Hair Care in Summer
Come summer and we start taking measures to protect our skin from the sun. From stocking up sunscreens to using a pair of sunglasses while stepping out of home and drinking water to stay hydrated, we leave no stone unturned. But wait a minute… haven’t we forgotten something important? What about hair care?
During summer, we tend to visit the beach and chill in the pool frequently. But more often than not, we forget paying attention to our hair and scalp. Sooner or later it can lead to dry and damaged hair. It’s essential that we follow some basic steps and routine to ensure that our tresses stay healthy regardless of the weather.
Here are a few tips to take care of hair during summer:
Cover and tie it up: Use a cap or hat while stepping out in the sun but ensure that it is not too tight and that it allows proper air and blood circulation. Alternatively, you can wear a scarf. Preferably, use a light coloured cotton scarf. Tie up your hair during summers. Plaits, pony tails or a simple bun can prevent your hair from excessive sun exposure and help you stay cool as well.
Consider oil treatment: There are a wide variety of essential oils readily available in stores. The traditional coconut oil, jojoba oil and olive oil, are the best bet this season. Massage your scalp with lukewarm oil to derive maximum benefits.
Stay cool: Hot showers should be avoided. The least you want your hair to go though is a hot water shower after exposure to the scorching sun. A cool water rinse will help your hair retain its natural shimmer.
Shampoo right: Use mild shampoos that moisturize your hair as well. Do not over shampoo your hair. Let your hair absorb the natural oils.
Condition: Remember to use conditioner after you shampoo your hair. Dry your hair with towel (instead of blow dryer) and apply a leave-in conditioner evenly on your tresses. Preferably, opt for a leave-in conditional that comes with natural ingredients. Regular deep conditioning in summer season is bliss.
Say no to electric appliances: Avoid using hair dryers, rollers and curling irons. Let the hair dry and set naturally.
Forget experimentation: Do not experiment too much with your hair. Hair colours, bleaches and straighteners should be used in moderation or avoided during the hot season. Opt for natural hair products and stay away from the ones with alcohol content that result in hair dryness. Hairsprays should be a strict NO in this season. They come with ingredients that cause drying and reduce the moisture content of the hair.
Use UV protection: Save your hair and scalp from damage by applying good quality hair products with SPF when you need to be out in sun for long.
Cut, cut, cut: Trim your hair every month to avoid split and frizzy ends.
Drink well: Consume enough amount of water since good hydration also means healthy hair. Take good care of your hair in summer and see them shine and bounce when monsoon arrives!
Anti-Aging Herbs
Anti aging herbs are used to slow down the aging process. They can stimulate blood circulation and boost the body’s ability to eliminate wastes and absorb nutrients. Most anti aging herbs have a spirit lifting and mind strengthening qualities. They resist stress on the body and mind. Anti aging herbs also have a deep influence on the skin.
The most commonly used anti aging herbs are lycium fruit, schizandra fruit, reishi mushroom, gynostemma, polygonum root (he shou wu), cordyceps mushroom, longan fruit, wild American ginseng, wild asparagus root, and Siberian ginseng. Nopal cactus, konjac mannan, wild Chinese ginseng, and gymnema sylvestre are some other herbs generally used. Most tonic herbs also have anti aging qualities. Blood tonic herbs such as peony and dang gui can prevent aging. These herbs enhance the beauty of human body and slow down the aging processes.
Modern technology and improved manufacturing capabilities increase the popularity of anti aging herbs. Lycium fruit is rich in antioxidants that slow down aging. Pearl contains mucopolysac-carhides that have the capability to stop wrinkling of the skin. Schizandra eliminate toxins from the liver thereby creating a more youthful body and a more beautiful exterior. Polygonum increases the production of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the body’s most important natural antioxidant which significantly slows down aging. Gynostemma has a deep and steady anti-inflammatory activity that prevents aging.
Caloric restriction (CR) is the most important factor in extending life. It is the reduction of caloric intake while keeping good intake of necessary nutrients, particularly vitamins and minerals. The extracts from high galactomannan fenugreek, banana leaf, bittermellon, and blueberry leaf can reduce aging. In addition, these can absorb and minimize the quantity of insulin.
Fresh fruits and fresh vegetable juice are always recommended for the cleaning of body. Anti-inflammatory extracts reduce certain symbols of inflammation such as swelling, irritation, tenderness, pain, and redness. Different botanical oils meet a variety of skin nutrition needs.
Skin Care- All About Allergies
Eczema the most common skin problem is triggered by allergies. Similarly hives are caused by allergies. It is important to learn about allergies so that we can care for our skin. Most of us have different ideas about allergy. Some of us do not believe in allergy while some of us think that they suffer from allergy with every substance. Most of us are allergic to something. Most of these allergies are harmless but some like eczema can cause lot of distress and skin problems. Let us first discuss about what are allergies.
Allergy- what is it?
When our immune system reacts to something that does not bother most other people, that hypersensitivity is called allergy. Pollen may cause no allergy to you but make your friend’s life miserable with sneezing. In most allergic systems body responds to a false alarm.
Skin Care- common allergens-
Common allergens that may cause a trigger in atopic dermatitis or eczema are-
Pet dander, Dust mites, Pollen, Mold spores, food and medicines etc. Out of the skin care items you use you may get allergic reactions. Many people believe that things they have been using for years, will not cause allergies. In fact, the reverse is true. You may be using a product or eating a food item for years. Suddenly one day, it begins causing allergic reactions. Whenever you get an allergic reaction, analyze what you have been doing since years, apart from new things. Please do not think that what did not cause allergy yesterday, will not cause it today.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
Resting For Fat Loss
Do you have friends that seem to have a great figure ALL the time? You are around them all the time and know they only workout 3-4 days per week but have more muscle and less fat than everyone else. There are explanations and solutions for this so don’t get discouraged that it will never happen to you, because we can change it one pound at a time.
First of all, there is a genetic thing that can play a role. That’s right your genetic content plays a role and can determine your body style. What is a body style? Your body style refers to whether or not you are typically skinny (ectomorph), big (endomorph), or in shape (mesomorph). These three styles reflect your typical body shape and your ability to lose or gain muscle.
An ectomorph is a person who is skinny no matter what. It is very difficult for them to gain significant muscle mass and they are always thin and skinny. The endomorph is your typical “big boned” person. They are big and always have been. They are typically blocky looking and cannot lose weight. They have a lot of muscle underneath their fat, but cannot get rid of the fat to show the muscle. Finally the mesomorph is a person who is always in shape. This is the person that no matter what they do they can look in shape or get in shape quickly. This is the friend that seems to always look the most in shape when you go to the beach, etc… The friend that you love to hate, secretly. Once you know your body style, then you have a better idea where to focus most of your efforts for your weight loss goals. The ectomorph needs lots of calories and weight training to bulk up. The endomorph needs lots of high intensity training to burn fat. The high intensity training can be cardio, weights or a combination of both. The mesomorph can do a combination of anything as they will always get in shape quickly no matter what.
So what does that have to do with resting for fat burning? No matter what your exercise regimen or your body style, your body needs to repair itself. It does this in an autopilot way that can burn fat in the process. However, you have to nudge it a little for it to work at it’s best. How do you nudge it? First of all, do your exercise to breakdown muscle/train the muscle. Then, feed the muscles the right breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates and fats at the right time and your body will burn calories to digest the food and then burn calories repairing the muscles you trained. It does this all while you are resting. Pretty nice, huh.
So keep checking out the blog because all the information you need to achieve your healthy weight loss is right here! Don’t forget to check out the Metabolic Cooking Page and the other posts on the blog to help with your efforts.
For what it’s worth,
Dr. B
HealthyWeightLossASAP!
Dental Care – Is Your Gum Disease Placing You at Risk For Heart Disease?
Gingivitis (gum disease), and the advanced stage, periodontitis, is one of the most common infections of the mouth and more prevalent than the common cold. The symptoms include bleeding gums or pus between the teeth. If left untreated it destroys the bone that supports the teeth which leads to tooth loss. ?Accumulating research has identified gum disease as a risk factor in cardiovascular disease. The early warning signs of heart disease are less obvious than those that indicate there is a problem with your gum’s. Now, doctors have to manage one disease in hopes of reducing the risk that could occur in the other.
Any time there is bleeding in the mouth; bacteria can enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart. ?The bacteria that causes gum disease is the same associated with heart disease. ?The common risk factor in both cardiovascular and periodontal disease is inflammation. While the formation of blood clots is an important defense against cuts and bruises, it can also be a serious problem in the cardiovascular system.
How Exactly Does Bacteria Affect The Heart?
The theory is that bacteria present in the gums can travel throughout the body. ?Once the bacterium enters the bloodstream, it sticks to the inside of the arteries in the heart. It may lead to some irritation, the body as a defense will try to protect the area by using cholesterol (like a scab or plaque). The result is the artery becomes narrowed as a ‘scab’ forms. Sometimes the scab closes off the blood flow to the heart which creates chest pain as the heart struggles to receive enough oxygen to keep beating.
In some cases, the scab or plaque may flake off and instantly shut down the blood flow to the heart. If this happens inside the muscle of the heart, a heart attack will occur. In fact, the degree of gum disease is a better predictor of a heart attack than the levels of cholesterol.
What Can You Do?
The threat of periodontal and cardiovascular disease is serious. If in doubt,
Visit a periodontist and obtain a full mouth periodontal evaluation, including X-rays, to screen for periodontal disease. If you have a family history of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes you should consider selecting a periodontist as your primary care dentist.?To increase your chances of an early diagnosis, this visit is crucial because patients are routinely asked about heart conditions and family history Periodontal disease may be prevented easily by brushing, and by cleaning between the teeth with floss or thin toothpicks. ?However, brushing and flossing alone cannot cure periodontitis which is very difficult to stop once it starts and is usually painless.?The first sign of periodontal disease is bleeding gum’s. The last sign of periodontal disease is no teeth. Make regular visits to your dental professional to help lower your risk of periodontitis. Proper dental care includes many heart-healthy recommendations, such as smoking cessation and a healthy diet. ?Good dental hygiene is vital to achieving and maintaining optimal health. Due to an FDA approved procedure using the LANAP (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure) which is an alternative to traditional gum surgery. It removes harmful bacteria and diseased tissue from the gum pocket by passing a laser light between the gum and tooth. Patients don’t hear or feel it – except for a little warmth. The LANAP greatly reduces the pain and recovery time associated with traditional gum surgery.
Brushing your teeth is a good reason to help decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes. With heart disease being identified as the number one killer worldwide, claiming upward of 17 million people every year. The usual culprits, smoking, obesity and high levels of cholesterol are no longer the only risks, now gum disease has been added to the list.?It appears now that it doesn’t matter if you are fit, trim or appear to be healthy, but if you have gum disease, it may affect your overall health more than you know.
The Top Ten Natural Energy Boosting Health Tips
There are a lot of health tips on the Internet. Eat right, exercise regularly, avoid vices, avoid stress, but some do not deal with healing or maintaining a healthy lifestyle in a natural way.
Not that these are the health tips that ends all and be all, but this top ten health tips are the most natural things that you can do.
Meditate once in a while. This maybe done by incorporating yoga in your routine. The balance that your body can achieve by meditation will tremendously help in keeping you healthy.
Have a positive outlook. It says that most of our sickness are stress induced, thus reducing stress by having a happy disposition will greatly aid in your quest to have a healthier body.
Eat healthy foods. This has always been part of everyone’s top ten health tips that it sounds cliche. But in regards to alternative medicine, it says that there are foods that feed your chakra points. And these are the things that we might consider when trying to determine which diet works to achieve a healthier life.
Drink plenty of water and liquids. This is in connection with health tip number three above. Teas feed the heart chakra while water and juices feed the throat chakra which means that drinking natural stuff are the way to go in order to get the health life you want.
Cleanse your body regularly by detoxification. This process maybe done either by fasting or by eating raw foods only on certain number of days. There are various kinds of detoxification, liver, kidney and colon cleanse are the most popular. But fasting for some days usually does the job to clean the whole body from toxins.
Stop taking in toxins in your body. Although there are detoxification methods, it is not an excuse to continue your bad habit. Smoking, drinking and binge eating should be stopped immediately after deciding to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Cigarettes and alcoholic beverages are known to have harmful substances that alter our body’s condition. Some foods also contain toxins. Too much meat, too much sweets and too much salt can also harm our body, so with that in mind, moderation is advised.
Exercise religiously. This health tip is something that can’t be omitted. Making sure that our body have regular, intense yet relaxing movements is a must. Doing taichi and yoga are two of the best ways to achieve the goal of exercising and creating balance with spirituality and emotions.
Think of yourself in a positive manner. In Emotional Freedom Technique of EFT, saying good things to yourself is a must. It is necessary to affirm yourself and speak positive things to yourself out loud. Your body appreciates that and it makes you feel important and happy.
Try to be all-natural. Purchase household products that are earth friendly. This means that the chemicals contained in these products are lesser compared to others.
Love yourself. The only way you could treat yourself right, which gives you the will to do all these top ten health tips is if you love yourself enough to desire to live long. By doing this, all the other nine will follow suit, naturally.
Skin Care? Make It Simple
A great skin care need not be complicated to figure it out. Hence, you must develop a form of routine skin care based on your lifestyle, life’s daily activities, skin type and the capability of maintaining some treatments, so you can be confident that you take better care of your skin well, following a rule of skin care on a daily basis will also help you better evaluate your skin to achieve your most wanted outcome. Below are the simple ways you could apply to take care of your skin:
1. Regular cleaning- Be responsible in cleaning your skin. O do so regularly will washed away the dust, dirt, sweats accumulating in your skin area and unwanted harsh nature elements such as pollutants and harmful rays of sunlight. If you have normal or oily skin, remember to wash with mild face soap on a daily basis. And never rub your skin with towel. It may cause dryness and irritation later on.
2. Have it moisturized -Unless your skin is very oily, you want to use a daily moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. Your skin needs moisturizer all year in both the heat inside in winter and summer sun can be as damaging to your skin. The best suggestion is Dermajuv products. Have a try!
3. Provide protection- Your skin care needs shield from harmful elements in the environment. Put some lotion that retains your skin personal oil and make it a habit to choose the right beauty products for you. Use it as a protection and not to cause negative results to your skin.
See? Think you got it? Doing regular body regimen is really not difficult. Though if these simple tips don’t work with you, do some treatments instead. Just be sure that you choose the best products that would satisfy you in the long run and give value to your money, If you stick to skin care products in an unwanted way, or if you simply want to learn a bit ‘more of the criteria for skin care, do read some of the product reviews today.
Natural Beauty Secret – Discover an Ancient Secret For Beautiful Skin
Could your skin benefit from an ancient Mediterranean beauty secret? The people from this breathtaking region of the world are known for their gorgeous complexions and beautiful hair. Is your face dull and dry? Would you like healthy, radiant skin? Wouldn’t it be great to have shiny hair and strong nails? You can have all this when you take advantage of this natural beauty secret. And you won’t need to travel to a far away land to reap the rewards. It could actually be as close as your kitchen cupboard.
So what is this special secret?
Olive oil! Yes, that’s right. This nutritious oil is not just for cooking. Read on to discover what this gift from nature can do for you.
Old Time Wisdom
The use of olive oil for the care of the skin goes back centuries. In fact, the exceptional value of this natural gem was first discovered over 5000 years ago… and it quickly became an essential component of skin care.
The Egyptians (imagine the legendary Cleopatra), Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans all took full advantage of the prized oil. Today, we observe the beautiful skin of Mediterranean women. Many claim their secret is the oil of this tiny fruit.
The use of this simple, natural “beauty secret” will…
* Promote a smooth, radiant complexion
* Help maintain skin elasticity
* Heal dry, brittle nails and soften cuticles
* Condition and add shine to hair
Skin Care… Straight From the Bottle!
When used by itself, the oil has a strong, distinct odor. If you can live with the scent, however, you can create simple, mini-beauty treatments such as these:
Bathing: For a moisturizing soak, add 1/4 cup of the oil and several drops of essential oil to your bathwater. Lavender essential oil is a good choice when you want to relax. (Be careful – the tub will be slippery!)
Dry Skin Care: Gently massage a small amount of the oil on extra dry areas such as elbows, knees, and heels.
Hand Care: Whip up a quick sugar scrub for rough, dry hands. Combine 2 tablespoons oil with 2 tablespoons sugar. Rub on hands thoroughly – until sugar begins to dissolve. Rinse with warm water. Voila! Silky-smooth hands.
Foot Care: Apply a liberal amount of oil to feet at bedtime. Cover with cotton socks. Not sexy… but oh-so-soft feet in the morning! The magic works for hands, too. Apply generously to hands and protect with white cotton gloves overnight (hmm… even less sexy).
Facial Treatment: Create a moisturizing facial mask with one tablespoon oil, one tablespoon honey, and one egg yolk. Beat until well blended and apply to face… then relax! Leave on face for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.
Nail Care: Warm a small dish of the oil (not too hot) with one tablespoon of lemon juice. Soak nails for 5- 10 minutes. This softens cuticles while it strengthens nails.
Hair Treatment: Create an effective treatment for dry hair by massaging several tablespoons of warm oil (again, not hot) into the scalp and hair. Cover with a shower cap or small plastic bag. Let this work its magic for 20-30 minutes. Shampoo as usual.
Dry, Chapped Lips: Alleviate chapped lips by applying a bit of pure oil… right from the bottle. This works especially well when used at bedtime.
Proper Hair Care For Natural Black Hair Styles
Hair is naturally organic and possesses natural beauty. Oftentimes, extensive chemical treatments like hair highlights, straightening, and too much of relaxing cause the removal of the natural vitamins and oils from the hair – leading to further hair damages. With proper hair care, the natural beauty can be retained. What better way to enhance the natural look of your hair than by wearing natural styles?
The natural hair styles which come in and out of fashion are the medium comb coils, natural hair knots, twisted braids, long curly locks, cornrow up-do, double strands, short braids, short comb coils, and long locks.
To be able to beautifully incorporate these natural hair styles, it is necessary to provide hair with a proper care. The hair may be lovely in its natural state but it won’t stay that way unless it is given the right tending. Black hair, especially the curly ones, can be delicate and tricky to work with. The job of styling it becomes more complicated when the hair does not cooperate.
Make it healthier and manageable by following a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water as the hair has a life of its own. For it to grow and stay beautiful, it needs vitamins and lots of protein.
It is highly recommended to use hydrating shampoo as well as regular conditioning. These are important to keep the hair’s moisture.
Avoid hair styles that give excessive tension to the hair. Applying great tension to the hair strands cause a lot of hair damages, apart from making them break easily.
Avoid too much exposure from the sun, strong wind and other dry climates. Use protective gears such as hats and scarves, as well as protective natural hair products.
Do these hair care tips to preserve the beauty of your hair. All you need to do is enhance it by incorporating the right hair style.
Anti-Aging Creams That Work
Wrinkles are a major concern for women. A research, made on over 30 women shows that one in three women use an anti-aging cream. Every woman spends a lot of money on the anti-aging skin creams and cosmetic surgeries. With the models setting the trend, it is next to impossible for someone to reach up to that level.
A wrinkle on women could make them look old, whereas on a man it could add character. Wrinkle and saggy skin start to become prominent at menopause, when the estrogen levels are at an all time low. That is why it is important to take care of the skin from an early age. Here are some ingredients you should look out for in an anti-aging skin cream:
• Vitamin A: This helps in filling up the wrinkles due to its inflammatory action.
• Vitamin C: This helps in boosting the blood circulation and increases the collagen production, hence making the skin brighter.
• Fruit acids: Also called as alpha-hydroxy acids or AHA, improve the texture and look of the skin by removing the old, dead skin cells from the skin surface.
• Retinoids: This is a type of chemical that helps in faster production of new skin cells, in turn making the skin thicker and more compact.
Aging of the skin does not happen overnight. The signs of aging develop through an aging process of loosening of the collagen, proteins and elastic fibers in our skin. There are many anti-aging creams that cater to these wrinkles and sagging skin. It is very difficult to know which anti-aging creams work. The initial step in understanding the product’s effectiveness is to be aware of why you are using it and how these anti-aging creams work.
Even at an early age like 20, you can take care of your skin, because that is when the actual aging process starts and also determines how you are going to look at an older age. An important fact to remember is that an anti-aging cream is created for an older skin, which would be drier and this could be very heavy for younger women’s skin. Use light weight gels or moisturizers that do not contain oil. The ingredients of an anti-aging cream that would work is listed above. Make sure the cream you buy contains these ingredients.
It is important to keep in mind that even though many anti-aging skin creams might have been proven to reduce wrinkles on your skin, they can not reverse the aging process of your skin. Do not get carried away by the advertisements that say their products can do that. Before using any skin care products on your skin, make sure of the content and verify whether it suits your skin or not. Here are some things you can look for in an anti-aging cream:
• Sun protect: Our face is the part which gets exposed to the sum the most. Make sure your anti-aging skin cream has sun protection components in it.
• Active ingredients: As discussed above, check for the ingredients that will really help in treating your skin.
• Delivery system: If an anti-aging skin cream has a good delivery system it means that it has the ingredients which are useful for the skin for quick absorption.









