10 Steps To Look Younger

10 Steps To Look Younger

The secret of the youth has been searched since long time ago. Many researchers have done some experiments to find ways to slow down the aging process. 

There are some techniques which have been implemented, but the most important things for us to do are being consistent in implementing healthy lifestyle and eating habits.

We can’t stop the natural change, but we can still look younger if we want to work hard to slow down the aging process.

Therefore, I’m going to help you with 10 easy steps to make you look younger:

Detox

 – It’s important to start detoxification, getting rid of toxin from our body. Our body metabolism has done that process, but in everyday life we are exposed to so many chemical hazards from air, food and environment. Fasting or just consuming fruits and vegetables are ways to detoxify our body.

Sleep 

– Having enough sleep at least 6-8 hours a day will make our skin healthier. Having a good sleep is also important because growth hormone is working during that time. It renews the old cell of our body, include the skin cell. Our skin will look fresh and young if we have enough sleep. 

Food

 – Eating healthy and safe food everyday will make our body fit, slim and also look younger. Try to eat more fish instead of red meat. Fiber food, vegetables, fruits, and supplements are important food to consume. Drink less coffee and other caffeine beverages. 

Exercise

 – Through routine exercise, we will feel happier, energetic, and confident. It also increases our bone density and muscle which can make our body look 15-20 years younger. Beside aerobic, walking, and swimming, goes also to the gym to do lifting exercise. 

Relax

 – By trying to be relaxed, our face will look younger. Stress and worries appear on our face. If we can manage our stress and feel at peace, our face will look younger and attractive.

Be Positive

 – A positive mind and affirmation we said can bring positive life to us. Negative thought tend to bring failure and make us look older and unattractive. Meditation is one way to make positive thoughts.

Medical Check-up

 – Just like a car, our body also needs attention and care so it can work well everyday. Having routine medical checkups during our healthy time is important to recognize diseases as soon as possible. 

Active Life

 – Always try to be active during your life. Activities can increase health; and if you are in your elder age, your memory will increase too. 

Social Life

 – Happy social life can increases our spirit, bring peaceful mind, and make us feel and look younger. Communication with our friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and others can bring happiness to us.

Performance

 – Start to look at our performance. Is our body weight ideal for us? If not, try to fix that to the best ideal weight. Also look to the skin, hair, nail and teeth. Those are important as they will show our age. Looks good and feels good will increase our performance.

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Losing Weight One Pound at a Time!

Losing Weight One Pound at a Time!

Over two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. That's quite a high percentage of adults who have a need to shed a little or a lot of fat! The only way to do this is one pound at a time!

Many overweight individuals wish and hope for a quick cure to their weight problems. They'll try anything that promises instant results! Unfortunately, these miracle weight loss products are scams! They may help a person shed some water weight, initially. But, the fat isn't going anywhere without a little effort on that persons part!

For those of you who have tried weight loss diets or are thinking about trying one, consider all the dieters who have tried the same diets and failed. The number one reason for permanent weight loss failure is the inability to stick with the diet!

Many individuals become yo-yo dieters. They try one diet for awhile, lose a few pounds, quit the diet, gain back the weight (and then some), and move on to another diet. The process is repeated. With each new attempt, there is often more weight to lose than there was initially!

Successful Weight Loss Strategies

If you want to lose weight successfully, you must realize, first, that there are no miracle diets or products that will blast away the fat! You didn't gain the weight overnight! You aren't going to lose it overnight, either! You will have to put forth effort to lose the fat, one pound at a time! Even after you've shed those extra pounds, you will have to continue to work at controlling your weight, if you wish to keep the fat off!

In an article on Consumer Reports.org which rates various popular diets, Cathy Nona's, R.D., M.S., (an obesity researcher at North General Hospital in New York) states, The best diet is the one you can stay on. Consumer Reports goes on to say that adherence is important To maintain lost weight, dieters must permanently reduce their calorie intake, because they will need fewer calories to fuel their now-smaller body.

Fad diets typically fail in the end. From my own personal experience, I have found that eating sensibly works best! If you want to lose weight (one pound at a time), keep it off, and feel good, too, why not try cutting down on the empty calories found in most American diets? Eat more raw vegetables and fruits and whole grains. Go easy on the fats and processed sugary or salty snacks. Limit yourself to smaller portions and avoid having second helpings. This type of diet is one that you CAN stick with and live with for the rest of your life!

Yes, you'll have to make a few lifestyle changes, and you'll have to work on being more disciplined in your eating habits. But, in the end, it will be worth it! You'll look better! You'll feel better! Your confidence will return, and you'll believe that there isn't anything that you cannot do!

Wouldn't it be worth giving up that 44-ounce Coke and that huge order of greasy French fries for a healthier, happier you? If you simply cant do without a few French fries and a Coke now and then, go ahead and treat yourself to a small serving. Cut back on calories somewhere else that day. Occasionally, its okay to indulge. But, if you seriously want to shed the extra fat and keep it off, be conscious about everything you put into your mouth. You'll lose that weight, a pound at a time!

Note: Before beginning any weight loss program, be sure to check with your medical professional.

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Why You Should Be Using Coconut Oil? 7 Reasons

Why You Should Be Using Coconut Oil? 7 Reasons

It is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People all over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using coconut oil. It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Here are the top seven reasons why you should use coconut oil as an alternative to other common cooking oils.

1. Coconut oil doesn’t turn to fat in your body.

Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won’t make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT’s are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.

People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.

Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.

2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.

Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.

Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT’s burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT’s.

The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman’s World magazine stated that coconut oil is the “underground high-metabolism secret.”

This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.

3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.

Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

4. Coconut oil gives you energy.

Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.

This is because coconut oil is natures richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT’s promote thermogenesis, which increases the body’s metabolism, producing energy.

This is because coconut oil is natures richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT’s promote thermogenesis, which increases the body’s metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.

5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.

Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.

Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.

Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.

Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.

7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.

It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don’t do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.

It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.

Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won’t be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!

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1 Pound Of Fat = 3,500 Calories

1 Pound Of Fat = 3,500 Calories

There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. Thus, if you cut back or work off just 3,500 calories, you will lose an entire pound of fat. While it is possible to cut back on your calorie intake and increase your exercise regimen in order to lose pounds quickly, it is important to note that doctors recommend that you lose no more than 2 pounds of weight per week in order to ensure that your body properly adjusts to the weight loss.

Here are some tips to help you safely drop 3,500 from your regular routine:

Run

Running for about 1 hour at a slow pace will help you lose approximately 350 calories, depending on your body type, speed and terrain. Thus, if you run for one hour five days a week while maintaining a consistent diet, you will safely lose one pound.

It is important to understand that many people who just begin running will eat pasta and other foods high in carbohydrates in order to compensate for the exertion. They think that because they worked out so hard, they deserve a treat. After all, they justify, the pasta will help to keep their energy levels high.

However, what they may not realize is that while they are justified in thinking that the carbohydrates will infuse their workout routine with energy, they are not actually setting their bodies up to lose weight. When you burn 350 calories but intake 450 over a high-carbohydrate pasta dish, you are adding more calories to your body than you otherwise would have.

Running does, however, help to boost our metabolism and change your muscle tone so that you burn calories more efficiently. Instead of inhaling a pasta dish after a run, select instead to have a large salad and splurge for the carbohydrate-rich croutons.

Eat In

When you eat out at a restaurant, not only are you subjecting your body to an array of high fat, high calorie foods, but you are also tempting yourself to eat a larger portion than you might normally eat. Therefore, what could be a simple 500 calories meal can easily turn into a 1500-calorie fat fest. In order to lose weight by cutting calories, it is essential that you are aware of exactly what you are putting into your body. Especially in the beginning of your new routine, it is important that you prepare your meals and monitor your level of hunger.

When eating out, generally you are in a social situation where food is not a priority but spending time with your friends is. For this reason, people tend to eat more than they normally would. Non-dessert eaters often even spring for the extra round of calories. If you must eat out, help yourself avoid temptation by selecting a salad rather than a plate of pasta or burger. You will be amazed at the difference in the amount of calories you intake when you make simple choices such as meal option.

By reducing your overall calorie intake and increasing your level of physical activity, you will be able to lose those 3,500 calories without much trouble. Make sure that you stay focused, motivated and on task. Youll shed unwanted weight in no time!

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Workout Without a Gym

Workout Without a Gym

We know that using free weights and machines is the fastest and most efficient way there is to improve your metabolism and strength, but for many reasons these may not be convenient or readily accessible to you.

You may also have no access to a commercial gym, home gym or are on business trip, but there can be a solution, a strength-training workout without the need of expensive machines.

As with any exercise, whether you are using your own body weight, machines or free weights, if the resistance doesn’t increase, your muscles won’t be worked to their maximum capacity and the stimulus these fibres need to grow will be missing.

Exercises done correctly will build the lean muscle and increase your metabolism in the same way as performing exercises at a gymnasium, but without the time constraints and associated costs.

These exercises can be easily done in a bedroom, hotel room, a park, school yard, ceiling rafters in a garage or in a doorway and all you have to do is use your imagination. There will always be a way to add more resistance to your workouts.

Please remember: It doesn’t matter where you are working out at home, a hotel, or a park always warm up properly before beginning your session, and cool down and stretch when you are finished.

Leg Exercises

Squats –

They build muscle in the thighs, shape the buttocks and improve endurance. Position your feet about 13 to 17 inches apart or at shoulder width, keeping the back straight and your head up. If you want you can use something that will give you some support, i.e. a desk, bookcase, sink etc.

Now squat down to where the tops of the thighs are parallel to the floor, hold for a second and then stand up, but dont bounce at the bottom of the movement, use a nice fluid motion. Always exhale your breath as you stand up.

Lunges

Stand straight in correct posture; now stand with one leg forward and one leg back. Keeping your abdominal muscles tight and chest up, lower your upper body down, bending your leg (don’t step out too far).

You should have about one to two feet between your feet at this stage, the further forward you step, and the more your gluteus and hamstring muscles will have to work.

Do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down and stop where your feel comfortable (try not to let your back come forward) then push directly back up. Do all your reps on one leg then switch legs and do all your reps on the other leg.

Back Exercises

Chin-ups –

Chin-ups are a great upper body workout, particularly targeting your biceps, deltoid and lat muscles. Use a doorway chin-up bar, ceiling rafters in a garage or grab the moulding of your door frame, position your hands with an under hand grip and hang down stretching the lats, slowly raise your body until your chin reaches the bar level.

Pause a moment before slowly lowering yourself back to the starting position. Dont swing or use momentum to get your body to the top, just use the target muscles. Doorway chinning bars remove from the doorway when you are not using them and can be put up and taken down in seconds.

Bent Over Row –

Take up a position with your right hand and right knee braced on a sturdy bed or some other flat surface that will provide a good support. Now pick up a dumbbell or something heavy that you can hold onto with your left hand.

Visualize your arms as hooks and slowly bring the dumbbell or object up to the side of your chest, keeping your back straight, then lower the weight back down to arms length, no lower, on extremes, safe form only please. Concentrate on your back muscles. Reverse the whole procedure and do the exercise now with your right arm.

Chest Exercises

Push-Up –

The push up is used for building chest, shoulders and arms. Lie face down on the floor with your hands about shoulder width apart and keeping your palms turned slightly inward. Now push-up until your arms are straight, lower and repeat for repetitions.

To make it more difficult elevate your feet. Try placing the toes of your feet on a stable, elevated surface such as a bench, chair or a stair. Straightening your body, position your hands on the floor at shoulder width, lower your body until your chest touches the floor at the bottom, and then return to the starting position in a nice fluid motion.

Dips –

This exercise can be done between two sturdy chairs or other surfaces that provide stability. The dip is another great upper body exercise. Its a compound movement as well and involves working all the muscles that the push up works.

Keep your head up and body as vertical as possible. For the beginning of the movement, start at the top (arms fully extended) and lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the seat of the chairs, hold and then push up to the top of the movement until your arms are fully extended again. Keep looking straight ahead and dont bounce at the bottom of the movement.

Adding Weight

Although the simple weight of your own body is enough resistance to provide an effective workout we need progressive overload (added resistance) to become stronger.

So all we need to do is add some weight wherever we can find some. Because there are no metal plates and fancy machines to use it doesnt matter because the body doesnt care where it is as long as it’s receiving resistance of some kind.

You can use heavy books clasped in your hands. You can buy some cheap weighted dumbbells or ankle weights. A weighted vest will also allow you to add resistance for both chin-ups and push-ups. Try to buy one that will let you remove and add weight as you see fit. Also a backpack filled with books can be perfect for most of the exercises and is a cheap alternative.

How about a couple of buckets and fill them with a certain level of water? As you get stronger fill them with more water. This is perfect because depending on the exercise, all you need to do is to increase or decrease the amount of water in the buckets for the required amount of resistance.

To wrap things up

We know that using free weights and machines are the fastest and most efficient way there is to gain lean muscle and strength, but by performing the exercises in this article youll find that they will provide you with the same benefits as going to a gymnasium but without the ongoing costs and time constraints.

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Treat Shoulder Tendonitis Before Its Too Late

Treat Shoulder Tendonitis Before Its Too Late

Shoulder tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendons around the shoulders rotator cuff and upper bicep area. Shoulder tendonitis is usually developed by sports and activities that require you to lift your hands above your head repeatedly. Common activities that often lead to shoulder tendonitis are strength training (bodybuilding), some certain swimming strokes, racket sports like squash and tennis, cricket and any manual job that requires lifting of items over the shoulders.

The early symptoms of shoulder tendonitis include some light pain in the area where the upper bicep meets the shoulder and possibly some light swelling and tenderness. Usually the pain only occurs when the shoulder is under pressure. As the tendonitis develops the pain will occur at any time of the day or night, even when you are sleeping. The area where the pain occurs will get larger often encompassing the entire rotator cuff area and in some cases the upper bicep. Movement of the shoulder will be very restricted often painful.

So how do you know if you are developing shoulder tendonitis? 

As mentioned above, the first sign of tendonitis developing is the pain in the shoulder when its under pressure. If you feel a pain in your shoulder when you are lifting heavy weights and playing sport this is usually a sign that tendonitis is developing.

The first (and most obvious) step to take is stop doing whatever activity is causing the pain in your shoulder. We recommend that you stop this activity for at least one week. After that week, you should attempt lifting some very light weights to see if the pain is still occurring. If the pain does not occur, then it is likely that you simply strained your shoulder muscle or in more serious cases damaged the tendon temporarily. In this case you should ease back into the activity. If the pain does occur, it is likely that you have developed mild shoulder tendonitis.

Now that you have identified that you have tendonitis in your shoulder you must rest it once again. This time rest it for about three weeks. During this three week period you should not partake in any activity that may strain your shoulder. This includes light lifting and sports.

After that three weeks is up it is time to start to strengthen the shoulder to prevent the tendonitis. There are several light exercises that you can do strengthen your shoulder muscles and tendons. You should start with very light weights, 1kg should be about right for males and .5kg for females.

Start by holding the weight in your right hand with your palm facing your body. Keeping your arm straight raise the weight straight out in front of you until it is at shoulder height. Repeat this exercise for twenty repetitions. Repeat for your left hand. Now get the same weight and instead of moving it out to your front move it out to your side. Keep your arm straight and do this exercise for twenty repetitions. Repeat for your left arm.

If you feel any pain during these exercises it is time to go and see your doctor or physician. It is possible that your shoulder tendonitis may require further treatment. See links at the bottom of this page for details.

If these exercises do not bring back the pain in your shoulder you are on the road to recovery. You should do these exercises every day for one to two weeks. You may increase the weight slightly if the exercises are feeling too easy for you. But remember now to overdo it.

So in about four to five weeks you should be able to get back into the sport, exercise or activity that caused your shoulder pain. You should always ease back into exercise. Make sure you warm up and stretch your shoulder for about ten minutes before and after the activity.

Remember, shoulder tendonitis can be permanent, but it also can be treated relatively easily without medication. Many people get inpatient and do not give the shoulder sufficient rest time or recovery time before attempting a possibly straining activity. If you do not rest and strengthen your shoulder correctly there is a large possibility that shoulder tendonitis will develop again. If you shoulder pain does reoccur you should see professional advice from your doctor physician.

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Physiotherapy To Treat Neck And Shoulder Pain

Physiotherapy To Treat Neck And Shoulder Pain

If you have ever been in a car accident where another vehicle hit the back of your car, you may have experienced what is commonly known as ‘whiplash.” You sprang forward suddenly, then backward and overstretched your neck to the point where you tore the supporting ligaments. In severe whiplash, you may have even damaged the muscles and discs in the neck and hurt the nerves. Contrary to popular belief, someone doesn’t realize they have “whiplash” until about 24 hours after the accident. They wake up with a stiff neck, headache and pain. Often, physiotherapy to treat neck and shoulder pain can provide instant relief for those suffering from whiplash, although several treatments may be needed for a patient to continue to find pain relief. These treatments, however, are preferable to drugs which have a habit of causing physical dependency.

Many people who suffer whiplash go to the doctor where they are given an x-ray, an immobilization collar and some pain medication. Often, they are advised to put ice packs on the injured area for several days to alleviate the swelling. Pain from this injury can take weeks to heal.

Fortunately, physiotherapy to treat neck and shoulder pain caused by whiplash as well as other muscle strains has proven a very effective remedy in alleviating the symptoms of pain. While pain medications mask the pain and can be very habit forming, the manipulations used by the physiotherapist can provide relief within minutes, instead of hours or days.

When using physiotherapy to treat neck and shoulder pain, the therapist will often perform some gentle exercises to mobilize the area. The patient may resist this as they tend to cause a bit of discomfort, but to keep the area mobile is better than allowing it to get “stiff” which will result in a longer recovery time. By gently turning the head and manipulating the area, the physiotherapist can loosen the muscles that have been tensed in the trauma and provide some pain relief.

Another way to use physiotherapy to treat neck and shoulder pain is by massage. Often the therapist will massage the affected area, eliminating the stiffness and improving blood flow to the area. This often eliminates the headache as well that is caused by the stiff neck. Very often, a person who seeks a therapist to use physiotherapy to treat neck and shoulder pain will experience immediate results.

Neck and shoulder pain can have many causes, although whiplash is the most common. Other causes of neck and shoulder pain are poor posture, particularly for those who work in offices or sit in front of computers all day. This can weaken the ligaments and muscles in the shoulders and neck and cause discomfort. A physiotherapist can treat neck and shoulder pain through massage, manipulations and, by discovering what is causing your neck and shoulder pain, can assist you in your attempt to correct the problem.

Physiotherapy to treat neck and shoulder pain is very common and is one of the primary reasons why patients seek physical therapy. Physiotherapy to treat neck and shoulder pain should only be practiced by a licensed physiotherapist.

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