5 Simple Tips to Keep Your Skin Healthy

Healthy skin care should not be a beauty secret. There are many things that you could be doing every day to making better your skin’s health and appearance. I think that these are the top 5 beauty secrets for natural healthy skin care you can practice daily.

1. Use a Gentle Cleanser Every Day
Some beauty experts suggest the regular use of exfoliating scrubs. On an occasional basis, it’s ok, as long as the ingredients are all natural. Colloidal oatmeal, for example, makes a safe scrub.

But, on a daily basis, the act of softly massaging your face with a warm wet cloth and a soft cleanser such as tea tree oil or manuka honey will clear dirt and dead cells, leaving your face looking and feeling fresh.

2. Use a Night Cream
Before you go to bed, gently remove all of the makeup that you wore during the day. If the moisturizer that you used in the morning included grape seed oil, makeup removal will be easier, because it creates a film that prevents makeup and dirt from getting into the pores.

3. Always Moisturize after Cleansing
Whether your face is oily or dry, you need to moisturize after cleansing. Even soft cleansers take out the natural oils that protect the skin’s cells from damage and disease. The moisturizer that you use should be free of artificial preservatives, fragrances and other additives.

4. Use Common Sense in the Sun
I do not suggest the daily use of products that contain sunscreen, because some of them are known to harm DNA strands within the cells, which predisposes them to cancerous formation. I do suggest that you use common sense.

If you want to be out for more than 15 or 20 minutes, wear a hat, sunglasses and protective clothing. If you are spending a day at the beach, use a sun-block.

5. Protect Your Skin from the Affects of Time
If you don’t want your face to give away your age. All of the healthy skin care products that you use should contain natural anti-aging ingredients.

Health and Beauty Wellness Skin Care is Beneficial

With health and beauty, it is important that you realize all of the aspects that are involved within it. Health and beauty is not just about staying healthy, it is also about taking care of your beauty and skin condition to maintain your body as long as possible.

Health and beauty wellness skin care teaches you all aspects of your body and what you need to do to take care of yourself. This type of thing involves treating your skin and making sure that if their is anything wrong with it to take care of it as soon as possible.

As goes the health side of things, you need to keep up on your health also to ensure that you stay healthy and in shape. This involves going to the doctor on a regular basis to be checked out as well as the dentist. Both of these practices will keep you healthy, in shape, and keep a wellness for life.

Best Skin Care Formula:

Thousands of ways of Skin care are available in the market and different companies showing there skin care products by advertisement to attract us but when we talk about skin care product choose it carefully for perfect skin care.

Body lotions best skin care formulas to pamper your complete body. There are different types of body lotions for your body like bath lotion, milk bath, and body lotion. These all lotions are best for your skin Choose the right lotion for your skin is necessary to make sure that perfect glow. Just know your skin type and match it with the lotion you are to buy.

Bath lotions are best to use just after bath because it helps in maintaining the skin moisture. Milk bath is one easiest way to get beautiful skin just add milk with water and take a fresh bath you feel great with soft beautiful skin. Body lotions are best to protect your skin from harmful sunrays and also pamper your skin with instant moisturized effect. Hand lotions are best to provide relief in for the hands because the skin absorbs this type of lotion easily. Via

Skin Cancer

Every year, nearly 1 million people in the United States learn that they have skin cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, Australia and South Africa. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in both men and women.

The two most common kinds of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. (Carcinoma is cancer that begins in the cells that cover or line an organ.) Basal cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90 percent of all skin cancers in the United States. It's a slow-growing cancer that seldom spreads to other parts of the body.

Squamous cell carcinoma also rarely spreads, but it does more often than basal cell carcinoma. It is important that skin cancers be found and treated early, because they can invade and destroy nearby tissue. Basal Cell Carcinoma occurs from sun exposure, many years after that exposure.

Another type of cancer that occurs in the skin is melanoma, which begins in the melanocytes.

Cause and Prevention

Although anyone can get skin cancer, the risk is greatest for people who have fair skin that freckles easily--often those with red or blond hair and blue or light-colored eyes.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. (There are two types of ultraviolet radiation: UVA and UVB.) Artificial sources of UV radiation, such as sun lamps, tanning booths and tanning beds can also cause skin cancer.

The risk of developing skin cancer is affected by where a person lives. People who live in areas that get high levels of UV radiation from the sun are more likely to get skin cancer. In the United States, for example, skin cancer is more common in Texas than it is in Minnesota, where the sun is not as strong. Worldwide, the highest rates of skin cancer are found in South Africa and Australia, areas that receive high amounts of UV radiation.

In addition, skin cancer is related to lifetime exposure to UV radiation. Most skin cancers appear after age 45, but the sun's damaging effects begin at an early age. So protection should start in childhood to prevent skin cancer later in life.

Whenever possible, people should avoid exposure to the midday sun (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. standard time, or from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daylight saving time). Keep in mind that protective clothing, such as sun hats and long sleeves, can block out the sun's harmful rays. Also, lotions that contain sunscreens can protect the skin. Sunscreens are rated in strength according to a sun protection factor (SPF), which ranges from 2 to 30 or higher. Sunscreens that are rated 15 to 30 block most of the sun's harmful rays.

Symptoms

The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn't heal. Skin cancers don't all look the same. For example, the cancer may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump--or it can appear as a firm red lump. Sometimes, the lump bleeds or develops a crust. Skin cancer can also start as a flat, red spot that is rough, dry or scaly.

Both basal and squamous cell cancers are found mainly on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun: the head, face, neck, hands and arms. However, skin cancer can occur anywhere. Don't wait for something on your skin to hurt. as skin cancer rarely causes pain.

Diagnosis

Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are generally diagnosed and treated in the same way. When an area of skin does not look normal, the doctor may remove all or part of the growth. This is called a biopsy. To check for cancer cells, a pathologist or a dermatologist examines the tissue under a microscope. A biopsy is the only sure way to tell if the problem is cancer.

Treatment

In treating skin cancer, the doctor's main goal is to remove or destroy the cancer completely, with as small a scar as possible. To plan the best treatment for each patient, the doctor considers the location and size of the cancer, the risk of scarring and the person's age, general health and medical history. Doctors commonly use a type of surgery called curettage. After a local anesthetic numbs the area, the cancer is scooped out with a curette, an instrument with a sharp, spoon-shaped end. The area is also treated by electrodesiccation. An electric current from a special machine is used to control bleeding and kill any cancer cells remaining around the edge of the wound. Most patients develop a flat, white scar.

Cryosurgery

Extreme cold may be used to treat precancerous skin conditions, such as actinic keratosis, as well as certain small skin cancers. In cryosurgery, liquid nitrogen is applied to the growth to freeze and kill the abnormal cells. After the area thaws, the dead tissue falls off. More than one freezing may be needed to remove the growth completely. Cryosurgery usually does not hurt too much, and patients may have pain and swelling after the area thaws. A white scar may form in the treated area.

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy uses a narrow beam of light to remove or destroy cancer cells. This approach is sometimes used for cancers that involve only the outer layer of skin.

How To Do a Skin Self-Exam
You can improve your chances of finding skin cancer promptly by regularly performing a simple skin self-exam. The best time to do this self-exam is after a shower or bath. You should check your skin in a well-lighted room using a full-length mirror and a hand-held mirror. It's best to begin by learning where your birthmarks, moles and blemishes are and what they usually look like. Check for anything new--a change in the size, texture or color of a mole, or a sore that does not heal.

Check all areas, including the back, the scalp, between the buttocks and the genital area.


1. Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror, then raise your arms and look at the left and right sides.


2. Bend your elbows and look carefully at your palms; forearms, including the undersides; and the upper arms.


3. Examine the back and front of your legs. Also look between your buttocks and around your genital area.


4. Sit and closely examine your feet, including the soles and the spaces between the toes.


5. Look at your face, neck and scalp. You may want to use a comb or a blow dryer to move hair so you can see better.

Take Good Care of Yourself

You may have heard this sentence so many times from your love ones and well wishers.
As they want you to remain as fine as you can be. By taking care of yourself you perform so many things to keep yourself as good as you can be. In this regard one important thing is to keep your “skin healthy and active”.

In today’s hectic life it seems to be bit difficult to get enough time for taking care of your skin but it is not at all difficult to keep your skin healthy and active, as a huge range of cosmetics make it so easy to give you the desired beauty product according to your skin tone and complexion. You can select the product of your own choice. But the question is that how to use these products in an organized way? I mean with a proper procedure.
I can help you in this regard, obviously I can’t tell you about all the cosmetics or tips that you can use for your skin care in just in one piece of writing but I’ll definitely tell you later with the passage of time, under the same course. Now I’ll tell you one of the processes through which you can make your skin healthy and glowing.

In achieving this goal first of all you must have developed the habit of ‘cleansing’ on regular basis. Beauticians usually suggest that ‘cleansing’ is very necessary twice in a day (especially for the working ladies). Well I personally suggest you to go for cleansing milk. Simply when you come after a long hectic working day, wash your face with some good face wash or with some mild beauty soap. Then massage your face, hands, and feet if you want, with cleanser at least for few seconds. In doing so, you can remove dead cells of your face. Then remove all the dirt from your face with a piece of cotton or a soft tissue. Then give your skin some rest for some time and then again wash it with some cleansing face wash of good quality. You will surely feel some change. Well this process will help you to keep your skin active and probably save you from the pimples that may produce because of dust and pollution.

So, I hope that from now you’ll start doing cleansing on daily basis. No matter if you are a working lady or a house wife or an actress & Fashion model who daily faces heavy make over’s and heavy camera lights.

Get Smooth Skin

Who on the earth would not want to have smooth skin, but unfortunately, many of us don’t know how to get it. And icing on the cake is aging affect our skin and it becomes rough and dry.

But don't worry. You can actually get smooth skin by using some natural ingredients. Yes, there are a lot of potential complexion smoothers that can makee your skin smooth and glowing.

For instance, egg white masks applied alone or inb combination with other helpful ingredients such as lime juice, honey or olive oil. Mashed bananas and milk are yet other natural products that can tone your skin and provide a glowing , smooth skin. Try these and you'll be glad.

Suffering from Wrinkled Skin? Facial is your answer!

Facial massage is thought to be most effective in removing wrinkles. Although, it is a time-consuming process, but gives the best results only when it is continued for a considerable time. Certainly, no one has a magic wand to bring a change overnight or you could wrinkle your nose and transform yourself into a beautiful young person in a zap. Patience, as they say, is the Key to success. So, be patient with it. Other benefits of a facial massage include reduction of the unattractive fleshiness, tightening of the tissues and muscles and an increase in blood circulation.

Facial massage works in a better way if your skin is clean. After a proper cleansing session, apply a good cream or oil with light but firm pressure using your finger tips. Trained fingers can skillfully hold the skin and apply pressure evenly. In time, you will witness that all the visible defects like wrinkles, looseness, and dead cells fade away and a fresh and young you will come out of the shadows.

Make sure that the cream or oil you use matches your skin type. For that, it is vital that you know your skin type. Vitamin 'C' cream should be applied before facial massage, but the amount of this cream should be enough only to give ample greasiness to the skin so that your hands and fingers can slither smoothly on the face. If your face is fleshy and fat, use slimming cream in place of Vitamin 'C' cream. If you have an oily skin type, an oil-free cream or baby powder is suitable for you. A few drops of warm almond oil is the best treatment for dry skins.

Secrets to Smooth, Healthy & Youthful Skin!

Fashion Central provides helpful skin care tips on how to get skin that looks and feels healthy and young. These tips include advice on pimple treatments, recommended foods for glowing skin, and recommended exercises, to name a few. For healthy skin that looks and feels great, make a conscious effort to work on our advice, tips & tricks. We provide information about skin care products so that you can have a healthy skin by using natural skin care or organic skin care. Also take the time to practice a regular cleansing routine, and engage in a realistic exercise program. These commitments for facial skin care will give your skin the boost it needs for a glowing & healthy look.

Debunking Summer Health Myths

"Wait a half hour after eating before you can safely go swimming." This one seemed almost universally accepted when I was a child and is still believed today. The myth involves the possibility of suffering severe muscle cramping and drowning from swimming on a full stomach. While it's true that the digestive process does divert the circulation of the blood toward the gut and to a certain extent, away from the muscles, the fact is that an episode of drowning caused by swimming on a full stomach has never been documented. Neither the American Academy of Pediatrics nor the American Red Cross makes any specific recommendations about waiting any amount of time after eating before taking a swim. There's a theoretical possibility that one could develop a cramp while swimming with a full stomach, but a person swimming in a pool or controlled swimming area could easily exit the water if this happens. As with any exercise after eating, swimming right after a big meal might be uncomfortable, but it won't cause you to drown.

MELISSA CONRAD STÖPPLER, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

Dr. Stöppler served as an Assistant Professor of Pathology in the Georgetown University School of Medicine and has also served on the medical faculty at the University of Marburg, Germany. Her research in the area of virus-induced cancers has been funded by the National Institutes of Health as well as by private foundations. She has a broad list of medical publications, abstracts, and posters and has taught medical students and residents both in the United States and Germany. Dr. Stöppler was named a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Society in Germany and was a recipient of a Physician Scientist Award from the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

An active medical journalist and writer, Dr. Stöppler currently serves on the Medical Editorial Board of MedicineNet.com, and is the Chief Medical Editor of eMedicineHealth.com, both WebMD Inc. companies. Her experience also includes translation and editing of medical texts in German and English. Dr. Stöppler's special interests in medicine include family health and fitness, patient education/empowerment, and molecular diagnostic pathology. She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband their their three children.

Natural Remedies

How to Find a Good Alternative Medicine Practitioner

Whether you’re getting a deep-tissue massage or trying acupuncture for the first time, picking the right alternative medicine professional is important to your health. Here’s how to pick the right one for you.

• Ask for referrals from your doctor, local hospital, or medical school.
• Get a recommendation from a professional organization for the type of practitioner you are looking for. The National Institutes of Health’s Directory of Health Organizations is a good place to start.
• Call your local health department to find out if your state has a regulatory agency or licensing board for the therapy you’re interested in, and then contact that office for referrals.
• Check on the training, certification, or other qualifications of your practitioner. See if he or she will speak with you briefly on the phone for this purpose before you make an appointment.
• Find out how much experience the practitioner has with your health concern and how effective he or she believes this therapy may be for your condition. (Be sure to ask about scientific research, as well.

Health News

blood sugar — think muesli, yogurt, skimmed milk — burned 50 percent more fat during a post-breakfast workout than did those who ate a breakfast rich in the kind of carbohydrates known to make blood sugar rise sharply, such as cornflakes and white bread.

Carbs that cause a sharp blood sugar rise are known as high-glycemic index carbs, while those that don’t are called low-glycemic index carbs.

While other researchers have also found that a low-glycemic menu is beneficial to fat-burning, the new study has some unique points, noted lead author Emma Stevenson, a senior lecturer at Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K. She conducted the study while at the University of Nottingham.

“Most of the research in the effects of the glycemic load of pre-exercise feeding has been carried out in male subjects,” Stevenson said. Most of it also has focused on endurance athletes, which doesn’t describe the bulk of the population.

Instead, the new study included eight women of a typical healthy weight who averaged 24 years of age. On two different occasions, the women ate either a high- or the low-glycemic index breakfast, then walked on a treadmill for 60 minutes three hours later. Stevenson’s group drew blood samples before the breakfast and also during and after the exercise to measure parameters such as free fatty acids, which are a marker for fat burning.

The average amount of fat oxidized during the exercise was 7.4 grams after the low-glycemic meal but just 3.7 grams the higher glycemic index meal, a nearly 50 percent difference.

Why the disparity? High-glycemic index carbs are known to spur a big spike in blood sugar, and the researchers believe that a meal rich in low-glycemic carbs, which elicit a lower blood sugar response, may boost the body’s use of body fat for burning rather than for blood sugar.

Each breakfast totaled about 265 calories, but the low-glycemic meal had more fiber, the team noted.

The study was funded by Mars UK, the food and candy company. It is published in the May issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

The take-home message, according to Stevenson: To burn more fat, focus on the low-glycemic foods. “LGI foods tend to be whole grains, porridge, some whole grain cereals, soy and linseed bread,” she said.

The new study makes sense and builds on previous research, said Barry Braun, director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who has done his own research on post-workout eating.

While Stevenson’s study findings are limited to healthy-weight women, Braun said he suspects it will also hold true for those hoping to shed excess pounds. “Eating large amounts of high-glycemic carbs right before exercise is probably as detrimental for overweight people as it is for normal-weight,” he said.

Like Stevenson, he said he is talking about pre-exercise meals for those who work out at less than triathlon intensity. “There may be a place for these high-glycemic carbs” when an athlete needs high energy immediately, such as before running a marathon, Braun said.

Last year, Braun’s own research found that the type of food eaten after exercise can make a difference in weight control for everyday exercisers.

Based on his studies, Braun suggests that eating a meal low in carbohydrates after working out at moderate intensity, is potentially better for weight control than eating a meal high in carbs.

More information

There’s more on carbohydrates at Harvard University.

SOURCES: Emma Stevenson, Ph.D., senior lecturer, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K.; Barry Braun, Ph.D., associate professor, kinesiology and director, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; May 2009, The Journal of Nutrition

Is the Price Right?

With health care costs escalating four times faster than wages, it's no surprise that both ends of the political spectrum concur that affordable health care is an important goal. Here politicians' concerns mirror those of ordinary citizens. Health care costs continue to grow at a rate faster than the rest of the economy, and the financial burden on Americans continues to escalate. In 2003, almost one-fifth of American families were spending more than 10 percent of their disposable income on health care. The cumulative cost of premiums increased 91 percent from 2000 to 2007. And more than one-quarter of adults reported not obtaining treatment or prescription drugs because of cost. The system is broken and unaffordable.

There is broad agreement that we need affordable health care, but how to define and achieve affordability are less clear. Conservatives believe that affordability can be achieved with a flat tax credit given to individuals who purchase insurance on the private market. The most generous of such proposals would give a refundable credit of up to $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families. Conservatives claim that this would "level the playing field" and finally make health care affordable for all.

This concept, however, has several problems. The proposed tax credit is simply not enough money to make care affordable. The average family premium is $12,000, more than twice the amount covered by a tax credit. The credit appears even less adequate when the recipient lives in a high-cost market, with expensive basic necessities, health care, and insurance costs.

Low-income individuals and families would also suffer. They already allocate a much higher proportion of their income for health care costs. As such, a fixed tax credit, rather than one that rises as income falls, doesn't level the playing field.

Finally, any consideration of affordability must include the cost of both premiums and out-of-pocket expenditures. The two aspects go hand in hand, since lower premiums often result in higher out-of-pocket costs.

Policymakers have already agreed that future health care reforms must make health care more affordable. The remaining challenge is to define a truly "level playing field" and make health care affordable for all Americans.

Entitlement Reform Means Fixing the Broader Health System Medicare and Medicaid’s Budget Challenges

Discussing long-term budget challenges earlier this year, President Barack Obama remarked, “Social Security, we can solve…. The big problem is Medicare, which is unsustainable.... We can’t solve Medicare in isolation from the broader problems of the health-care system.”

The president is right. Medicare, the entitlement program that provides health coverage for seniors, presents some of the country’s most serious budget challenges. Medicare enrollment, like Social Security, will grow substantially as baby boomers start to become eligible for retirement in 2011. This demographic shift will also strain Medicaid, Medicare’s sister program for low-income families, because much of the program’s budget goes to cover seniors made destitute by the cost of long-term care.

But the far bigger challenge facing both programs is the same one that is making private insurance unaffordable for more and more businesses and individuals: rising health care costs.

Thanks largely to the introduction of new technologies, health care costs have grown an average of 9.8 percent each year—2.5 percentage points faster than the economy as a whole. This cost growth is not only putting health care increasingly out of reach for many Americans; it is a threat to our long-term economic prosperity. The Congressional Budget Office has predicted that unless we take action, health care spending could consume 49 percent of our GDP by 2082, causing wages to stagnate and depressing non-health care sectors of our economy.

Budget hawks in both parties are laying the groundwork to address Medicare and Medicaid’s fiscal problems by limiting spending on these programs. But this “solution” fails to address any of the issues that caused the dramatic increases in health costs in the first place. The vulnerable populations served by these programs are those who will be least able to find affordable coverage in the private market if federal support is taken away. More fundamentally, trimming entitlements without fixing the broader system does nothing to fix the underlying problem that jeopardizes Americans’ access to care and our nation’s long-term prosperity.

Overhauling the health care system will be both a political and fiscal challenge, but there is good news: measures such as health information technology, comparative effectiveness research, and payment structures that encourage doctors to prioritize outcomes over volume can save Americans money and improve the quality of care delivered.

Some have suggested since the election that budget constraints may force the new president to shelve his plans for health reform. It is clear, however, that addressing our largest budget problems will have to begin with fixing our health care system.

A Close Look at the Issues Health Policy Briefs from CAP's Experts

Health care is one of the most important issues concerning Americans this election season. More than 45 million Americans do not have health insurance—a reality that has dire consequences for both individuals and the economy.

Policymakers across the political spectrum agree that we need to make health care more affordable and more accessible to all Americans. But when it comes down to the issues—should reform come from the federal government, or states? how should we construct tax credits? what about high-risk pools?—differences emerge.

To help you better understand some of the key concepts factoring into the health reform debate, the Center for American Progress' health policy experts have compiled a series of issue briefs covering issues ranging from consumer-driven health plans to socialized medicine.

Healthy Food Lesson

Eating healthy food and exercising regularly improves your health. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables can reduce your chance of getting cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Low-fat meats, beans, and nuts are also part of a good nutrition plan. The United States Department of Agriculture has published a new food pyramid that includes tips and facts about how to eat healthy to improve your health and live longer.

What are the benefits of eating healthy foods?

• People who eat healthy foods feel and look better.

• They have fewer medical problems and miss less days from work or school.

• People who eat healthy foods also feel more energetic and live longer than people who don't.

Is it important to take vitamins?

• You can get all the vitamins you need from the foods you eat, but taking a multi-vitamin once a day is a good idea.

• Multi-vitamins can be taken once a day after eating.

• If you take a multi-vitamin, be sure to check the expiration date on the bottle.

5 Ways to Beat Summer Weight Gain

When we think summer, most of us think outdoor fun. So it seems like we should naturally lose weight over the summer — not gain it.

In reality, though, summer isn't all beach volleyball and water sports. Lots of summer activities can work against our efforts to stay at a healthy weight (campfire s'mores and backyard barbecues, anyone?). The good news is it's easy to avoid problems if we know what to look out for.

Here are 5 ways to beat summer weight gain:

1. Get going with goals. When we don't have a plan, it's easy to spend summer moving from couch to computer, with regular stops at the fridge. Avoid this by aiming for a specific goal, like volunteering, mastering a new skill, or working at a job. Just be sure to plan for some downtime so you can relax a little!
2. Stick to a schedule. With school out, we lose our daily routines. If you don't have a specific job or activity to get up for, it's easy to sleep late, watch too much TV, and snack more than usual. Make sure your summer days have some structure — like getting up at the same time each day and eating meals at set times. Plan activities for specific times, like exercising before breakfast, for example. If you have time on your hands, offer to make dinner a couple of nights a week so your family can enjoy a sit-down meal together.
3. Stay busy. When we're bored, it's easy to fall into a trap of doing nothing and then feeling low on energy. In addition to helping you avoid the cookie jar, filling your days with stuff to do can give you a sense of accomplishment. That's especially true if a dream summer job or planned activity fell through. Limit your screen time — including IM and video games — to no more than 2 hours a day (write it in that schedule you put together!).
4. Beat the heat. Don't let summer heat put your exercise plans on hold. Move your workout indoors. If a gym isn't your scene, try bowling or an indoor climbing wall. If you love being outdoors, try joining a local pool or move a regular run or soccer game to early morning or evening.
5. Think about what (and how) you eat. Summer means picnics and barbecues — activities that revolve around an unlimited spread of food. Pace yourself. Don't overload your plate. Avoid going back for seconds and thirds. Choose seasonal, healthy foods like fresh fruit instead of high-sugar, high-fat desserts. Make catching up with family and friends your focus, not the food. Another good tip for summer eating is to limit frozen treats like ice cream to no more than once a week.

10 Essential Health Tips (The Basics to Practice Every Day)

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

Women's Health Information

The Center for Women's Health Information of Bnei Brak, Israel

The Women's Information and Health Center of B'nei Brak is a social engineer in women's health. Through exclusive access to the Internet in an otherwise unplugged society, we forge distribution channels between modern medicine and sequestered religious women. We work within strict rabbinic mandates to service the dignity of our clientèle, while counteracting pervasive social ignorance. Through direct collaborations with top health-care providers, hospital staff, and the volunteer network of Agudah Women, we educate to promote health, prevent disease, and legitimize women's right to quality health care within the ultra-orthodox comm

Our Mission

To forge access for ultra-orthodox women to key medical information, local resources, and health care, and to tailor comprehensive health education on women's behalf for the ultra-orthodox communities in Israel.

• We provide a 24 hour hot line for the women of Bnei Brak to confidentially inquire after their private health concerns, and receive prompt, up-to-date, well-researched information packages by post, pertinent to their specific needs.
• We conduct comprehensive public seminars in popular and emerging fields of women's health including heart disease, nutrition, exercise, fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and aging.
• We collect, classify, and reformat women's health information published in Hebrew. Parallel to the hot line, volunteers work to strengthen our files. Time is spent researching print and electronic sources, evaluating the long range relevance and the quality of informational presentation and content.
• And we target outreach to traditional female leaders in the community, bringing the wives of rabbis, school teachers and principles to our lectures, and into our volunteer circuit.
• We will expand our city health seminars, individualized package delivery service and adjoining telephone hot line to the national level, becoming a country-wide resource for Ultra-Orthodox women and their communities.
• We will train young female health educators with the tools necessary to infiltrate the Ultra-Orthodox primary and high schools in an effort to introduce basic provisions, and to reform health education policies for young women and girls.
• We will write specialized health-information booklets to address religious women's most frequently asked questions and concerns.
• We will broadcast a weekly radio address on the national orthodox dial, showcasing the critical medical issues raised by religious women to the hot line. Program will include a rotating focus on various aspects of women's health: exercise, nutrition, life cycles, health risk factors, and children. A brief medical news update will be followed by in depth interviews with doctors and expert guests on a specific issue within the topic of the week.

Invention Could Prevent Blindness

Thomas Moore, Health correspondent

A retired surgeon has invented a cut-price device that could help to prevent millions of people going blind.

The gadget - made from scraps of wood and plastic - can spot cataracts and other eye problems.

It's cheap enough to be widely used in the developing world.

The inventor, 74-year-old Roger Armour, said he made his prototype, called a slit lamp, on the kitchen table.

"It is remarkably good," he said.

A slit lamp is used in any High Street eye test. The patient rests their chin on a bar, while the optician shines a light into their eyes and examines them through a special lens. But the equipment costs around £10,000.

Mr Armour made his version for £5, plus the cost of a camera to record images.

He used a torch, a pocket magnifying glass, lolly sticks and part of a plastic toothbrush.

The prototype has just won a Medical Futures award for innovation. He has patented his invention and is now looking for a manufacturer.

"I'm delighted because I have seen so much suffering from awful eye diseases. I hope this instrument will help people in poor countries," he said.

According to the World Health Organisation there are 37 million blind people around the globe - most of whom live in developing countries. Three-quarters of cases could be avoided or prevented if they were diagnosed in time.

Simon Hampel from the eye charity Right to Sight said any invention that reduced the cost of medical care has to be welcomed.

"If we can get our equipment costs down, we can use our money more intelligently and do more operations," he said.

Mr Armour worked in the NHS as a general surgeon. Since retiring he has invented a cheap ophthalmoscope for looking at the back of the eye. Several thousand are now used in developing countries.

"It's been great fun and given me a lot of pleasure in retirement, particularly because it's got an object at the end of it and that is to help people," he said.

Aspects of health

Physical health

Physical fitness refers to good body health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet andnutrition , and proper rest for physical recovery.

A strong indicator of the health of localized population is their height or weight, which generally increases with improved nutrition and health care. This is also influenced by the standard of living and quality of life. Genetics also plays a major role in people's height. The study of human growth, its regulators, and implications is known as Auxology.

[edit] Mental health

Mental health refers to an individual's emotional and psychological well-being. "A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life."

One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively and successfully a person functions. Feeling capable and competent; being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintain satisfying relationships, and lead an independent life; and being able to "bounce back," or recover from difficult situations, are all signs of mental health. The generally accepted definition of health is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity", used by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1948. [1][2]

In 1986, the WHO in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion said health is "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities". Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC), which is composed of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) also define health.

Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being

Sandra Larson - Independent Trainer, CPT: NASM Specializing in Fitness, Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss, and Core Strength

Sandra has been active in the fitness world for most of her life. She played sports in Junior High and High School. After high school She got a job as an aerobics instructor. She got married soon after that and had 2 children. That is when the real fitness challenge began. She had a hard time losing the weight from both pregnancies. She had a friend that was in great shape that started to show her how to workout and the importance of lifting weights.
It took Sandra a good year after having both children and a lot of hard work and dedication to lose the last fifteen pounds of body fat. Sandra was determined and she did it. Now she is in the business of motivating other mothers who are frustrated with the last little bit of weight that they can’t loose, and educates them on how they can.
Sandra's main focus is on moms. She has a lot of knowledge and personal experience to share with other struggling moms. She wants to help people to be the best that they can be. Visit her website at www.helth-fit.blogspot.com

Kristi Roberts - Founder, B.S., Psychology Specializing in Weight loss and Wellness Coaching

After graduating magna cum laude from Biola University (La Mirada, California) in 1994 with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Psychology, and after working for 7 years as the right-hand "man" of H. Norman Wright, a nationally known marriage counselor, author and speaker, Kristi knew where her passions lay: she loved working with and helping people. Fanatical about her own ongoing pursuit for wellness, Kristi knew she wanted to help others, specifically women, teens, and children, achieve their optimal wellness as well.
For a complete Bio,

Shane Roberts - Founder, CFT Level II: ISSA Specializing in Fitness (all Forms), Nutrition, and Supplementation

Shane Roberts has been involved in sports, martial arts, bodybuilding and fitness for many years. After spending several years as a certified fitness trainer (certified through International Sports Science Association) he pursued a career in Professional Wrestling, performing for 4 years with major promotions such as WWE, as well as internationally in Japan. Over the recent years he has pursued an acting career and has used his physicality to land many roles in commercials, television and film.
Shane Roberts has over 20 years of experience in Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Nutrition and Supplementation.

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting WAITE TRAINING & FITNESS. We are excited about the opportunity to help you meet your health and fitness goals and sport supplement needs. Whether you’re working out now or have yet to find the best way to get into shape, you already know the importance of being healthy and feeling good about yourself. You are also aware that exercise along with eating a well balanced diet with plenty of rest are the most important behaviours that you can practice to reach and maintain maximum physical health and well being.

Of course, you also know that “maximum health” is easy to talk about but difficult to actually achieve.

This is where WAITE TRAINING & FITNESS comes in!

Today’s world literally never stops, and in North America, the average workweek is increasing from 40 to 50 hours (or more). As a result, getting to the gym, making time to exercise and eat right is becoming increasingly difficult. Whether you live in Europe or North America, we know you are busy. We also know that it takes accountability, motivation and knowledge to stay in shape.

WAITE TRAINING & FITNESS knows how to make an essential difference.

WAITE TRAINING & FITNESS is a professional and accredited organization in both Canada and the United States devoted to helping you reach, achieve and exceed your health and fitness goals through the combination of adequate exercise and proper nutrition. Already working out on your own? We’ll take you to the next level. Coming into the world of fitness a little green? We've got the know-how to help you develop a programme that fits your need. We utilise the training philosophies of Craig Ballantyne and his excellent programme found at www.helth-fit.blogspot.com combined with the fitness oriented diet advice of Tom Venuto which can be found at . Searching for top quality sport supplements that won't strain your budget? WAITE TRAINING & FITNESS is your source with our expanding line of premium quality products.We have the expertise to take you where you want to be.

Your health, fitness, and well being is our priority.

Fitness

Fitness

Our degreed Exercise Counselors are skilled in working with people of all ages, fitness levels and physical limitations.

Individual Fitness Assessment

The Individual Fitness Assessment addresses your past and current exercise habits and level of fitness. Following the American College of Sports Medicine’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, the Fitness Assessment evaluates the main health related areas of physical fitness:

• Cardiovascular-respiratory function
• Body composition
• Muscular strength and muscular endurance
• Flexibility

The results of the fitness tests can then be effectively utilized as a motivator for personal improvement and reinforcement for fitness maintenance. We will provide you with a detailed report of your fitness results and a personalized, safe exercise program.

Personal Fitness Training

Whether you're an experienced fitness enthusiast or a novice looking to get started, we can provide you with a safe exercise program to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. Discover how to lose body fat, improve muscle tone, decrease fatigue, enhance your fitness performance, and gain knowledge on exercise while working with our fitness experts. You can receive one-on-one training with a fitness professional in a private training room or join a few of your peers in the exercise room while still receiving personalized attention from the fitness staff. The staff will monitor your progress, blood pressure, heart rate, and exercise form to assure safety and efficiency during your work-out.

Resting Metabolic

Rate Testing Knowing the minimum number of calories your body needs is important if you're trying to lose, gain or maintain your current weight. Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the minimum number of calories your body needs to support its basic physiological functions. The use of the RMR establishes the important energy baseline to design a program that helps you reach your health and fitness objectives. This test requires only 30 minutes and cuts through the confusion over how many calories to eat and how many calories to burn each day. Resting Metabolic Rate is probably one of the easiest tests you will ever take. You simply relax and breathe. The RMR Test is perfect for all fitness levels and requires no exercise during the performance of the test itself. You will have a one-on-one counseling session at the time of your test to discuss your objectives and the results of your test.

Anaerobic Threshold Testing

Individuals who are at a moderate fitness level and want to take it to the next level can benefit from anaerobic threshold testing. Knowing your threshold allows you to achieve a very high level of cardiovascular conditioning without the discomfort and muscle damage of lactic acid build-up. In addition to learning about your anaerobic threshold, you will be coached on specific heart rate zones and when your body switches from burning fat to burning glucose. Let us help you maximize your workout routine so you can accomplish your fitness goals safely and timely.

For more information about fitness programs, contact us at 317.705.1400 or www.helth-fit.blogspot.com.

Christ Community Health Services

Christ Community Health Services is a Christian non-profit organization focused on fulfilling the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of the underserved through health centers and outreach programs.

Since our founding in 1995, we have provided high-quality healthcare and services to thousands of patients, caregivers, students, and families in designated geographical areas in Memphis where the needs are greatest.

Demonstrated success over time has enabled us to expand our range of services to help meet the ever-growing needs of the poor, the uninsured, and the homeless.

Our holistic approach and our commitment to service draw their strength from the source of all healing, Jesus Christ.

How to Improve Your Health and Fitness

Nowadays, people have truly started to become more conscious of their health. Aside from the low fat food choices and countless diet programs that promise a healthier you, there is also the advent of many dietary supplements as well as the rising popularity of gym programs. But the truth of the matter is, improving your health and fitness need not be so taxing.

There are a variety of simple ways to improve your health and fitness – and most of these are things you can incorporate into your everyday lifestyle. In terms of health, one of the easiest ways of improving this is to eat a nutrient- rich diet. Get a variety of food in so that you are able to reach the recommended nutrient intake. Cut back on fat and avoid excessive drinking. Of course, quitting smoking will definitely be one of the best things you can do for your health; avoid what could be future ailments and complications caused by smoking. As for fitness, it is recommended that you move more – even simple acts such as taking the stairs or walking instead of taking a cab are easy ways to get a bit of exercise. Play with your children, sweep the yard, or walk even for just 10 minutes a day.

No matter what your age is, better health and fitness doesn’t have to be tough to achieve. Take these worthwhile steps to a greatly improved you.

My Good Health Experience

In 1995 my husband was working on contract in Malaysia and I accompanied him. We travelled to Kuala Lumpur together for six weeks and returned home for three weeks for most of 1995. During this period I made friends with a lady from Cape Town, South Africa. We had lunch together in the May and immediately after lunch I became quite ill. I spent the next four days in bed, burning with fever, shaking with cold and a dreadful headache. When I was well enough to ring my friend and apologise for what had happened I found that she too was in bed with the same symptoms.

We returned to Australia where I live and in early 1996 I started to get headaches that laid me out for 1 or 2 days then went away. They started recurring at regular intervals and lasting for longer periods. By May 1996 I had one which lasted 12 days and was very sick. My doctor could not find what was causing this although he suspected that it was something tropical from our stint in Malaysia. I was sent to the Canberra Infectious Disease Clinic and still no diagnosis. Because I could not be diagnosed my doctor would not treat me with any pharmaceutical drugs. My liver was heavily impacted and he suggested a healthy vitamin supplement in high dose to see if this would help. Within 24 hours I felt myself lift and my husband saw it physically. By January of 1997 I was totally recovered apart from a high iron count which was being monitored for the next 12 months.

In June 1997 I received a letter from my South African friend to say that she had been ill for 14 months and they had finally diagnosed her with brucellosis a disease from diseased meat carcasses or milk. We had both used Malaysian milk! Later on I read an article on Malaysian milk wherein it advised that they used growth hormones and that this passed through the milk and I believe that is where we contracted our brucellosis from.

Because of the extent of my illness it made me realise how important my health was and I started to read about wellbeing and preventative health. My goal in life is to stay healthy and young, and experience the joys of being healthy. I use safe products without toxins, take good nutritional supplementation, use safe products to clean my home and take care with what I eat. I guess this is reflecting very much in my dental health. In April 2008 I visited my holistic dentist for my normal check and clean. I commented that it had been sometime since I had any actual dental work undertaken. He checked his records and said “would you believe 2000 was the last lot of work.”

http://www.helth-fit.blogspot.com.com

Health and Fitness Make the Difference Between Living Well and Living

Quality of life is what we all want. Good health helps us achieve a high quality of life. Fitness makes us want to live it every day. If you agree with these three premises, keep reading.

The Purpose of Health and Fitness Tips
To inform you of new developments in the health and fitness fields is our aim. We'll do the research; we have the resources. You get the results. The name of the game is 'current' and 'relevant' for today. Forget all the excess baggage of the so-called fitness gurus.

Become Healthier and Fitter Faster
While we know you are interested in becoming healthier and fitter or maintaining the health and fitness you have, we also know you have limited time to devote to it. We therefore pledge to you a fast, simple method to hop aboard the fitness fast train. Get on track with the facts.

Health Professionals, Medical Doctors and Health and Fitness Writers and Editors Make Up Our Staff
Our staff experience in the booming Health and Fitness field adds up to more than 100 years. Not that anyone is age 100 or even close, but we all plan to live that long. We want to make sure we have company. So we invite you along for the ride. We'll spur you on and help you over the rough spots to your own fitness destination.

Diet and Exercise are Keys to Healthy Living
But you know all this. So our aim is to give you the shortcuts, the little-known tricks and proven methods to help prevent boredom and hopelessness in your quest for good health. Our high tech world has advanced in the fitness field also. In fact, so fast that we want to get the information out to you yesterday. That's what the Health and Fitness Tips Site is all about…the latest up-to-the-minute-in-the-zone information for your health and fitness.

The Health and Fitness Tips Newsletter
Is a free weekly newsletter that is delivered straight to your email box. It's short, to the point, and it's absolutely free. This newsletter contains one weekly health and fitness tip that will get you on the right track. Click here and become one step closer to your health and fitness goals for the year 2002!

Want to get buff, ladies? Switch contraceptives

updated 1:15 p.m. ET April 17, 2009

CHICAGO - Young women seeking a sculpted, muscular silhouette may want to avoid taking oral contraceptives, U.S. researchers said on Friday.

They found women who were not taking birth control pills gained 60 percent more muscle mass after a 10-week weight training program than those who were.

The study, led by Chang-Woock Lee and Steven Riechman of Texas A&M University in College Station and Mark Newman of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, will be presented at the American Physiological Society meeting in New Orleans this weekend.

The researchers studied 73 generally healthy women between 18 and 31 who completed a whole-body resistance exercise training program. About half took the pill and half did not.

The women were encouraged to eat at least half a gram of protein per pound of body weight each day — about a third more than recommended by U.S. nutritional guidelines — to ensure they got enough protein and calories to build muscle.

Both groups exercised three times a week under the supervision of exercise physiologists, performing the same number and intensity of exercises.

At the end of the 10 weeks, the women who were not taking oral contraceptives had built significantly more lean muscle.

Instant Ab Flatteners

Achieving a toned, sexy tummy might seem like a pipe dream this time of year. Baggy sweaters abound, egg nog is served and Frosty the Snowman doesn't offer much in the way of flat-belly inspiration. But getting a sleek, sexy stomach is easier than you think. Spend just five minutes a day on toning your abs and you'll get an amazing middle.


We rounded up five of the most effective tummy toners around. Work three or four of these exercises into your routine (easing them in will minimize soreness). Do the number of reps indicated, resting one minute between moves. The only equipment you will need is a hand towel. Washboard abs, here you come!

Group Urges Public to Take Free Asthma Tests in May

By HealthDay - Sat Apr 18, 8:47 PM PDT

SATURDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- Free asthma screenings will be offered at more than 200 sites across the United States in May, which is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.

Adults and children with symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath are encouraged to take advantage of the screenings that will be conducted by allergists.

"Many people don't realize their breathing problem might be caused by asthma and simply put up with their symptoms, which could include a cough at night, colds that constantly go to the chest, shortness of breath during exercise or full-blown asthma attacks," Dr. John Winder, chairman of the Nationwide Asthma Screening Program, said in an American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) news release.

"Asthma is a serious disease, and the screening program gives patients a chance to meet with an allergist who can help them identify the source of their suffering and direct them to the next steps for treatment," Winder said.

During a screening, adults and older children complete a 20-question test, while children under age 15 complete a special test that allows them to answer questions about any breathing problems. There's another test available for parents of children up to 8 years of age.

Screening participants also take a lung function test and then meet with an allergist to determine if they require a thorough examination and diagnosis.

This is the 13th year for the program, which has screened more than 115,000 people and referred more than half of them for further diagnosis. The program is sponsored by the ACAAI.

More than 22 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, have asthma, which causes almost 4,000 deaths a year in the United States. The exact cause of asthma is unknown, but there are many treatments to control the disease. Asthma triggers include allergens such as pollen, dust and pet dander, certain drugs and food additives, respiratory infections and physical exertion, according to the news release.