Treat Your Dry Skin
Best skin care treatments from experts. This winter, treat your skin as experts say.
DERMATOLOGIST
Cold weather and low humidity make dry skin even worse in the winter. After taking a quick shower or bath, pat your skin dry and immediately moisturize with a lotion containing dimethicone, cyclomethicone, collagen or Shea butter, which will help
seal in the product. Reapply at night.
COSMETIC DERMATOLOGIST
Avoid hot showers and baths, which can exacerbate the problem. Replace drying soaps with a moisturizing liquid cleanser and gently rub it in with a washcloth or loofah. Try using a humidifier in your bedroom to add moisture to the air, and avoid rough fabrics that can scratch the skin, like wool.
NUTRITIONIST
Diet is definitely part of the dry- skin equation. You want to stay hydrated, so women should aim for 72 ounces of fluid a day (from water and other beverages or water-based foods); men need 100 ounces. Watch your caffeine and alcohol intake, as both tend to be diuretics. Getting enough good fats is also important, so make sure to eat olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish
ALLERGIST
If your dry skin is itchy and looks and feels worse on the inside of your elbows, the back of your neck or knees, or your cheeks or hands, you may actually have eczema. Moisturizers help, but see an allergist or dermatologist, as you may need topical steroids to control the rash. You may also have an allergy to lotions, foods or other irritants that make the problem worse.
Fat-Fighting Tips
In order to help reduce your fat intake, choose lean cuts of meat and trim all visible fat before cooking. Avoid high- fat meats such as sausages, bacon and minced beef. Poultry should be eaten without the skin, and fish should be steamed, grilled, baked or micro- waved rather than fried. Sweet and savoury pies and pastries, biscuits, cakes, crisps and nuts are all high in fat and are best avoided on a slimming diet. Replace full-fat dairy products with low-fat alternatives.
You will probably lose 1.3 kg (3lb) or more during the first week of any diet, due to an initial loss of water from the body. Thereafter, it is best to aim for a steady weight loss of 450-900g (1-2lb) a week, which will result in a reduction of body fat. Increasing your calorie expenditure through regular exercise — three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes — will help to burn fat, and tone up the muscles for a leaner shape.
Soft Drinks
BENEFITS
• Isotonic drinks help to replace lost
fluid and energy very quickly after vigorous activity
DRAWBACKS
• Can be high in sugar, which
may contribute towards tooth decay
• Acidic drinks can erode the enamel on your teeth
• Ii is possible to consume excessive
amounts of caffeine if you drink too many cola drinks, as well as coffee
Most sweetened soft drinks provide empty ‘calories’; they supply plenty of energy, but no other useful nutrients. Typically, a 330ml (10½fl oz) can of a regular, non-diet cola drink contains just over seven teaspoons of SUGAR. Too many sweet drinks can therefore contribute to weight problems as well as to TOOTH AND GUM DISORDERS.
There are, however, an increasing number of low-calorie, sugar-free soft drinks now available. Some of them claim to be good for you. Isotonic drinks, which are specifically produced for sports enthusiasts, are designed to boost energy — and to replace the electrolytes (mineral salts such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride) that are lost through sweating. The isotonic drinks usually contain 5 percent sugar, which allows the water in the drink to he absorbed much more quickly by the body than from a glass of pure water.
FIZZY DRINKS AND SQUASHES
The original cola drink was invented in 1886 when John Styth Pemherton, a pharmacist in Atlanta, USA, concocted a mixture of coca leaves, cola nuts and caffeine to sell as a cure for headaches and hangovers. Today, regular colas contain only about one-third of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee, and there are also decaffeinated versions. The sugar con- rained in diluted squashes ranges from a single teaspoon per glass to four or even more in the case of some blackcurrant drinks, but these may also provide useful amounts of vitamin C. The sugar in soft drinks is broken down by bacteria growing on teeth — to produce acid. If you sip sugary drinks over long periods, this increases the risk of tooth decay by prolonging the time that enamel-destroying acids are in the mouth. Acidic fruit-juice cordials can also erode your teeth. Try to drink soft drinks at mealtimes, and clean your teeth regularly. In a recent survey, researchers at Southampton University found that some children are gaining almost half their daily energy intake from sugary drinks, and that these empty calories are leading to irritability, loss of appetite, poor weight gain and diarrhoea. And doctors who treated eight toddlers referred to Southampton General Hospital with eating or behavioral problems found that the children’s symptoms disappeared when their consumption of sweetened soft drinks was reduced.
LOW-CALORIE DRINKS
Made with artificial sweeteners, low- calorie drinks are suitable for almost everyone, including diabetics. They do not contribute to tooth decay by promoting the formation of plaque, or to weight problems. Sparkling waters with added herbs, minerals and gins eng claim to act as a natural pick-me up, but tend to be more expensive than other soft drinks. They arc usually sweetened with fruit juice.
ALLERGIES
Some ADDITIVES used in soft drinks, such as the azo dyes sunset yellow (El10) and tartrazine (E102), found in some orange, lemon and lime squashes, have been alleged to cause allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. The symptoms can range from skin rashes and upset stomachs to irritability and hyperactivity.
pls digg or give thumbs up if you like the article
Stress – The New Killer
It is often difficult to take an objective view of yourself to see how stressed you really are. However, some common signs of stress are easy to spot. Here’s a small stress test,
Do you:
- Often feel close to tears?
- Easily snap and shout at those around you at home and work?
- Have a reduced sex drive?
- Sleep badly?
- Fidget, bite your nails or fiddle with your hair?
- Find it hard to concentrate, and impossible to make decisions?
- Find it increasingly hard lust to talk to people?
- Eat when you are not hungry or skip meals altogether?
- Feel tired most of the time?
- Think that your sense of humor has gone for good?
- Feel suspicious of others?
- Drink or smoke more to help you through the most difficult days?
• Feel that you just cannot cope? If you answer yes to more than four of these questions, then you are stressed anti need to incorporate some ‘stress relievers’ (see page 335) into your routine.
TIME TO RELAX
It is important to balance times of stress with periods of relaxation. Do something that takes your mind off your problems, such as gardening, walking, playing a sport, meditating or listening to soothing music. By learning to face each new challenge as it arises, and by knowing how to switch off before fatigue and frustration set in, you can use your stress to motivate you and make life more interesting and fulfilling.
ANTI-STRESS LARDER
Take care to include some of the following foods in your diet when you are under stress, because vital nutrients are being used up more quickly. I present you some of the natural stress larder.
B vitamins, to release energy and to maintain a healthy nervous system. Found in green vegetables, potatoes, fresh fruit, wheat germ, wholegrain cereals (such as brown rice), eggs, dairy products, yeast extract, seafood, lean meat, liver, kidney, poultry, pulses (peas, beans and lentils), nuts, seeds and dried fruit.
Vitamin C, to help the body to resist infection and for wound healing. Found in fresh fruits, especially citrus fruits and blackcurrants, fruit juices and fresh vegetables.
Zinc, for resistance to infection and for wound healing. Found in liver and red meat, egg yolks, dairy produce, whole- grain cereals and seafood -particularly oysters and other shellfish.
Complex carbohydrates, to boost energy and calm the mind. Found in bread, rice, pulses, oats, pasta and
potatoes. These foods supply a steady stream of energy to the body, and also have a calming effect on the brain.
THE STRESS HIT LIST
Stress can be set off by important changes in life-even pleasant ones. Individual responses vary, but some events and changes are much more likely to cause stress than others. They are rated here according to the amount of stress they are likely to cause.
Highest stress rating
Death of partner
Divorce or separation
Prison sentence
Death of a close relative
Personal injury or illness
Marriage
Loss of job
Moving house
High stress rating
Reconciliation with partner
Retirement
Serious ill health in the family
Pregnancy
Sexual problems
New baby/family member
Change of job
Money problems
Death of a close friend
Moderate stress rating
Family arguments
Taking on a large mortgage
Legal action over a debt
New responsibilities at work
Child starting/finishing school
Son/daughter leaving home
Difficulties with in-laws
Change in living conditions
Problems with boss
Lower stress rating
Change in working conditions
Change of schools
Holidays
Change in contact with relatives
Minor violations of the law
Joining/leaving a social group
Christmas
Small mortgage or loan