Archive for the ‘Health and Beauty’ Category

The Wonder That Is Water

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Most people are sick and tired of everyone telling them how important it is to drink enough water everyday! Hello? We’re all aware of the fact that getting eight glasses a day is the simplest way to stay healthy, but in today’s world, it isn’t practical to be gulping down water at all times! After all, who likes using public loos? I know I don’t!

Here’s something that you probably didn’t know. If you’re looking to lose weight, then your secret weapon is water! Yep! Don’t believe me? Did you know that if you decrease your water consumption by about 3%, your body compensates for it, by decreasing your muscle contractions by 30%? Muscle contractions use a lot of energy and if you end up decreasing them, then you end up burning a much lower number of calories! Scary huh?

Water does a whole lot more than just quench our thirst. You know those micronutrients everyone keeps talking about? Well, water helps the body absorb them. Water soluble vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin B etc. are pulled out from various food components and absorbed by our bodies due to water. They also considerably help in the digestion of proteins and carbohydrates, which are water soluble components.

Another important role of water in the human body is that of a temperature regulator. Drinking enough water ensures that we don’t overheat our bodies. The mechanism responsible for this is perspiration, or sweating! Yes, the dreaded sweat is actually beneficial to our body!

Not drinking enough water could be lethal! If you don’t drink enough water, your blood pressure can go dangerously low, in fact, even blood clots may form. If you don’t drink enough water, you can get a terrible case of constipation.

Not just that, your normal kidney function can be seriously handicapped. Your skin dries up and you even suffer from frequent headaches. Yep, lack of water is truly the root of all evil.

Water also acts as a cushioning agent. It lubricates all the body’s tissues and joints and also ensures that everything is functioning as it should. Elimination of toxins would be impossible without water, as would be proper respiration! Yep, it’s true, you can say goodbye to breathing properly, if you don’t drink enough water! So never underestimate the importance of water in your life and make sure to get at least eight glasses of water in a day to stay healthy!

Do’s And Don’ts For That Perfect Set Of Nails

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Now I don’t know about you, but I always judge people by their nails. Call it a bad habit, if you must, but I just can’t stand the sight of dirty or chipped nails! Besides, which woman doesn’t feel great if she has an amazing set of nails, coated with a pretty shade of nail-polish to show off?

If you want a nice set of nails to show off, make sure that you use cuticle oil daily. In fact, if your nails tend to be brittle or even flakey, you might have to use it more than once in a day. Choose a brand of oil which conditions your nails and at the same time, penetrates into the cuticle deeply and effectively. This not only strengthens your nails, but makes them flexible too!

Follow this up with cuticle cream. Trust me, if you have dry or sore cuticles, then using a cuticle cream is the biggest favor you can do for your nails! But don’t be too harsh on your cuticles, always remember to be gentle, because remember, your cuticles provide shelter to the growth center of the nail, also known as the matrix.

Here’s something which most people don’t know. If the time has come to cut your nails because they’ve grown way too big, steer clear of nail cutters, in other words, don’t clip your nails. Always use an emery board for this. When you’re filing your nails, do so, at an angle of forty-five degrees from beneath the free edge of the nail.

I know what you’re thinking! Who would have thought that taking care of your nails would be such a troublesome process, right? But if you want that beautiful set of nails, then you have to work hard for it, my friend!

Now for other, more mundane matters! Do, not, I repeat, DO NOT use your nails as tools! They’re parts of your body, not screw drivers! Also, if you’re a nail-biter, then the time has come to BREAK THE HABIT! Not because it makes your nails look ugly or anything, you probably don’t care about that if you’re in the habit of biting your nails!

But simply because nail-biting is really damaging for the cuticle, which greatly impairs nail growth, not to mention the fact that it can even result in you developing uneven shaped or deformed nails! Oh and whenever you want to pamper yourself, do include a manicure in your list! Good luck with keeping your nails gorgeous!

Ways for Staying Healthy When You Have a Very Hectic Schedule

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Today, technology has changed our lifestyle, as life is running at a very fast pace, we do not have time to look after our health. We have such a tight work schedule; it is not easy to maintain a proper diet and to remain healthy. As a result, more and more of us are falling sick. Most of the time we are sitting in front of the desk in the office, due to which, we do not have nay physical exercise throughout the day. It is only mental work which is being done.

You have to exercise twice a day, for a span of 10 minutes, at least 5 times a week. If it is possible, get up early in the morning and jog for at least 15 minutes before getting ready to go out for the day. This is going to give you added energy and boost up your metabolism for the day.

Today, mental pressure and stress is a part and parcel of everybody’s life. As work pressure is common to us, mental relaxation is very important for all of us. You can practice meditation for 15 to 20 minutes after you come back from your day’s work. You can also listen to music, or chill out with friends which are going to give you some relief from tension.

You can practice deep breathing exercises of yoga which makes you relax and remain calm. It takes control of your anxiety, stress and depression. A little bit of yoga also help to detox our body, get a relief of the fatigueness of our body which increases our concentration and helps to think creatively.

Simple things of life like talking to your pet or reading the daily newspaper is going to remove some of your stress. You must have a proper breakfast before you leave for your workplace. have good carb foods like cereals, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole grains which is going to keep you healthy but then you also will be able to maintain your weight.

If you are on a low carb diet, see to it that you maintian the minimum calorie level which is require each day. Drink lots of water, atleast 8 glasses per day, but space it throughout the day which is more beneficial. Eat small meals and your dinner should always be small.

The Myths about Dieting Revealed

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

People follow different types of diets which are available in order to lose weight but then they don’t really know what the myths about these diets are. You get so many different types of diets which range from the chocolate diet to the liquid diet to the no carb diet, you name it and there’s a diet which is named after it.

The first myth is that if you have no fats then you are going to lose all your fat too. Well, at least one third of your calories should be coming from fat. Fat is required by the body so that tissues can be repaired, energy is obtained and also so that vitamin like D, A, K and E can be transported all around your body.

The second myth is the fact that if you go on a crash course diet you lose a lot of weight. Now in the short term this might just happen but then later on you are the one who will suffer. Now you will lose all of the lean muscle which is present in your body and this will lead to a reduction in your basal metabolic rate.

Now this reduction will reduce your body’s intake of calories and therefore you will start gaining again once you have stopped the diet. Also you will feel very weak and you will get very dizzy. Now the next one is the myth about the food which you eat at night and its connection to being more fattening than the rest.

Now you will find that a lot of diets suggest eating earlier on and not eating late at night.. Now this really isn’t true. Many recent studies have been conducted which show that this myth really is a myth. The next one says that if you have metabolism which is slow then you don’t lose weight very easily.

As you become even fatter, your metabolism will also increase. The fatter you are, the more calories your body will require to continue to run, the higher the metabolism rate will be. A lot of people also say that the more of fattening foods you consume the faster you will gain weight. Now you will need to have 3500 calories if you want to gain one pound of your body fat and then lose 3500 in order to lose a pound.

Fitness Tips for Working Moms

Monday, December 7th, 2009

A woman is a mother, a wife, a daughter in law and sometimes in trying to fulfill all these roles they often forget about their own health. Lack of proper maintenance of their body often leads to anemia, loss of weight and also a lot of stress. It is the duty of all the members of the family to look after the well being of the woman of the family. They must see to it that her diet has proper, balanced nutrition. She must have some time to relax and enjoy her life so that she gets relief form the regular stress of day to day responsibilities.

Fitness of a woman who copes with household chores and outside worlds is a must. She must have the right level of energy and her body must be fit and flexible enough to deal with so much of physical work. Nutritional supplement of working woman are different from that of a housewife, they need additional supplement of iron together with calcium which will help them to keep the strength of their bones and muscles.

They need a lot of energy and stamina to tackle both indoor and outdoor work pressure so vitamin supplements are vital too. Beetroot, lots of fresh grain vegetables, milk and milk products, dry fruits and Soy products will be helpful. Along with this diet, multi vitamin tablets should also be taken.

Side by side with the diet, mental relaxation is essential. Since the entire day is spent in physical and mental work, at night a woman can spend a few minutes of quality time listening to music or even watching her favorite soap. She may also indulge herself in light exercises like walking with her pet, painting or a few minutes of breathing exercises.
Sometimes she can pamper herself by going to a spa or a massage parlor once a week, this is going to reduce her stress and revitalize her energy. Regular physical exercise like a brisk evening walk or joining a gym for ten to fifteen minutes is a must to maintain a healthy life.

Moreover for a woman of middle age, back pain, arthritis crops up. Therefore a little exercise regularly is always recommended. Even a slight change from your daily routine like walking the stair instead of taking the elevators will also help you in a huge way and you wont even relies it.