Skincare and You

It is immense to have a great skin, and is the first step headed for an excellent makeup. Skin therefore plays a vital role in our life, how one looks and feels directly relates to ones skin.

Making the best choices for our bodies, and ultimately our skin, is achieved through diet/ food, exercise, regular professional treatments, personalized homecare, and a healthy mental attitude.

Partaking in health and beauty rituals indiscriminately - slowing time and gravity's tentacles continues to lead us on a trail that has been philosophized throughout history. Beauty comes from within, for the beauty that is without resembles the beauty that is within.

The type of skin you have depends on your genes, sex, age, environment, structure and regeneration. How you treat your skin will always be evident in your face, hands and body. It's never too early or too late to begin looking after your skin to glow everlastingly.

Skin cleansing is very much essential, because pollution, grease and grime cling to the skin, clogging pores, while the body eliminates toxins through perspiration. If the cleansing process is not thoroughly undertaken, the skin will look and feel sluggish, tired and minor skin problems and irritations will transpire.

Skin Care and different factors in your daily routine
Explore the methods to keep up a skin that ever lasts for your life by different ways. For example, proper diet is giving major importance to the shine of skin. A diet for blemish-prone skin must be consistently high in protein and fresh raw fruit and vegetables. There are some regulations to observe in the diet.

Although intense exposure to the sun can produce symptoms of aging and can even predispose it to cancer, constant little exposure to sun light in your day's schedule is important to rejuvenate your skin.

The most damaging effect of the sun is that it dehydrates the skin causing it to become dry and rough and wrinkled, freckles, pigmentation and patches may also occur. An immediate reaction is expansion of blood vessels that is why skin looks flushed, red and gets tanned if stayed out in the sun for long. However sun is very good for children, as they require Vitamin D, which is abundant in sunlight for their growth and metabolism.

Skin care by natural products really suits any kind of skin and it is recommended to habituate using natural skin care products on everyday basis.

There are actually some secrets to choose the right method to care your skin. Some tips you would love to follow while you plan a day in beach. Your skin can also shine with the fragrances of Aromatherapy.

There are special tips to follow, to prevent your skin from Anti aging. Your skin in addition sometimes needs facial treatments and look out for the fabulous facial treatments. Do not forget to sense that the skin on your eyes, are also in need of special and unique care.

Skin cleansing Practices
Cleansing your skin should be part of the daily routine. As soon as you wake up early in the morning, before returning to bed, before using special treatments like facials etc., before and after your makeup cleansing is much-required factor for your skin to look younger.

Vitamins and Hair Loss

Vitamins are necessary for your body health as well as hair health. Different vitamins contribute to maintain your body metabolism and hair growth. These also prevent your hair from falling. So it is very important for you to take different vitamins in your daily diet in sufficient quantity. Some of the most important vitamins and minerals that are necessary in maintaining your hair growth are biotin, folic acid, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, and inositol.

Having these vitamins and minerals in enough quantity will prevent hair loss and maintain your hair growth. However, consuming these vitamins and minerals in excess may cause a lot of problem. So it is very important for you to know, how much of these vitamins and minerals you needs in your daily diet. You can take the help of your nutritionist to gain knowledge of this. You also can get sufficient information from internet websites and magazines etc.

Scientists have performed a number of tests on these vitamins and minerals to know how these helps human hair either to grow or prevent them. And from different studies the vitality of these vitamins and minerals for human hair has been established. For example; scientists have found that a deficiency of magnesium results in hair loss in porches. Similarly, a deficiency of inositol or biotin result in total hair loss or complete baldness.

If you think that you are losing your hair and need some more vitamins to consume in your diet, you can choose from various food diet rich in vitamins necessary for hair growth. You also can opt for multivitamins. But before choosing any option, it would be better in your interest to consult your doctor or nutritionist to know the exact intake that you need to have. As you know that the excess of vitamins and minerals also leads to problems like hair loss. So think for a minute, if the reason of your hair problems is an overconsumption of vitamins and minerals.

For example, vitamin A is good for your immune system and your hair health if you consume in right quantity. But when taken in excess may cause hair problems and many other health problems too. Fatty acids are another example; different fatty acids maintain your hair texture and save them from dryness, but when consumed in excessive quantity leads to problems.

This is also in best interests of yours’ to prefer diet rich in different vitamins and minerals rather than opting for vitamin supplements and multivitamins. Make sure that your diet contains all the necessary nutrients and vitamins and minerals. Eat whole grain breads, a lot of leafy green vegetables, especially greens and drink a lot of water. Include in your diet various dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and poultry products like egg, etc. Sea food like cod fish will also help your hair to make good, gorgeous and healthy. Eat a lot of whole fruits. Although, you can have fruit juices occasionally, but having more of whole fruits than fruit juices is much better idea.

You also can try on different shampoos and hair oils to maintain your hair health. But don’t try any product on the basis of TV advertisements. Ask your doctor or health care expert for the right kind of oil and shampoo that will prevent your hair from falling and make healthy and good looking.

No matter what you try for your hair health, it is always better idea to have food rich in different nutrients and vitamins and minerals to maintain your body and hair health.

For more information about inexpensive, natural programs to reverse hair loss, read my review of the two best programs I've found to reverse hair loss at my blog

Why Plugged Hair Follicles Thin Your Hair and What You Can Do

Losing your hair to where it thins or you become bald does not have to happen. Just by understanding why your hair falls out and thins allows you to take counter measures. Discover what counter measures you need to take to keep your hair full, thick, or from thinning.

There are various ways to keep your hair clean, shiny, and thick. If you still have hair and want to keep it or if your hair is starting to thin out, here are some hair remedies that you can use.

When your hair starts to thin down, three of the reasons are:

• Your hair follicles are slowly becoming plug and preventing hair from growing out
• Your hair is not receiving the nutrients it needs to grow and stay strong
• Your hair is not getting enough blood circulating in your scalp

I will cover only the first of the two items.

Plugged Hair Follicles

Just like acne, your hair follicles can become plugged. In acne a plug follicle results in sebum and bacteria becoming trapped in the follicle, which leads to an infection known as a pimple.

When a hair follicle becomes plugged on your scalp, the hair in that follicle becomes trapped and is prevented from coming to the surface. Over time, your scalp becomes smooth and you become bald or lose most of your hair.

So the secret to preventing hair loss, thinning and balding is to prevent your hair follicles from becoming plugged. Once you know what causes your follicle to plug, you can avoid or counteract those conditions.

Here is what causes your follicles to become plugged.

• Excessive build up of testosterone in blood converting over to DHT and plugging up your hair follicles
• Use of shampoos, conditioners, and gels that contain excessive unnatural chemical that stay on your scalp and get trapped in your follicles
• Excessive release of sebum and scalp flaking mixing together to form a hard material that plugs up your follicles.

DHT Build Up in Your Follicle

It is well known now that excessive conversion of testosterone into DHT accumulates in the hair follicles and plugs. Knowing this you can use a variety of shampoos on your hair to dissolve this DHT. This keeps your pores open and your hair growing normally. You can also take capsules that prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT.

Unnatural Shampoo and Conditioners

Most shampoos, conditioners, and hair gels are created using petrochemicals, un-natural additives, dyes, preservatives that are harmful to your hair and scalp.

In addition, these un-natural hair product chemicals get into your pores and can plug. Once in the follicle, they also get into your blood and are harmful to your liver and the rest of your body.

Search for more natural shampoo products which contain fewer petrochemicals and have more herbs with natural cleansing chemicals

Excessive Sebum and Scalp Flaking

Some people have oily hair and some dry. When the hair follicle releases excess sebum it accumulates on the scalp. Here it will combine with dirt, dead scalp cells, and shampoo chemical residues.

Using natural remedies reduces the amount of chemical available to combine with excess sebum and dead scalp cells. If you use any type of gel to style your hair these gels combine with sebum to plug up your follicles.

To keep your hair and scalp clean and follicles open, use aloe vera gel mixed with a few drops of jojoba oil. Buy aloe vera gel, 99% pure and pure jojoba oil. Put some aloe vera gel in your hand and add 4-5 drops of jojoba oil. Rub your hands together then rub this mixture into your hair. This mixture will keep your hair shiny and thick and your hair follicles open.

Just making these changes to your hair care will go a long way in keeping your hair from thinning any further

For more information about inexpensive, natural programs to reverse hair loss, read my review of the two best programs I've found to reverse hair loss at my blog Reverse Hair Loss.

Hair Loss Problem And Cure

Every day, every one of us looses some hair. Our body then replaces it with some new strands as part of the many renewal processes that are built into our body systems. As we all age, 'the reappearance of new hair' event gradually slows down. This observable fact is more evident in men than women, whose 'male-pattern baldness is genetically determined and can begin as early as age 20. For women, hair normally thins after age 50, and considerable hair loss before that age is very rare.

Facts about Hair:

• Typically, hair grows an average of an inch every two months.
• The average head can shed up to 100 of its 100,000 hairs every day.

Indication of hair loss:

• Hair Loss generally is noticed in one of two-ways.
  • With common pattern baldness, the loss is gradual. It can start as early as puberty, or very late in life.
  • Sudden loss of hair, or loss in clumps usually indicates a different problem. This type of symptom could be caused by a number of factors, including hormonal changes, medications, thyroid problems, among others.
• Male pattern baldness typically starts by causing the hairline to recede in the center of the forehead. A bald spot may then form on the top of the head, towards the back and center. Eventually almost all the hair on the top of the head will be lost. This leaves the hair on the sides and back forming the notorious horseshoe pattern. By this stage, hair loss will be very difficult to treat with medications. A hair transplant may be a good option at this point, though they can be expensive.
• Female pattern baldness results in a more evenly spread out thinning of hair. Women will notice an increased rate of hair loss. This will most likely be noticed on pillows, in the shower, hairbrushes, or even vacuum brushes. It is impossible to count the number of hairs being lost per day, but women will notice the thinning and loss of hair around the same time. Some women who have curly or thick hair may not notice the change as early. Skin and hair color also determine how easily the thinning is noticed. Someone who has light hair and dark skin will notice balding much sooner than most.

Self-care remedy tips for hair loss:

1. Massage the scalp with 2-3 drops of essential oil or a good vegetable oil. Massage well into the scalp so that the oil gets into deep roots of hair. Wrap the hair in plastic wrap and place a warm towel around it. Leave it for 2 to three hours or overnight. Shampoo the hair with a mild shampoo. Practicing this at regular basis would help your hair pores get rejuvenated.
2. Eat a handful of white sesame seeds every morning. One handful of these small seeds contains about 1,200 mg. of calcium and magnesium to ignite the required nourishments of your scalp not to loose hair.
3. Take some yogurt everyday (unless you are allergic to milk).
4. Rinse hair with a mix of apple cider vinegar tea to help hair grow.
5. Mix little warmer castor and almond oil and massage over scalp at least once a week.
6. Grind lime seeds and black pepper in equal number in some water and apply on the scalp at regular intervals.
7. Scrub the bald portion with onions till it becomes red. Then applying honey, scrub the scalp once a day.
8. Massage almond oil on scalp 2 to 3 times a day. Further hair loss will stop by doing this practice.
9. Massage coconut milk or Aloe Vera gel into the scalp and hair. Leave it for ½ hour, and then rinse with warm water. Repeat 3 times a week.
10. Massage honey with egg yolk into the scalp and hair. Leave for a 1/2 hour, then rinse to prevent hair loss.

Cause of hair problems:
The cause of hair loss is most commonly related to male gender, hormonal changes and genetics. Medications can be another reason for the hair loss.

Temporary hair loss can occur in conjunction with a high fever, a severe illness, thyroid disorders, iron deficiency, general anesthesia, drug treatments, hormonal imbalance, or extreme stress, and in women following childbirth. In these conditions, a large number of hair follicles suddenly go into a resting phase, causing hair to thin noticeably

General tips to take care of hair from loss:

• Eating a balanced, healthy diet is important for a lot of reasons, and it really benefits your hair. And don't forget to treat your hair well. For example, some doctors recommend using baby shampoo, shampooing no more than once a day, and lathering gently.
• Don't rub your hair too vigorously with a towel, either. Many hair experts suggest you consider putting away the blow dryer and air-drying your hair instead. If you can't live without your blow dryer, try using it on a low heat setting.
• Style your hair when it's dry or damp. Styling your hair while it's wet can cause it to stretch and break. And try to avoid teasing your hair, which can also cause damage. Finally, be careful when using chemicals - such as straightness or color - on your hair.

7 Tips to Hair Loss Prevention

Lossing hair is a part of life that most people do not look forward to. If you have bald family members, you may be especially nervous about waking up one morning to find you pillow covered with hair, or your hair brush with more hairs than your head. If this sounds like something that you worry about, then you might want to learn some hair loss prevention tips.

1- One widely held belief is that the over use of chemicals on the hair can cause hair thinning and eventually hair loss. If you like to enhance the look of your hair through chemical means, but are nervous about future hair loss, it is a good idea to only have this type of work done by a licensed beautitian. Many do-it-yourselfers are too inexperienced to properly perform chemical treatments to their hair, having a tendacncy to over apply the products. If you do color your hair, it is thought best to keep the frequency to a six or eight week minimum.

2- It is important to eat healthy foods and ensure that your body is getting the vitamins and minerals that it needs. Often times the body will show poor health in the hair follicles and finger nails before and actual illness is detected. While it is important to get enough of the right nutrients, it is just as important not to get too much of any one type of vitamin. For example, too much of vitamins A and E, have been linked to hair loss.

3- When and if an illness is detected, it is important to take care of your health needs. If the doctor has prescribed medications, take it. Failure to follow the doctors advise will cause your body to work harder just to stay alive, it won't have enough energey to keep the hair follicles growing and will eventually lead to hair loss. This is an excellent form of hair loss prevention.

4- The style that you wear your hair can also be a hair loss prevention opportunity. When ever possible, avoid pulling hair into styles that require it to be pulled tight and bound with elastic for long periods of time. While hair accessories have become much more hair friendly during recent years, hairstyle such as tight ponytail, pig tails and cornrows can still do damage to the hair shaft and ultimately to the hair follicle.

5- A way to pamper yourself doubles as a hair loss prevention idea. Using satin or silk pillowcases, is thought to prevent hair loss due to the fact that a silk or satin pillowcase will cause less friction while sleeping than a cotton or flannel pillowcase. This is because the head and the hair slide across the pillow instead of needing to be forcefully pushed across.

6- There is a whole group of old wives's tales that relate to hair loss prevention. These tips definatly won't hurt to try, but really don't do anything to combat the issue of hair loss. For instance, it has been said that standing upside down will increase blood flow to the head and that massaging the scalp or briskly brushing the hair will make the hair stay put and not fall out. This is simply not the case.

7- It is important to remember that even in a healthy person, it is completely normal to lose between 50 and 100 hairs from the head every day. If you feel that your hair loss issues are beyond that norm, speak with your doctor or dermatologist about your concerns. They will be able to determine if the hair loss is due to a medical or age issue, and point you in the right treatment direction.

John Mancini has been writing about Hair Loss online and offline for a long time. Visit http://hair-loss-infos.info or http://hair-loss-now.net to read more about matters like hair loss information and hair loss remedy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Mancini

Increasing Your Vitamin D Protects against Swine Flu

Soram Khalsa, MD, is on a mission to get Americans to up their levels of vitamin D. Dr. Khalsa even had a patient hand deliver a copy of his book The Vitamin D Revolution to Michelle Obama, in which he wrote, ‘Vitamin D can help the country’s health-care crisis. Please contact me if you are interested." Khalsa hasn’t heard from her yet. What a surprise that Michelle Obama isn't interested in something that doesn't make money for the pharmaceutical companies.

Soram Khalsa is on a mission to get Americans to up their levels of Vitamin D. Why? To protect them against a myriad of illnesses, including cancers, heart disease and diabetes. He even had a patient from his who’s-who-studded medical practice in Beverly Hills hand deliver a copy of his book, The Vitamin D Revolution, to Michelle Obama. “In the front, I wrote, ‘Vitamin D can help the country’s health-care crisis. Please contact me if you are interested’ and included my phone number. I haven’t heard from her yet, but

Prevent Hair Loss with Good Grooming and Care

Hair is fairly strong and can generally withstand normal grooming techniques. However, there can be thinning or breakage of hair due to poor grooming habits. The following tips can prevent these bouts of thinning and breakage.

Avoid combing hair with fine-toothed combs when wet, as this is a common cause of breakage. Although this is a tempting practice because hair straightens and detangles much better if combed when wet, the stress on the hair shaft is immense when the hair is wet because it is weakened.

This goes for brushing the hair when wet, also. Brushing the hair, in general can be stimulating to the scalp, encouraging blood flow to the hair follicles and maintaining their health. Brushing the hair before washing it can loosen up flakes of sebum and dead skin buildup and make it easier to thoroughly clean the scalp during shampooing. Remember, over combing or over brushing generally will cause damage to the hair, which is quite contrary to the old 100-stroke brushing rule.

Although clean hair is desirable and even necessary for the maintenance of healthy hair, excessive shampooing can strip vital minerals like calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen and iron from the hair. This is particularly true when using commercial shampoos. Most commercial shampoos contain formaldehyde as a preservative. To disguise the presence of formaldehyde it is listed in the ingredients as Quanternium-15. This substance can be carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and poisonous to the entire system.

Unfortunately for those who suffer with dandruff, anti-dandruff shampoos are some of the most dangerous shampoos on the market. Selenium sulfide is the main ingredient in most dandruff shampoos, a substance that has shown to cause degeneration of the liver. Other toxic chemicals such as polyvinyl pyrrlidone plastic (PVP), which is a proven carcinogenic, and creosol which has been proven to be highly toxic are commonly found in dandruff shampoos. This is why it is very important to correct this condition as quickly as possible through natural means.

Natural shampoos normally found in health food stores are a much better choice. Even with natural shampoos, be careful of the ingredient sodium lauryl sulfate can strip away too much oil from the hair, causing shampoo residue to be left behind. Ingredients that have proven useful in shampoos are aloe vera, sage, nettle, burdock, chamomile, chaparral, horsetail ,and rosemary. Also look for shampoos that contain keratin, the protein substance that hair is made of, or amino acids. This will help seal breakages in the cuticle.

Choose a shampoo with a proper pH balance; a level of 5.5 is ideal. The pH scale runs from 0 to 6.9 for acids and 7.1 to 14 for alkaline, with 7 being neutral. Although generally conditioners are good for hair provided that they do not contain the previously mentioned harmful chemicals, shampoos with conditioners included should be avoided. Shampooing and conditioning serve two different functions and the effectiveness of both are diminished by combining the process.

When shampooing, pour the shampoo into the hands and rub the shampoo in with your hands rather than pouring it on your head. By pouring shampoo directly into the hair, you may promote buildup in one particular spot. Massage gently with your fingertips to loosen flakes and buildup and to stimulate circulation, but avoid using the fingernails as this may scratch the scalp and cause scarring over time. Shampoo with warm water to open the pores and rinse with cool water to promote shrinking the pores back to their normal size. After washing hair, dry it by blotting the hair with a towel. Avoid rubbing, especially with terrycloth towels, as this will pull hair when it is in a weakened state due to the wetness.

Following these tips can not only prevent unnecessary hair loss, but also leave your hair looking its best. Even if you don't have as much hair as you used to, taking care of it will keep it looking good and make you look great, too.

For more information about inexpensive, natural programs to reverse hair loss, read my review of the two best programs I've found to reverse hair loss at my blog Reverse Hair Loss.

Of Hair Had and Lost

As is rather obvious to anyone who reads this blog I have been growing my hair and beard for nearly two years. Well what you probably don't know is that a very good childhood friend of mine is getting married on August 23rd. I decided that I really could not go to a friends wedding looking like I have, because of this I decided to shave and get a haircut. I had to go out and buy a shaver (which I have never done before and resulted in me calling Eli for advice on what shaver to purchase), and get my dads beard trimmer (which I used for the first rough passes).

First pictures of the hair and beard in all their glory (shortly after getting out of the shower).










I felt that you would not really be interested in seeing all the pictures of me shaving (they are not very exciting). Instead I will show you how weird I looked with the hair and no beard, however I will tell you that when I got up this morning my mother freaked and couldn't look at me.

My hair lost it's wave, and is frizzy whats a good shampoo/conditioner for it?

I used to have perfect waves. Started straightening them away. It was damaged. I cut it short. Started I'm growing it back out. Now it's about 1 1/2 inches past my collarbone. i still use heat a lot, but my hair is healthier due to protecters.

But i want to just let it down in it's prefect waves, but it gets frizzy and is a lot straighter now. I think i need a good conitioner/shampoo for this. Any ideas?

My hair lost it's wave, and is frizzy whats a good shampoo/conditioner for it?

VO5 hot oil treatment

My hair lost it's wave, and is frizzy whats a good shampoo/conditioner for it?

try sunsilk hairapy

My hair lost it's wave, and is frizzy whats a good shampoo/conditioner for it?

Ugh, this happened to me too. I totally regret ever straightening my hair, it looks so much better wavy. I find that letting hair air dry gets the curls back, but the frizz is definitely still there.

My hair lost it's wave, and is frizzy whats a good shampoo/conditioner for it?

Use Pantene!

My hair lost it's wave, and is frizzy whats a good shampoo/conditioner for it?

My hair is slightly wavy, but not enough to always look pretty....it's SO FRIZZY all the time!

I use Pantene Pro-V smooth %26amp; sleek (the bottle has green writing on it) shampoo and conditioner, and it works pretty well. If you are going to dry your hair and wear it straight, use Frizz-Ease straightening spray before you blow-dry- it works like dream!

Whether you're wearing it straight or wavy, I suggest Aussie Sydney Smooth "tizz no frizz" gel. It comes in a tube and it's really light- it won't weigh your hair down or make it gross and greasy. It's pretty amazing! ALSO, when it's humid out, and the frizziness gets worse, I use Aussie Anti-humidity hair spray. It's AMAZING for keeping all the gross frizzies and fly-aways down even when it's grossly humid outside.

Good luck! :) Hope this helped.

How can I get my hair to grow back?

you see I went through an eating disorder...bulimia....and it's been awhile now and my weight is average not low or anything...but I lost a lot of hair and I'm not sure what can I do to have it back :( it's ben awhile since i have been eating ok so is it that I damaged it and it won't grow back? what other ways other than eating well can I do? any help would be appreciated...thx u

How can I get my hair to grow back?

Dear Friend,

I am so glad to hear that you are doing better and I know that you are a very beautiful person. You can grow your hair back several ways, and I won't emphasize diet, but please make sure you eat well.

If your hair growth is really at issue, Propecia, Rogaine, and DHT blockers can help. But, the problem with all of these products is they are expensive, have temporary results that stop after use of the product, lastly, they have side effects. Thus, the best way to grow your hair fast is to take care of your hair from the inside out. Assess whether you live an unhealthy lifestyle or use traditional drugstore hair products that contain alcohol and sulfates. If you do, you can potentially be stunting your hair growth. I am a stylist, and if you follow the tips below, you can grow your hair. These tips have worked on several of my cients.

Tip # 1: Drink plenty of water

6-8 glasses is a must. 8-12 is even better.

Tip #2: Get your vitamins

Take a B Complex, Fish Oil, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.

Tip #3: Only use an all-natural hair growth or hair thickening shampoos and conditioners

There are several good natural shampoos on the market, such as Aubrey Organics and Giovanni. However, I have used A Double Portion Super Hair Growth Shampoo on my hair loss clients because it is created specifically for hair growth and I have seen substantial results in a matter of month. It is full of hair growth promoting essential oils, sage, cayenne, neem, jojoba, and aloe. For my clients that used it, their hair got thicker, longer, and softer. You can find it online at Beauty 4 Ashes Christian Health %26amp; Beauty website. It is great shampoo just for making your hair more manageable and smooth as well.

Tip #4: Place as little heat and chemicals on your hair as possible. No hair coloring please.

Tip #5: Live a stress free life.

Tip #6: Get your blood flowing

Aerobic exercise stimulates blood circulation throughout the entire body, including the scalp. This is important for hair growth. Also, consider massaging your scalp for 5-10 minutes a day with warm olive or coconut oil. It will accentuate your hair growth as well.

Tip #7: Mash 1/2 cup of avocado, a tablespoon of mayo, and a tablespoon of coconut milk and olive oil together. Blend well. Let it sit on your hair for 20-30 minutes. Rinse your hair with tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and follow with an all-natural hair growth and thickening shampoo. Do this at least 2-3 times a week. Within one month, your hair should be fuller and bouncier, without having to get an expensive salon treatment.

How can I get my hair to grow back?

is this britney spears

How can I get my hair to grow back?

Wash it every other day- - not everyday. use a shampoo to put protein in your hair. And don't rip it out with a brush. Also dont pull your hair up all the time.

How can I get my hair to grow back?

Go to your local salon and purchase a product called, NIOXIN scalp therapy get the whole kit.

It will stimulate your scalp to help you grown back nice healthy hair.

Good Luck.

How can I get my hair to grow back?

You should just try going to the beuty shop b\c by doing your own hair it will never grow and by doing you own hair it will never turn out to be like professional hair stylist. So try that first and then get back at me.

How can I get my hair to grow back?

Massage your scalp? Drink v8 juice with oatmeal then take your multivitamin.

Right now I take CVS Drugstore Weight Sharp. It has green tea in it, the EGCG.

Only time can tell!

Don't perm or color dye your current hair now or ever.

Find a Shampoo/Conditioner that strengthens the hair shaft.

Use wide tooth comb, no hair brushes!

How can I get my hair to grow back?

Treat and condition your hair every week and try to avoid using gels and spritz cause it breaks your hair. Use a deep treatment to treat your hair. Also, avoid flat irons and curling irons because it gives split ends and breaks your hair. You can also use a hair growth formula. Good luck.

How can I get my hair to grow back?

Hair growing takes time! Don't get discouraged, don't yank it out, and don't wear it up a lot. It should grow back.

How can I get my hair to grow back?

get scalp braids.. it pulls the hair to make it grow faster..

How can I get my hair to grow back?

try hair formula 37

http://fasterhairgrowth.com/

New Jersey Laser Hair Removal

Whether you are male or female, New Jersey Laser Hair Removal will help you
get that smooth skin you always wanted. It is more or less a permanent procedure where you can get rid of all unwanted body hair. Be it legs, underarms, chin, upper lip, neck or back, it can remove hair effectively from just about anywhere. It is absolutely safe and a relatively pain free process.

In New Jersey Laser Hair Removal a low energy laser beam is directed towards the hair follicle. The dark pigments in the hair follicle absorb this laser energy. With the absorption of more and more energy the follicle dies and can no longer grow hair. You will get the best results if you are light skinned and have dark body hair. Try to avoid it if you have tan. After the treatment you may develop some redness or bumps. But I can tell you for sure that there is no need to worry about it. It is absolutely normal and just an ice compress will help you do away with it. It will be helpful if you use a moisturizer after the treatment. New Jersey Laser Hair Removal can also treat your problem of ingrown hair.

There are a number of centers in New Jersey offering the best of treatments for removal of unwanted body hair. Just talk to your friends who have been to any such center so that you are sure of its service. You can also surf the net to obtain valuable information. These centers will surely deliver the results you have been looking for, thanks to advanced technology and professional expertise.

The cost of New Jersey Laser Hair Removal depends on the size of the area treated as well as on the complexity of the case. In fact it varies from one person to the other. Often you may have to pay multiple visits to get that desired long term result.

I can tell you for sure that New Jersey Laser Hair Removal is the perfect way to do away with all those unwanted facial and body hair. Just visit one of the many centers in New Jersey and you will be absolutely satisfied with the new look you will get after the treatment.

Laser Hair Removal - Discover laser hair removal information. Articles and resources for prices, cost, and treatments of laser hair removal in cities like New York, Washington DC, Toronto, and Dallas. Visit this site for the best in laser hair removal!

Tips For Good Brazilian Waxing Results

Brazilian waxing first came to North America in the late 1980 but don,t
gain widespread popularity until the later 1990s. The procedure removes all the hair in the pubic region, front and back. In some cases, a small strip of hair is left in the center, but total hair removal is more common. The smooth look is very popular in Brazil where thong bikinis for sun tanning are so common.

Not all beauty salons offer this form of waxing. Brazilian requires an experienced technician. When the technician works fast, there is less pain associated with the procedure. This form of waxing is more common in major cities, such as Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia. As the procedure gains popularity, it becomes available in more areas.

The Brazilian Waxing Procedure

The technician will start by trimming your pubic hair. The hair only needs to be a quarter of an inch long to get good results. After the hair is trimmed, the technician will spread the wax across the area in the direction of hair growth. Cloth strips are then pressed onto the wax and allowed to cool. Once the wax cools, the strips are ripped off in the direction opposite of hair growth. This pulls the hair out by the root. Any stray hairs will then be plucked with a tweezer. A soothing lotion is applied after the procedure to cool the skin and soothe irritation.

Tips for Good Results

o The hair needs to be at least a quarter of an inch long before the procedure. If you shave your pubic hair, allow it to grow back in prior to your session.

o Red bumps caused by ingrown hairs may occur after your session. This can be helped by exfoliating the skin. They are less likely to occur after repeated waxing sessions.

o You will need to wait at least three weeks in between sessions for the hair to grow back. The procedure will last anywhere from four to seven weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows.

o Some salons offer this procedure for both men and women; others only offer it for women. Check with the salon before scheduling an appointment.

o The degree of pain associated with this procedure varies according to your pain threshold and the amount and texture of the hair. A fast moving technician is best for reducing pain.

Caring for Your Skin After Waxing

Proper care will help prevent ingrown hairs and extend the time needed in between sessions. Use a soothing lotion to reduce irritation after your session. Lavender is a common ingredient in these lotions. The skin in this area is very soft and can be easily irritated by the wax process. Cleaning the area regularly will prevent and help heal this irritation.

Ingrown hairs are common after hair removal procedures. Exfoliate the skin regularly to help relieve and prevent ingrown hairs. You can use a commercial exfoliating product, a loofah or a wash cloth. A warm, damp washcloth held to the area helps heal ingrown hairs.
About the Author
Erica Bosworth reveals many articles for http://www.laser-hair-removal-tips.com. Within her publication she provides tips on brazilian waxing and beauty.

Tips on Relieving Hair Removal Discomfort

Tips on Relieving Hair Removal Discomfort
Fashion can be a fickle beast and the ages have held that to always be true. In the 70s and 80s, male virility was naturally assumed if a man had an excessive amount of bodily hair. That same token still holds true in many societies today however there are many more that now value the smooth graceful signature of hair-free skin as much on a male as they do on a female. By far, aside from some of the alternative movements, women have always been expected to have smooth and clean skin and so many display that quality with such flawless perfection. But how can these incarnations of Aphrodite submit themselves to the discomfort and even pain required to perform such a ritual of beauty, on such a regular basis?

The chic of today most times demands a clean and hair free style. The most used technique for attaining such a style is to wax. Waxing, often, can certainly be very uncomfortable. Does it need to be, though? Not really. There are methods you can use to ease the soreness or get rid of it completely. The key is to discover out what is the most successful for you and your personal level of pain tolerance.

One option for evading the annoyance that can be caused by this hair removal practice is by using something as simple as aspirin or Tylenol.. Some people with mix this option with other techniqes as described below and in future articles.

Ice can be a very effective way to desensitize the place that is to be worked on, but there is a draw-back to it; some prefer your skin to be at normal temperature for the treatment. So you will need to speak to your salon or spa before doing this. The most effective way, if icing is permitted, is to swathe an ice cube in some type of wet fabric. A reusable iced first aid pack will do as well if you looking to avoid the sloppiness of a melting chunk of ice. You will want to use the ice no more than five minutes before the waxing starts, and make sure to carry on the usage once the task is complete, until you feel the soreness has ebbed away.

Though there is officially no scientific data to suggest why, many women claims that popping a few antacids helps. doing this about an hour before you go in to be worked on, they say, does a fine job of lessening the discomfort without the use of ice or medication.

Eric Seminara likes to avoid pain when possible and has compiled many tips on painless hair removal and other techniques you can find at OnlineHairRemoval.com

Natural Fruit Masks For Your Skin

Fresh fruit is a great cosmetic for healthy skin and hair since it's rich in vitamins, minerals and many more ingredients that makes a fruit mask a treat for any skin type. Below you can find some recipes for different skin types.

Avocado mask for all skin types:

1/2 ripe organic avocado

1 tablespoon organic plain yogurt

1 teaspoon natural honey

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2-3 drops of chamomile essential oil

Pulse all ingredients in blender until smooth. Clean you face and neck and pat dry. Gently apply the mask to face and neck with your hands. Make sure not to apply it around your eyes and mouth. Do not massage it in too deeply. Leave the mask on for about 10-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, pat skin dry.

Avocado makes a wonderful skin hydration facial mask since it contains a lot of potassium, vitamins and natural oils.


Strawberry Facial Mask for oily skin:

1/2 cup fresh ripe strawberries

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice flour or cornstarch to form a smooth paste

Blend together all the ingredients to make a smooth paste. Gently clean your face, pat dry and apply the mask. Leave the mask on for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat your skin dry.

Strawberry mask is a great for skin cleansing and softening. Strawberries contain natural salicylic acid that clears the skin of dead cells, allowing it to look healthy and radiant.

Strawberry Facial Mask for dry skin

5 very ripe strawberries

2 teaspoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons organic honey

Pulse all ingredients in blender until smooth. Apply to a clean face and let set for about 10-15 minutes. Gently wipe off, rinse with warm water, pat skin dry.

Make sure you are not allergic to any ingredient of chosen mask by applying it first on a small skin surface for a few minutes. If skin gets red or irritated, do not apply the mask on you face.

Check Out Serious Skin Care Products For Wonders

For a long time now, people have been using skin care products that have somehow ended up causing them more harm than good. Many have complained to no avail. It is for this reason that serious skin care products had to be developed and made available to the world. These latest products mainly come from natural substances such as herbs or industrial products that contain minimal or no chemical content at all.

However, just like when using the other skin care products, one needs to know his or her skin type before using these serious skin care products.

Beauty masks are some of the serious skin care products currently in use in the society. These masks are usually mixtures of specified ingredients that when properly mixed, can be applied on the skin especially on the face whereby they will help in taking care of the skin. Beauty masks are often applied on the face during night time when one is about to sleep and get to be removed in the morning.

However, this period is usually not the only time that they can be worn. Due to the different skin types that exist, beauty masks are usually prepared differently so as to suite one's skin type.

For example, a beauty mask meant for dry skin may be prepared by thoroughly mixing 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of honey, a few drops of rose water and a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.

For people with normal skin, they can make a beauty mask by thoroughly mixing 1 apple, cored and quartered and 2 tablespoons of honey. This mixture should then be refrigerated for about 10 minutes and then applied on.

On the other hand, for those of us who have oily skins, a mixture comprising of a 1/2 Cucumber, 1 tablespoon of Lemon juice, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of mint can be used to make our beauty masks and can be applied on after 10 minutes of refrigeration.Herbal creams and oils are other serious skin care products which do not come with side effects.

Examples of these creams and oils include, Aloe Vera cream or gel, Calendula cream or oil and Comfrey oil. Aloe Vera cream is known for its healing, soothing and moisturizing effects which are all good for the skin. Apart from these properties, the cream is able to help with exfoliation which is the process of removing the skin's top layer that comprises of dead cells.

Both Calendula and Comfrey oils on the other hand, have softening properties and it is for this reason that they are usually applied on cracked dry skin so as to assist in softening it. In addition to this, these oils are most of the time used in facial saunas or in making herbal water. However, comfrey has additional abilities such as reducing the redness that may be found on skin as well as being able to sooth the skin. To get satisfying results from Calendula and Comfrey oils, you have to cover the skin once you have applied them on. A common covering method that people prefer using is wearing of plastic gloves.

Milk bath skin lotions are also serious skin care products commonly used by ladies. These lotions are a mixture of powdered milk and natural oils such as almond oil. The milk bath skin lotions are usually mixed with bath water in the tub and then one is supposed to enter the tub and just lie in the mixture for a while so as to allow the skin absorb and soak all the nourishment that the lotion has to offer. By undergoing this process, the skin eventually become moisturized and beautiful to look at

Natural Fruit Masks For Your Skin

Fresh fruit is a great cosmetic for healthy skin and hair since it's rich in vitamins, minerals and many more ingredients that makes a fruit mask a treat for any skin type. Below you can find some recipes for different skin types.

Avocado mask for all skin types:

1/2 ripe organic avocado

1 tablespoon organic plain yogurt

1 teaspoon natural honey

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2-3 drops of chamomile essential oil

Pulse all ingredients in blender until smooth. Clean you face and neck and pat dry. Gently apply the mask to face and neck with your hands. Make sure not to apply it around your eyes and mouth. Do not massage it in too deeply. Leave the mask on for about 10-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, pat skin dry.

Avocado makes a wonderful skin hydration facial mask since it contains a lot of potassium, vitamins and natural oils.


Strawberry Facial Mask for oily skin:

1/2 cup fresh ripe strawberries

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice flour or cornstarch to form a smooth paste

Blend together all the ingredients to make a smooth paste. Gently clean your face, pat dry and apply the mask. Leave the mask on for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat your skin dry.

Strawberry mask is a great for skin cleansing and softening. Strawberries contain natural salicylic acid that clears the skin of dead cells, allowing it to look healthy and radiant.

Strawberry Facial Mask for dry skin

5 very ripe strawberries

2 teaspoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons organic honey

Pulse all ingredients in blender until smooth. Apply to a clean face and let set for about 10-15 minutes. Gently wipe off, rinse with warm water, pat skin dry.

Make sure you are not allergic to any ingredient of chosen mask by applying it first on a small skin surface for a few minutes. If skin gets red or irritated, do not apply the mask on you face.

How to Apply Sunblock

unblock on? Check.

UVA/UVB protection? Check.

SPF 45,000? Check.

Ready to hit the beach!

Err, not quite. Wearing sunblock (also called sunscreen) is like taking a multivitamin: people use it, think they're safe, and don't realize that it's possibly doing them no good whatsoever.

A bottle of sunblock is your greatest weapon against wrinkles... IF you use it correctly. Let's give a primer on sunblock how to apply sunblock, shall we.

1. Wash your face. Thoroughly. Excessive face-washing is counter-productive, so don't overdo it. Simply run some warm (not hot) water, lather up some moisturizing facial cleanser (not soap) with your two middle fingers, and rinse. Pat yourself dry, but not too dry. Warm, moist skin absorbs best.

2. Do nothing. Let us make this very clear. For your sunblock to work, it has to be the FIRST thing you apply. If there is a layer of anything (makeup, moisturizer, toner, etc) between your skin and the sunblock, it won't work.

3. Apply sunblock liberally. You've heard before that using too much of something it a bad thing, but this isn't one of those times. Don't skimp on sunblock. It's amazing to me how people will try to save money by using less sunblock, and then spend $100 on an anti-wrinkle cream that does nothing for them. It's the SUNBLOCK where you should spend most of your money, since that is the best way to prevent wrinkles.

4. Do nothing (again). Your sunblock requires at least 10 minutes to absorb into your skin and dry up. It also takes about that long (maybe longer) to work, so don't go in the sun right away. Don't add anything to your face, whether it's water, moisturizer, or makeup, for 10 to 15 minutes. If you do, the sunblock won't work. Use this time to do something else, like your hair, or get dressed.

5. Repeat. If you're going to spend time in the sun, repeat this process every two hours. If it's just a day at the office, once will do, unless you plan on eating lunch outside.

6. Weather doesn't count. You need to wear sunblock every single day, no matter what the weather is like. UV rays shine right through the clouds, and you can still get sunburn in the rain or snow. Make it a morning ritual to apply sunblock first thing out of the shower.

7. Don't neglect your body parts. It would look strange if you were 80 and had very few wrinkles... except on your ears. When applying sunblock, don't forget your ears, hands, backs of your hands, other exposed body parts, and your lips. Of course, for your lips, don't use sunblock. Instead, use a lip balm with SPF 15. And let it sink in before applying that lipstick.

All these steps can be a pain in the rear, but your skin will thank you and reward you with fewer wrinkles. Make it part of your routine to do this, get creative, and you'll get used to it. The alternative (facelifts at 35) is far, far more of a pain than this.

olden rules of sunblock.

-Use SPF 15. Any less will do nothing, and any more will add nothing.

-Block UVA and UVB. UVA ages you, UVB burns you. Most products only block UVB, which means you'll wrinkle like a raisin.

-Go bare. Apply sunblock on clean, warm skin. Make it the first product you use.

-Wait. Allow 10 minutes for it to absorb before applying anything else or going outside.

-Do it again. If spending time in the sun, re-apply sunblock every 2 hours.

-Don't go in the water. If you must, then use a real water-proof brand and re-apply when you're dry. Ditto for sweating.

-No sun? Who cares. Wear sunblock every day, no matter the weather.

Sunblock. Your Most Important Cosmetic

Your Most Important Cosmetic? Sunblock by a mile!

Are you a skin care junkie? Is your bathroom closet overflowing with bottles and jars? Does the content of these bottles and jars actually do anything to improve your skin?

My guess is "sometimes". We all get seduced by promises of younger looking skin or banish wrinkles overnight. But the sad fact is a lot of the pretty looking products out there do not do what they promise and the wrinkles, acne, broken veins or whatever ails you is still there the next morning.

There is one cosmetic that stands head and shoulders above the rest - Sunblock.

Sunblock is the best preventative of aging skin you can buy in a bottle. It won't make you look younger in a few applications, you need to use it regularly - like every day - but over time it will make a tremendous difference to the appearance of your skin.

Sunblock can be found as lotion, gel, roll on, or spray. If you're on a tight budget you can usually buy a bottle for just a few dollars from a supermarket or drugstore. Test it on an inconspicuous part of you first in case you have an allergy to it! This is more important for the cheaper brands.




























Use sunblock even if its cloudy outside. Ultraviolet (UV) rays can penetrate clouds by up to 80%, yes even if its raining. If you're driving, UV rays can penetrate glass, they can also be reflected off glass or water.

And don't just use sunblock on your face. Put it on your hands, feet, arms or whatever bits of you that are not covered up. This is not just for appearances, sunblock can prevent potentially fatal skin cancers and melanomas from developing.

Even if you have never used sunblock and you've already developed premature aging, its not too late! Regular use of sunblock and staying out of the sun can actually reverse some of the damage.

Make sure you use a sunblock which has a sun protection factor (SPF) of over 15 and apply it fairly generously for best results. Its also best to apply at least 20 minutes before venturing out.

Remember - prevention is better than cure!

How to Avoid a Sunburn - Using Sun Screen to Protect Your Skin

Sunscreen Application

Did you know that 1 oz. of sunscreen is the approximate amount of sun block that needs to be applied to your body? (Measurement on AVG) Using higher doses of SPF sun screen can be the ultimate protection for sensitive skin areas like the Nose, Feet, Ears (especially the top and lobes of the ears) and shoulders. Thighs have been known to get tender from the sun so apply as needed. What about the lips? Well sun-block wasn't designed for the lips so SPF lip balm should be applied to avoid cracked or sunburned lips.

The best time to apply sunscreen is a half hour before you are exposed to the sun. This gives ample time for your skin to absorb the sun block. UV rays can even penetrate the clouds and cause skin problems so it's recommended to apply sun block even when it's cloudy.

Breakdown of skin types

Obviously every person is unique and their skin type varies person to person so here's the skinny....

Fair skin is quite sensitive to the sun and can burn easy. Folks with fair skin often burn and should use a sun block of SPF 30 and up. People that have darker skin tones are not likely to burn as much as folks with fair skin. This doesn't mean they are at risk for skin cancer. Long exposure can still lead to nasty skin wrinkles and cancer. I guess it really doesn't matter what your skin type is. The fact of the matter is sunscreen with minimum of 15 SPF is recommended to be worn year round. EVERYONE can be at risk to burns and cancer if long exposure to UV rays goes untreated.

Severe sunburns are BRIGHT red skin, bubbling blisters, fever, chills & nausea. Severe burns can often lead to Heat Exhaust or Heat Stroke. (2nd / 3rd Degree Burn)

Moderate burns can be described as red skin, itching & stinging (2nd Degree Burn)

Mild sun burns are pinkish skin color and later peel off. It should not go un-noticed that mild burns can still lead to cancer. Do not under estimate the power of the sun's UV.....
So you have a Burn

Did you get fried from the suns' UV rays? Now what? A common method from sun burns is to take a cool bath. There are even theories of oatmeal or cornstarch added to cool water help. Be sure you don't scrub your skin; just use a soft towel to pat your body dry.

If your burn is severe and you feel extremely uncomfortable then you need to get your butt to the doc... When it's all said and done nobody gets hurt until the doc saves your life. So don't be stubborn you may have heat exhaust or stroke so act quick.

Sun Protection Skincare - 10 Tips For Gorgeous Skin

What is the MOST important skin care secret you need to know for youthful skin? If you said "Protecting from the harmful rays of the sun!", you get a gold star.



























Sunlight is a major cause of skin aging, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). We all know a sunburn is obvious skin damage. But, did you know that short, repeated exposure to the sun (also called chronic sun exposure) is a major cause of skin damage too.


With your beauty in mind here are some simple but effective suggestions:


Sun Precaution #1 - As a daily routine, apply sunscreen and wear a sun hat. On a big beach day or playing 3 hours of golf. I am sure you are slathered up with sunscreen and wearing your sun protective clothing. What we are talking about here is protecting against the chronic doses of sun you get from doing things like stopping to pick flowers, walking from your car to the office or driving. Remember sun damage accumulates over time and lessens the elasticity of your skin.

Vitamin D - It is impossible to write about sun protection without talking about Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important to your good health but the amount of sun exposure is unclear at this time. If you are not an outdoor person, your only exposure to UVB rays (UVB generates Vitamin D, not UVA) may be short stints under the mid-day sun. Be sure to consult with your physician about the proper amount of sun for your body. According to the EPA: Get vitamin D safely through a diet that includes vitamin supplements and foods fortified with Vitamin D. Don't seek the sun.


Sun Precaution #2 - Not every sun hat is equal. Choose a sun hat with a brim of 4" or greater that also has a brim that slants downward. A downward angled brim will surround you face giving you protection for more hours of the day. And, do not even think of wearing a baseball cap. A baseball cap basically shades the forehead and that's all!


Sun Precaution #3 -Don't be fooled into thinking a base tan protects you from additional sun damage. According to the FDA, there is no such thing as a safe tan. A tan is your melanin pigment migrating to the basal layer of your skin to protect your DNA.

Sun Precaution #4 - Keep protected from the sun all year round. Both UVA and UVB contribute to premature aging. In the winter months UVB lessens but the harmful UVA rays are in full force year round.


Sun Precaution #5 - Beware of sneaky reflective rays. UV rays can reflect off of cars, the asphalt, water and other surfaces that "bounce" up and reach your face and neck. Wearing your daily dose of sunscreen will help with these harmful sneak attacks. If you are going to be on the snow or water all day or doing road work, you may want to consider wearing a UV protective Sun Mask.

Sun Precaution #6 - Make sunscreen the first layer of your makeup regimen. Dr. Martin, a prominent San Diego dermatologist, recommends using sunscreen, both zinc/titanium (also called mineral sunscreen) and chemical based sunscreen as the first layer of your makeup regimen. Next apply moisturizer, foundation, powder, blush and any other colored cosmetics. Some experts feel a sunscreen using zinc or titanium should be applied after all makeup has been applied since that formula reflects the sun rays. Dr. Martin believes the makeup layers over the zinc/titanium sunscreen only enhance the UV protection. Additionally, many high SPF mineral sunscreens also include chemical ingredients in their formulas to reach those high SPF ratings. You may want to consider a facial moisturizer with SPF... also a good time saver. (Note: If you are using medication, please consult your doctor to know when to apply)
Sun Precaution #7 - Don't forget to apply sunscreen to the back of your neck if your neck is exposed to the sun. Sun-weakened skin becomes lax and the condition of the skin on the back of your neck will affects the more visible front of the neck.

Sun Precaution #8 - Avoid tanning booths. No matter what they say, sitting under a device that emits UV light is going to have a harmful affect on your skin. Dr. Martin says that he has seen patients in their 20's that have the skin of a 50 year because of tanning booths. So pleeeeease don't do it.
Sun Precaution #9 - Be extra careful when you are in higher altitudes. You would be amazed how fast you get sun damage when there is less atmosphere to filter out harmful UV rays.
Sun Precaution #10 - Regular dermatology and self examinations are important. - Many skin cancers, all though not life threatening, can be very disfiguring if they need to be surgically removed. Catch the culprits before they become a problem.

Don't grow old before your time? Make being sun safe a way of life and enjoy your outdoor life looking good.

Dry Skin Cream That Contains Nature's Best Nutrients

It seems to be next to impossible to find a high quality dry skin cream, although the store shelves are packed full of products whose manufacturers claim to be the best that money can buy. The fact is though, that while the vast majority of people are taking the manufacturers word on how good their products are it may in fact be those very products that are making their skin dry.

The most common dry skin cream that is being produced in massive quantities will contain one or both of the petroleum based moisturizers as the key emollients. These compounds allow the major cosmetics companies to label their products as containing natural ingredients, although these two are not the type of natural ingredients that one would want to use on their skin. Yes, they are naturally occurring, but in the same breath they are also man-made.



























These ingredients, which are known as petrolatum and mineral oil, are a petroleum byproduct, but they would not exist if not for the crude oil process. These compounds are derivatives of what became known as Vaseline, which was discovered in the 1800's, and was immediately proclaimed to be a skin care miracle. That is until it was discovered that this "moisturizer" was responsible for causing skin dry rather than treating it.

I'm sorry to say, but you will get the same results from dry skin cream that contain petrolatum, and mineral oil. Petroleum based moisturizers are too dense to be effectively absorbed by the skin. They simply end up sitting on the surface of the skin trapping dirt, clogging your pores, interfering with your natural exfoliation process, and eventually shutting down your skin's oil production.


All of this, with special emphasis on the shutting down of sebum production, leads you to the development of dry skin. If you want to use products containing moisturizing agents that will not make your skin dry then I advise you to stop wasting your time, and your money on the useless products that the major manufacturers continue to offer to you.

What a dry skin cream should contain if you want to be successful in nursing your skin back to good health are plant based ingredients. These should include such compounds as grape seed oil, Maracuja passion fruit extract, and Babassu palm oil. These types of emollients are full of essential nutrients that your skin needs in order to be healthy.

Plant based oils are excellent for moisturizing your skin because they contain certain properties which closely resemble those of our skin's own oil. That is why you need to quickly make the switch from the formulas that you are using that are making your skin dry, and begin experimenting with products that will quickly, and effectively alleviate your problems.

A dry skin cream should help you to solve a problem. It should not aggravate a problem, nor create on where it never existed. The use of products that contain nothing except the ingredients of nature are your best bet for finding an answer for whatever it is that ails your skin.

How to Lose Weight & Keep Your Family Healthy by Eliminating Toxins in Your Environment

Each year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews about 1700 new compounds that industry is seeking to introduce. Only a quarter of the 82,000 chemicals in use in the US have ever been tested for toxicity. The ones that have been examined, have not been tested in combination with all the other toxins in our bodies. And it’s doing harm.

Environmental toxins and pollutants are having a drastic effect on you and your children. Consider these facts…

5 Ways Toxins Are Hurting You & Your Family

• Obesity in proliferating in the United States. 3.8 million people are over 300 pounds, over 400,000 people (mostly males) carry over 400 pounds and the average adult female weighs an unprecedented 163 pounds! And, it’s not all because of fast food places like McDonalds. Our bodies protect us from the cell damaging effects of toxins by surrounding them with fat. The more toxins-the more fat. Remove the toxins and you will have a dramatic loss of fat-especially visceral fat. This is the fat that surrounds your organs and glands and gives you a “gut.”
• Animal studies show that flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) that save hundreds of lives each year, also impair thyroid function and cause reproductive and neurological problems. When thyroid function goes down, blood lipids go up. How many prescriptions for cholesterol lowering statins could be avoided if we just got these toxins out of our bodies?
• In the past 10 years, the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder has increased 40 fold. Based on the sale of psychotropic medications, other forms of mental illness have also sky rocketed.
• Autism has increased 10-fold.
• An article in the Lancet, a leading British Medical Journal links preservatives and food dies to hyperactivity in children.

'I had to keep faith and be patient'

John Helgersen, 64, Tampa

Starting weight: 227

Current weight: 157

Why I did it: A couple of years ago I had painful flat feet, high blood pressure and, at 227 pounds, a body mass index of 29.7. I knew I had to get serious about my health and lose weight. I turned for help to the book "Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a Week", by Laurence E. Morehouse and Leonard Gross.

How I did it. With commitment and patience, I lowered my BMI to 21.1 and dropped to 161 pounds using two tools. The first was a bathroom scale, accurate to half-pound intervals. The doctors explained that the scale was never right but to treat it as if it were accurate. The second tool, which I call "the snack line," was a 21-day chart. Each morning, I would weigh myself and mark it on the chart. If I was above the sloping weight-loss line on the chart, I could not snack, but if I was below the line, I could indulge. Morehouse emphasized the importance of staying on a one-pound-per-week weight loss goal.

My plan was to daily create a 500-calorie deficit: 200 calories from food and 300 calories from increased activity. There were no restrictions on what I could eat, and. sometimes when I felt hungry I would indulge. I gave up alcohol because I found I did not lose weight if I was drinking.

Now, I mainly eat chicken and pork. I like beef, but I've mostly given it up. Recently, I've become more vegetable- and fruit-conscious.

I was too sedentary, so I began walking every day to boost my activity calories. Usually I would walk 40 to 45 minutes. It's been a couple of years, and I've added some jogging to my routine, but walking briskly does the job.

Hurdles: I wanted to be 180 pounds or less, a reasonable weight I would be comfortable in. I got down to about 160 pounds in about two years. I had to keep faith and be patient. Now I aim to weigh 154 or 155 pounds at the beginning of the day and fill out as the day goes on.

You don't want to lose more than one pound a week. I lost about 35 pounds the first year and 31 pounds the second year.

Going the distance: What's next? Men store their fat at the waistline, so now I'm targeting mine. I've also added exercise to build muscle at my shoulders, chest and upper arms, substituting muscle for fat. I'm doing that three times a week to give the muscles time to recover.

Best advice: If you use the scale method, be patient. The scale is never right. And wait until you're close to your target weight to address building the upper body muscles.

10 Tips For Faster Weight Loss

Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you have many pounds to shed. It can be difficult to sift through all the fad diets, and downright dangerous supplements and pills on the market today. How do you know what works and what doesn’t? Whom should you believe?

Here are 10 no-nonsense tips for fast, healthy weight loss :

1) Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day - this helps flush your body of impurities and fat. You can also substitute a few glasses of water for green or herbal tea.
2) Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones - this will help speed up your metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals.
3) Increase your fruit and vegetable intake - these are packed with vitamins.
4) Decrease your fat intake - try for no more than 20 grams per day.
5) Exercise for 30 minutes each day - take a walk, or play a game with your kids. Just get moving.
6) Find a hobby - take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy.
7) Don’t eat that late night snack - Try not to eat for at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Listen to your body - your body will tell you when it is full, hungry, stressed, tired. Learn the signs and obey what your body is telling you.
9) Increase your fiber - choose whole grain pasta and bread.
10) Cleanse and detoxify - this may be the most important. Rid your body of harmful toxins and chemicals, while allowing it to function normally.

Cleansing is an important part of long-term weight loss success. Our bodies are laden with insecticides, pesticides, lead, and dozens of other harmful substances. These chemicals clog our internal organs and our bodies respond by coating these chemicals with layers of fat.

One way to cleanse your body of harmful impurities is by using Acai Berry. This fruit is a nutritional powerhouse and will get your body functioning normally again, so it can fight illness and disease. It will also allow your body to burn calories and fat faster and more efficiently. You will see a faster rate of weight loss, and you will be able to keep it off.

Acai berry has many health benefits as well, including increased circulation, increased metabolism, and increased mental clarity and focus.

New Weight Loss Drink Mix… Recipe: Lose Weight Drinking Milk Shakes

Two days ago, after my husband and I finished cutting a customer’s lawn, I got a craving for a milkshake. It’s been so many years since I’ve had one. I couldn’t even think of a place in town that made them.

I went to this icee place and had to settle for a root beer ice cone. I didn’t care for it. It tasted wayyy too sweet. Since I don’t care much for sugar, I wasn’t able to eat it.

When I got home, I still was thirsty for a milkshake. Low and behold I had some Blue Bunny strawberry frozen yogurt in the freezer. I used that large glass in the picture and filled it with ice cream and 2% milk. Wow, was that ever good. In fact, I made myself one of these strawberry shakes two days in a row.

I was feeling guilty about all the calories. I was kicking myself for indulging in such a manner. I decided today to take a look at the calories and sugar I consumed. Ahhh….not as bad as I thought. There are 90 calories in half a cup (I used a cup) and there are 120 calories in 8 ounces of 2% milk (I used 2 cups).

The shake really filled me up and on both days it ended up actually being my lunch. I’m not feeling so bad now. I’m glad to see my indulgence wasn’t as bad as I had orginally thought. This actually could be considered a weight loss drink. It filled me up so I didn’t need any lunch. It kept me full and I didn’t do any snacking before supper.

This is my newest weight loss recipe. It’s funny how I can go from feeling so guilty for indulging to realizing this milkshake is going to help me lose weight. Wow…what a win-win recipe.

Milkshake Pros: Milkshake Cons:

1. Filled me up 1. Over 16 grams of sugar

2. Only 330 Calories 2. No Fiber

3. Zero fat 3. More calories than I usually drink at one time

You should check out the Blue Bunny website. They have information a nutrional guide, recipes, and even a $1.00 off coupon for their ice cream.

It’s time for me to get my grass cutting shoes on….where off to make another customer happy.

Eating Correct Food Portions Help With Weight Loss/Diet

When I decided it was time for me lose weight, I started keeping track of everything I ate. I was very diligent about adding up the calories. I was so proud of myself for keeping such good track of my food and drink intake.

I’d add up my figures at the end of each day and finally have a grand total at the end of the week. According to my figures, I should have been losing at the minimum two pounds a week. It wasn’t happening. It didn’t take me long to get discouraged on my weight loss journey.

I figured out why I wasn’t losing two pounds a week. My calculation of what was a portion size was way off the mark. I wasmaking good food choices but I was eating more than what the National Institutes of Health described as a portion size.

If you use the following list as a guideline when eating, you will be able to successfully track your calorie intake:

1. ONE CUP of PASTA IS = A WOMAN’S CLENCHED FIST.
2. A HALF CUP OF VEGETABLES = HALF A TENNIS BALL.
3. ONE TABLESPOON IS = TWO THUMBS PRESSED TOGETHER. (thumbs up)
4. ONE TEASPOON IS = A THUMB TIP.
5. ONE FRUIT SERVING IS = ONE TENNIS BALL.
6. THREE OUNCES OF MEAT IS = A DECK OF CARDS.

It takes awhile to get acustom to using the correct method of portion size. It’s kind of like bowling, the more you practice, the better you get. I’ve started using smaller plates so it looks like I’m eating more. When growing up, my sisters and I were not allowed up from the table until or plates were clean. I have retained that mentality into adulthood which is partly what has caused me to be overweight. It only makes sense for me to use smaller plates….I can have a clean plate without excess calories.

You know the old saying…..What ever works

Easy Method To Burning Fat and Lowering Cholestrol

If you are trying to lose weight and/or lower your cholesterol, grapefruit should be a major staple in your diet. A normal size grapefruit is only about 74 calories. (leave off the sugar and try a little cinnamon)

The major benefits of this fruit are:

1. It contains 15 grams of pectin (this fiber is linked to lowering cholesterol and reducing fat).

2. It is high in viamin C and potassium.

3. It is fat free and contains no sodium.

Grapefruit is also rich in natural galactronic acid. This aids in lowering cholesterol and fat. It also battles against hardening of the arteries and the development of heart disease.

Before you add grapefruit as a major staple to your diet, check with your doctor to see if it ok. Grapefruit can cause a bad reaction when taking some medicines. (I’m on a cholesterol medicine that warns me not to use any grapefruit products.)

Over at WebMd, they explain in further detail ALL the benefits of grapefruit. If the doctor gives you thumbs up, head to the store and stock up, they last several weeks in the refrigerator.

Grapefruit is a product that can help you lose weight, lower cholesterol, and lower fat. It’s a great addition to anyone’s diet.

Walking To Lose Weight -A Simple But Effective Method

Walking to lose weight is a simple but powerful method that can help with your long term weight loss goals. Walking is a natural, safe and enjoyable exercise that can be done in almost any environment. While it doesn’t burn up calories as quickly as strenuous activities such as running, jogging or riding a bicycle, it can be surprisingly effective. Walking is perhaps the most natural physical exercise you can do. Long before there were automobiles or bicycles -and even before humans domesticated horses to ride on- walking was the way people got around. In recent years, the sad fact is that many people only walk when they absolutely have to. They may see walking as something you do to get from your car to the store, or from your driveway to the house. If this describes you, and your goal is to lose weight and get healthier, it may be a good idea to change the way

you see walking.

The great thing about walking is that you can easily start at your own pace and gradually speed up. You can also practice walking almost anywhere. If you live in the city, you can walk on sidewalks or in a park. If you live closer to nature, you can walk on wooded or mountain trails. If you live in the suburbs, you can still find either sidewalks or a public track. You can, of course, get machines that allow you to walk in place indoors. This can be good for bad weather, or for people with physical limitations that make it hard to leave the house. Otherwise, it’s good to also walk outside when you can. The surroundings make it more interesting and it’s good to get fresh air as well (unless you live in a badly polluted city).

The key to getting the most benefit from walking is to do it consistently. Walking, unlike many other forms of exercise, can be done daily with no ill effects. You may want to find a partner or group to make it more interesting and sociable. If you walk alone, you can carry an iPod or other device that allows you to listen to music. Just make sure you are alert to your surroundings at all times.

Walking is also something you can do as it was originally intended -as a way to get from Point A to Point B. You can get into the habit of walking to the store instead of driving. If you go to a large mall or a downtown area, you can park your car once and walk to all of your destinations rather than driving to each one. Even if you work in an office you can take more walks around the building during breaks or lunch.

Losing weight is an equation with two main variables -calorie intake and calorie burning. Walking can help with burning calories, but you also have to pay attention to your intake. You don’t have to go on an extreme starvation diet, but if you are taking in more calories than you need, you can gradually cut back. If you do this while also increasing your metabolism by walking regularly, you should start to see some results fairly quickly.

50 Weight Loss Tips

lost 30 pounds in three months. If you wanted to know how I did it, and how I intend on maintaining my current weight, then these 50 weight loss tips are for you. I’m not an expert, but I do speak from experience. If it helps you attain your own weight loss goals, then I’m happy to have helped (if only to serve as a reinforcement of knowledge you already possess). Most of this, I learned on my own or through close friends and family members. Feel free to add your own tips to this list, too!

If you want even more help, I now have an PDF eBook series available (with an affiliate program): get my diet weight loss ebook before you scoot away!

1. Dietary control and exercise. It’s true what they say – all you need to do is watch what you eat, and expend more energy than you consume. It’s really that simple. You can quit reading this list now, you now know everything you need to know and didn’t need to fork over $500 for the privilege of me telling you the secret of losing weight. You don’t need to read a 4,000 page book, you don’t have to buy a tape series, you don’t need to stay up late at night to watch infomercials to understand this basic premise. It’s 100% true.
2. Change your lifestyle. If you’re calling this a “diet,” then you’re going to gain all the weight back (and more) within a few months of losing it. Diets do not work. Diets are temporary. When you change your dietary lifestyle, however, you’re changing your habits – and you’re putting yourself on track for long-term / continued success and weight maintenance. Don’t ever tell anybody you’re on a diet – ever. I’m speaking from experience, here – a reformed low-carber. Worked out well for a while, but ultimately failed because my entire lifestyle didn’t change (permanently).
3. Join an online support group. In my case, I created my own – FatBlasters. It’s essential that you not feel alone, and reaching out to friends (new or old) is typically a smart move. I just heard about PeetTrainer, but didn’t know about it when I began down the road to weight loss. You have to know that others are out there for moral support – they know things that you couldn’t possibly know, and they’ve probably been “in your shoes” at some point in the past (or present). Share stories, laughter, tears, successes, and failures – share them. There are thousands of communities out there, so keep looking until you find the one that fits you.
4. Take before and after photos. I know it sucks to see yourself as a chunky monkey (sorry, that’s what I called myself – if only to get myself motivated to meet my weight loss goal). However, there’s no easier way to illustrate your progress. The “after” photos are far more fun to capture and share, admittedly. Find yourself on Flickr! It’s good to see yourself how others see you. Do you like how you look? In many ways, Flickr helped me lose weight.
5. Hire a substitute teacher. Don’t reach for the brands you know and love immediately – or without thinking first. Eggs are “good” for you, but consider using egg substitutes instead (in fact, many restaurants will let you order lower calorie foods). There are countless “lower” alternatives for you to try. If something different doesn’t taste good, by all means – find a better substitute, or eat less of the original. In some cases, the substitute may be worse for you than the regular version of the product. The good news is, healthier choices are silently replacing their “normal” counterparts – and they taste just as nice.
6. Start reading labels. I know it sucks, but you have to do it – and there’s no way to avoid this tip. If you don’t know what you’re putting in your mouth, you’re flying blind. Don’t assume, either – triple-check the ingredients list and serving sizes. You must rely on yourself for this; nobody else is going to be able to lose the weight or do the math for you. It’s not that complicated a task, but it will require effort. If nothing else, just pay attention to the calorie count.
7. What’s so funny about bovines? If you like cheese, you must buy the Laughing Cow brand, and keep several of the suckers in stock at all times. The individually-wrapped wedges make for excellent snacks, and are wonderful when melted over just about anything edible. I’d be careful about straight-up American cheese, though – it’s oil, but not necessarily as good for you as (say) a slice of cheddar would be. I have yet to find something as calorie-light and filling as Laughing Cow (I don’t know how they do it).
8. Tell your family. You’re not going to lose the weight alone, even if you ARE alone in losing the weight. If you’ve got a family at home, talk to them about it – initially, not incessantly. Let them know what you’re going to do, and that you want (and need) their support. If you don’t let them know, you’re running the risk of them inadvertently sabotaging your efforts. You want them to help you get to your goal(s). You want them to share in your happiness when you’ve made it past a certain mark. Who knows? Maybe some of your new habits will rub off on them and they’ll become healthier people, too?
9. Go public. I didn’t want to admit that I had screwed up, but admitting the problem in public was the first step on the path to eventual success. I was now accountable for my actions, and all my friends knew what I was doing. There was no turning back, otherwise I’d be risk damaging my integrity. I didn’t want to disappoint the people who read me on a regular (or semi-regular) basis. Plus, it’s an easy way to find out which of your friends have gone through the process before – and glean tips from their own experiences. Then, other friends might become inspired to do the same thing you’re doing once they see that you’ve taken the first step.
10. Identify your exercise. No exercise was created equal. You might like running, so run. You might like jogging, so jog. You might like stationary bikes, so bike stationarily. Find the one that works best for you – that isn’t too much of a chore for you to do regularly throughout the week. Don’t pick a routine that you don’t like – or you won’t want to do it, and you certainly won’t stick with it for long. I also wouldn’t recommend buying into that whole “no pain, no gain” mantra. I’ve lost weight without hurting myself, and you probably can, too.
11. Become a Gazelle. You’ve probably seen Tony Little on TV, selling his Gazelle glider – a low impact exercise machine. I can tell you: it works. It’s easy on my legs, and really gives me a workout when I apply myself on it. Some people say it’s awkward to use, but I love mine – and would consider recommending no other home exercise equipment at this point. Then again, I’m a wimpy geek who only wants to burn calories.
12. Zone out. There’s a reason why people exercise to their favorite music – listening to external stimulus takes your mind off of the physical activity. That’s the secret to making “exercise time” fly. If you’re concentrating on what your body is doing, the session is going to drag on for what will seem like days. Buy a portable music player, or situate yourself in front of a television.

[rssbullet:http://shop.tagjag.com/products/weight+ebook]

13. Never count on live programming. It’s important to stimulate your mind while your body is exerting itself in other ways. However, never rely on “what’s on TV or the radio” at the time. Instead of zoning out, you’ll find yourself flipping between channels – and that’s going to make the time drag as much as it would if you weren’t keeping your mind busy in the first place. “Live” is a very bad idea. Go with pre-recorded programming or go without.
14. Video games helped me lose weight. I can keep my balance on the Gazelle (which some might find difficult to do). As such, I plugged an Xbox 360 into the TV and started to play it while I was working out. Immediately, I found that I was sweating more than I was when I was only watching TV passively! The reason boils down to a single word: adrenalin. Now, the only way I’m able to work up a sweat is when I play a fast-paced game on the game console. Yes, even game genre is important; avoid any diversions that require long pauses between tasks. Racing games (like Burnout) have worked very well for me. The more mindless the game, the better your burn, the faster the exercise session will go.
15. Set realistic goals. You can lose 50 pounds in a week if you work out 12 hours a day and eat nothing but celery – but not if you’re human. Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t bite off more than you can chew – literally. Make small goals on your way to the bigger goal(s). In the end, you’ll have achieved more (and more frequently, might I add).
16. Avoid trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. I offer this suggestion for a few reasons. First, they’re not good for you anyway. Second, you’ll eliminate a lot of the “bad foods” outright – no questions asked. You’ll have to become more selective in what you eat by avoiding these two nasty ingredients – which are in more foods than you probably care to know.
17. Don’t always listen to your mate. I’ve already suggested that you tell your family – but sometimes members of your family will try to dissuade you from trying to lose weight. It’s simple: they might not want you to succeed where they may have already failed, whether consciously or inadvertently. Your loss is not always their gain. Watch out for statements like: “You’ve lost enough weight.” or “I like you just the way you are.” Fact of the matter is, if YOU don’t like the way that YOU are – then YOU are going to have to do something about it, no matter what anybody says. They still love you, though (in theory).
18. Don’t compare yourself to others. Every body is different. It stands to reason that everybody will lose weight differently. Even if you do the exact same things that I do, you won’t lose weight at the same rate. The key is in finding your triggers. Keep your goal in sight, and do whatever you have to do to meet that goal. When you start looking at someone else’s habits, you’re only going to become discouraged and quit without even realizing that it’s physically impossible to be anybody but yourself.
19. Women aren’t men. It’s been proven that men can lose weight more rapidly than women can, which is likely due to our physiological makeup (women are supposed to have more fat than men, because they’re the birthing gender). This isn’t a sexist statement to make – it’s pretty much the truth. As such, females should expect to set separate goals than males – especially if you’re working on losing weight together, side by side.
20. Take a magic pill. Nonsense! There is no such thing as a magic pill. Don’t fall victim to the hype of the latest fat-burning drug commercial. If you listen or read closely, you’ll see that every single one of these things is effective when combined with proper diet and exercise (which they even state in their advertisements). The side-effects for these drugs are usually worse than your additional weight, anyway.
21. Vitamins are good for you. If you’re going to take any pills, let them be natural supplements (like Essential Fatty Acids or multivitamins). Be careful about overdoing it, though – especially with herbal remedies. Too much of anything is a bad thing. You can consult a nutritionist, but always buy on your own – and keep these supplements to a minimum. Remember, too, that specific vitamins are no good without specific minerals.
22. Deck your desktop. In the beginning, some of my friends sent me complicated spreadsheets to help chart progress. Uh, no – not for me; I’m the kind of guy who likes taking the easy route. As such, I scoured the Web for the best desktop tool and remembered CalorieKing. You won’t find anything easier to use. Trust me, this is the one; I can keep track of everything I eat and expend (without hassle). While the statistic-addicts will love CalorieKing for its thoroughness, the utility was truly designed with non-geeks in mind. The CalorieKing Web site and service are fine on their own, but the downloadable client is what you really want to get. Pay the registration fee, man – how much is your health worth to you?
23. Identify your ideal weight. If you’re 5′5″ with a certain build, there’s an ideal weight that matches your body type. Find it – and make that your goal. And if you don’t know what that might be, try searching the Web for a calculator (though results and calculations will vary by a small margin). Now you have a weight goal to shoot for.
24. Consider the source. I’m going to make a gross generalization here, but… why would I trust an overweight doctor or nutritionist to give me proper advice on weight loss? “Do as I say and not as I do” is not a maxim I’m willing to accept from anybody who would be qualified to tell me how to do something. Talk to people who are doing it, or who have done it and been successful. You don’t have to mirror their regimen, but at least you’re getting help from someone who’s really been there. Or, as they said in the Christmas episode of “Two and a Half Men,” people who live in fat asses shouldn’t throw waffles.
25. Ignore Ronald McDonald. You don’t have to eliminate fast food completely, but you should avoid it at all costs. Most of it is nasty, bad stuff anyway – if you’d even go as far as to call it food. If you’re looking for convenience, find a more convenient meal source. Besides, most of what they serve would be considered “food product,” not food. There’s a gigantic difference as far as your body is concerned. Your bloodstream does not have taste buds, need I remind you?
26. Scale up. If your measurement tool sucks, upgrade it. If it’s analog, dump it. I’ve talked to many geeks about their choice in scales, and most of them (myself included) recommend something in the Tanita family. They’re high-quality, rugged, accurate devices. Make sure you set your scale on a hard surface, too (as carpet foundations do not make for accurate weight measurements).
27. Watch your weight. Some people say that you shouldn’t weigh yourself more than once a week. I’ve been much happier charting my progress every day. No matter what, you need to weigh in at the same time, every time. For me, that’s 10am every morning (or somewhere thereabout). If you decide to weigh yourself every single day, understand that your weight will fluctuate by one or two pounds – and that you should only keep a serious eye on the lengthier trends.
28. One pound a week. If you’re not losing at least one pound a week on your chosen weight loss regimen, you’re (a) stalled, or (b) finished. You might need to push yourself even harder, or (in some cases) let up a little bit while your body plays catch-up. If you lose more than one pound a week, then you’re doing better than average. Expecting to lose five pounds a week just isn’t realistic, though.
29. Maintain your priorities. Sure, your sandwich would taste amazing with an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise… but do you really need it? Rather, is it more important for you to reach your weight loss goal quicker – or have this sandwich taste marginally better? What’ll happen the next time you’re faced with this decision – will you cave again? It’s a slippery slope; don’t lose sight of what’s most important to you.
30. All weight is not equal. Muscle weighs more than fat, but the last thing you want to lose is muscle! For this reason alone, it’s important to have a regular exercise routine somewhere in your schedule. Without exercise, your body is going to burn through muscle first – and you’ll wind up more imbalanced than you were to begin with. You want your body to burn fat, not muscle. You want to lose weight, but you want to lose “fat” weight – not muscle mass.
31. Counteract the “Rainy Day” principle. If you decrease your calorie count without necessarily increasing your physical activity level, your body is going to crash. It’s going to say to itself: “Holy sh*t! I better store these calories as fat, because I’m not getting enough of them – and I don’t want to die.” When you exercise, you set your body’s process to “burn” instead of “save.”
32. Don’t overdo it. If you change something in your lifestyle, you’re probably going to see results – but there’s a law of diminishing returns at play. You can exercise for an extra hour a day for a week and still lose the same amount as you had when you were only exercising half as much. Give your body time to adjust – don’t push yourself too hard or you’re just going to spend your energy on something that’s not necessarily going to give you immediate and direct benefit. This, of course, only applies to those of you wanting to lose fat – not for those who are training for a triathlon.
33. Patterns are good. Once you’ve found your workout groove, do your best to stick with it. Exercise no less than three times a week for 40 – 60 minutes each time, but don’t feel the “need” to do it more than five times over a seven day period. Your body will likely appreciate a burn-off in the morning more, but if you need to relieve stress in the evening – don’t be afraid to adjust your workout schedule accordingly. Schedule making and keeping are important for other areas of your life as well.
34. Sleep it off. To be an efficient fat-burning machine, your body requires at least eight hours of sleep a night. If you think that you’re doing yourself a favor by sleeping less, you’re mistaken. Give your body time to rest itself, both mentally and physically. Sleep is very, very important (if only for mental alertness for the following day). If you feel tired, that’s likely your body’s way of saying: “Shut your eyes, stupid!”
35. Remember that the fork is not a shovel. I eat fast (I swear I can’t help it). Even if I’m not hungry, I want to shovel everything into my mouth in less than a minute. But my brain doesn’t know that my stomach is full until twenty minutes after it actually is. As such, I could stuff myself silly before realizing I didn’t need to consume as much as I did. Try eating half of what’s on your plate, wait ten minutes, then continue to eat if you’re still hungry. You never want to feel full – ever. That’s when you know you’ve eaten too much. If you want a real hunger-stopper, try an Omega 3 and Omega 6 supplement (EFAs) twenty minutes before a meal.
36. Become your own snack fairy. It’s okay to snack between meals, really. Small meals throughout the day are enough to keep you satisfied, as (much like the sensation of being full) you never want to feel hungry. Let your body know it’s going to get a regular regimen of calories. Plus, if you starve yourself for the regular meals, you’re probably going to eat more before your brain tells your mouth to stop. Think about it: breakfast, lunch, and dinner are social constructs at their very core.
37. Love the oil companies. Just like your car needs high-quality oil, so too does your body. Not all oils were created equal, though it’s hotly contested which ones are better for you than others. Personally, I love a good olive oil – it’s 100% natural and is rich with Omega 9 fatty acids. Enova is another one that we’ve found to work quite well in our lifestyle at home. Choose your oil wisely, though – your weight loss goal should be more than simply cosmetic. It’s a good rule of thumb when it comes to food: the more natural something is, the better it is for you.
38. Fat is where it’s at. If you think you can lose weight and keep it off by avoiding all fats, you’re sadly mistaken. In fact, if you think that low fat eating is the only way to go, you might as well just quit now. Your body (and your brain) needs fat to survive! This is why the scientists call “them” essential fatty acids – Omegas 3, 6, and 9. These fats have been stripped from many supermarket shelf items, and it’s your responsibility to put fat back into your dietary plan. Don’t avoid eating fat, embrace it – equally.
39. Bring balance to the force. If you eat the same foods over and over again, you’re going to get bored – unless they’re foods you really, really like. Feel free to change it up – keep your tongue happy. Balance carbs with proteins with fats, though. If you have more of one nutrient for one meal, try more of another nutrient for the next. And for heaven’s sake, don’t just shop in the “diet” section of the store. You can still (likely) eat the same things you’ve always eaten, just not so much of them at any one time.
40. Know your daily calorie limit. When I was in the process of losing weight, it was suggested that I stay under 1700 calories a day. Knowing that number was half the battle. I could eat anything I wanted throughout the day, so long as I would stay at or beneath that number. While I couldn’t track 100% of the items I ate, I was able to make intake estimates – and adjust my schedule and ration my remaining calories accordingly. In this sense, you’re given extreme freedom – so long as you stay at or beneath that suggested calorie level for your plan. If you don’t know how much you’re supposed to take in, how are you supposed to know how much you’re supposed to take in?! Sounds redundant, but it’s a situation that many “dieters” are in (which is why they fail)!
41. Fiber good. When you start to lose fat, you’re probably going to get constipated. Yeah, it happens more frequently than we care to admit (or share). You should have a good amount of fiber every day, anyway. Fiber is very important to your health (and your weight loss goals). Try the Metamucil snack wafers for a quick fiber infusion. Then, magnesium citrate for those… “stuck” moments, in which you’ll find yourself from time to time. Stick a bottle or two of that in your fridge for safe keeping, and don’t plan on going anywhere for 24 hours after taking a dose (trust me, trust me, trust me).
42. Walk the walk. You burn calories when you walk, did you know that? Certainly, you don’t expend as much energy as you do when you run, but you burn it nonetheless. Consider picking up a good pedometer, if only to gauge how many steps you take in the average day. According to others, the Omron HJ112 Premium Pedometer is the one to beat. If nothing else, knowing how many steps you take on the average day will give you a better idea as to your regular activity level – around the home and/or the office. Plus, you can count those steps as calorie deficits in certain programs (like CalorieKing).
43. Train wrecks will happen. One of these nights, you’re going to go out with friends and eat your weight in steak (likely blowing any kind of progress you had made for that day). Instead of repeating the overindulgence, just put yourself back on track the next day. You’re allowed to “mess up” every now and again, so long as you don’t make a habit out of consuming an excessive amount of food. Right the dining injustice immediately. You’ll be okay. You’ll be fine. Just don’t do it again. And again. And again. And again.
44. Satisfy cravings with extreme prejudice. If you’re hungry for something, eat it. Don’t deny yourself the simple pleasures. If it’s possible, eat only half of what you want. Is your craving satisfied, or are you addicted to the flavor? Losing weight shouldn’t be torture for anybody. You have to ask yourself: Is it more important for me to eat this entire case of fudgesicles, or to look good for my brother’s wedding? Only you have the answer to that question, and if you ignore logic, you’re going to hurt yourself in the long-run. Just take a nibble or two – I won’t tell a soul.
45. Water you waiting for? If you’re not drinking enough water, your body will let you know. Thirst is an amazing sensation – quench it. If you’re not hydrated, your body won’t be working at peak levels. Most of your body happens to be water, by the way. If you’re worried about “water weight,” remember that you’re likely to retain more water when you’re not giving your body enough of it in the first place. Besides, that’s what those workout sessions are supposed to help with every other morning. I’m not going to dictate how many glasses you should drink, though – as that’s going to vary from person to person.
46. Join the soda club. Like most people, I love carbonated beverages. However, unlike most people, I love unflavored carbonated beverages – and if your tongue is attune to sugary-sweet drinks, you’re also the kind of person who believes that club soda tastes salty (even when it contains no sodium). Make the move to an unflavored drink sooner rather than later. If you need help along the way, lemons and limes can be your best friends. If you’re going to drink something more than water, at least make sure it’s not going to hinder your progress. If you’re a sugary-soda drinker, dropping it from your daily routine altogether will help you drop ~5 or more pounds in a single week (WITHOUT doing anything else).
47. Sugar is evil that tastes good. You probably don’t want to hear this, but sugar is a bad thing. The more refined it comes, the more your body is going to react negatively to it. Sugar, sugar, sugar is in everything, everything, everything. If it’s sweet, it’s got sugar in it. There are all sorts of sugars out there, and all of them are ultimately metabolized by the body. It’s a good bet that the sugars in an apple are better for you than the sugars in a candy bar, though. If you’re addicted to sugar, this is going to be a horrible hurdle to overcome.
48. Sugar substitutes are just as evil as sugar itself. Do you really think your body knows how to handle something that was man-made? Seriously. These chemically-adjusted products do not occur in the wild; there are no Splenda trees in warmer climates, nor are there NutraSweet plants in the Arctic. In some instances, taking in sugar substitutes may actually increase your levels of hunger! Let’s not forget about all the health issues that might arise from these unnatural substances. If you’re given a choice, it’s almost better to go with something your body knows how to deal with (real, unprocessed sugar). No, it’s much safer (and healthier) to stay away from blue, pink, and yellow packets entirely. Do a Web search for “Artificial Sweeteners May Damage Diet Efforts.” Then sit there and tell me they’re okay? No way.
49. White bread can’t jump. Did you know that white bread isn’t good for you? Oh, it’s true – just ask any diabetic. Research has shown that people who eat more refined products (like white bread) are more likely to have belly fat. Why? It’s simple: your body isn’t getting what it needs. The food industry isn’t the health industry, okay? You can’t trust that they’ve got your best interests at heart (despite all their marketing efforts). If you want the flavor of white bread, please eat the whole grain white bread instead? Sara lee makes a wonderful loaf, as I can personally attest (even though I like rye more than white or wheat). Repeat after me: whole grain white bread, whole grain white bread.
50. Hasta la pasta, baby. Much like its cousin, white bread, refined pasta can damage your health and pinch your weight loss plans. I’m not saying you should quit pasta altogether, but I will suggest that you change your pasta pusher to Barilla. They have a new wheat pasta that’s a dead ringer for the ol’ crappy white stuff you used to eat. “Barilla PLUS” is absolutely fantastic, as well as a good source of fiber and protein. You’re usually going to be better off with a “wheat” option, although traditional wheat pasta has a texture that you might not like (even though I find it perfectly acceptable to my palate).

Now, once you’ve achieved your weight loss goals, what are you going to do to keep the fat at bay? The worst thing you can do is something I’ve done countless times over: get lazy. I’ve conveniently forgotten about all of the aforementioned rules a few times, and it’s put me back in the same situation I don’t want to be in – ever again. While I don’t have to be as careful as I was during the weight loss period, I’m still measuring myself and recording my daily activities. This may turn into a weekly weigh-in soon enough, as it’s easier to correct yourself at 5lbs than it is at 50lbs. Good luck!