8 Benefits of Aerobic Exercise

Aerobics is fun way to lose weight and tone the body. Get your social fix and pump up your energy levels while keeping your body fit by attending aerobic classes. How does your body benefit from aerobics anyway? 

1. It lessens inter-muscular fat and increases lean muscle, which results in a firmer and stronger body.

2. It lessens the chance of fatigue by keeping the heart beat rate at a low and steady pace. The result is improved blood circulation.

3. Food is absorbed and properly used up by the body.

4. It promotes a more restful sleep.

5. Body energy and stamina levels increase.

6. Aerobic exercises relieves depression and helps prevent nervous tension.

7. You will get to see an improvement of your looks, which will boost your self-confidence and self-worth.

8. It helps prevent and treat addiction from alcohol and drugs.

No wonder aerobic classes continue to remain popular in many cities around the world. An hour of aerobic activity each day or several times a week goes a long way towards a healthier and better-looking you.




10 Almost Effortless Ways to Lose Weight

 
image by photostock/ freedigitalphotos.net

6 Natural Sweeteners to Use in Place of Regular Sugar

By now, a lot of people are more aware about the harmful effects of sugar.While it is true that our body needs the right amount of sugar to maintain a healthy diet, more often than not we tend to take a lot more than we need.

These extra calories are not welcome at all if we are to keep our body figure trim. Excess sugar intake also causes the rise of blood sugar levels, which in turn causes unfavorable responses from our body.

To solve this sweetness dilemma, nature has provided us with its own sweeteners as alternatives to the processed granulated sugar. Kept in moderation, these natural sweeteners can do the job.

Lens.com Contact Lens Online Shopping Guide


Lens.com is one of the largest providers and sellers of contact lenses internationally.  If you're looking for major brands and types of contact lenses at the lowest prices, you can find them at Lens.com. 


The popular brands that Lens.com carries are the following:
1-Day Acuvue Moist
1-Day Acuvue TruEye
Acuvue Advance
Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism
Acuvue Oasys
Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism
Air Optix Aqua
Air Optix Aqua Multifocal
Air Optix for Astigmatism
Air Optix Night & Day Aqua
Biofinity
Biofinity Toric
Biomedics 38
Biomedics 55
Dailies AquaComfort Plus
Focus Dailies
Focus Monthly
Focus Night and Day
FreshLook ColorBlends
Fresh Look One Day
O2 Optix
Proclear Compatibles
PureVision
PureVision Multifocal
SofLens 38
SofLens Toric

Low prices at Lens.com are possible due to their being a direct-to-consumer contact lens provider company. Lens.com only sells contact lenses that include a valid prescription being mainly a contact lens replacement hub. Contact lenses are ordered online by customers and Lens.com ships the ordered contact lenses at customer's address.  This saves a good deal of time and money especially for the contact lens buyer.

Customers who are looking for discounts will be glad to know thatLens.com discounts and coupon codes are regularly offered through their website and through other online merchants

Lens.com Return Policies
Lens.com offers a 30-day return policy which allows the customer to return unsatisfactory products for exchange or full refund within 30 days from date of order. Items return must be unopened, unmarked and sealed to be able to qualify as a valid return.  The original cost of shipping, handling, or return shipping charges are not refundable.

Shipping Policies and Rates
Lens.com ships internationally thru standard shipping and FedEx.

Shipping Rates for the United States,
Standard shipping -  $7.95
FedEx 2 Day -  $14.95
FedEx Overnight - $20.95

Shipping Rates for Canada
Standard shipping - $12.95
FedEx Intl. Express - $24.95

International Shipping Rates
Standard International - $19.95
FedEx Intl. Express - $35.99

Warranties and Guarantees
Lens.com guarantees that exact kind of and brand of contact lenses specified in the original order are the ones that will be delivered to the customer. Every pair of contact lenses will be delivered sealed in the original packaging provided by the manufacturer free of any factory defects, if not, then the total purchase can be refunded or replaced without any extra cost.

Lens.com Customer Service Contact Details
Customer Service        
Toll-Free Phone:           1-800 LENS.COM (536-7266)
International Phone:      1-573-754-3600
Fax:      1-800-401-1495
Email:   Service@Lens.com

Customer Service Hours
Monday to Friday         7:00 AM to 9:00 PM CST
Saturday           8:00 AM to 4:00 PM CST

Prescription Verification Department
Toll-Free Phone:           1-888-393-7606
Toll-Free Fax:  1-800-401-1495
Email:   myRx@Lens.com

Mailing Address          
Lens.com, Inc.
P. O. Box 366
Louisiana, MO 63353

© 2012 Athena Goodlight

Steps and Techniques in Creative Self Massage


Try these self-massage techniques to help relax you mind and body.

Here are the basic steps in self-massage:

  • Eyeglasses and contact lenses should be removed before starting the massage.
  • Be attentive to your body’s needs.  Let your body tell you what feels good.
  • Start by rubbing your hands together to generate heat and energy in them. 
  • Place your warmed hands on your face and let them stay there for a few seconds.
  • Move your hands over the surface of your face moving your fingertips in circular motions then gently pull the skin in different directions.  You may also gently knead, slap, and follow your face contours using finger pressure.
  • Run your fingers through your hair.
  • You may tap your skull vigorously with your fingertips.  Lightly scratch your scalp with your fingernails.  Gently grasp your hair by the roots to firmly move the scalp towards different directions.
  • Gently move hands over hair, ears, face, and neck while talking to yourself in reassuring and positive words.
  • Enjoy the moment and be creative.
  • Massage your gums through your cheeks and lips.
  • Give yourself a facial treatment.  Place hot towels over your face to open up pores.
  • Cleanse your face using warm water and gentle soap.  Rinse thoroughly with warm water followed by splashes of cold water.
  • Moisturize your face using natural oils such as olive oil, avocado, wheat germ, or almond.

Here are other creative suggestions for self massage. Modify as needed.

  • Using a tennis ball, apply pressure under your hand, rolling it over your feet and any muscular part of your body.
  • Barefooted and seated, roll the bottom of your foot over a golf ball. You may also fill a basin with marbles and warm water and rub your feet over them.
  • Perform a dry brush massage or loofa massage.  Choose a brush with bristles that are not too firm. With circular motions, start massaging from the soles of your feet and work your way up to your neck. 
  • Try experimenting with textures and feel how different parts of your body respond to various textures.  Try fur, silk scarf, terry cloth, flannel cloth, fluffy cotton, etc.  You may also try this with a partner.
  • Other massaging effects can be achieved using massage oils, wooden roller, a vibrator, etc.  Just be creative.

© 2012 Athena Goodlight

Product Review for Botanic Choice Herbal Products


When it comes to health and beauty, natural is the best.  Botanic Choice is one company that provides nutritional supplements, fresh herbs, vitamins, and various herbal products in the USA since 1910.  The founder, Joseph E. Meyer, founded the company under the name Indiana Botanic Gardens, Inc.  To this day, under the leadership of Tim Cleland (great-grandson of Joseph E. Meyer), the company, which has been named Botanic Choice is currently the largest retail merchant of herbal products by mail worldwide.>>> MORE








Their wide range of products are categorized mainly as the following:

Men's Health
Women's Health
Energy Boosters
Antioxidants
Multivitamins
Sexual Health
Bladder Health
Thyroid Health
and many other health concerns

Get Botanic Choice Discount Coupons HERE

Skin Cancer From Overexposure to Direct Sunlight


Everyone loves to be outdoors during a sunny day. Although being in the sun might make us feel good, we all recognize that too much time spent in the sun can sooner or later cause wrinkling and worse, skin cancer. Wrinkles, which are in fact signs of skin damage and aging, make you look and feel older than you really are. Skin is among the most important organs of the body. Wrinkles indicate that the skin is losing the elastin that keeps it young and healthy. Sunshine is essential for our bodies to turn specific types of cholesterol in foods into vitamin D, a significant nutrient that helps decrease aging of the immune and cardiovascular systems. The liver and kidneys then change vitamin D into vitamin D3, the active form of the vitamin. Ten to twenty minutes of sunlight each day seems to be the optimal amount that each of us requires.

Regrettably, a lot of people live in areas where the sun isn't adequate for them to receive this benefit. It takes a fair amount of energy from the sun to turn the cholesterol precursors of vitamin D to vitamin D3 just any old sunshine won't be enough. Actually, anyone who lives north of Raleigh, North Carolina, will not get this benefit of the sun starting October 1 to April 15, because the sun doesn't have plenty of energy throughout this period to convert precursor vitamin D to vitamin D3. If you are living in the North, or in the South but unable to get some sun each day, you must take 400 IU of vitamin D daily, or 600 IU if you're over sixty years of age. Reports on mood elevation indicate that sunlight and exposure to broad-spectrum light help enhance our mood. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other forms of depression can be improved by exposure to sunlight. So a bit of sun is good.

How much is too much?
Skin cancer comes into mind regarding sunlight exposure. As a universal rule, your risk of skin cancer is determined by the amount of sun exposure you received thirty years back, not how much sun you're exposed to presently, since it takes some time for these cancers to grow into clinically significant events. Those who had serious sunburns as kids are at much higher risk of skin cancer than those who never burned. Nevertheless, just because the sun exposure you got as a child is the most crucial to your risk of skin cancer does not mean you can be careless as an adult. If you plan to be in the sun for more than 10 or 20 minutes a day, take some precautionary measures.

Too much sun ages us since exposure to ultraviolet light ruins elastin and elevates wrinkles. It also harms the chromosomes in skin cells. Chromosomes are the strands of DNA found in each cell in your body. If you look through a microscope at sun-damaged skin cells, you will see literal breaks in the chromosomes where they've been damaged by solar radiation. Astonishingly, the sun can even damage the chromosomes in cells indirectly exposed to sunlight. This chromosomal damage can lead to cancers.

There are two types of skin cancers: basal cell cancers, and squamous cell cancers. Even though these skin cancers are seldom fatal and can typically be removed surgically without major aging backlashes, they are usually disfiguring. Still, there is a third type of skin cancer that is much subtler. Malignant melanomas are quite serious and can be fatal. About 54,000 cases are reported annually.

© 2012 Tip Writer

How Antioxidants Fight Skin Aging



While oxidants and antioxidants are viewed to be among the most essential elements of vitamins in the past, new research shows that oxidation might not be the primary cause of arterial aging. It could be that anti-inflammatory attributes are more important factors in creating the chief anti-aging benefits of vitamins; it is still not yet known for sure that anti-oxidation alone is creditworthy for the main benefit.

Although antioxidants aren't the magic bullet that was first thought, they still bear excellent value, since they supposedly could help prevent the damage from oxidation that has been tied to cancers and other sorts of aging. Taking the right quantities of antioxidant vitamins C and E, for instance, can make your physiological age one year younger. Still, a lot of people wrongly think that little bit of antioxidant is good, a lot is much better. Too many antioxidants, particularly the wrong type, can in fact cause oxidation and its subsequent impairment. It is recommended to use antioxidants in moderation.

To better understand antioxidants, let's consider oxygen. Oxygen is needed for our bodies to function in the least. Breathing is key to living. As we breathe, oxygen enters the bloodstream and is transmitted to our cells. When it gets into your cells, oxygen builds the foundation of several of the cells' most basic processes. This same oxygen, all the same, in the form of unstable molecules or ions known as oxygen radicals (or free radicals), could oxidize tissues— that is, induce those tissues to "rust." As an effect, oxygen waste products, known as lipofuscins, build up inside the organs like the heart and brain, leaving brown stain on the tissues. Do these waste products induce or impart to aging or age-related disease, or are they only innocent by-products?

Oxidation itself might not be the primary problem. There could be a more fundamental problem like inflammation, or something else that induces immune dysfunction. Whatever the cause, these brown patches are indications of aging. As one ages, the more prevalent they turn out.

Think of apples. When you slice an apple and allow it to sit out in the air, it would soon become brown. When exposed to air, the surface of the apple oxidizes (mixes with oxygen). This process is the same as what occurs when oxygen radicals build up inside our body. Take that same apple and sprinkle lemon juice on the slices, they will remain white. The apple doesn't become brown since lemon juice is full of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant. Lemon juice prevents the oxidation process and keeps the apple from "rusting." Inside our body, antioxidants like vitamins C and E do the exact same thing.

© 2012 Tip Writer

How Was Insulin Discovered?


If Otto Folin of Harvard had figured out his testing for blood glucose in 1908 rather than in 1913, the use of insulin could have been practiced years earlier.  Medical history, just like most historical data, has a lot of bitter ironies as well as happy accidents. Insulin, or something very much like it, was extracted from the pancreas by a German scientist, Georg Zuelzer  in 1908. This fluid was injected into several dogs and the unfortunate animals perished. Zuelzer, not able to know precisely why the dogs died, decided that the substance was very dangerous.

Further test would have indicated that the insulin extract had stimulated a rapid a drop in blood glucose level that the dogs suffered from extreme insulin shock. Even without the blood-sugar test, if Zuelzer injected it on diabetic instead of healthy dogs during the tests, his extract will have produced relief of symptoms rather than shock. And Zuelzer would now be among the medical heroes, not an obscure man of science whose name is nearly forgotten.

Still another tryst with immortality finished in a narrow escape when an  an insulin extract was developef by Israel S. Kleiner of New York and J. R. Murlin of Rochester, N. Y.  Similar with Zuelzer's experiment, the blood test that could have shown the importance of the work was not yet available.

Many researchers have helped in the advancement of medicine when Frederick G. Banting entered the scene.  In 1889 Minkowski and von Mering showed that the extraction of the pancreas brought on a diabetes-like disease in a dog. Opie of Johns Hopkins had described  in 1900 that in diabetics, there was retrogression in the islets of Langerhans, those deep small cells in the pancreas.

Learn more about the origins of insulin HERE


© 2012 Athena Goodlight


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Understanding the Conditions of Children With Diabetes




Juvenile diabetics generally have a difficult and complex dilemma. The younger the patient, the bigger and more exacting attention is required to control the disease.

Occurrences of ketosis and coma increase in frequency and become more erratic in children due to of their lower reserves of carbohydrates. And, because the relentless demands of growth, food reduction is not an acceptable treatment for children. Insulin becomes imperative.

Diabetic children sometimes show irregular subsiding of symptoms after the initial stages of therapy. This could last for several months. But the demand for insulin invariably returns and, with the uncommon exceptions where a shift to an oral medication is possible, remains permanent.

As the diabetic child grows and hits adolescence, emotional disturbances related to the disease are frequently expected to develop. Different matters are implied here—the tyranny of everyday insulin shots, the requirement to eat at rigid schedules, the restrictions against sweets and candies which their non-diabetic peers are free to enjoy, anxiety concerning too much physical activity (which may induce insulin shock) or too little (which could lead to diabetic coma).

These and other factors resulting from his "difference" from other youngsters—if they're accentuated—may contribute to the tensions and stress of the child who is diabetic. This, successively, may agitate the basic instability of the disease and add to its severity.

As treatment of the disease improves, and understanding grows, many juvenile diabetics carry on productive and active lives through adulthood, get married and raise families. Quantify this versus the days prior to insulin invention when the juvenile diabetic was bound to perish within two years after the attack of the disease.


© 2012 Athena Goodlight

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Common Symptoms of Juvenile Diabetes


Juvenile diabetes, when it develops during childhood, can be easily recognizable. Often it begins showing the standard symptoms.  In cases where it has not been promptly recognized, the fault typically lies with the parents who are either unaware of medical progresses or who are unable to emotionally accept their child's condition.

Bed-wetting is commonly the initial symptom to diabetes in a child. Unfortunately, a lot of parents only consider this as a behavioral disorder which is often punished either physically or verbally. The other symptom is an insatiable thirst which could not be satisfied even with large amounts of water, juice, soda, or other fluids.  Next comes extreme hunger and loss of weight. Growing children are normally hungry many times in a day. But if their normal hunger is intensified, and they are losing instead of gaining weight, the craving may be caused by diabetes rather than the normal growth demands.

At this point, with these symptoms such as bed-wetting, thirst, hunger, and weight loss, the parents should surely be aware that something is wrong with the child and that an immediate consultation with the doctor is necessary. All in all, too many children are not perceived as diabetic until the disease becomes so severe that the young victim go into diabetic coma and need to be hospitalized.

© 2012 Athena Goodlight

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How to Recover From Emotional Trauma



Yearly, a quarter of the population undergo emotional trauma due to crisis or personal tragedy. A loved one could get sick or pass away, you may be sued or lose your job. There could be heavy financial concerns or be constrained to relocate. Your marriage could break up. You could be one of millions of people who experience grave clinical depression; or you may have gone through some emotional hurt in childhood that greatly affects you. More than half of children come from divorced marriages or dysfunctional families and a lot of others would have lived seeing their parents' divorce before turning twenty-one.

How can you protect yourself during these emotionally traumatic times? Here are some strategies for dealing with stress and emotionaltrauma. All the same, what if it's just unbearable? Do you have a particular problem that is difficult to discuss with your friends and family?

Each individual can benefit from being emotionally fit, and every person goes through experiences that affect his or her emotional welfare. Do not hesitate to ask for professional help to provide you emotional trauma therapy. A counselor, therapist, psychologist, church minister, or psychiatrist can impart guidance and insight. The negative stigma associated with seeking professional help could hurt everyone. Thankfully, the past two decades saw a noticeable shift in the manner we regard mental health. Seeking professional help has become an  accepted trend.

Mental health is a complicated issue because denial could so oftentimes serve a potent role, keeping the individual from getting the assistance he or she needs and deserves. That's why individuals who live with an alcoholic will likely notice the problem than the alcohol-dependent person by himself or herself. A couple of mental and emotional conditions have a physiological factor likewise as a psychological one. For example, the variants among clinical depression cases are determined according to the chemical changes that happen in the brain's hormones. Medications can help treat these conditions. Common medicinal drugs involve the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSUls), like Prozac, citalopram, paroxetine , and sertraline, and another group of antidepressants, the most typically prescribed being bupropion. One drug may induce side effects in a patient while some other drug of a similar kind won't. Frequently, emotional events could activate the biological response, and, while a pill can alter the biochemistry of the brain, it could not fully alter the emotional tensions that may have initially activated the depression.

Psychotherapy could also aid in treating emotional trauma. Two forms of counseling are interpersonal and cognitive/behavioral therapies. The goal of interpersonal therapy is to help you understand the symptoms of emotional trauma. Cognitive/behavioral therapy identifies behaviors that perpetuate the depression and seeks to program behaviors to prevent further depression. Generally, talk therapy and drug therapy when combined, work best.

© 2011 Tip Writer

Hair Care During Winter


Many things can happen to your hair during winter -- and most of these are not good.  Here are ways to care for your hair in winter time to prevent if from further damage.

- During winter, hair has a tendency to dry out.  Switch to a shampoo formula made for dry hair instead of the standard shampoo. Dilute the shampoo with water before using it on your hair.

- Flyaway hair is common due to winter’s dryness, which makes it conducive to static energy. Regularly use a conditioner to keep hair more manageable.

- Here's a homemade remedy for static hair. Combine 1/2 cup of any cream conditioner, two teaspoonfuls sesame oil, and one egg yolk and mix in a blender for a minute. Apply and massage the mixture onto your hair. Cover your head with plastic wrap leave on for half an hour.  Shampoo and rinse your hair well.

- Before using the hair brush, dip it into water mixed with conditioner to coat the bristles.

- When your scalp begins to flake due to dryness. Switch to a milder, castile-type shampoo for a couple of washes and check if it improves.

- Be careful when applying heat to your hair. Use warm-to-cool setting on your blow dryer especially on damp hair. This prevents hair from over-drying. Never use hot rollers or curling irons on damp hair— unless you want your hair cooked!

- Once a month, treat your hair to a hot oil treatment to give it that extra deep conditioning. This will tone down brittle ends and hair will grow softer.

- To avoid hair static use wooden or metal combs and brushes. Avoid using those plastic or natural-fiber types, which creates more static.  You could also "de-static" a brush by slipping a nylon stocking on the bristles.

© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Winter Skin Care Regimen

During winter, special attention is given to the skin to keep it healthy. Follow these winter skin care tips:

- Before sleeping, clean your face using mild soap or facial and water and follow through using an alcohol-free toner. Upon waking up in the morning, splash your face with lukewarm water. If your skin is oily, you may also opt to use a mild toner in the morning.

- When skin becomes dry and flaky, try using plain milk as a cleansing lotion. Use a cotton ball to apply it on your face then rinse with a splash of tepid water and thoroughly rinse the face using cold water.

- Shift to an oil-based moisturizer, unlike the one you use in the hot months. Massage it thoroughly, but gently, onto your face.

- Continue using sunscreens! Even if it’s not summer, you still need protection from the sun’s UV rays. You may combine a sunscreen with your moisturizer before applying it, or use a one with a built-in sunscreen.

- Do not wash your face for at least thirty minutes prior to heading outdoors. The water paired with the cold winds has a drying result on the skin.

- Warming yourself immediately by the fire after coming in from the cold outdoors and may sound fantastic, but be warned for it could result in broken capillaries appearing on your face. The cold outdoors induces blood vessels to shrink, and when a sudden change to a hot temperature happens, they enlarge and may burst. To avoid this, go at once to the sink. Splash cool water on your face; slowly increase the water temperature to lukewarm, not hot. Then you may enjoy the fireside!

- Don't abuse caffeine for it can dehydrate the skin. Take herbal tea or even plain hot water having a slice of lemon as a substitute— very energizing!

- Prevent the all-over itch caused by winter-dry skin by using mild detergent soaps and bleaches on any garment that will touch your skin. The chemical residue from strong detergents and bleaches can strip the skin of its natural oils, leaving it looking aged.

- Humidity is vital for the skin and hair during wintertime. To raise the humidity level in your dwelling, acquire a humidifier or put a pan of water on the radiator. Fill your sleeping room with plants that demand lots of water. Ferns, bamboo, and plants with large leaves such as begonias, emit moisture that is good for the skin.

- To prevent lips from chapping, use lip balm or a tinted lip balm instead of lipstick.

© Athena Goodlight

Skin Moisturizing Baths for Winter



Winter season has environmental elements that are harsh to the skin. Here are a few useful skin care tips that can be incorporated at bath time to keep the skin moisturized in winter.

Moisturizing Bath

- Bathe and shower with lukewarm water. Hot water removes the natural oils of the skin.

- Drier skin tends to be more. Put away your scratchy loofahs and stiff-bristled brushes and use a soft cloth or a very soft-bristled brush for bathing.

- Treat your skin to a moisturizer as often as possible. Do not hold off till your skin feels dried and itchy before moisturizing it. Prevention is indeed the best remedy, so always moisturize your skin after every bath or shower. Apply cream or lotion to the skin when it is still slightly damp to trap moisture in.

- Take a bath or shower at night instead of in the morning. This way, your body could replenish its protective natural oils during the night.


Spa Bath

Using ingredients found in the kitchen, you can turn your bath into a special spa session.

- Mixing a cup of vinegar to your bath water helps get rid of dry-skin itchiness.

- To soothe aching muscles mix a handful of Epsom salts to your bath.

- You may use spices and herbs in your bath for relaxation. Tie basil, cinnamon, and cloves inside a cheesecloth and position it under running water. Other relaxing herbs you may use include lavender, elder flower, comfrey, rose.

- Milk bath formula: Make 3 quarts of hot milk by using dry-milk powder mixed with 1 cup chamomile tea and 1 cup honey. Add to the bath and stir well.

Enjoy your homemade moisturizing bath spa.

© Athena Goodlight

Hair Types and Hair Problem Solutions

Work with your hair, not against it. Here are common hair problems and practical solutions including recommended hair products that will solve your hair problems.



Limp Hair Problem
Limp hair is commonly caused by buildup on the scalp, not the hair, so the basic solution is to clean and exfoliate the scalp first.  Loading up on products can torture limp hair.  “You can’t spray limp hair with a volumizer and expect it to instantly repair the difficulty,” as advised by hair expert Jean-Louis Renaud.  His Phytologie Hair care company addresses hair care as serious as toxicology.

Recommended products: Phytoslogie’s three step program involves Phytopolliene pre-treatment oil to exfoliate the scalp, Phytocedrat shampoo to clean the hair and scalp, and Phyto L spray to act as an astringent.  Restoration does not happen overnight.  It is a corrective therapy that gets lasting results.

Frizzy or Curly Hair
Do not lop off those rebellious curls-- all they need is a little TLC.  To keep frizzy or curly hair under control, avoid blow-drying it.  If you must, use a diffuser attachment and a cool setting.  Work with your hair not against it.  Shop for hair products labeled as “serum.”  It should be applied to damp hair to coat and smoothen it, taming the wayward strands. 

Recommended products: John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum and Kiehl’s Leave-In Hair Conditioner


Dry, Flaky Scalp
If you are experiencing dry, flaky scalp, stay away from blow dryers for a while because it can over-dry the scalp.  Use a medicated and mild soothing shampoo.  Some find Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo very effective for this purpose.

Course Straight Hair (Asian hair)
For those with straight, course hair, look for a style with no significant part.  You may add some needed texture by coloring or waving (such as digital perm) the hair.  Styles with some length work best with this type of hair because if you cut it too short, the hair can separate and appear pokey, like hairbrush bristles.  Most Asians with this type of hair complain because of its weighted down quality.  Occasional use of a deep cleansing shampoo like TRESemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo will remedy this significantly.


 Damaged Hair
Damaged and out of condition hair may only be remedied by a good haircut to remove the damaged parts.  Follow that up by an intensive conditioning treatment which can be done in a salon using steam heating.  You can also remedy this at home by using an intensive conditioner at least once a week.  Leave it on your hair under a shower cap for 20 minutes. 

Recommended product:  Rene Furterer Karité Conditioning Cream - it is highly acclaimed to repair over-processed hair.

Baby-Fine Hair
The fix for baby fine hair is a great haircut.  A uniform cut sans the layers will work best.  Be overly cautious on going for very short haircuts because it makes you lose a lot of volume.  You may end up looking like a wet chicken.

Recommended products: Pantene Pro-V 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner would give you noticeable results.  Body building sprays may simply make your hair look thicker but without any movement or swing, which eventually defeats the purpose.  Try Redken’s Fat Cat Thickening Lotion instead.  Those who used this product found visible improvements after three applications.

Static on Hair
To solve the static problem on hair, use conditioner regularly as usual.  Apply a little gel your hair before blow drying.  There’s one other solution – use laundry anti-static sheets (the stuff you toss in the dryer) on your hair to get rid of the static on your hair. 

Cowlick Bangs
A cowlick is one natural hair trait that you have to live with for the rest of your life.  Work with it by applying some weight on your bang area.  Heavier bangs would help solve it.  Your blow dryer is your best friend when it comes to solving this problem.

Also read on:

Beauty Tips for Busy Women


© Athena Goodlight

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What Causes Dry Eyes and How Can Dry Eye Syndrome Be Treated?





What is Dry Eye?
Dry Eye Syndrome is one very common eye dysfunction.  A lot of factors bring about this condition, as well as a various of symptoms. Dry Eye is the effect of incapability to produce the proper quantity or quality of tears to keep the eye moistened. People with Dry Eye complain of symptoms such as itching, eye grittiness, burning feeling, tired eyes and fuzzy sight.  It is surprising that, some people suffer from an excess of tears. Those tears produced by their eyes are mostly of water and lack the important oil to keep  them from evaporating. Such tears are then not moistening their eyes, then the eyes compensate by creating even more tears.

What causes Dry Eye?
There are many causes of Dry Eye. One of the most common sources for the eye dryness is simply the natural aging process. As we age, the tear glands do not  produce tears as efficiently as before. It is more common among older women than men, especially after menopause. Thyroid problems, as well as  inadequate Vitamin A are additional medical causes of Dry Eye. A wide variety of over-the-counter and prescribed medications, especially diuretics, antihistamines, sleeping medications and pain relievers can also be related with Dry Eye.

What are the Symptoms of Dry Eye?
The most familiar symptoms of Dry Eye are burning sensations, itchiness or grittiness in the eye. Your eye care specialist is the best person to help determine not only if you are suffering from Dry Eye Syndrome, but the extent of the disorder - mild, moderate or severe. It is important to measure and treat Dry Eye not only for comfort, but also for your eye's overall health.

What should be done for my Dry Eye symptoms?
The most important thing when you believe that you are afflicted with Dry Eye is to consult your eye care professional. Other people attain relief  in using a formulated tear product on a regular basis. These products not only provide speedy relief of symptoms like itching, burning and grittiness, but they also have a lubricant to protect the outer eye layer. There are eye care products that are formulated to closely resemble the chemical composition of natural tears as possible, and are safe to use as often as needed in a day.


Protect Your Eyes From Injuries

Why We Need to Cry Sometimes



© 2011 Athena Goodlight


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Breastfeeding Tips for the Working Mom


image via Wikimedia

Breastfeeding mothers who intend to resume full-time work can still continue nourishing their babies with breastmilk. If you are one of these mothers, here are tips on how to continue breastfeeding while working full-time.

1.  Get a portable breast pump (either bought, rented, or borrowed). Breast pumps can either be battery-operated or plugged-in. During your work day, pump your breast milk every three hours (you have to take some short breaks to accomplish this).  You have a legal right to pump your milk even at the work. Breast milk should be stored in a clean bottle in an ice box or a refrigerator to be consumed by your baby when you get home to be stored in the freezer for future use.

2.  Before going to work, breastfeed your baby, also as soon as you come home; and as frequently as possible during weekends and holidays. Nursing before leaving for work leaves the baby happy and full and breastfeeding upon return is a happy reunion. These are usually the most pleasant times.

3.  Encourage the nanny or caregiver to make the take a late-afternoon nap and to avoid feeding him within an hour prior to your anticipated return home. Upon arrival, don't allow yourself to be disturbed by phone calls or messages. Play some calming music and proceed with your breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding has a relaxing hormone called prolactin.  This is one of the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers.

4. Sleep with your baby. This will give both the mother and the baby more restful and longer sleep time. This gets rid of frequently waking up all night that makes it hard to work the following day. Furthermore, breastfeeding at night also encourages continuous milk supply.

5.  If your husband is living with you, ask him to do his share of household chores. If you are planning to continue breastfeeding and working, you will need domestic assistance.

6.  Think about your during work. Many mothers instinctively surround themselves with pictures of their baby while at their office. Thinking of your baby while using the breast pump helps activate your milk-producing hormones.

7.  There will be temporary annoyances such as breast engorgement or leaking of milk. These discomforts will settle down within a couple of weeks as your body adjusts to your new breastfeeding routine.


© 2011 Athena Goodlight

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Remedies for Body Odor and Excessive Sweating


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Sweating is important to keep our body healthy.  Sweat keeps our body cool and helps eliminate some of the toxins from our body through the pores of the skin.  There are two types of sweat glands: the eccrinte glands and the apocrine glands.  The eccrinte glands which count to about three million is located all over the body.  The eccrinte glands produce salts and can pass smells and odors such as the food we ate like onions. The apocrine glands line the armpits, groin and feet excrete oils and draw in bacteria.  When the bacteria starts thriving in your sweat, this is when body odor starts. The intensity of odor will depend on the amount of sweat and the length of time it stays on your body. Exces­sive perspiration could be caused by eating extremely spiced foods, an overactive thyroid or other hormonal changes, and also stress or nervousness.

Remedies for Body Odor
  • Thorough cleanliness is the key to eliminating body odor. Daily bathing with an anti-bacterial soap is important.
  • Removal of underarm hair through shaving or waxing also helps.
  • Use an antiperspirant containing aluminum chlorhydrate
  • use a deodorant foot spray and wear only newly washed cotton socks.  Avoid using of nylon socks if your feet sweat a lot.
  • Practice stress management by doing relaxation exercises and meditation.

In extreme cases, doctors can surgically remove the sweat glands in an affected person's underarms.

Read more on body issues: 

Remedy for Belching and Intestinal Gas (Farting)

© 11/2011 Athena Goodlight

Remedy for Belching and Intestinal Gas (Farting)





Everyone produces almost a liter of gas daily - and passes it about 13 times everyday. It is caused either by bacteria in the intestines feeding on indigestible food by-products like the fiber in several vegetables; when we swallow carbon dioxide such as those found in soda and fizzy drinks; or by swallowing too a lot of air, either normally during eating and drinking, or compulsively, due to ner­vousness. Gas is either absorbed into the bloodstream or expelled by flatulence (farting) or commonly by burping.

Is burping or farting bad?
Flatulence is normally a good sign: it may mean that you have a healthy, high-fiber diet. Even so, that does not make it any less embarrassing. When you wish to increase your dietary fiber intake in order to reap the health benefits, do so bit by bit, and drink a lot of water or fruit juice.  Some drugstores sell gas remedies such as Beano, which contains an enzyme that boosts break down of undigested food so the bacteria have less to feed on.      

Binging or stress-eating can also hinder normal digestion; and lead to excessive gas. To lessen burping, try taking peppermints or drinking peppermint tea after a meal.  Some doctors prescribe using over-the-counter products that containing simethicone, such as Ovol, which dissipate air bubbles in the stomach.  For lactose-intolerant people - those who experience gas pains after consuming dairy products - frequently find relief by using Lactaid, a product that assists in digesting lactoses or milk sugars.


© 11/2011 Athena Goodlight

Upper Body Strength Training for Beginners


This workout focuses on endurance, muscle awareness, and very basic muscle strengthening for the arms, chest, back, and shoulders. With the use of light dumbbells, this program is designed to aim at each of these important muscles.  Even beginners who have never tried lifting weight can follow this easily and benefit greatly.

With regards to muscle training, many people choose to focus on the abdomen, legs, and buttocks. But for day-to-day life, it will greatly help, especially for women, to tone the upper body as well.

When lifting weights, it's crucial to concentrate on the specific muscle movement: steady tension must be produced by conscious contraction the muscle during the exercise. This may not be the most efficient or fastest strength-building method; if that is your aim, graduating to heavier weights and, in some cases, specific position should be done during exercise. Every time you learn a new movement, whether a biceps curl or a dance step, your brain must first learn which muscles to stimulate for the action to be done correctly. An significant part of strength training is the use of the muscles specified to do the work. Fresh movements form neural pathways through the brain and spinal cord to the muscle. These nerve pathways dictate which muscles to fire, or contract. This is called "neuromuscular facilitation."

With the use of light weights, you can focus on using the proper muscles. Although the neural pathways will be different as you begin this weight program at home or at the gym, this exercise may be a much more enjoyable introduction to the program. You could go through the primary learning process lifting a three-pound weight rather than a heavier barbell.

As you adjust to the movements and progress to heavier weights or machines, you will use your muscles variedly and build new neuromuscular pathways. For example, when you do the cable row in the gym, a resistance is formed by the cable in front of you. Your back and upper arm muscles will then work against the resistance while you draw the cable. In a standing stance, carry two dumbbells and pull them back in similar motion, the greatest resistance will come from the gravity pulling downward on the dumbbells, a resistance that requires the muscles on the front of the shoulder a lot more than the muscles at the back. Your back muscles will work primarily to stabilize your arm position. You can intensify your muscle awareness by also bringing in tension in these muscles while executing the movement.

You'll have a great starting point on building the muscles that are essential to your posture and your lifestyle by using the basics of strength training for the upper body. Enjoy the experience of feeling stronger.  Later, you will be more aware of muscles that you never knew existed.

© Athena Goodlight