ActiveHealth

<b>Anti-Aging</b>, Staying Young, looking younger or just feeling younger is a multimillion dollar industry. There’s a really good reason for it. We have an ever-aging generation. This generation is one of the largest generation on the planet. Naturally, there’s a huge number of this population that do not want to grow old. Therefore, anti-aging products are rampant in the marketplace. But don’t get ‘taken’ by the unnecessary products that play on the emotions of those who wish to look young.

The following are three secrets and tips that will allow you to avoid the risks of buying certain products that are not needed.

Secret Tip #1: Feed Your Face
If you feed your face with anti-aging food on a consistent basis, you’ll find it easier to stay young. Another way to say this is to just make sure you’re not feeding your body full of junk that is sure to perpetuate the aging process. Also, know that if you try to escape the eating step, you’ll grow older faster. The body knows what it needs. Just give it to your body.

Secret Tip #2: Pick Something or Go Somewhere
In other words, get up off the couch, turn the TV off and do some anti-aging activities. This doesn’t have to be work either. Find an activity or two that you enjoy. Walk, run, weight train, ride a bike, get on a pogo stick. Do anything that causes your body to move and exert some activity. This will allow your body to stay young by stretching muscles and keeping you limber at the same time.

Secret Tip #3: Don’t Be A Party Pooper
Mentioned above for the #2 Anti-Aging Secret Tip was finding something you enjoy. That’s the whole secret of this entire article. Find something you have fun doing. Just know this, if drinking alcohol into a drunken stupor is the one thing you enjoy, you are not going stay young for very long. In fact, if you’re older in age and you’re doing this you may not even enjoy staying old. The key to the entire process of anti-aging is to treat your body right and have fun doing it.

Enjoy life, stay young mentally, emotionally, physically and you’ll see an anti-aging process that you’ll be happy about. That will give you the motivation and momentum to continue the lifestyle of anti-aging.

Although there is no conclusive proof that antioxidants keep skin from aging, experts do agree they have the ability to ‘capture’ free radicals and may protect us from certain diseases. Antioxidant-rich foods can also give us a healthier, glowing complexion.

According to Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D, a Seattle-based nutritionist, eating foods rich in antioxidants is best. “There’s no substitute for getting nutrients through food. The body absorbs and assimilates them far better than in supplement form.”

Kleiner suggests following the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid, and eating three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit each day. Choose at least one citrus fruit, such as an orange, a tangerine, or a grapefruit, for vitamin C. To increase beta-carotene intake, eat at least two orange-yellow or leafy green vegetables each day.

<b>Eat Right for Younger Looking Skin</b>

Eating healthy equals younger looking skin. Drinking a cup of orange juice and eating one raw carrot provides twice the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and beta-carotene. The RDA for vitamin E is harder to meet, especially for those on a low-fat diet.

“Don’t be afraid to add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to your diet, or to eat some nuts or seeds,” advises Dr. Kleiner.

The following guideline can be used for RDAs for three of the most common antioxidant nutrients, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene; good sources and how best to maximize benefits of each are included.

Vitamin C:  RDA at least 60 mg. (1/2 cup orange juice = 70 mg.)  Citrus fruits and juices and tomatoes are good sources of vitamin C. Eat whole fruit for extra fiber. Avoid juice in glass containers, and heat-pasteurized juice. Light and heat destroy some of the vitamin C.

Vitamin E:  RDA 8 mg for women / 10 mg. for men (1 tablespoon of canola oil = 9 mg.)  Good sources include nuts, seeds and their oils, fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and trout, and wheat germ. Use canola, olive, or another vegetable oil in place of butter or margarine when cooking.

Beta-carotene:  no established RDA. Expert Dr. Kleiner, however, recommends 5-6 mg. ( One carrot = 12 mg.)  Orange and yellow vegetables, and leafy green vegetables, including broccoli, are all good sources. Instead of potato chips or popcorn for an evening snack while watching television, opt for prepackaged, washed and peeled baby carrots.

If you feel you are unable to meet the RDAs through diet alone, by all means take an all-in-one antioxidant vitamin supplement a day, but continue to pay attention to rich food sources.

<b>Summary</b>

Because many over-the-counter cosmetics containing antioxidants don’t have enough to be totally affective by themselves, it is best to ‘feed’ them to your skin in combination with a healthy, antioxidant rich diet for younger looking skin.

We at Savvy Spa Luxuries care about you and your wellbeing. With proper skin care, a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and ample amounts of water, you can enjoy a more fit body, improved quality of life, increased stamina, and a glowing complexion!

The first thing to remember when starting acne treatment is that there is no overnight cure. The duration of treatment can last between a few months to a few years. Another thing to understand is that what may work for one person might not work for another. Each individual is unique and the effectiveness of treatment varies from individual to individual. Also it is always a good idea to follow the dermatologist’s advice, there is no point in trying remedies at home and ending up treating complications due to the home remedies. Let nature run its own course, most acne cases usually settle down over a period of time and treatment can only accelerate the process but there is no substitute for Mother Nature when it comes to healing. How should people go about acne skin care? This article enumerates some basic guidelines to go by. For example, you should clean your skin gently, avoid frequent handling of the skin, avoid sun tanning, and lastly, women should choose their cosmetics carefully and men must shave carefully for good acne skin care. People with acne may try to stop outbreaks and oil production by scrubbing their skin and using strong detergent soaps. However, scrubbing will not help acne skin care; in fact, it can make the problem worse. Most doctors recommend that people with acne gently wash their skin with a mild cleanser for acne skin care, once in the morning and once in the evening. Patients should ask their doctor or another health professional for advice on the best type of cleanser to use for acne skin care. Acne skin care also means washing your skin after heavy exercise. Patients should wash their face from under the jaw to the hairline; rough scrubs or pads should not be used. It is important that patients thoroughly rinse their skin after washing it. Astringents are not recommended for acne skin care unless the skin is very oily, and then they should be used only on oily spots. Doctors also recommend that patients regularly shampoo their hair as part of acne skin care. Those with oily hair may want to shampoo it every day for proper acne skin care. People who squeeze, pinch, or pick their blemishes risk developing scars. Acne lesions can form in areas where pressure is frequently applied to the skin. Frequent rubbing and touching of skin lesions should be avoided if you take your acne skin care seriously. Men who shave and who have acne can try electric and safety razors to see which is more comfortable for acne skin care. Men who use a safety razor should use a sharp blade and soften their beard thoroughly with soap and water before applying shaving cream. Nicking blemishes can be avoided by shaving lightly and only when necessary. A suntan or sunburn that reddens the skin can make blemishes less visible and make the skin feel drier for a little while. But the benefits are only temporary and cannot take the place of proper acne skin care. The sun can seriously damage skin, promote aging of skin, and cause skin cancer. Furthermore, many of the medications used to treat acne make a person more prone to sunburn. People being treated for acne often need to change some of the cosmetics they use. Acne skin care demands that all cosmetics, such as foundation, blush, eye shadow, and moisturizers, should be oil free. Patients may find it difficult to apply foundation evenly during the first few weeks of treatment because skin may be red or scaly, particularly with the use of topical tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide. Lip products that contain moisturizers may cause small, open and closed comedones to form. Hairstyling products that come in contact with the skin along the hairline can cause burning or stinging in people with acne. Acne skin care products that are labeled as noncomedogenic (do not promote the formation of blemishes) should be used for acne skin care; in some people, however, even these products may cause acne.

Acupressure is one the oldest Chinese traditions used to cure many of our health problems. It involves use of pressure by your hand, elbow and other means. This form of healing has been in existence for more than 5,000 years. A technique recommended by many and has been used world over. It is a simple method if you know how to do it. Acupuncture is another practice wherein needles are used on the pressure points to cure ailments.

How does Acupressure work?

Acupressure is a plain and simple science which has helped many people. Our body has many different pressure points. By applying pressure on these points, it energizes the necessary organs, which leads to healing of the ailing body. The idea behind acupressure is harmony of mind and soul. The relief it provides by the simple touch and pressure can be turn around in their life.

It helps in resurfacing the lost and blocked energy in the curvatures of your body. There is a belief that our body gets charged by the ‘Qi’ pronounced as ‘Chi’. The energy moves along the surfaces of our bodies known as ‘meridians’. Applying pressure does all trick sending energy to places where it has been stuck for a very long time.

Two common ways of doing acupressure are the ‘Shiatsu’ and the ‘Jin Sin’. Shiatsu is the common therapy which uses immense pressure, whereas Jin Shin is the gentler form of acupressure that uses soft touch and gentle strokes. Irrespective of the techniques of acupressure, the basic aim is to create a relaxed atmosphere.

Benefits of Acupressure

It is a very easy process and can be learnt without much difficulty. The best way to learn acupressure is to try it on oneself. Some of the common benefits which acupressure provides us are:

1. Relaxes your mind and body
2. Increases blood circulation
3. Relieves from stress related problems like fatigue, insomnia
4. Heals injuries
5. Helps with Menopause and PMS
6. Helps in relieving joint aches and pains
7. Acts as a first aid in case of injury
8. Builts in vigor
9. Reduces labor pain
10. Cures common illnesses like cold, sinusitis, migraine
11. Relaxes the muscular tension
12. Helps in improving muscle strength and tone

Precautions

- Learn acupressure from a thorough professional
- While practicing on yourself, have someone around you
- Avoid open wounds, surgery, broken bone, skin infection and other problems
- Prevent specific pressure points during pregnancy
- Avoid acupressure on full stomach
- Avoid cold drinks especially during winter
- Wear comfortable clothes
- Do acupressure for a limited period of time do not overdo it

When you see someone with beautiful skin, that person radiates good health and vitality. Usually, that kind of radiance requires more than just slathering on any old facial product.

A healthy lifestyle and great skin-care habits produce glowing, youthful-looking skin. So what you put in your body is equally as important as what you put on it.

Here are some tips for naturally gorgeous skin.

* Maintain a balanced diet. Consuming too much refined food, such as sugar, can drain the body of essential vitamins and minerals. This, in turn, encourages wrinkles and premature aging. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, such as fruits, vegetables and fish. Also, drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

* Exercise. Working out brings more oxygen to your skin cells, leaving you with skin that’s nourished and more firm. Exercise also helps reduce stress. Studies show that too much stress can potentially aggravate skin conditions, such as acne and hives.

* Find natural skin care products. The most revolutionary skin-care products today merge nature with science. For example, the new Nature’s Gate Organics Advanced Skin Care line takes the best that Mother Nature has to offer and combines those ingredients with formulations that are scientifically proven to benefit the skin.

Nature’s Gate Organics’ Oh What a Night, a cream that hydrates skin overnight using walnut seed extract and European beech tree buds, shields against early visible signs of aging. Have a Vine Day, a day cream that contains chardonnay grape seed extract, helps tired-looking skin look visibly lifted and smoother. And Forget Your Lines, a wrinkle diffuser serum that works like natural Botox, helps to de-stress skin.

* Protect your skin from harsh rays. Exposure to the sun can cause premature aging and skin discoloration, increasing your risk of skin cancer. Apply sunscreen daily and wear a brimmed hat whenever possible.

Ginger Healing Detox Tea with Turmeric

There has been a lot in the news lately about the amazing healing properties of turmeric, a free-radical-fighting antioxidant-rich curry spice that has been hailed as a defense against both cancer and Alzheimer’s. When we found this tasty recipe for a warming, detoxifying ginger-turmeric tea, we were thrilled: after the holiday season, we figured we could use some detoxing and healing!

Then we tasted it, and were totally hooked: it’s delicious! Ginger and turmeric combine with citrus and maple syrup to make the perfect blend of healing nutrients. We streamlined the recipe to make it ultra-easy, too:

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon powdered turmeric
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Bring water to a boil, then add powdered herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Strain tea into a mug, add maple syrup and lemon, stirring to combine. Drink warm.
Makes 1 serving.

Spa Cuisine: Peachy Iced Green Tea – Recipe

Drinking green tea may help you lose weight. According to clinical studies conducted by Dr. Abdul Dulloo, of the University of Geneva in Switzerland, green tea raises metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation. Green tea is also a great immune-enhancing health-booster and anti-cancer agent, with flavonoids and polyphenols thought to inhibit tumor formation.

So here is our easy-to-make recipe for green tea, but this one tastes so good you’ll never guess how good it is for you! A great, healthy thirst-quencher for hot summer days.
Simple Solution:

INGREDIENTS

6 green tea teabags
6 cups cold water
2 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1. Place teabags in a large teapot or pitcher.
2. Put sliced peaches in a saucepan, add cold water, and bring to a brisk boil, then pour water and peaches over teabags.
3. Steep for 6 minutes, then add sweetener (maple syrup, honey or Succanat are recommended). Allow tea to cool, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
4. Include a few peach slices in each glass and serve with a spoon, garnished with a sprig of mint, if you like.

Even Easier Alternative Method: Make a pitcher of green tea and add the contents of a can of organic sliced peaches. Chill thoroughly.
Makes 6 servings.

some people love the idea of owning tanning beds. A bed in your home will allow you to tan whenever you want, day or night. You won’t have to drive across town or rush to get to the salon before they close. Although they can be expensive, if you tan regularly, the investment may be well worth the money in the long run.

3 Things to Look for in Tanning Beds

The Style of the Bed
You basically have two choices in the style of your bed: a traditional horizontal bed and a standing booth. Unless you have a room or large space to devote to a horizontal bed, you may want to consider a standing booth. These take up less space in your home and can be placed in a corner. Basically, your preference and the amount of space you have available will dictate this choice.

The Bulbs Used in the Bed

The type of tanning bed bulbs used in a bed are the most important feature. Beds use either UVA and UVB rays or UVA only. There is controversy over which bulbs are safer for your skin. There really is no safe way to tan, and you should take precautions to protect yourself from damage to your skin, regardless of the bulbs used.

You need to know exactly which kinds of bulbs are used in your bed when it is time to replace them. Bulbs aren’t interchangeable and you need to be sure to buy the right ones. Also, look at the placement of the bulbs. How easy will they be to replace? You will most likely be performing this task yourself and you want to be sure it will be easy to do.

Extra Features

The best extra features to look for include a face tanner and a cooling system. The face tanner will help you get the ultimate tan all over your body. These have specially placed bulbs in the facial area that direct light to this area, which is difficult to tan for some people.

A cooling system is important if you get easily over heated inside a bed. The cooling fan will keep your skin from getting too hot. Make sure you don’t overdo it in the bed with this feature. Just because you don’t feel the heat, doesn’t mean you aren’t tanning. Staying in the bed too long contributes to over exposure and can be dangerous for your skin.

Choices in Home Tanning Beds

Most home beds are traditional tan beds. These use typical bulbs that resemble fluorescent tubes. Another choice in beds are known as High Pressure Beds. These use high pressure quartz bulbs, rather than the traditional lamps. They are called high pressure because the gas in the bulb is slightly higher than the pressure in the atmosphere.

These beds allow you to tan on only one side at a time. You will need to turn over half way through your session. Many people find these to be more comfortable than traditional beds. These are normally found in salons, but you may come across one if you shop for used equipment.

Purchasing Used Tanning Beds

A used bed can be an affordable option to an expensive new home bed. In many cases, you can find a high quality bed at the price of a cheap bed. There are some things you should consider before purchasing a new bed:

o Make sure the bed you are considering meets the current federal and state safety regulations. These change often and you want to make sure the bed you buy is safe. A tanning salon owner is a good source of information regarding safety regulations. The internet is another good source of information, as most states post regulations for salon owners.

o Find out how often the bed was used. If it was originally used in a salon, it has probably gotten quite a bit of use. Sometimes beds that have been purchased for home use end up getting very little use. These can be great, giving you a little used bed at a substantially reduced price.

o Compare the price difference of the used bed with a brand new bed. The bigger the difference, the better for you.

o Ask about the working condition and any repairs that have been done. Also ask when the bulbs were last replaced and about the maintenance that has been done. You want a bed that has been properly maintained.

o Ask if there is any time left on the warranty.

Prostate cancer affects an estimated one out of every six males. Therefore it’s understandable that most men want to know at least something about prostate cancer, especially as they are approaching their 40s. This article is going to touch on some of the symptoms and treatments, as well as some of the side effects that come from prostate cancer and prostate cancer treatment. This article is not intended to be a substitution for your doctor’s advice, so make sure that you seek a professional opinion if you feel that you may have prostate cancer.

One thing that’s important to note is that you may not suffer any symptoms at all. That is why it’s very important to be checked for prostate cancer frequently, and especially more so as you get older because they can find the prostate cancer before any symptoms show up at all in most cases. Some men that have prostate cancer may experience some of the following symptoms. Frequent or difficult urination, as well as a weak urine flow, erectile dysfunction as well as painful ejaculation and blood in the urine or semen.

There are many different treatment options for prostate cancer and you will want to discuss these with your doctor or healthcare professional before any decision is made. A few of the choices are active surveillance, radiation or hormone therapy, chemotherapy or surgery. There are also other choices and as I said before you should discuss these with your doctor.

One of the best things that you can do for your prostate is to make sure you take care of it in the first place. This may reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Just knowing some simple things such as taking vitamin E, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and being informed about eating fats and red meat can reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

You are well aware of the specter of HIV/AIDS hovering all over the world. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reports on HIV/AIDS, disclosed in January 2006, have articulated that AIDS has estimated killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized on June 5, 1981, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history.
Certainly, AIDS is now a pandemic, with an estimated 38.6 million people living with the disease worldwide. AIDS caused an estimated 2.4–3.3 million deaths, of which more than 570,000 were children in 2005. There are over 1 million people living with HIV or AIDS in the United States.
HIV/AIDS is chronic wasting disease. The suffering from HIV/AIDS can experience chronic wasting syndrome – a significant and unintentional weight loss. Often, physicians use anabolic steroids to help the people with chronic wasting syndrome – HIV/AIDS. There are a number of benefits of anabolic steroids when they are given to the HIV/AIDS patients.
The people suffering from chronic wasting syndrome (HIV/AIDS) experience substantial loss of body weight including both muscle and fat. Anabolic steroids do the job needed to counteract the effects of wasting. One of the natural effects of anabolic steroids on the HIV/AIDS patients is promotion of their cell growth and tissues. Anabolic steroids help to increase lean body mass, increase appetite, and increase strength of the HIV/AIDS patients. Thus, if used properly, anabolic steroids can help increase the re-growth of muscle tissues, and overall increase in lean body mass.
HIV/AIDS related chronic wasting may also cause Lipodystrophy, which is not necessarily weight loss disorder, rather it is a redistribution of fat in the body. Often fat is lost from the face, arms and legs, and it gets accumulated the back of the neck and around the abdomen. It can also lead to diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia and liver problems. However, anabolic steroids do not directly help treating lipodystrophy; they do help to reduce the fatty deposits caused by lipodystrophy.
Oxandrolone is one of the anabolic steroids that have been approved by the FDA to help counteract AIDS-related chronic wasting. Currently, it may not be a mainstream treatment because studies have revealed that the most effective dosages for AIDS-related chronic wasting are higher than the FDA approved dosages, but the drug started showing great benefits to its users

It is true that laser eye surgery is a safe and efficacious procedure for correcting a host of visual anomalies. However, as with any surgical procedure, refractive surgery has potential side effects or complications. Complications due to laser eye surgery may be classified into four categories – preoperative, intra-operative, early postoperative, and late postoperative. Peruse this article to have a clear understanding of the major complications associated with laser eye surgery.

One of the more frequently reported complications is dry eye. It has been reported that the surgery worsens the dry eye condition, where the tear gland’s capacity to produce tears is diminished. Another possible complication is over/under-correction, and in the worst case, loss of corrected vision. In the latter of the mentioned complications, the postoperative visual acuity is less than the preoperative one.

Patients who have undergone laser eye surgery may experience halos or starbursts around light sources at night. The eyes may experience abnormal light sensitivity and the patient may suffer from ghost vision or double vision. Then there are a few possible flap complications. A small microkeratome malfunction may result in an inappropriately cut flap. This in turn may lead to a number of different flap complications.

The most common among flap complications is flap dislocation, where the flap no longer rests on a hinge and is rather detached from the cornea. Another flap complication involves the appearance of folds in the flap. This hampers the natural healing process and typically necessitates repositioning of the flap. On the other hand, an awry healing procedure may result in debris or growth under the flap.

Though quite uncommon with the new breed of lasers, another possible complication is “de-centered ablation”. This pertains to an imprecise ablation of the corneal tissue because of an inaccurately focused laser. Another rare laser eye surgery complication is induced astigmatism.

The rapid enhancement in laser technology and other pertinent eye surgery equipment has reduced the complication rate to a meager 3%. This is also owing to an increase in the experience of eye surgeons. All in all, laser eye surgery is a potent procedure to correct a variety of refractive errors thereby enhancing a patient’s visual acuity.