Natural Skin Care Tips

* Cleansing the face 2-3 times a day; is adequate for normal skin. If your skin is oily a more frequent cleansing i.e. 4-5 times a day is necessary. If your skin is dry it is best to avoid frequent washing and you may have to use a suitable oil-based cosmetic cleanser instead of soap, which has a dry effect.

* Avoid heavy cheesy, fried foods and sugary food stuff.

* Never sleep with your makeup on as this will not allow your skin to breathe at night, leading to skin problems.

* Be aware that two kinds of factors affect your skin’s health – uncontrollable
and controllable. Uncontrollable factors include sun exposure, extreme climate
conditions, wind, humidity, pollution and natural skin aging. A regular skincare
regimen can help in controlling the effects of these factors.

* In very cold conditions skin blood flow drops very low, retaining heat in the center of the body and preserving the flow of warm blood to the vital organs within the chest and abdomen and to the brain.

Children's Nutritional Needs

A survey of 1,800 school-aged children to find out what they consumed in a typical day.

15% of the students did not eat any vegetables
40% ate only potatoes or tomato sauce (aka French Fries and ketchup)
20% of the students did not consume any fruit

Currently, children ages 6-12 eat an average of 2.5 fruits and vegetables a day, only half of the recommended servings. These poor eating habits have made today's children susceptible to heart disease and obesity and a prime target for improved nutrition and increased education. It is important to monitor your child's fruit and vegetable intake and find creative healthy ways to help increase fruits and veggies in children's diets.

Children need a variety of foods to grow strong and healthy. Their appetites decrease or increase as they go through growth spurts.

What to expect as you get older

Aging: What to expect as you get older

Looked in the mirror lately only to find a few more wrinkles and gray hairs? Those are just a few of the changes you're likely to notice as you get older. But what exactly is going on with your body? Here's what you can expect as you age.

Natural changes with age

Regardless of how long you live, time takes a toll on the organs and systems in your body. How and when this occurs is unique to you. Some typical changes to expect as you age include:

Cardiovascular system

Over time, your heart muscle becomes a less efficient pump, working harder to pump the same amount of blood through your body. Also, your blood vessels become less elastic. Hardened fatty deposits may form on the walls of your arteries (atherosclerosis), narrowing the passageway through the vessels. The natural loss of elasticity, in combination with atherosclerosis, makes your arteries stiffer, causing your heart to work even harder to pump blood through them. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension).

Bones, muscles and joints

Your bones reach their maximum mass between ages 25 and 35. As you age, your bones shrink in size and density. One consequence is that you might become shorter. Gradual loss of density weakens your bones and makes them more susceptible to fracture. Muscles, tendons and joints generally lose some strength and flexibility as you age.

Digestive system

Swallowing and the motions that automatically move digested food through your intestines slow down as you get older. The amount of surface area within your intestines diminishes slightly. The flow of secretions from your stomach, liver, pancreas and small intestine may decrease. These changes generally don't disrupt your digestive process, so you may never notice them. But you might notice more constipation.

Kidneys, bladder and urinary tract

With age, your kidneys become less efficient in removing waste from your bloodstream. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, and some medications can damage your kidneys further.

About 30 percent of people age 65 and older experience a loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence). Incontinence can be caused by a number of health problems, such as obesity, frequent constipation and chronic cough.

Women are more likely than men to have incontinence. Women who've been through menopause might experience stress incontinence as the muscles around the opening of the bladder (the sphincter muscles) lose strength and bladder reflexes change. As estrogen levels decline, the tissue lining the tube through which urine passes (urethra) becomes thinner. Pelvic muscles become weaker, reducing bladder support.

In older men, incontinence is sometimes caused by an enlarged prostate, which can block the urethra. This makes it difficult to empty your bladder and can cause small amounts of urine to leak.

Brain and nervous system

The number of cells (neurons) in your brain decreases with age, and your memory becomes less efficient. However, in some areas of your brain, the number of connections between the cells increases, perhaps helping to compensate for the aging neurons and maintain brain function. Your reflexes tend to become slower. You also tend to become less coordinated.

Eyes

With age, your eyes are less able to produce tears, your retinas thin, and your lenses gradually turn yellow and become less clear. In your 40s, focusing on objects that are close up may become more difficult. Later, the colored portions of your eyes (irises) stiffen, making your pupils less responsive. This can make it more difficult to adapt to different levels of light. Other changes to your lenses can make you sensitive to glare, which presents a problem when driving at night. Cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration are the most common problems of aging eyes.

Ears

Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting adults who are middle-aged and older. One in three people older than 60 and half of all people older than 85 have significant hearing loss. Over the years, sounds and noise can damage the hair cells of your inner ears.

Also, the walls of your auditory canals thin, and your eardrums thicken. You may have difficulty hearing high frequencies. Some people find it difficult to follow a conversation in a crowded room. Changes in the inner ear or in the nerves attached to it, earwax buildup and various diseases can all affect your hearing.

Teeth

How your teeth and gums respond to age depends on how well you've cared for them over the years. But even if you're meticulous about brushing and flossing, you may notice that your mouth feels drier and your gums have pulled back (receded). Your teeth may darken slightly and become more brittle and easier to break.

Most adults can keep their natural teeth all of their lives. But with less saliva to wash away bacteria, your teeth and gums become slightly more vulnerable to decay and infection. If you've lost most or all of your natural teeth, you might use dentures or dental implants as a replacement.

Some older adults experience dry mouth (xerostomia), which can lead to tooth decay and infection. Dry mouth can also make speaking, swallowing and tasting difficult. Oral cancer is more common among older adults. Your dentist checks for oral cancer when you go for regular cleanings and checkups.

Skin, nails and hair

With age, your skin thins and becomes less elastic and more fragile. You'll likely notice that you bruise more easily. Decreased production of natural oils may make your skin drier and more wrinkled. Age spots can occur, and skin tags are more common. Your nails grow at about half the pace they once did. Your hair may gray and thin. In addition, you likely perspire less — making it harder to stay cool in high temperatures and putting you at increased risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

How fast your skin ages depends on many factors. The most significant factor is sun exposure over the years. The more sun your skin has been exposed to, the more damage you may attain. Smoking adds to skin damage, such as wrinkles. Skin cancer also is a concern as you age. You have a 40 percent to 50 percent chance of getting skin cancer at least once by the time you reach 65.

Sleep

Sleep needs change little throughout adulthood. If you need six hours of sleep nightly, chances are you'll always need six hours — give or take 30 minutes. However, as you age, you'll likely find that you sleep less soundly, meaning you'll need to spend more time in bed to get the same amount of sleep. By age 75, some people find that they're waking up several times each night.

Weight

As you age, maintaining a healthy weight — or losing weight if you're overweight — may be more difficult. Your metabolism generally slows, meaning that your body burns fewer calories. Calories that were once used to meet your daily energy needs instead are stored as fat. Your level of activity may decrease, resulting in unwanted weight gain.

Sexuality

With age, sexual needs, patterns and performance may change. Women's vaginas tend to shrink and narrow, and the walls become less elastic. Vaginal dryness is a problem. All of this can make sex painful.

Impotence becomes more common in men as they age. By the time they're 65, up to one in four men have difficulty getting or keeping an erection about one in every four times they have sex. In others, it may take longer to get an erection, and it may not be as firm as it used to be.

How long can you live?

The longest documented human life span is 122 years. Though a life span that long is rare, improvements in medicine, science and technology during the last century have helped more people live longer, healthier lives. If you were born in the early 1900s in the United States, your life expectancy was only about 50 years. Today it's around 77.

And if you're sure you've already done too much damage to yourself to hope for a long life, think again. Researchers say it's never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle. For example, if you quit smoking now, your risk of heart disease begins to fall almost immediately. Living a healthy lifestyle can improve how you age. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and getting out for a daily walk are ways you can begin preparing now for your later years.
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Home Remedies For Treating Dandruff

To have healthy hair, you need to take proper care. For a woman , having healthy hair is a “Crowning Glory” and to keep it this way is not at all simple and easy. To attain lovely hair , you have to care for it with proper nourishment and you also need to follow a good diet.

There are a number of hair problems that arise due to pollution and hygienic conditions. The most common problem is “Dandruff”. It is the shedding of dead cells from the scalp which sometimes leads to boils and pimples.

Now to get rid of dandruff there are five simple home remedy ways :-
1.You have to keep the scalp clean. Oil your hair on alternate days and shampoo it well.

2.In a cup of water, mix 2 tablespoon of Brandy . Apply it to the roots of your hair with the help of your fingertips and wash after half an hour with shampoo.

3.With one cup of yogurt ( curd) , add an egg to it and beat it well. Apply the mixture on your scalp and wash the hair after half an hour.

4.Olive oil also help to remove dandruff. Mix one tablespoon of olive oil along with a dab of lime juice. Apply evenly on the scalp and cover the head using a scarf. Keep it overnight and shampoo well the next morning.

5.Grind a beetroot in the mixer. Take 2 tablespoon of the juice with one beaten egg and a little lime juice added to the mixture. Apply and leave it on the scalp for at least half an hour before washing.

Take good care of your hair and it will add to your charm. A balanced diet with high protein and rich calcium food helps you to keep your hair healthy , strong and beautiful.

Dieting can’t go on forever

6 factors that kill your Diet

So you have been dieting all this while and also keep a check on what you eat, still you feel you aren't losing much weight. Or does it come back after sometime? We help you find out 6 evil factors that doom your diet.

Don’t give your food power:
It’s all in your mind. Food can’t make you eat it. Some people talk as if a chocolate bar holds them down, forcing them to eat it. You have the power to say No to food.

Good versus bad food:
So you think there are good and bad foods? Incorrect. Food is food; it could be fatty, salty, sweet, and low in fat, high in fibre, high in protein. You have to find the right balance and ensure that your body is not deprived of food.

Dieting can’t go on forever:
You feel heavy today and you go on a diet plan. Once you lose the excess weight, you go off the diet. If you follow this pattern, you are most likely to regain all the weight. So eat well but eat right.

You can’t lose weight without exercise:
So you think you can lose weight without exercising. It isn’t impossible, but you would need to go on a controlled diet. But once you stop dieting, the weight will come back. It’s very important to follow some kind of a fitness routine. It can even be a brisk walk, or any kind of increased activity.

All fats are not bad
Some fats are healthy. Nuts and seeds have good oils in them, so you should not avoid those oils. Also, you should keep alternating food oils. Do not stick to one kind of oil. The trans fat in fast food and packaged foods is bad for you.

Don’t drink too many calories
If you are living in the misconception that soft drink is bad but juice and sports drink are good, think again. Juice has the same calories as soft drinks. And sports drinks are mostly full of sugar. It’s best to eat your fruit than drinking it. And drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated.

Beauty and Benefits of Sleep

Get your beauty s

It was World Sleep Day recently. We spoke to experts and found that just a few were aware of the day, while the rest welcomed it!

“World Sleep Day is now in its third edition, and this year the theme is ‘Sleep Well, Stay Healthy’. We are celebrating the beauty and benefits of sleep, which has been pushed into the sidelines and causing serious health issues. In fact, the problem is so widespread that even children are exposed to it. Among the many issues caused by sleep deprivation is the case of drowsy driving. It’s great that a lot is being done to spread awareness on drunken driving, falling off to sleep while driving is as dangerous a problem as rash driving!”
Dr Preeti Devnani, Neurologist

“I’ve got an invitation to attend World Sleep Day seminar, and that’s how I am aware of a day dedicated to sleep. I plan to attend it as I have a lot of apneaic cases coming to me. Since apnea is directly related to obesity, I have a lot of such cases coming up to me. It’s a dreaded condition as those suffering from it go off to sleep during the course of a discussion, meetings, or driving. It is fatal as lot of accidents have happened due to it, or have led to people dying in their sleep.”
Dr Sanjay Borude, Obesity Surgeon

“Is it a day when you are just meant to sleep? (laughs) Seriously, the issue of sleep needs to be addressed as the disorders are quite severe. I’ve had all kinds of cases coming to me — from sleep deprivation to excessive sleep, hypersomnolence, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, sleep-walking and also cases of epilepsy fits taking place during the first two phases of sleep. Because it’s sleep, people don’t take it seriously or report it. Lack of sleep does make a lot of difference to the personality of the sufferer, and is dangerous too. Creating awareness is the first step in the direction.”
Dr Nirmal Surya, Neurologist
“I’ve heard of ‘World Sleep Day’ in March, but am not aware of the date. But I quite agree with its objective of creating awareness about sleep. The quality and quantity of sleep is very important for physical, emotional and mental well-being of any individual. Not fulfilling it, which is the norm today, is giving rise to various complications like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stroke, and behavioural disorders. Even our holy books like Ramayana and Mahabharata laid premium on sleep.”
Dr. Ramanathan Iyer, Sleep Consultant

“I’ve heard of it, but not too clear when it is celebrated. It is great if a day has been dedicated to it as there is definitely a rise in cases of insomnia, disturbed sleep pattern, and other sleep related disorders. It’ll not make an overnight difference, but will at least create an awareness which will lead to some lifestyle changes. A good sleep is when you are able to sleep on time, maintain the pattern and get up feeling fresh, which is suffering in the set-up today. Sleep disorder needs to not just be treated as a phenomenon, but is also symptomatic of underlying medical issues like vitamin deficiency, thyroid problem among other things.”
Dr Jyoti Sangle, Psychiatrist

“It’s a great thing as sleep problems are on the rise due to the hectic pace of life and stressful living. Most don’t even think that it’s important enough to deal with it. It leads to psychological issues. As a clinical psychologist I try to go to the root of the problem; we don’t suggest popping tablets which disappoints a lot of my patients as some of them are used to taking tranquilisers to deal with it. Sleep also affects sexual life and has led to a lot of divorces.”
Dr Girish Sanghvi, Sexologist and psychologist

“No, I’ve not heard of World Sleep Day, but it’s an issue that needs to be brought to the fore as we are now leading a lifestyle in which we prefer to cut down on our sleep than adjust our schedule to include it. When the body fails to get its seven-hour sleep, it falls sick. The one-day sleeping it out only builds up the sleep debt, and the larger the debt the worse the breakdown. The body needs to recuperate. One of the key proven facts is that it leads to obesity. What can you say of the rest like dull countenance, acne, falling hair?”
Pooja Makhija, Consulting Nutritionist and Dietician

“World Sleep Day? I’ve not heard of it, but am glad to hear that there’s such a day as people need to be aware of the importance of sleep and relaxing. So what if you are exercising? It’s not enough if you don’t balance it with adequate amount of sleep. Your fitness is based on three integral factors, and that is exercise, nutrition and sleep. Besides, I believe that sleep is the best anti-aging option we have. It keeps off dark circles and wrinkles!”
Leena Mogre, Fitness Expert

A Grapefruit Pill to Fight Obesity

Tart and tangy with an underlying sweetness, grapefruit has a juiciness which rivals that of the ever popular orange and sparkles with many of the same health promoting benefits.

And, now researchers are on track to develop a pill from a chemical compound in grapefruit, which they claim would help obese people shed the flab and diabetics control their blood sugar levels.

Researchers at University of Western Ontario have found that naringenin, the chemical compound that gives grapefruit its bitter taste, has revolutionary effect on the liver making it burn fat instead of storing it after a meal.

According to them, this means that without having to change diets or cut out particular foods, a dose of naringenin could prevent weight gain and even help to lose it as well as help those having diabetes to control blood sugar levels.

Lead researcher Murray Huff said: "The study shows naringenin, through its insulin-like properties, corrects many of the metabolic disturbances linked to insulin resistance and represents a promising approach for metabolic syndrome."

They have based their findings on an analysis of tests which were carried out on mice -- two groups of rodents were both fed the equivalent of a Western diet to speed up their "metabolic syndrome", the process leading to Type 2 diabetes.

Look Younger, Better and Healthier

DietThe old adage you are what you eat has more truth than its coiners may have thought. Make sure your diet is ensuring you’re healthy and looking good for a long time with these tips.

1. Eat superfoods. What are superfoods? They’re foods with multiple benefits of eating them that can include slowing down aging, lowering cholesterol and even reducing your risk of cancer. These include foods like broccoli, salmon and yogurt which you should make an effort to incorporate into your diet.
2. Limit drinking. While a glass of wine or beer each day may do you some good, overindulging in alcohol could be making you look old, not to mention hurting your liver.
3. Go organic. Why fill your body with chemicals and hormones found in foods if you don’t have to? Try making the switch to organics to improve your health and well-being.
4. Eat omega-3 fatty acids. These fats, found in salmon, walnuts and flax seeds, provide a myriad of benefits. They reduce inflammation, prevent excessive blood clotting, inhibit cancer cell growth and help skin look younger and healthier.
5. Drink green tea. Green tea is filled with powerful antioxidants that can help you fight the signs of aging as well as reducing the risk of certain illnesses, fighting infection and inflammation and possibly even serving to help you lose weight.
6. Avoid highly refined foods. Foods that have been highly processed like white breads and pastas can often do you more harm than good. Stick to more whole grains as refined products break down more easily into sugars and causing you to feel hungrier sooner.
7. Get enough proteins. Proteins are an essential part of a healthy diet as they help the body to produce hemoglobin, build cardiac muscle and much more as well as helping you to feel fuller and eat less while still getting a balanced healthy diet.
8. Vary your diet. You may love carrots but eating an all carrot diet isn’t healthy, not to mention that it might turn you an unsightly color orange. Make sure you’re getting a lot of variety in your diet and eating enough dairy, fruits and veggies and proteins to keep you strong and healthy.
9. Kick the junk food habit. A little junk food now and then isn’t going to hurt you, but when now and then becomes every day it can start to become a problem. Most junk foods are loaded with chemicals, fats and sugars that can be harmful to your health can cause you to put on weight, both undesirable to looking younger and healthier.
10. Embrace antioxidants. Oxidation of bodily tissues is a normal part of our body’s interaction with the physical world, but it’s also what causes these tissues to age and degenerate over time. Antioxidants can help repair this damage and fight off harmful free radicals, so make sure you’re incorporating at least a few antioxidant rich foods into your diet.
11. Eat the rainbow. One way to ensure that you’re getting a wide variety of healthy foods is to eat a lot of colorful veggies and fruits. From leafy greens to orange carrots, these foods are packed full of nutrients that can help keep you healthy and young for years to come.
12. Eat less. Studies have shown that people who eat smaller portions and overall take in fewer calories may live longer than their more high-calorie counterparts. Of course, this should absolutely not be taken to the extreme as a certain number of calories are required to keep our bodies functioning and healthy each day.
13. Go for whole grains. Whole grains take longer to break down in our bodies, requiring more energy to eat and keeping you full for longer. When it’s possible, choose whole grain alternatives over their more refined counterparts for a healthier, more well-balanced diet.
14. Stop yo-yo dieting. These kinds of diets are not only poor ways to sustain your lower weight they can also lead to a loss of elasticity in your skin making you saggy. Commit to a weight loss and fitness program you can actually stick to so your body can stay at a healthy, happy weight.
15. Reduce your sugar intake. Foods high in sugars can not only cause you to gain weight but new studies have shown that they might actually cause you to wrinkle more as well. Sugar has been shown to speed up the degradation of collagen and elastin, the substances that keep your skin looking young and supple so cut back on the refined sugars and stick to naturally sweet treats like fruits.

Thinking Weight Loss? Eat Mushrooms!

Eating mushrooms in large quantities can help prevent or treat obesity, says a new study.

According to the study, which was led by Dr. Cheskin, suggests that increasing intake of low-energy density foods, specifically mushrooms, in place of high-energy-density foods, like lean ground beef, is a strategy for preventing or treating obesity.

To reach the conclusions, study participants were randomly chosen to receive either beef or mushroom lunch entrees over four days – lasagna, napoleon, sloppy Joe and chili.

Subjects then switched entrees to consume the other ingredient (mushroom or beef) the following week.1 Energy (calorie) intakes were significantly higher during meat meals than mushroom meals, a difference that averaged 420 more calories and 30 more fat grams per day over the four-day test period.

Subjects' ratings for palatability (meal appeal), appetite, satiation (after meal fullness) and satiety (general fullness) did not differ between groups.

"The most intriguing finding was that subjects seemed to accept mushrooms as a palatable and suitable culinary substitute for meat," said Dr. Cheskin.

"They didn't compensate for the lower calorie mushroom meal by eating more food later in the day,” the researcher added.

Being The Beautifully Balanced Bipasha Basu

Actress Bipasha Basu balances a fitness routine of yoga, cardio and a nutritious diet

Bips has strong views, knows her plus points and is quite clear where she wants to be. In the time we spent on an outdoor shoot in Bangkok, I couldn’t help but notice Bipasha Basu’s change in attitude. Having known her from her modelling days in 1997, where she was laidback about fitness, it’s great to see she actually had a personal trainer accompany her on an outdoor of 25 days! This sudden change happened as late as 2004, and I strongly suspect her super-fit boyfriend must have something to do with it. She has no vices like drinking or smoking.

Obsessed with the Suryanamaskar (she does a 108 of these a day!), the exotic face and voluptuous body of the ‘90s has given way to a more sculpted face and a fit body to die for. A trim exterior is backed by a strong core (thanks to some disciplined yoga with BharatThakur’s team). She spends two hours, six days a week in the gym.


For someone who used to dread dance sequences, she’s become the Bidi Jalailay girl, who also happens to be the only nonsporting person to endorse Reebok! She trains in the morning. Her routine is Day 1 — upper body,Day 2 — abdomen workout, Day 3 — legs and lower body, Day 4 — gluteus maximus, Day 5 — upper body, Day 6 — abdomen and gluteus maximus, accompanied by 108 Suryanamaskars daily with 50 minutes of cardio, and a 10-minute warm-up, which includes stretching, and holding dance postures with emphasis on breathing. Weekly four times, the 50 minutes of cardio is split up into 20 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the elliptical machine and 20 minutes on the rowing machine, twice a week.


She also does a spinning class a week. She believes in weak-point training, works especially hard on her triceps and does the Bhujangasana really well. A victim of an injured left knee, she does physio for it. Being flat-footed, she grips paper with her feet to overcome the problem. Post a trip to Rio, she started working on the gluteus maximus, as a ‘good butt’ is a sign of a great body! She is a strong believer in circuit training, which keeps the heart rate up. To break monotony, she adopts a new routine every four months. She uses yoga to strengthen her lower back, core muscles and redevelop her left knee muscles.

Equipped with little knowledge three-and-a-half years ago (which included running with bad shoes), she caught on by reading and with help from her trainer Paul. She doesn’t train when very tired and averages six-and-a-half hours of sleep.


Bipasha’s diet starts with tea, almonds soaked overnight and warm water. At 9 am, she has six egg whites, mushroom and toast with porridge, skimmed milk and fruits. At 11 am, one apple. Lunch sharp at 1 pm consisting of green vegetables, dal, grilled chicken or fish, green salad, two soya chapattis and strictly no rice except her birthday, which is quite an achievement for a Bengali! She has tea at 5 pm with digestive biscuits. Dinner is at 9 pm with dal, salad, three vegetables cooked in olive oil, grilled fish or chicken with a miniscule portion of dessert.
Sounds exotic? Well, that she is, dark and Indian in essence, and now very fit!