use sunscreens since sunlight reflecting off the sand and water can harm unprotected skin.


* Outdoors, wear wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves and pants.


* Wear makeup (foundations and lipsticks) that has a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.


* Avoid tanning booths.


* Don't smoke.


* Wear sunglasses outdoors.


* Use moisturizers to combat skin dryness.


* Use moisturizing soaps.


* Use a humidifier at home in winter when indoor air can be particularly dry.


* Ask your dermatologist about topical tretinoin emollient cream. This FDA-approved product may slow or stop additional photoaging when used to treat existing photoaging.


* Ask your dermatologist about alpha-hydroxy acid, which also may help reduce some visible signs of photoaging.




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Health and Fitness Supplements for Women

Many health and fitness supplements for women are making headlines today. They promise to help you lose weight, feel great, and even shed the pounds where you hate them the most. But are these supplements safe for you to use? And do they follow through on their promises? More studies are showing that health and fitness supplements for women may be a poor decision when it comes to the health of your body, causing more problems than solutions.

One of the first things to keep in mind with health and fitness supplements for women is that many of these have not been scientifically tested. While they might say they have been tested in their labs, this is not a definite indication of quality. Since supplements are not monitored by the FDA or tested before they get on the shelves, they can contain harmful ingredients that are only found to be harmful once people start reporting problems. Another consideration is that those supplements that have been tested may not have been tested on women exclusively. This means that they may contain higher levels of some ingredients that are safe for men but not for women.

Most fitness experts will tell you that health and fitness supplements for women are not advisable. Not only are they not addressing the problems or habits that have caused weight or health issues, but they may be adding to the problems at the same time. For example, when the diet pills starting being sold with Ephedra, they worked great. They gave users a lot of energy and helped them lose weight by reducing their appetite. But as users started to report heart palpitations and even some deaths, the safety of these pills was called into question. For the time, they were even taken off the market. While they're back on the market now, this does not mean that they're safe for you to take. Those items on the market may be ticking time bombs in your body – and do you really want to be the test subject?

Buying health and fitness supplements for women isn't the answer to your weight and health woes. There are no quick fixes when it comes to your health and to your weight. If you want to lose weight, you need to exercise more and eat less. These simple steps will not only allow you to healthfully lose weight, but you can also ensure that no unforeseen side effects occur along the way.

The health and fitness supplements for women that line the shelves of stores might be appealing right now, but if you were to have some of the awful side effects happen to you, you might not feel the same way. Why not follow the common sense advice that has worked for so many others? Sure, it might take a longer time to lose the weight you want to lose, but isn't that worth it when it comes to saving your health?

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3 Types of Food That Will Burn the Fat Right Off

Diets can be wonderful and diets can also be the pain in your butt. The thing is with diets you have to find a diet that is going to suit your body needs. I have known people who have gone through diet through diet and still have not found the diet that fits them the best yet. See I don't think you should have to keep trying and trying. Diets are all about eating the right food and when it comes to the diet that I have been doing lately all you have to do is eat the correct food. The right food that you should eat when it comes down to it is fruits, vegetables, and meats.

The food that you should be eating in your diet is fruits because they are good for the body. Fruits are awesome because they usually don't have too many calories and don't have too much fat so when you are eating them you are eating healthy. When you are going to reach for that extra snack during the day you should grab for a fruit because it is not going to put a dent into your health and it will probably if anything make you feel healthier.

The next food that you should be eating in your diet is vegetables because they too are good for your health. It is always good to eat salads and vegetables because they carry very little calories and are some of the best foods that you can eat. Remember when you were little and your parents always used to tell you to eat your vegetables well they did have a good point because vegetables are some of the best things that you can put into your body.

The final food that you should be eating in your diets is meats because they are a great source of protein. A great source of protein will help you meet your goal in trying to keep your body healthy because it will make your muscles grow. It is always a good thing to have bigger muscle because bigger muscles will help your body stay in shape. In the end eating meats will give you more protein that makes your muscles grow bigger so in essence you are keeping your body healthy.

Now diets aren't hard because I have just made them easy for you by telling you the food that is going to help you out the most with your diet.

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Drink Coffee to Keep Your Body and Brain Healthy

A cup of coffee daily will help you in more tactics than you think.

For instance, the daily dose of caffeine can keep Alzheimer's sickness in check, can help reduce cholesterol, protects against dementia, and decreases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

A daily dose of caffeine blocks the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists link with Alzheimer's illness.

Caffeine equivalent of just a daily cup of Joe could protect the blood-brain barrier ( BBB ) from damage that occurs with a fat heavy diet, according to a study. The BBB protects the central nervous system ( CNS ) from what's left of the body's circulation, providing the brain with its own controlled micro-environment.

Previous research has demonstrated that raised levels of cholesterol break down the BBB which will then no longer protect the CNS from the damage due to blood borne contamination. BBB leakage occurs in a variety of neurological disorders like Alzheimer's sickness.

In one report, researchers of School of North Dakota ( UND ) gave rabbits 3 mg caffeine daily or the equivalent of an average daily cup of joe. The rabbits were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet in this time. After 12 weeks some lab tests indicated the BBB was noticeably more intact in rabbits getting a daily dose of caffeine.

The findings of the study have been broadcast in the open access Book of Neuroinflammation. "Caffeine appears to block many of the disruptive results of cholesterol that make the blood-brain barrier leaky," says Jonathan Geige of UND. "High levels of cholesterol are a risk factor for Alzheimer's sickness, perhaps by compromising the defending nature of the blood-brain barrier. For the first time we've shown that chronic ingestion of caffeine protects the BBB from cholesterol-induced leakage.

Caffeine is a safe and generally available drug and its capacity to stabilise the blood-brain barrier means it could have a critical part to play in therapies against neurological disorders."

Danish and Swedish researchers have disclosed that folks who drank three to five cups of coffee daily were 60 5 % not as sure to have developed dementia, compared to people who drank 2 cups or less. Earlier studies have linked coffee to a number of health perks that will make a contribution to this latest finding.

Coffee drinkers have shown a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, less plaque formation in the brain, and reduced vascular risk - all three of these effects could contribute to lowering Alzheimer's risk. Coffee isn't the single thing that may help you boost your brain.

A new English study shows that vitamin D could help ward off dementia and lower your risk for Parkinson's sickness. You will supplement your brain with omega-3 fatty acids found in this power food. Caffeine would most likely not be good for pregnant moms as it increases the risk of miscarriage.

Yet another new report has discovered that drinking three cups of coffee daily can help forestall ovarian cancer in girls.

A gang of world analysts has carried out the study and made public that women who take caffeine matching to three cups of coffee common-or-garden are no longer as sure to develop ovarian cancer later in life. The team came to the conclusion after researching the effects of coffee intake on a grouping of nurses.

The researchers compared the diets of 80 thousand of these girls with the superiority of ovarian cancer as part of the study between 1976 and 2004. According to the researchers, 737 of them developed ovarian cancer in the study period. Those that had at least three cups of coffee a day were found to be 20% not as certain to develop the sickness than those that drank none. Likewise , folk who did not select hormone replacement care, the likelihood was 43% less.

The benefits and hazards of drinking coffee remain the subject of much debate. I am not saying that you should start drinking five cups of coffee a day if you do not already drink coffee.

Obviously you shouldn't feel so bad if you DO drink many cups a day. If you want to stay healthy for life, make this straightforward choice - it is the smartest thing you may do for your brain.

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Foods To Help You Have Healthier Hair

Hair plays a very important role in our life. All of us want to have strong and beautiful hair. It can make us more attractive and more confident. Someone said that their lover's smooth hair is one of the first impressions making them pay attention to her.

Strong and beautiful hair is so helpful but how can we improve our hair? Luckily, it is not really difficult if you want and have patience.

Hair can talk much about the health state, diet, state of mind, etc of a person. Like other parts of your body, hair also needs special nutrient substances so that it becomes strong, shiny and beautiful. Those nutrient substances can be supplied by many sources one of which is foods you eat everyday. So among various kinds of foods, which ones are good for hair?

Chicken eggs

Chicken egg is a food that is very good for your hair. If you do not want to eat eggs directly, you can use egg yolks as a hair treatment product. Your hair will become shiny. Use this treatment method 2 or 3 times a week, you will see the considerable improvement.

Foods containing Lipid

Lipid is a necessary nutrient substance for your hair. If you body does not have enough lipid, hair will be dry. Sources of lipid are fishes, oil, peanuts, etc. People who are on a diet usually have dry hair because they cut down a big amount of foods containing lipid.

Foods containing Iron

A thin-haired head is a sadness of many people because it makes them not self-confident. Iron is a nutrient that can prevent hair loss. You can find iron in fishes and meats having red color like beef.

Foods containing Protein

Your hair also needs protein. Therefore, in order to have a beautiful hair, you need supply your body with food rich of protein like meat, fishes, etc. People who have a vegetarian diet should supply the body with protein by eating other sources besides meats fishes like mushrooms, etc.

Omega-3 acid in fishes

It is said that Omega-3 acid is very good for hair. You can supply your body with this nutrient substance by eating fishes regularly because there is a great amount of Omega-3 in fishes.

A healthful life can also bring you healthy hair. You should void issues causing stress for you as far as possible. Being stressful is one of the main reasons that can harm your hair.

Hobbies are not only good for your health in general but also good for your hair in particular. If you are not a member of any clubs now, please stand up and choose a suitable one for you. Friends in those clubs will bring you laugh, happiness then you will see how your hair is improved.

Besides supplying your body with foods that are good for health, you also have to give up bad habits like tightening your hair, scratching your head, using unsuitable shampoos and hair treatments, washing hair too many times, washing hair too rarely, etc.

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10 Things You Can Do To Fight Bad Breath

Another quick test is floss and then smell whatever is dislodged. If it doesn't pass the sniff test, you may suffer from halitosis. Of course, you could always ask a close friend or family member that you trust to give you an honest answer. Whichever method you choose, if you think you may have halitosis, don't worry... here are some things you can do to help you come out smelling like a rose.

Avoid The Garlic. Many spicy foods like peppers, garlic and onions tend to live on through oils left in the mouth for up to twenty four hours after consuming. Brushing your teeth won't help, so avoid these food products if you have an important meeting or other face to face encounters planned in the immediate future.

Skip The Deli. Other food products which leave these long lasting oils behind are spicy meats like pepperoni, salami and pastrami so if you don't want others trying to guess what you had for lunch, you may want to pass on these meat products for at least twenty four hours before any close contact meetings.

Hold The Cheese. Certain cheeses are known as strong cheeses. A few of these include blue cheese, Roquefort and Camembert. They taste great but can leave your breath smelling less than sweet.

Hold The Anchovies. Do you like anchovies on your pizza? If so, it may be best to order your favorite pizza loaded with anchovies on a Friday night when you can safely hide out for a few days and not risk being trapped in the elevator with your boss or top client. Another fishy food product would be Tuna so having your Tuna Melt on a Saturday should give your breath enough time to recover before the big meeting on Monday.

Drink Plenty of Water. Water is clean and non-residual unlike beverages such as whiskey, wine, beer or coffee which tend to linger by attaching to plaque releasing little bits of itself into the air when you breath.

Brush Your Teeth. Let me say it again, brush your teeth and in case it hasn't sank in yet, brush your teeth. Brushing your teeth after meals is the most effective method of eliminating smelly breath. You've heard of plaque but just in case you aren't sure exactly what this is, let me clarify. Plague is the film that coats your gums and teeth consisting of dead and living bacteria, up to fifty trillion of them. These micro-organisms absorb odors from the foods you eat as well as their own unpleasant odors. When you exhale, some of this bacteria leaves your mouth as well carrying these odors with them.

Rinse When You Can't Brush. Brushing is best but sometimes you just don't have the time. If you can at least rinse with water, this will help remove many of the food particles that can cause bad breath, not only now but later.

Three Squares A Day. Skipping meals can be bad for your breath. Your mouth provides a moist, warm environment for bacteria to grow and consuming food and beverages is part of the natural cleansing process. Don't forget to brush afterwards or at least rinse.

Quick Temporary Fix. Ok, you've ignored everything above. You had a large anchovy pizza last night with a side helping of wings with blue cheese dressing, an omelet this morning covered in onions and an Italian lunch with extra garlic and now your boss has just called you into his tiny office to discuss your new promotion. As long as you can talk fast, you may just get by with a good gargle of some minty fresh mouthwash. If he gets caught on a lengthy phone call while you're there, you may be doomed but as long as you can get in and get out within 20 minutes you may still get the raise. You can always carry a coffee cup with an emergency dose of mouthwash just in case the meeting runs long but that's up to you.

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Weight Loss tips – Simple Tips to help You Achieve a Healthy Weight

With some many weight loss programs out there promising all sorts of different things it becomes very difficult to know exactly what needs to be done for effective weight loss. One fact about weight loss is that if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Every diet around the world relies on this fact. However, most of you probably do not realise that people putting on weight are only eating slightly more calories than they are burning, and if small changes were make to their diet or excise, weight loss could occur with very minimal effort. There are many ‘smart choices’ you can make that will make weight loss easy.

Some of these weight loss changes could be:
- Have vegetables soup, sandwiches or wraps for lunch.
- Make sure the snacks you have are low in fat (low fat yoghurt or wholegrain biscuits)
- Have reduced fat dairy
- Use spray oils instead of out of a bottle
- Cut all visible fats off meat
- Avoid high fat snacks such as chips, wedges, pizza or nachos.
- Try to use low fat cooking such as grilling, roasting or steaming

With some proper planning there are some easy weight loss tips to help improve your general eating habits.
- Have breakfast and regular snacks each day. This stops you from getting too hungry and overeating on your next meal
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink in one sitting
- Serve your food on a smaller plate to reduce your serving sizes.

The last component to weight loss is exercise. In terms of weight loss it is often more import to regulate your food intake, but exercise is so critically important to the overall health of your body. With exercise try to:
- Walk more. Try to build up to 10,000 steps per day.
- Watch less TV
- Start exercising with a friend
- Chose exercises that you enjoy

If you can try a few of these suggestions you will be well on your weight to sustained weight loss. There is no need to make drastic changes, but my making a concerted effort of making small changes you will notice a big difference. There has never been a better time for weight loss than right now!

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