Saturday, February 27, 2010

How To Cure Acne Permanently

Acne, also known as acne vulgaris, is a skin problem that starts when oil and dead skin cells clog up your pores. It's commonly called by some people as blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or zits. Most often it affects the face, neck, and upper body. When you have just a few red spots, or pimples, you have a mild form of acne. Severe acne can mean hundreds of pimples that can cover the face, neck, chest, and back. Or, it can be bigger, solid, red lumps that are painful. Acne usually starts during the younger years and often lasts into adulthood. Young people get mild acne which usually get better after the teen years. Some people with severe acne are not bothered by it. Others are embarrassed, depressed or have self-esteem problems. The good news is there are many good treatments that can help you get acne under control. The exact cause of acne is not known. Although diet, age and personal hygiene are usually blamed for its occurrence. Proper diet and exercise will result in healthier skin, but will not necessarily prevent acne.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Medical Science Behind Dry Skin

Most people face dry skin problems in their lives. Those that do usually wonder whether it is something to worry about and should they see a doctor. Usually these questions are answered on an individual basis. There are several qualifications to consider in the medical science behind dry skin. The medical name for dry skin is Xeroderm. This actually means dry skin. This condition affects your skin or your largest organ. The condition usually happen because your body has lost important natural oils and moisture from its cell wall. Therefore, causing your skin to have a dry feeling. Because the skin is composed of several layers, they reaction to this condition could differ depending on the extent of the condition. The only necessary treatment for dry skin, for most patients, is to take better care of it and to use moisturizers and emollients on the skin. Your body will remain healthy with these things because they replenish the lost moisture and oils in the skin. There are prescription ointments and moisturizers for more serious conditions in which the skin is damaged from being too dry. Here is a crÚme you may like: http://www.clickaudit.com/goto/?50572 Xeroderma occurs throughout the body but some areas are affected more often than others. For instance, you may find it in your lower legs, arms, thighs and your body's side. The most common area is near the abdomen. Other areas include the hands, face and neck. Usually if you are suffering from Xeroderm you will experience scaling which is actually the lost of the first layer of your outer skin. This is often a visible sign. Other experiences are itching and in extreme cases cracks will appear in the skin. This often occurs when you are experiencing dry skin on your feet. Most people will at some point face the problem of dry skin. It should be taken care of because as you continue to scratch your skin can open and cause more damage.

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Cause Of Dry Skin

The cause of dry skin range widely. However understanding what is causing your skin to be dry will help you to prevent it from happening over and over again. Some of the common causes of dry skin are: . Low humidity - Your skin reacts to humidity level. If it is exposed to warm air and then cold it dries out causing your skin to flake. . Frequent Washing - If you wash your skin too often using a very hot temperature of water it loses its important natural oils. . Soap - Using harsh soap will draw out and wash away your natural oils. Use only mild soaps. . Vitamin A - The lack of vitamin A in your diet can also cause your skin to be dry. . Illness - Medications taken while ill can cause dry skin. . Sunlight - Sunlight can draw out moisture from your skin. Use a sun blocking moisturizer. There are may causes to the common condition of dry skin. However most of the time all that is needed is prevention of these causes, when possible, and some moisturizers.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Ways To Prevent Dry Skin

Usually the fall and winter months are the months most people experience dry skin. You can plan ahead for the dry skin but most people do not. There are several good ways for prevention of dry skin. These are ways to prevent you from having dry skin. Or for treating it once it occurs. 1. Wear protective clothing - Exposed skin to cold water will cause dry skin. Wear protective clothing to protect your skin. Especially on your hands and face. 2. Avoid hot water showers - Consider taking warm baths instead of hot water showers. Hot water showers actually strip the natural oils from your skin that prevent dryness. 3. Use mild soap - Use soaps that are mild. Soaps with harsh chemicals and abrasives can rip away the nature oils in your skin. 4. Use lotions and moisturizers - Using lotions and moisturizers on a regular basic can help you prevent dry skin. 5. Use bath oils - Adding bath oils to your baths is another way of maintaining oil in your body. Using these methods ongoing will help you to prevent dry skin before it occurs.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Death From Alcohol Abuse - Not a Pretty Way to Die

I have watched people I love struggle with alcohol abuse. The help offered seemed so useless. Go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and get a grip seemed to be the only advice. I attended meetings and as a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist did more than I ever thought possible to help. So many doctors and health professionals think AA is the single treatment option. It is definitely not the only way. It is also not a very effective way to treat alcohol abuse. AA's success rate is approximately three percent. (Brown, Treatment Doesn't Work, 1991). The premise of Alcoholics Anonymous involves blaming the victim and relinquishing power. It also has a spiritual component that many people dislike. It is repetitive, the meetings can become addictive and guilt inducing. Melanie Solomon has written AA - Not the Only Way; Your One Stop Resource Guide to 12-Step Alternatives with many options that are available listed and explained. Her clear writing style and explanation of the different approaches is a great assistance in knowing which option might best suit any given situation. It is also a comprehensive directory of licensed professionals and treatment programs throughout the US and internationally that offer solutions beyond just the traditional AA Twelve Step Approach. I wish this book had been available when I was struggling to help. Apparently four percent of the people who attend AA meetings never return after their first time. After all the effort to get one's self or loved one to attend, that is a shocking figure. How very sad! Melanie proclaims she is in no way affiliated with any of the treatment programs, philosophies, methods, etc. and she makes no claim to their success. She couldn't possibly. There are so many. She does however offer self-help options and gives contact information for the resources she lists. She happily accepts new resources to add to her list. If ninety-five percent of people never return to AA after the first year and most people are unaware of other resources, enough of the problems are not getting solved. The word needs to spread far and wide so people know that there are many options to help deal with addictions. Brian injury due to Wernicke's Syndrome/Korsakoff's Syndrome is a brain disorder resulting in the loss of short term memory and is associated with heavy drinking over a long time period. Because other brain functioning can remain intact this loss of ability to make reasonable decisions because facts cannot be stored can result in inappropriate treatment decisions. I believe many street people are living in appalling conditions because they sound reasonable in short conversations but in fact are making up stories to cover what they cannot recall. Their ability to take care of themselves is poor but caregivers and doctors are fooled by their ability to cover their problems with confabulations. A confabulation is a fantasy that has replaced reality and may be based partly on fact or be a complete creation of the imagination. The loss of self respect, hope and belief in a positive future are part of the problem. AA tries to convince them they are hopeless, can never fully recover and will always be an alcoholic. I know this makes the guilt and desire to escape more intense for many. Help can be more effective when the individual feels empowered by the ability to make their own choices and knowing there are choices is the first step. Accepting that the person is suffering and that they really do believe their own lies because they cannot remember their truth, is also a compassionate part of helping. Confronting and humiliating isn't the answer. Protecting, engaging and offering options is much more likely to assist in a way that prevents the inevitability of self destruction.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Top 5 Myths About Discount Sunglasses

Most of us out there recognize the importance of protecting our eyes from the sun's harmful rays, and many of us don't want to sacrifice style to do it. But how many of us can afford the high price of designer sunglasses? If there were a low cost alternative, why not take it? A lot of people have concerns about discount sunglasses, owing largely to the supposed "risks" inherent in purchasing them. However, these risks stem primarily from some basic mistaken information. Consider these five biggest myths about discount sunglasses: 5. Everyone will notice I'm not wearing high-priced or designer sunglasses. Not true! In fact, there are numerous inexpensive brands that replicate or capture the most up-to-date styles and trends. It's important to be sure you're buying from a reputable retailer in order to guarantee you're getting sunglasses of the highest quality. However, there are numerous outlets for discount sunglasses that promise both value and variety in their available styles. You can easily find the designer style you want at a price you can afford. 4. Discount sunglasses don't provide the same UV protection as their more expensive counterparts. It's of the utmost important to be certain you're getting sunglasses that will protect your eyes. Can discount sunglasses guarantee UV protection? Absolutely! Check to see if the sunglasses you're purchasing are labeled 99-100% UV protection (sometimes labeled UV absorption to 400nm). Again, there are now several retailers offering discount sunglasses that offer the same UV protection as more expensive designer brands. 3. Discount sunglasses are poor quality and provide no recourse should they break. This may be the most common myth about discount sunglasses; however, it's also the most incorrect! While you can't always trust vendors on the street, most professional retailers offer money-back guarantees on all their sunglasses. Just because you're buying a discount product doesn't mean you have to buy a cheap one. Check to be sure the lenses are clear of any defects, including scratching or twisted hinges, and you should have no problems. Indeed, with the numerous discount brands available, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a high-quality pair of sunglasses that fit your face, your style, and your budget. 2. Discount sunglasses aren't really much of a bargain. As the previous debunked myths have shown, you can get a great, quality pair of sunglasses without paying designer prices. Designer brands often charge between $200 and $500, almost exclusively for their name! Imagine owning virtually the same pair of shades for only $15-$20? Now that discount brands have caught-up with designers in quality, sun protection, and customer service, it's hard to say discount sunglasses aren't a bargain. 1. Discount sunglasses retailers aren't trustworthy. This myth is the most damaging of all, and with good reason. Indeed, there are disreputable retailers out there, but they are in the minority. The vast majority of retailers are both trustworthy and customer service oriented. Always be sure the retailer you're using has a quality guarantee policy, a permanent address, and available contact information. Many even have customer reviews and quality control contacts to provide 100% assurance of customer satisfaction. In fact, retailers rely on your trust to grow their business, and want nothing more than for you to be happy with the quality, selection, and value of your discount sunglasses.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Spring is Here. . .Time for Maximum Fitness

Spring is in the air and it's time to shed those winter pounds and set your health and fitness goals. How we feel physically plays an important part in all aspects of our lives. It affects our moods and our energy levels. Exercise, nutrition and diet all play a vital part in our physical health. Fitness is about keeping your body in shape and tuned up. Nutrition is about getting the right ingredients to your body to keep it running smoothly. Both help you feel energized, which is so important in one's motivation and overall happiness, which in turn improves our overall physical health. Here's a few simple ideas to get you started and to help you set your goals. Drink plenty of water. Yes, this is simple but so important. It's easier said than done. Keep a water bottle with you wherever you go. Water is important! It helps with fat loss, helps rid the body of impurities, and carries away all the waste from the body. It is recommended for that you should drink 8 glasses of water every day. Start stretching. Stretch anytime, a couple times a day. Stretching is great first thing in the morning but remember to stretch as you go about your day, during work and in the evenings. Stretching increases your circulation and your flexibility. It also reduces stress and improves coordination. Start walking. Take a walk around the block, then go from there. Again, it's a good thing to walk first thing in the morning because it "gets you going" but walking anytime that you can will be just as good. Walking gives you more energy, helps you sleep better, helps you get your leg muscles in shape and as with any type of exercise, it helps reduce stress. Make healthy choices when eating. Avoid junk food and those simple carbs like pies, potato chips, white bread, juice drinks with added sugar, candy, and soda. Eat protein which helps build healthy muscles. Protein can be found in chicken breast, lean ground turkey, fish and egg whites. Look for the fat content in foods that you eat and avoid trans fats and saturateds. Take these ideas and make them a part of your daily routine. It may not be easy at first, but grasping these simple ideas will help you set your goals and begin your fitness routine. An excellent online source for fitness training and weight loss is Maximum Fitness.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Weight Training for Women: Fitness for Weight Loss

As obesity levels rise higher and higher around the world, there is one aspect to this problem that hasn't changed... You have to expend some energy and put in some effort if you want to achieve weight loss and fitness with diet and slimming exercises and weight training. While there are many ways to go about this one of the most efficient weight loss methods continually meets resistance... (Hmm. Maybe that's why it's called resistance training ...) namely, weight training. Women generally have the hardest time accepting weight (resistance) training into their fast fighting repertoire. After all, few women want to bulk up and look muscular and less feminine... and that's what'll happen if you pump iron, right? Wrong! The only time you see a female body builder is when they're posing on stage and a common reaction is 'Yuk. I don't want to look like that! I just want fitness and a nice slim figure.' Yet if you saw those same women in normal clothes in normal situations you'd most likely want to have the trim, shapely body that they have. The common misconception is that if you do weight training you are going to suddenly bloom out with muscles all over you. If only that were true; keeping the weight down would be easy. The fact is, very few women could ever make themselves look like a Ms Olympia body builder. They are professional athletes who work incredibly hard in their training and on their diet in order to maximize their muscle mass and muscular appearance. Believe me, getting too muscular is the least of your problems. So don't reject this major weapon in your arsenal against body fat on a mistaken assumption. Instead, consider what weight bearing exercise will do for you in the war on fat: 1. Build a firm foundation to your muscle structure. You have muscles all over you. We all do. Without them we wouldn't be able to move. Moderate resistance training is all that's required to firm and tone your muscles. Remember, it takes a lot of work to actually look muscular. 2. Burn more calories right away. You know aerobic exercise burns calories while you've doing them but a real boost comes from weight training. Your metabolism (rate of calorie burning) stays quite elevated for 20-40 minutes after an aerobic workout. With resistance training your metabolism stays elevated for at least an hour after your workout. Overall your metabolism will stay somewhat elevated and boosts calorie burning for anything from 4 to 24 hours depending on the intensity. It is important that your resistance training be progressively increased in intensity. 3. Burn even more calories in the long run. With resistance training you are actually building muscle tissue, which is very active metabolically in comparison to fat, which is nearly inert. A kilo of muscle requires 50-100 calories a day just to maintain itself. So the more muscle tissue you have the more energy (fat) you'll burn off just by living, even when you're resting! 4. Strengthen bones and supporting muscle structure. This is so you don't become prematurely old, stooped and weak and susceptible to injury. This is a major reason why even women who don't need to lose fat should still be concerned about maintaining muscle tissue. 5. Improve self-esteem. When you look good you tend to feel good. With more toned muscle you not only look better but feel good because you actually have more energy. You feel more confident and positive about life, and better able to cope with stress. So c'mon ladies, regardless of your age, let's assist your diet and slimming program and boost your general fitness. It's time to get into moving some weights around so you can move that excess weight off your body and raise the quality of body and life. Don't wait. Start your weight training today.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Smokers 4 Times More Likely to Quit Using Chantix

Chantix (varenicline) can be four times as effective in helping a smoker quit successfully, according to a report in Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the report, which cites three studies, Chantix is twice as effective as Zyban in helping individuals quit smoking. The chances of having a relapse during the first six months after quitting are significantly reduced when a smoker is on Chantix, according to one study. Chantix was approved by the FDA in May, 2006. Chantix works in a different way from Zyban or nicotine replacement therapies. Nicotine replacement therapies give you small doses of nicotine, the aim being to provide the smoker with their drug while they overcome the enormous psychological problems that come with quitting. Zyban undermines the reuptake of addiction linked brain chemicals by neurons - dopamanine and norepinephrine. Chantix makes the patient produce more dopamine, which helps lower the cravings. At the same time, brain cell receptors that help perpetuate addiction are blocked. One study included 1,025 volunteers, all of them smokers who wanted to quit. Chantix, Zyban and a placebo were compared. The study lasted one year. Here is what they found: -- 44% of those on Chantix were not smoking at 12 weeks -- 29.5%% of those on Zyban were not smoking at 12 weeks -- 18% of those on a placebo were not smoking at 12 weeks -- 22% of those on Chantix did not smoke from week 9 to 52 -- 16% of those on Zyban did not smoke from week 9 to 52 -- 8.4% of those on a placebo did not smoke from week 9 to 52 Another study, from the Unversity of Wisconsin included 1,027 volunteers, all of them smokers who wanted to quit. Results were almost the same as those found in the previous study The third study involved people in seven countries - 1,900 smokers who wanted to quit. All of them took Chantix for the first 12 weeks, after which 1,236 (65%) were still not smoking. The 1,236 quitters were then divided into two groups: One group continued taking Chantix while the other took a placebo. This continued for another 12 weeks. At the end of the 24-week period: -- 70.5% of those on Chantix were not smoking -- 49.6% of those on a placebo were not smoking After one year a significantly higher number of those who had been on Chantix were still not smoking compared to those on the placebo. Chantix has some side effects, which were experienced by about one third of all the volunteers. They included nausea and strange dreams.