Ultraviolet: Denise Lewis and Helen Chamberlain strip off and dazzle in neon paint for cancer charity's nighttime walk

By GEORGINA LITTLEJOHN



All aglow: Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis dazzles in neon paint for Cancer Research



It's the sort of body art that is usually adorned by clubbers as they dazzle as they dance the night away under a party's UV lights.



But neon paint can also be a rather effective away of drawing attention to yourself in others way, say for a worthy cause - as two sexy sporting personalities have proved.



Former heptathlon medallist Denise Lewis and Sky's Sports' Soccer AM presenter Helen Chamberlain stripped off and got decorated in UV paint to support Cancer Research.





Electrifying: Helen Chamberlain's hair stands on end as she poses in the UV designs that adorn her upper body





The ladies looked stunning as they modelled the designs - inspired by microscopic images of cancer cells and painted by body paint artist Carolyn Roper.- to show their support for Shine, the UK charity's night-time walking marathon.



Both Helen, 44, and Denise, 38, have a connection to the disease and were happy to pose for the campaign.





Shining bright: Swimmer Mark Foster is splashed with designed that were inspired by microscopic cancer cells





The event, which takes place in Glasgow on September 10 and in London on October 1, hopes to raise more than £1 million.



It has been designed to symbolise the light that Cancer Research UK's doctors, nurses and scientists bring to the lives of people affected by cancer through life-saving research, and participants can choose to walk either the full marathon or a half marathon route.



The charity says people can dedicate the money they raise to a specific area of cancer research, including breast cancer, lung cancer and leukaemia.





source: dailymail

School confiscates girl's Vaseline for her dry lips... due to health and safety fears

By ALISON SMITH SQUIRE

'Not prescribed': Ellie-Maye Wilkins, 7, from Sandbach, Cheshire with a tin of the offending Vaseline

When her seven-year-old daughter complained of dry lips, Joanne Wilkins gave her a tiny tin of Vaseline to apply at school.

But when Ellie-Maye went to use it, it was confiscated – because it is not a prescribed medicine.

And when Mrs Wilkins queried the decision, she was told if she wanted her daughter to moisturise her lips, she would need to take her out of school to apply the Vaseline.

‘This is health and safety gone mad,’ said Mrs Wilkins, 28, a project manager, yesterday. ‘Where has common sense gone? I can’t believe how my daughter was humiliated.


'Health and safety gone mad': The headmaster of Wistaston Church Lane Primary School confirmed that unless the Vaseline was prescribed, Ellie-Maye could not use it in school


‘This harmless ointment was taken away in front of all her friends. She was made to feel naughty and as a result was close to tears – all over a tiny pot of Vaseline.’

Mrs Wilkins took advice over her daughter’s dry lips from her pharmacist.

She said: ‘She recommended Vaseline Lip Therapy. It is the basic original Vaseline – just petroleum jelly - and is colourless and odourless.

‘She could apply it as often as she wished and it comes in a tiny pocket-sized tin that Ellie-Maye could easily carry in her schoolbag.

‘In fact, Ellie-Maye needed help opening the tin and the first teacher of the day helped her and had no problem with the Vaseline at all.

But at lunchtime, when she went to apply the Vaseline again, a second teacher she asked to help open it said she shouldn’t have it in school at all.

source: dailymail

Pictured: Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones smoking... seven months after he beat throat cancer

By CHRIS JOHNSON

Up in smoke: Michael Douglas smokes what appears to be a cigarette while aboard a yacht in the Italian Riviera last month

In January Michael Douglas proclaimed he was confident he'd beaten throat cancer.

But as these photos show, it seems the 66-year-old is struggling to keep his nicotine addiction under control.

The Hollywood actor is seen here smoking what appeared to be a hand-rolled cigarette while aboard a yacht on a recent holiday in the Italian Riviera.


Double trouble: His wife Catherine Zeta-Jone was also seen puffing away during the break

His wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, who supported her husband through his stage IV cancer battle last year, was also clocked with a cigarette in hand during the break.

To many, the image of the couple smoking just seven months after Douglas returned to health may come as a something of a shock.


Hard habit to kick: A recent study showed that it is not uncommon for cancer patients and their family members to continue smoking after diagnosis

However, statistcs show it is not uncommon for people who develop cancer to continue smoking after diagnosis.

A recent U.S. study by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that up to 18 per cent of lung cancer patients continue to smoke after discovering they have the illness.

And around 25 per cent of family members also kept up the habit, despite having watched their loved one's battle the condition.


source: dailymail

Tiny Lifestyle Tweaks

LOSE THE SODAS AND

CHEWING GUM

Do you drink diet sodas? Or chew gum to stop yourself from snacking? Both these habits may be doing more harm than you think. Sodas are aerated and when you chew gum, you tend to swallow more often than you normally would. Part of what you are swallowing is air, which bloats up your stomach. Drinking aerated drinks through a straw is even worse. Eating food slowly will help, because gulping food means you're swallowing excess air.

Walk Straight

Do you walk with a hunch or slouch in your seat? Slouching accentuates belly fat. So correct your posture and you can lose inches immediately. Stand up straight, hold your stomach in - this will strengthen your abs and stop that roll of fat from bulging out. Maintaining a good posture will take away inches from your stomach and your waist, and add to your height and confidence too.

Loosen your Belt

The self explanatory 'tight pants syndrome' not only reduces circulation, leading to a headache, but can also cause acid reflux and heartburn.

It could also lead to build-up of gas in the intestines. So loosen that belt and feel less bloated.

Men Hope a Lover Will Enhance Their Sexual Arousal

It's relatively easy for a woman to figure out that men want sex... but they also want to be loved and appreciated through their sexual relationship.

• Men's sexual arousal is usually easy and immediate. Despite the evidence to the contrary they like to hope that a woman feels the same way about sex that they do.
• A man can feel that sex represents the most important way of demonstrating that he loves his partner.
• At the same time, he perceives a woman's enthusiasm for sex with him as confirmation of her love for him.
• If a man wanted a loving, sexless relationship with a woman he would never have left his mother.

Men need sex, both physiologically and emotionally, more than women. Men's relationships with others are not as emotionally intimate as women's tend to be. So a man looks to the woman in his life for the emotional support he needs and sex is the mechanism that men use to express their loving emotions.

How to pleasure a man
From early on, the sensitive female lover learns how to pleasure a man, co-operating quite instinctively during intercourse by moving with the man's rhythm.

She also learns how to play along with men's sexual fantasies and acts out the part of the appreciative and responsive lover in order to help him reach orgasm. Sometimes a woman may caress her lover's body or make encouraging noises to enhance the man's arousal. Some women even exaggerate their sexual arousal to the point of faking orgasm.

This explains why in the film 'The Duchess', Keira Knightley playing the virgin bride, lies inert as her husband thrusts into her on their wedding night. Women only learn over time that responding as a lover encourages the male orgasm that nearly always ends sexual activity between a man and a woman.

A woman appreciates that if she continues to be unmoved by her partner's love-making, her man will feel that he is failing to please her or that she does not love him. By contrast, the mistress in the film has learned to make the appreciative noises that sexually experienced women often use as a male turn-on during sex.

"The fact is, we usually co-operate quite extensively during intercourse in order for the man to be able to orgasm. We move along with his rhythm, keep our legs apart and our bodies in positions that make penetration and thrusting possible, and almost never stop intercourse in midstream unless the man has had his orgasm." (p107 The Hite Reports 1993)

Unless a woman learns how to orgasm during sex with a partner, the role of the female lover can become burdensome in long-term sexual relationships. Even if a man never explicitly acknowledges the assistance of a female lover, a woman has the reward of knowing that she has helped her partner find the sexual release that is so vital to his happiness.

From a woman's perspective, making effort to be more involved in 'love-making' reduces the sense of uselessness that arises from participating in a sexual act in which (without the woman's sexual arousal and orgasm) the woman is effectively merely a bystander.

source

How to Easily Lose 20 Pounds in 3-4 Weeks or 30 Days!

Wait! Did you know that 9 in 10 people will put some or all of the lost weight back on again! I will provide an answer to this puzzle as well if you have been seeking out a way to lose 20 pounds in 3 Weeks, then I have a surprise for you! Make sure to read closely because I plan to explain to you exactly how it can be done easily and effortlessly. Best of all the results you get from this method of weight loss do not rebound as other diets do, because it does what no other diet does, it targets your metabolism.

So How Can I Begin to Lose 20 Pounds Easily in 3 Weeks?

Its simply really, its called calorie shifting and all it asks of you is to eat! Ok I'll admit it isn't that simple, but unlike any other diet you can actually eat a normal amount of food. The trick to calorie shifting is the way in which you eat. You see this system of eating is so sophisticated as it maximizes the times your body burns the most calories of a certain type and convinces your body to burn more of those calories. It also works to constantly switch up your diet and create something called metabolic confusion where your body doesn't fall into the trap of a comfort zone where it doesn't feel compelled to burn fat.

Calorie Shifting Keeps Burning Fat for You!

Essentially by calorie shifting and creating this metabolic confusion you are sending a message to your body to keep burning fat. The reason people experience the rebound effect from most diets is because eating low calories also lowers your metabolism, it attunes itself to it in a way. The problem is with most diets is once you decide to begin eating a normal diet again you are now stuck with an even slower metabolism. With calorie shifting your metabolism will be far more active and most people who try calorie shifting actually find that they continue to burn fat for weeks following a diet.

source

Get your legs long & lean

Do you covet the long, lean legs sported by celebrities? Have you been committed to your daily cardio in hopes that it will tone your lower body? Are you ready to change your workouts to make sure you have those sexy gams by summer?

If so, celebrity trainer Gina Lombardi has the five must-do lower body exercises for you! In addition to toned thighs, these exercises will also give you great glutes as well as tighten up your torso. These exercises are the rage with celebrities and by incorporating these moves into your workouts, you, too, can have A-list legs.

These five exercises, recommended by Gina Lombardi, featured trainer on Exercise TV, work the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and core muscles. For best results, do these lower body exercises three to four times per week. In addition to consistent cardio and a healthy diet, you will see results in just a few weeks.

Squats on a vibration platform

According to Lombardi, this intense exercise is a favorite of stars Hillary Swank and Madonna. Vibration platforms have become an increasingly popular fitness tool – doing exercises on the vibrating platforms results in increased muscular power, strength, flexibility and balance. The increased stimulus to the muscle fibers also delivers results sooner than doing the same exercises on the floor. In addition, vibration platforms can boost your bone-density and are often used in rehabilitation for a wide range of injuries. Check with your local health clubs and personal training studios for vibration platform availability. (For more information, check out Lifespan Fitness’ vibration plate article.)
The move: Standing on a Lifespan or Power Plate vibration platform, perform the same traditional squat you would do on stable ground. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, bend knees and lower your buttocks until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep knees over your ankles and not jutting forward past your toes. Pause and return to start position. Repeat for 60 seconds. Rest. Repeat three more times.

Buddha Lunges

Lombardi says these high-power lunges keep Sally Pressman (from "Army Wives") in tip top shape.

The move: Start with your feet together. Step forward with your right leg, keeping your back straight, and bend your knees until your right knee forms a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for a count of five then push back with your right leg and return to start position. Do 12 to 24 lunges on each side.

Mountain Climbers

Actress Catherine Bell, best known for her role as Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie on the TV show "JAG," keeps her legs fit with mountain climbers. You can do this exercise at varying speeds – the faster you “climb,” the more cardio it will become. Make sure you keep your belly button pulled in toward your spine to best engage your core muscles.

The move: From a traditional push-up starting position (on your hands and toes), lift your right foot and bring your knee to your chest. Touch your right foot down then return to start position. Repeat with your left. Do 24 repetitions for each leg.

Step-ups

You can do this exercise using only your body weight or you can hold a 5 to 10 pound dumbbell in each hand for added resistance. This is another exercise that targets your muscles while also boosting your heart rate.
The move: Using the stairs or another step (you can use a sturdy chair, if you are tall), step up with your right foot. Bring your left foot up to touch the right foot and then step back down to start position with both feet on the floor. Repeat with your left leg. Do 24 repetitions on each side.

Squats with Kettlebell swing

This is another hard-core exercise favorite of Army Wife Sally Pressman. Kettlebells are one of the newest and most effective tools in functional fitness (and considered a celebrity fitness secret!). Kettlebells are solid cast-iron weighted cannon balls with U-shaped handles. They come in a variety of weights from ten pounds up to over 100 pounds. Kettlebell training is a full-body modality that improves overall strength and also gives you an awesome cardio workout. Best of all, according to fitness experts, when you use kettlebells, you can get superb results in half the time of traditional exercises. (For more information about kettlebells, check out this article!)

Sleep well to lose weight!

Getting more sleep could help you shed those extra pounds, a study has suggested.

According to the study, body mass index (BMI) is linked to length and quality of sleep in a surprisingly consistent fashion.
During the study, researchers analyzed the sleep, activity and energy expenditures of 14 nurses who had volunteered for a heart-health program at the Walter Reed, where the nurses were employed.

The program included nutritional counselling, exercise training, stress management and sleep improvement. Each participant wore an actigraphy armband that measured total activity, body temperature, body position and other indices of activity and rest.

"When we analyzed our data by splitting our subjects into 'short sleepers' and 'long sleepers,' we found that short sleepers tended to have a higher BMI, 28.3 kg/m2, compared to long sleepers, who had an average BMI of 24.5. Short sleepers also had lower sleep efficiency, experienced as greater difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep," said lead author Arn Eliasson, of the Integrative Cardiac Health Project at Walter Reed Army Medical Centre.

The researchers also found that overweight individuals tended to be more active than their normal weight counterparts, taking significantly more steps than normal weight individuals: 14,000 compared to 11,300, a nearly 25 percent difference, and expending nearly 1,000 more calories a day-3,064 versus 2,080.

However, those additional energy expenditures did not manifest in reduced weight. "We found so many interesting links in our data. It opens up a number of possibilities for future investigation. Primarily, we want to know what is driving the weight differences, and why sleep and weight appear to be connected," said Dr. Eliasson.

Dr. Eliasson postulates that getting less sleep might disrupt natural hormonal balances and could thereby cause those individuals to eat more.

Stress may also play a role in both reducing the length and quality of sleep and increasing eating and other behaviours that may result in weight gain. The study has been presented at the American Thoracic Society's 105th International Conference in San Diego. - TOI

Yoga Diet To Keep Your Body And Soul Healthy

Author: Roberto Sedycias

Basically a Yoga Diet is a totally vegetarian diet. The spiritual reason behind it is the fact that people who practice yoga gain some consciousness of mind which does not allow them to eat meat of living beings. They practice kindness to all animals and lay emphasis on the benefits of vegetarian diet.

Yoga Diet has been able to stand the test of time and has been around for a number of years. It primarily consists of whole grains, cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits. Practicing it not only takes care of your health but also helps in rejuvenating your soul and spirit. Also it helps you to lose weight and remain healthy, thus making you feel better.
The main contents of a Yoga diet and the ways and means in which you can stay healthy with a yoga centered diet are discussed here.

As the yoga diet is typically a vegetarian diet without any meat or fish, the protein requirement of your body is taken care by the incorporation of beans and legumes in your diet. A good quantum of salads, sprouted beans, lentils, bean soups and dishes made from lentils and beans are instrumental in providing you the much needed protein intake. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt etc. are allowed and are helpful in providing energy to the body. Seasonal and organic vegetables are the main source of nutrition. Dishes such as curries, appetizers and entrees can be made out of such fresh vegetables.

Plenty of water intakes are recommended for a healthy mind and body. According to the prescription of a Yoga Diet, your body should get at least 2 liters of water everyday which may be consumed in the form of plain water or fruits and vegetable juices, nut milk, soy milk and other liquids. Mainly recommended food are those which can be digested easily such as juices, fruits, vegetables, milk, honey etc.

Foods which are difficult to digest must be avoided. The main concept of yoga is to keep your immune system in good shape and if you intake lots of heavily processed food which cannot be digested easily then the whole purpose of Yoga diet will be defeated. You should avoid consuming food made with white flour or white sugar and packaged food which are added with preservatives to keep them fresh for a longer period. This type of food can be detrimental to your health.
Yoga diets also prescribe that you must eat your food slowly and chew it properly before swallowing so that it can be digested easily. Fibrous foods and green leafy vegetables are most recommended for easy digestion.
If you follow a proper yoga diet and supplement it with yoga workouts, you are sure to stay fit and lose weight at earliest. This is also sure to reduce the chances of heart attack, kidney diseases, stroke and cancer. Meat lovers are more prone to cancer and heart attacks than those who follow a balanced vegetarian diet.
A well chalked out yoga diet provides all the necessary protein and minerals to your body and the yogic exercises practiced along with pure vegetarian diet provides you with spiritual rejuvenation thus making your body, soul and spirit work in the right union and yield positive results.

source

How to get Rid of Pimples Quickly

There is nothing worse then an outbreak of pimplesa few days before a big event such as your wedding, the prom, or that first big date with someone you have always wanted to go out with. You go to sleep one night and the next morning there they are, a few red blemishes that you know are going to grow into ugly red bumps crowned with a little with pustule.
Where did they come from and how can you get rid of those pimples quickly? Pimples are a product of a bacterium that lives a normal peaceful life on the surface of your skin. Its name is Propionibacterium acnes.

This bacteria is normally harmless until it gets into the pores and hair follicles of your skin. Normally these pores and follicles have a substance called sebum that flows to the surface of the skin, keeping the bacteria out. If the hair follicles get plugged the bacteria get into the pore and start growing until the body reacts by sending white blood cells to deal with the infection. This causes inflammation and swelling and a pimple is born.

For most people the first reaction is to pop the little buggers. But this is not always the best choice for getting rid of pimples quickly. Popping pimples can actually cause more harm then good and can lead to more pimples.

Why? Think about it. A pimple is nothing more then a tiny little infection in the skins pores. By popping it you break down the protective barrier the body's immune system has built to contain the infection. When you pop a pimple this barrier break down and the pus and bacteria can spread underneath the skin to form new pimples. Plus if you keep digging at a pimple you can end up with a nice looking scab and in some cases scars. The best plan of action if you have to get rid of your pimples quickly is to actually hide their presence while the body naturally deals with the problem. Here are a few tips to help hide or conceal pimples.
1. Use a concealor – This is just basically a skin toned base makeup that will mask pimples from even the most discerning eye by blending it into the natural color of you skin.
2. Ice – Apply ice to the pimple a few times a day. This will reduce the swelling and make the pimple much less noticeable.
3. Toothpaste – Many people claim that toothpaste applied to a pimple before they go to bed can reduce the swelling and make the pimple nearly disappear by the next morning.
4. Drink water – Water lubricates and helps facilitate the removal of toxins from the body that may contribute to acne.
5. Use pimple cream – There are many over-the-counter pimple creams on the market today. They contain benzyl peroxide or salicylic acid that have been shown to help get rid of pimples. Many of them come in flesh colored tones, which helps conceal the pimple at the same time.

Getting rid of your pimples quickly is not always easy to do in a short amount of time. But with the tips given above you can hide your outbreak until your pimples disappear on their own.

source

Bikini diet

To tone up so you fit into anything, including a bikini, follow the following tips.

Herbal teas like those made from fennel, green tea, aniseed, cinnamon, ginger may be preferred because they are natural themogenics. This means they rev up the body's burn mechanism, hiking metabolism, helping with fat burn.

Ant-cellulite menu: daily you need three portions (one portion equals a handful) of vegetables, three portions of fruit, three portions of salad, one portion low-fat dairy, one portion good fats (from nuts/fish), one portion brown rice.

Foods to avoid while toning up (and also during summer because they can aggravate dehydration and weakness): fizzy drinks, all caffeine laced stuff, including coffee and soft drinks, white bread and processed foods. Processed foods will aggravate waste build-up, leading to dimpled cellulite.

Have a glass of water with freshly squeezed lime first thing in the morning. Do not consume anything after this for at least an hour. This is a great de-toxifier. Detoxification has to be part of your tone-up because toxic waste causes bloating and water retention, especially around the tummy.

Some detox refreshers: cranberry juice (to keep kidneys super-efficient), a green tonic (of either palak, coriander and mint) for great skin and eyes; a regular intake of lettuce (for clear skin and eyes).

Women concerned with weight not health

Majority of women are more concerned about their weight than overall health, says a new US poll.

The new Associated Press-iVillage poll found that half of the women aren’t down with their weight - even the 26 percent of respondents whose body mass index (BMI) is in the normal range. Of the 1,000 respondents, just one third said they don’t like their physical condition - despite the fact that obesity and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of ailments like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

“So many women think more about the number on the scale than whether their blood pressure or cholesterol is normal,” the New York Daily News quoted registered dietitian Keri Gans, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, as saying. “They really don’t think about disease risk as much as they do about their weight,” Gans added.
The survey also revealed that women exercise for a median of just 80 minutes per week, which means that half the women do even less exercise.

A mere eight percent of the women surveyed say they eat the minimum recommended servings of fruit and vegetables (five a day) and a full 28 percent said they consume those five servings just once a week or less. TOI

A pill to make big bellies disappear

A drug that has been used to treat asthma sufferers for 40 years may help fat people shed up to five kilograms a week, say Australian researchers.

The main ingredient in Ventolin could be the key behind the magical weight loss.A firm Down Under is planning to develop a slow-release capsule form of salbutamol, known as r-salbutamol. The company claims the drug can reduce body weight by 2 to 3 per cent a week and could be on the market in three years.

Stirling Products says it could prove to be a "massive blockbuster" because salbutamol had been proven safe.
Salbutamol administered to asthmatics acts on smooth muscle to reduce bronchial spasms, but managing director Peter Boonen said a capsule form of the drug could "turn off fat receptors". "It will move weight fairly rapidly, but it won’t be available over the counter. Doctors will prescribe it for 14 days, then review progress,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying. Salbutamol is a beta-2 agonist, which has the same effect on the adrenergic system as exercise, resulting in weight loss, an increase in muscle mass and a reduced appetite. It is rapidly excreted in urine but tolerance usually develops within days.

Meditation helps build stronger brains

A new study has confirmed what many people believed: meditation helps increase

gray matter.

A research team from University of California, Los Angeles scanned the brains of people who meditate and found that certain regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger than in a similar control group.

Meditators showed significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus - all known for regulating emotions.

"We know that people who consistently meditate have a singular ability to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behaviour," said Eileen Luders, lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging.

"The observed differences in brain anatomy might give us a clue why meditators have these exceptional abilities," Luders added.

During the study, the research team looked at 44 people. Half were asked to practice various forms of meditation such as Zazen, Samatha and Vipassana and the other half acted as the control group.

More than half of all the meditators said that deep concentration was an essential part of their practice, and most meditated between 10 and 90 minutes every day.

The brains of the meditators showed larger volumes of the right hippocampus and increased gray matter in the right orbito-frontal cortex, the right thalamus and the left inferior temporal lobe. Because these areas of the brain are closely linked to emotion, Luders said, "these might be the neuronal underpinnings that give meditators'''' the outstanding ability to regulate their emotions and allow for well-adjusted responses to whatever life throws their way."
The study is published in the journal NeuroImage.

Why people want to lose weight?

Weight Loss is the most common reason that an individual will start to a diet. Whether it is to become more physically fit, comfortable, more attractive or for health benefits, losing weight is indeed a positive change in many people’s lives. In some instances, losing weight can even save lives. For those who struggle in the battle of weight loss, may even come across many stereotypes or statements that heightens your determination of losing weight.

I have asked many people who are or has been on a diet and the reasons why they choose to lose weight are:
Appearance: Many people have self-esteem issues when it comes to their weight. For some men, their weight problem may not attract a person to him. For some women, it is the same. Women are more conscience of their appearance. They want to be more attractive to the opposite sex. Both sex, may feel that if weight is loss, a new or existing relationship would strengthen.

Break The Stereotype: There are stereotypes that are forced upon people who are overweight. Some people that are overweight, is looked at as if they are unhappy, tired, or lazy. I have heard some state, "I'd hate to be that person." Many reasons why a person chooses to lose weight, is to break this stereotype. An overweight person has the self-esteem to endure the weight loss process. Therefore, losing weight makes the individual feel much better physically and mentally.

Health Reasons: Many people want to lose weight in order to physically feel better. A person may be 5 pounds overweight. Or a person may be 20 pounds overweight. The main goal here, is to shed off that excess weight. There are millions of people in America who are ill. By losing weight, this may deter heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, strokes, and diabetes. The chance to diet, eat healthy, and lose weight is a positive option.

Better Employment: It seems as if our appearance, also helps to determine our employment status. People may want to lose weight before that great interview. To look your best at an interview, creates a positive first impression. When you walk in the room for the interview, you are seen to have confidence and a glow about yourself. When interviewed, the employer may judge by looks. The notion of being overweight, may tie into the employee being possibly lazy and a unhappy worker. Therefore, this is another good reason why people want to lose weight.

Clothing: Many people tend to have a closet or closets full of garments. Some may even have clothes which was kept from 10 to 15 years ago. Those clothes may have shown a special quality, feature, or made the person feel good about themselves. So the choice to lose weight, is undoubtedly a decision one makes. They may want to once again, fit into the clothing and feel the youth they had 10 to 20 years ago. We notice this happens around the time of our class reunion.
Another reason to lose weight, may be the savings of buying new clothes. A lot of people may buy a suit or dress that fits very nice. A year later, that same suit or dress may be too small. To buy clothing every year, will add up, which means money is being spent. For this reason, people become very motivated to lose weight.

Save Money on Travel: Nowadays, people who are overweight or so called obese, are punished. On some airlines, a person who is overweight and cannot fit in the planes' single chair, can possibly be charged a double fee. An individual may seem fit to lose weight in order to save him or herself money.

There are many reasons why people want to lose weight. Looking better and feeling good about themselves is terrific. Having a plan and setting a routine is the first big step in losing weight. Yet, there are a lot reasons why people fail the battle of weight loss.

To successfully hit your weight loss goal, I have done an extensive research and discovered to my surprise, the biggest mistakes on why people fail at losing weight. I also have learned that you can possibly learn from other people's mistakes, which will make your fight against obesity much easier.

(source)

Late motherhood good for women

Researchers have found that women who have babies naturally in their 40s or 50s tend to live longer than other women so do their family members as the same genes prolong lifespan and female fertility.

"If women in your family give birth at older ages, you may well have a chance of living longer than you would otherwise. If you have a female relative who had children after age 45, then there may be some genetic benefit in your family that will enhance your longevity," lead author Ken R. Smith of Utah University said.

For descendants of the Utah and Quebec pioneers studied, "you may be able to look at the ages when your female ancestors gave birth -- rather than just their longevity – in estimating how long you may live," said Smith, whose study is published in 'Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences'.

Specifically, the study involved the records of 11,604 Utah men who were born between 1800 and 1869 and who had at least one sister who lived at least to age 50; and the records of 6,206 Quebec men who lived between 1670 and 1750, and had at least one sister who lived to 50 or older.

The study didn't address how much longevity is due to genetics, but Smith says scientists believe genes account for up to 25 per cent of differences in longevity.

Smith says the study focused on the longevity of brothers rather than sisters of late-fertile women because "men's own reproductive history doesn't get in the way of assessing the role of their female relatives' fertility". - HT

12 healthy tips on eating habits

Author: Jaspal

• We live not upon what we eat, but upon what we digest. – Abernethy
• Watch your food…. how you feel, how you eat, when you eat, how much you eat :o)
• Always eat slowly and chew well your food. By doing that you are going to have better taste, better digestion, better appetite, easy and quick feeling of full and satisfaction. More important, you need less food to satisfy your hunger. But if you can’t spend enough time due to any reasons, make sure to eat slow and take your time in having our dinner. It will bring more calmness and peace into your life :o)
• Don’t injure/ruin your system by over-feeding it. Over-eating on a regular basis will kill you long before your time.
• Little raw food (except some vegetables & fruit ), half cooked or raw non-vegetarian food, bar-be-que half done, sushi from non-vegetarian foods, and all class of beans, half cooked rice etc. take more time to digest, so remember to chew well these foods.
• Avoid fried or deep fried, very spicy or hot, very sour, very sweet, very salty food as much as you can on a regular basis. If you can’t avoid due to any reasons, drink more water and breath more during that day.
• Avoid stale food or left over food as much as you can. If you can’t avoid due to any reasons, drink more water and breath more during that day.
• Freshly cooked food is always healthier and digested easily and quickly.
• Avoid anything very cold with very hot food. Keep a little gap or the temperature should be close to each other.
• Having anything salty with pure form of milk is dangerous and toxic.
• Always keeps on changing your cooking oil. Sticking to one of the best in the world and very expensive & pure cooking oil is the most dangerous, and unhealthy. Your body shouldn’t immune to only one oil always, otherwise you will be prone to have digestive problems always adapting and adjusting to the food cooked in different oils than yours, especially travelling, partying or eating out. Your body will not be ready to accept the food cooked in different oil other than your brand. Instead my friendly advice is to give yourself always healthy and pleasant surprises by eating different food staying within your limits.
• Drink water after at least 30-45 minutes or more of having your meals.

Few basic dos and dont’s of skin care in the parlour

Choose a treatment only after careful skin diagnosis consultation with the expert on call. Discuss centra-indications first.

Check out the steps of the procedure and product ingredients before, not after, however intimidated you may feel. Any cosmetic surgery or injection, if done by untrained and inexperienced practitioners, could prove dangerous and even fatal. It is better to be safe than sorry. Do not be afraid to ask or walk out if in doubt.

What may work for your friend may not necessarily work for you.
Get an allergy or patch test done before you go in for any kind of cosmetic procedure or even facials, exfoliations or scrubs. Mention allergic conditions or medications you are currently under.

Diabetic? Had herpes? On heart medicines? Certain procedures are a no-no. Those allergic to aspirin must avoid applications that contain salicylic acid.

Insist on polythene strips for waxing that cannot be re-used. Better still, insist on disposables and fresh or new laundry for every procedure, including the sheet that you lie on.

Go in for facials or other surface treatment at least a week to ten days before any special occasion. It gives your skin time to settle and glow!

Ayurvedic and natural products cause minimal reactions, but check all the same.

Nothing beats a good regimen of proper diet, exercise and plenty of water.

Health is in your hands. Follow a simple at-home skin care programme of cleansing, steaming, toning and moisturizing once a week for a healthy, radiant look!

Breakfast for a slimmer you!

Is your expanding waistline giving you nightmares? Well, take heart. Researchers have found that a breakfast of muesli with milk, tinned peaches and yoghurt can help weight loss.

Experts at the University of Nottingham suggest that the low GI breakfast with apple juice helps the body break down fat better than a high Glycaemic Index start to the day of sugary cereal and white toast, reports The Daily Express .

Scientists discovered that the type of food you eat before exercise can directly impact on your health. A study led by Dr Emma Stevenson looked at young women after an overnight fast. In one study period they were given a breakfast of food known to cause large rises in blood glucose – those with a high GI, including cornflakes and milk, white bread and jam and a fizzy, sugary drink.

In another period, they breakfasted on food with a low GI, although both breakfasts had the same amount of calories, carbohydrate, fat and protein. The low GI breakfast was muesli, milk, tinned peaches, yoghurt and apple juice. Three hours after eating, the women walked for an hour on a treadmill. A lunch – the same in both study periods – was then provided. Throughout the day blood samples and samples of expired air were taken.

From analyses, researchers found blood glucose levels were higher after the high GI breakfast than the low one, and had returned to normal by the time the women began to exercise. However, plasma free fatty acids (FFA) – which show the amount of fat used up for energy – began to rise two hours after the low GI breakfast, the researchers found. Exercise then led to a rapid increase in FFAs in both groups – but concentrations were higher in the low GI group. After lunch the concentration of FFAs was the same in both groups, but overall fat oxidation was higher in the low GI group than the high GI group.

Dr Stevenson said: “We concluded that consuming a low GI breakfast increases fat oxidation both at rest and during subsequent exercise. A low GI breakfast also had an impact on appetite, with test subjects feeling fuller for longer after they’d eaten these types of foods.” - TOI

What to look for in a parlour

Reputation: Check   out  the   reputation   of  its consultants, dermatologists or therapists. Are they trained?  Do  they  have  a  license?  Are there  any testimonials on display? Referrals are a must.

Hygiene: Vital. How clean is it? Look at the towels, the combs, the basins, even the nails of the attendants. Find out. Do a recce first. Don't take chances. Sterilization is a must. An infection could mar you for life.

Clientele: If there are no regulars or repeats, avoid. Happy customers always return. Guard against a high turnover or even a very slow one.

Need: Keep your needs in mind. One parlor may be good for haircuts, another for skin care. Choose accordingly.

Price: Plays an important role, admittedly, but should never be your only criterion. A branded clinic will definitely be more expensive than a neighborhood parlor, but the services may be equally superior. Also, never hesitate to ask the rate before taking the treatment. Find out if there are hidden costs, like taxes. You will pay, so you have a right to know.

Products: Are the skin and hair products in use reputed? Even these are not a fool-proof guarantee, but cheap products compromise on quality to keep the price low and can cause allergies.

Equipment: Has to be sterilized, clean and efficient. An unclean metal foot scraper could lead to serious disease. If a razor is used, make sure the blades are changed in front of you.

Location: Needs to be suitably located. But this swings your choice in favor of the parlor only if all other criteria are met.

Trends: While ifs important that you dont follow fads blindly, it's equally important that your parlor is up there with the latest. Just in case!

The staff:  Should  be clean,  well-trained and experienced. Friendly, accommodating and confident, but not   condescending, indifferent and intimidating.