Do You Need A Food And Skin Care?

 You are what you eat, as many would say, and surely, whatever you eat, shows in the appearance of your skin, thus, it is important to know the importance of correlating food and skin care.

Millions of people all over the world suffer from the most common food –related disorder known to modern man today, which is obesity and science has indeed proven time and again that the food we eat is shown on the appearance of our skin.

Take for example the visible signs of obesity aside from the obvious appearance of someone being overweight, but observe closely and see that the skin also shows signs of the disorder.

One would be the darkening of skin areas on skin folds all over the body, most especially the neck area, underarms, elbows, knees and nose.

For some, it also shows on both sides of the lips and eyelids, sometimes even around the eye sockets.

These skin darkening processes are the results of obesity in the body and no amount of skin care or cleansing can remove these, unless there is a change in lifestyle, like food intake and eating habits.

Dieting, however, remains one of the most daunting tasks ever and unless this is overcome by the need to ensure a healthy lifestyle, one can see and notice the effects – both for skin care and a healthy way of life.

How can this be achieved? You actually have the right answer to your problem and this can be best answered by you.

However, here are some tips that can help you keep on going.

First, try to establish a diet program partner for your regimen or a support group to keep you motivated.

Pursuing a diet regimen by your lonesome is generally a task that could only lead to your diet program going down the drain, since you lack the direct support of a peer to motivate or push you to succeed.

You can do this with a friend or a family member who shares the same desire to achieve an outcome for both your diet and skin care regimen, since it is best to have someone help you monitor your diet program development.

Feedback and motivational support can help you move on and keep you challenged to finish your diet regimen program.

Try to add  some fun into our diet and skin regimen program, this will help you have a more enjoyable program that you could keep on sustaining until you achieve your desired results, rather than a diet program that causes you to suffer or have misgivings about what you may have given up to pursue your diet regimen or skin care program.

Lastly, couple your diet program with a supplementary exercise pattern. Physical activity is still the best way to help you hasten your diet regimen, since you get to burn more calories, because as you lose weight, your skin does not immediately take on the shape of the pounds you lost and if your skin is not conditioned in the same way you lost weight, it will retain it’s shape and mill result to sagging.

Always get expert advise or opinion from your physician or nutrition expert, they can provide you with vital information on what diet program you could subscribe to that could suit you best, as well as a fitness and skin care expert to help you complement your skin structure therapy as well.

Always be careful when you want to go pursue a diet regimen, it pays to know what is best and save yourself the trouble of regretting something that you would not expect to happen to you.

This is how food and skin care are both important considerations to maintaining a healthy way of life and can surely give you the satisfaction of how you feel better and at the prime of your health.

Skin care: 4 tips for healthy skin

Being the largest, not to mention most exposed, organ of the body, the skin offers many telling details about a person’s identity—from one’s lifestyle to choice of products. This is why the skin has been subject to frequent, sometimes intentional, scrutiny. And for fear of failing the test, a lot of people have paid much closer attention to the skin.


This is purely normal; in fact, proper skin care should be in the mind of every individual. This doesn’t mean, however, incorporating complex skin care routine in daily itineraries, because practicing skin care basics should do well enough. Here are the four basics of skin care. Do them with regularity and your skin will look as radiant and young as you want it to.



 1. Cleanse. A healthy skin is a clean skin, so regularly cleanse your skin with a compatible facial cleanser. A good cleanser removes dirt, excess oil, and germs, while being gentle on the skin. When choosing a cleanser, consider your type of skin and be extra critical. Some cleansers come in the form of soaps, others in liquid form. There are beauty experts who prefer using liquid cleansers since they believe soaps can strip off moisture from the skin and leave it dry.

 However, this is an issue of personal preference. Should you be more comfortable using soap, it’s okay. But be sure to choose mild soaps. TIP: Do not over-wash your skin because it will do your skin more harm than good. At the most, wash your face twice—morning and night. Some people prefer to wash with only lukewarm water in the morning, and use cleanser at night. Again, whether you omit the cleanser from your morning routine is an issue of preference.


 2. Moisturize. The goal of moisturizers is to keep moisture locked into the skin, preventing it to be dry, flaky, and cracked. Every skin type needs to be moisturized, even the oily skin. Good thing is, there are specially designed moisturizers for each skin type. TIP: Because of the advanced science, moisturizers today are a far cry from their early counterparts, which used to be only made of water and wax mixtures. Nowadays, there are ingredients that replenish natural oil and help with exfoliation, such as glycerol, ceramides, and hydroxyl acids. Look for these ingredients when choosing a moisturizer.


3. Exfoliate. Few people know that exfoliation is as important as cleansing the skin and so leave it out from their routine. This should not be the case. Skin exfoliation at least once a week is necessary to remove dead skin cells that cause blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples. With regular exfoliation, the skin is smooth and radiant. TIP: Facial scrubs have potent exfoliation properties, which is why many skin care manufacturers are now producing their own scrub products. But because there are a lot of options in the market, it pays to be a little critical. When looking for a facial scrub, choose the one with small grains. This is proven to work more gently on the skin.


4. Sun-protect. A lifetime of sun exposure causes most of the skin damages, and usually these damages, which include wrinkles, dark spots, uneven skin, and dryness, appear later in life. But because they tend to manifest slowly, these damages are all too often ignored. Protect your skin from the sun, particularly from the damaging UV rays, early on and use sunscreen protection. TIP: When you don’t apply sunscreen, your efforts of practicing the other skin care basics are all in vain. So start investing on sunscreen and choose those products with SPF 15 or more. For more protection, apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out and reapply when necessary.

Daily Skin Care To Avoid Signs Of Aging

Experts in the beauty industry say that there are actually two effective ways of skin care to the aging skin: first is the artificial means and the natural means. The former can be done through plastic surgeries and through the use of products that contain chemicals that are believed to minimize the signs of aging and the latter would include measures to living a healthy lifestyle.

More and more people prefer the artificial means because it is an easy remedy to aging. They encourage people to take natural means as possible because if these are done and followed properly, they can have a lasting effect on the person's appearance and over all health and well being.

Experts say that natural skin regimen is the best way to achieve a long lasting, healthy skin. This might include having a balanced and healthy diet and developing a regular work out, exercise or physical activities to keep the blood circulate freely. This can also be possible by stopping smoking cigarettes; veering away from stressful events; finding ample time to sleep; being well hydrated through lots of fluids especially water and by keeping a positive outlook in life.

Why Skin Care Is Important

To avoid the early signs of aging, proper skin care should be an essential part of every person's life. The first step in taking care of skin is to know what type of skin you possess. Dermatologists—professionals who are experts on skin and skin care and treatment—categorize skin types into four that include dry, oily, normal, and combination.

If there's a tight or rough feel of the skin, you should pay more attention to the way you treat your skin because this is an indicator of dry skin—the most common contributor of ugly skin. This is characterized by the presence of flakes and scales as well as redness and itchiness of the skin. Experts say that is if you have dry skin, it is a must that you avoid washing it with hot water. It is also a must that you stay away from using harsh or strong soaps and alcohol-based skin products to avoid skin irritation.

Then, the next type is the oily skin that is characterized by shiny appearance and large pores on the skin's surface that makes it prone to acne. People who have oily skin should shun away from too much scrubbing that can cause more pimple breakout. It is also advisable that they use non-comedogenic skin products to maintain a healthy skin.

On the other hand, normal skin is characterized by healthy glow. It doesn’t have redness or large pores. People who have normal skin type should use skin care products that help maintain the natural water balance of their skin.

Last effective skin care would be the combination skin that has dry and oily areas. Oily sections usually include the T-zone (the forehead, nose, and chin), while cheeks remain less oily. People with combination skin must use products that are specifically developed for this skin type in order to avoid over-drying that can cause redness, itchiness, or any irritation.

Skin Care to Prevent Pimples

One of the most annoying problems adolescents and adults often face is the problem of pimples or acne, but with a good idea about how to prevent or minimize the effects, be on the know about skin care to prevent pimples. Many people often get frustrated upon seeing that much- dreaded zit right smack in your face or a cold sore at the corner of your mouth as you wake up one morning, most especially when it appears during an important appointment or meeting about to take place.

But fret no more, since there are practical and effective ways to prevent a pimple from coming out and making your day.

Pimples occur when the skin pores are clogged with a oil called sebum, which is normally secreted by the skin to lubricate the hair and skin.
This is prevalent especially among adolescents as they enter puberty where hormones tend to overproduce sebum.

It is the face that is often suspectible to this condition since the face especially the forehead, cheeks nose and chin where many of the sebaceous glands producing sebum are found.

However, there are ways to prevent, better yet, avoid pimples from occurring or breaking out and here are some of the most common yet practical ways to prevent pimples or acne from breaking out.

Wash the face twice a day, most especially if you have just been subjected to dust and grime by using a mild soap and warm water.

Make sure to gently massage the face with circular motions and do not attempt to scrub, since scrubbing or even overwashing can irritate or damage the skin.

To further prevent pimples from coming back, also apply an over the counter topical ointment or cream with benzoyl peroxide, which will help decrease skin oil and bacteria.

Do not pop or squeeze out the pimple, no matter how tempting or irresistible it may seem, since it will only serve to cause more harm than good.

Popping a pimple will only tend to drive infected sebum deeper into the pore and result further in redness, swelling and even worse, scarring. If you feel the need to have it removed, see a dermatologist who can better get rid of it for you without the fear of getting infected or scarred.
Always avoid touching the face with your bare fingers, especially without sanitizing or washing your hands thoroughly, or allowing the face to come in direct contact with objects that would tend to collect sebum from other people, like the handset of a telephone or borrowing a facial towel, since it may cause your pimples or acne to become more irritated or infected.
If you often wear sunglasses or eyeglasses, make sure to keep it clean all the time, most especially parts of the eyewear that come into contact with the skin, since it could collect sebum that would aggravate pimples or acne.

For people who get acne on parts of their body, make sure to avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes that prevent your skin from breathing, thus further causing more infection. Also avoid wearing scarves, caps, headbands and any piece of clothing that would prevent the skin from breathing and may collect oil or dirt.

Always make it a point to remove makeup before going to sleep. Look for makeup products that are labeled "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic" since these are formulated to prevent pimples. Don’t hesitate to throw away old makeup that smells or looks different from when it was first bought.
Always keep hair clean and away from making contact with the face to prevent dirt and oil from clogging the pores.

Lastly, protect the skin from the sun. Although many believe that a tan can conceal acne, it's but temporary and may even cause the body to produce extra sebum. Worse, too much exposure to the sun can increase the risk of getting skin cancer.

Always be on the winning edge in the war against acne and it does not take much to know these tips on skin care to prevent pimples.

tags: skin care, skin treatment, skin care treatment, facial skin care, face skin care, natural skin care,

Basic Skin Care Regimen you Should Know About

Many people often ignore that the key to having healthy and good skin is oftentimes missing out on basic skin care regimen that you should know about and practice.

It is oftentimes understandable how people often tend to neglect the idea that skin care should also be part of their regular routine due to the daily grind of everyday work and living, however, many people deny the fact that this should still be a part of their regular routines.

Basic skin care should form part of a person’s way of life, since having healthy skin is also a good way to ensure healthy living, which also contributes to ensuring preventive measures against health –threatening conditions like skin cancer and other skin –related diseases.

First skin care regiment to consider would be cleansing.

There are a lot of skin cleansers available in the market, especially drugstores and skin care centers, however, awareness should also be the responsibility of everyone before even going through this process.

Take for example the importance of knowing your skin type, which is key to also knowing which type of skin cleansers to use.

This is practically important since there are a variety of skin types that can be appropriate for specific skin cleansers as well, since using the wrong type of cleanser for the wrong skin type could cause more harm than good.

Among the most common skin types are oily or dry skin, for which varying levels also apply, which are often effects secretions of the skin’s sebaceous glands.

When in doubt about determining your skin type and what cleansers to use, you may seek the advise of a dermatologist to make you more confident about the cleansing regimen you are going to pursue.

Next would be exfoliation, which is the process by which dead skin is scraped off or removed from the outer surface, intended to clear the outer layer of the skin from prolonged exposure to dead skin cells that could impede the regeneration of healthy skin.

Among the most common exfoliation methods include, microdermabrasion, retinoids or chemical peels.

Microdermabrasion usually involves using scrubs, for which most believe should be done once weekly. But make sure to use scrubs composed of tiny grains, since coarse grains could scar the outer layer instead of just removing dead skin cells.

Retinoids on the other hand works by removing the top layer of skin cells, especially dead cells, and at the same time, promote the regeneration of collagen in the skin and works by preventing the rapid breakdown of the skin’s structural fiber causing fine lines and large pores as we grow older.

Last is chemical peel, which is a process supervised and administered by a dermatologist or licensed skin therapist, which provides better results compared to over –the- counter chemical peel treatment kits.

Chemical peels usually take an hour or so, but can achieve maximum results of making the skin look younger and shave as much as five years off your face.

Lastly, always make sure to apply sunscreen, especially when you are constantly exposed to the sun.

This is mainly so because the sun can add years and even cause the skin to dry rapidly, causing wrinkles and can even bombard the skin of dangerous doses of ultraviolet rays that can cause skin cancer.

It is important to be aware of these basic steps since skin care is more than just leasing the eye with aesthetics, but essentially so since basic skin care you should know about is also a key contributor to a healthy and productive way of life.

The Secret To Selecting The Right Skin Care Products

The 21st century paved the way to the emergence of so many skin care products and services. Since the effectivity of these products is not always 100 percent guaranteed, people should not use them until they have consulted a physician or a professional.

Although the market is now swarmed with so many skin care products, it doesn’t mean that you can use and experiment around with these products because doing so can bring bigger disaster on your skin instead of bringing in solution. If you are thinking of using skin care products in order to lessen the effects of aging, it is a must that you conduct a research about the product you're planning to use and its possible side effects.

Decide Wisely

In choosing what is the best skin care product for your skin, it is a must that you conduct a simple research in order to take a peek into various products available in the market that can help you. Here are some guidelines in choosing the best and right skin care products for you.

Also, Bear in mind that you must set up a routine of cleansing, toning and moisturizing your skin before using these anti aging products and make sure you use them as directed by the manufacturers' instructions.

1. Know your skin type first. You can do this by consulting a dermatologist or by conducting a self-test. Knowing your skin type is very important in choosing any skin care product because this will determine what are the products, recommended brands, and ingredients that is safe for your skin.

2. Opt for skin care products that contain soluble Vitamin A, C, and E. When choosing any skin care product, it is best that they contain water-based Vitamin A, C, and E because these are the most effective ingredients that can help reduce the signs of aging such as wrinkles, crow's feet and other fine lines.

3. Choose skin care products that have high concentrations of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Consider choosing products that contain the antioxidants for the skin such as Ascorbyl Acid or Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A or beta carotene and Flavonoids because these can help you to achieve a firm and younger looking skin while nourishing, strengthening and moisturizing your aging skin or your problematic skin.

4. Look for skin care products that contain fine crystals. Fine crystals or ingredients of the same properties can help exfoliate the skin while removing dead skin cells that contribute to the skin's aging. Anti-aging products that have fine crystals can help remove dead skin cells that reduce the formation of lines. These anti-aging products may include wrinkle erasers, facial and body scrubs, toners, eye creams, various cleansers, hydrators, and moisturizers.

5. Buy skin care products that can be applied or used not only on the face but in other parts of the body as well. It is important that you choose anti-aging products that can do wonders for the neck and hands because these are the parts of the body where early signs of aging are visible.

Avoid The Signs of Aging Through Proper Skin Care

Aging is an inevitable process all creations go through. In fact, the aging process is considered natural cycle that everything and everyone must face. But the signs of aging can be delayed or can be hidden through proper skin care. The skin is the most affected area when a person ages. When a person ages, the skin loses its elasticity that is why wrinkles and fine lines start to appear especially on the face, neck, and hands.

Today, the most common solution people find is by developing healthy skin care regimen and through the use of anti-aging products that can minimize—if not eliminate—the signs of aging. These anti-aging products are marketed and advertised to encourage people to control the early signs of aging such as wrinkles, crow's feet, and other visible fine lines.  


External Factors That Affect Aging Before finally deciding whether to use these products or not, you must first know the external factors that greatly contribute to aging in order to avoid them. Here are the major external factors that cause aging and skin aging, it is up to you how to avoid these in order to maintain a young looking and vibrant skin.


 1. The sun. This is the major external factor that caused aging. Experts say that aging caused by overexposure to the sun's ultra violet rays is called "photo-aging." In this process, the sun's rays breaks down the collagen and elastin in the person's skin that lead to the development of premature wrinkles and other facial lines. You can protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun by applying sun blocks and sun screens that has high SPF content. You can also wear proper articles of clothing that help protect your skin from the damaging rays and by lessening the time you spent outdoors especially when the sun is its peak hours.


 2. The gravity. Science tells us that gravity pulls everything towards the earth. As people age, the effect of gravity becomes visible on the skin and affects its elasticity a lot.  


3. Excessive smoking. Nicotine indeed plays a big role in skin's aging. Studies show that smokers form lines and wrinkles sooner compared to those who do not smoke. Skin is affected by nicotine because it narrows the blood vessels in the outer layers of the person's skin that is responsible for the reduction of blood and nutrients flow.  


4. Several facial expressions. People have a lot of facial expressions. These expressions are quite inevitable depending on the situation they are in. Since facial muscles are used when people make facial expressions, this can lead to the formation of lines in the face and neck.


 5. The sleeping position. Although it may sound absurd, improper sleeping position contributes a lot to aging of the skin because it results to the visibility of wrinkles. A good skin care habit should include adopting a sleeping position that can veer you away from forming lines on the face or even on your body.

5 Expert Advice And Proven Methods To Gain Muscles!

If you have spent all your life inside the gym just to find out that nothing’s happening aside from muscle pains then you must be doing something really wrong. You have to assess yourself. Fact is, gaining muscle mass can't be done in just a day. You can’t even see it coming even if weeks have already passed. Muscle gain is achieved only after months of rigid exercise and it requires lots and lots of devotion and determination in order for your body building program to work.

Either way, here are five of the most effective ways to help you boost up your knowledge and skills in totally achieving your muscle growth goal. You can choose to follow these tips or guidelines just in case.

Have a meaty diet

In order to increase the mass of your body, you have to increase protein intake. That would be simple, right? Meats should be categorized as red meat because they contain certain nutrients that are required for your muscles to grow. You don’t need scientists to figure that one out. You just need to combine protein with the right kind of food like veggies or juice drinks which will help you to further acquire the buffer you need.

Use weights, the free ones

Here, you can use the usual dumbbells in order to add to the movements of your exercise. This equipment can also improve your ancillary muscles in order to have a wider range of motion. Free weights are also helpful in increasing the number of muscles that you want.

Safety first

Above all else, before and after you start your routine in the gym, you have to observe proper safety in order to avoid or prevent any injuries that may occur. When you’re bodybuilding, be sure that you take it one step at a time. Don’t combine heavy weight with intensive sessions of workouts because you make yourself more vulnerable to get injured. It’s very common for bodybuilders to experience strains, torn and disc slips. You can avoid these things from happening just by being more aware of the different precautionary measures. You also might want to warm up so that your body’s circulation will be more efficient once you start the real session.

Flirt with alternatives

If you think that you already have met your requirements for your body, you can do other maximums in order to assess yourself. This will give you the opportunity to check the status of your overall strength. However, when you do something more strenuous, you have to make sure that your muscles can handle the stress otherwise it will have a negative feedback on your muscles. Thus, in the duration of your bodybuilding time, you are still expected and recommended that you increase the weight.

Observe for improvements

In order to assess that you have achieved something, you have to determine how far you’ve come. You can check your present status from other people or muscle teams. This will teach you other terms on how to improve some areas of your strengths and weaknesses. In observing people, you will be able to see how far you’ve come in gaining muscle mass or how much more there is to do.

Comparison is always effective to improve someone’s ideals and capabilities.

7 Ways To Make Alkaline Diet Benefit You

Discover 7 easy tips you can use in your daily life to  help your body balance itself back to alkaline balance  and experience better overall health. The premise of an alkaline diet is that the nutrients found in supplements, alkalizing foods, and water can  bring the body back to balance. These vitamins, minerals, and herbs infuse the body with new energy, vitality, and better health.

The more alkaline diet, rich in basic foods and not acids (which are so classified because of its chemical composition and not by taste sweeter or more acidic), causes the body to absorb more oxygen, and that the human body has a slightly alkaline pH and thus eat alkali can help to maintain the pH of the body in equilibrium. The healthy pH of our blood is 7.35, and the power has an influence on its maintenance. Currently eating habits tend to include a lot of acidic food such as animal protein, dairy products and wheat.

 

Alkaline foods and water must be consumed in order to provide nutrients the body needs to neutralize acids and toxins in the blood, lymph, tissues, and cells.

When pH balance inside the body is ‘out of balance’  the body tries to correct that sensitive pH balance. That process shows up as uncomfortable symptoms,  including colds, flues, allergies, diseases, viruses, and bacteria.

When the pH level in our body is unbalanced, almost any area of the body can be affected. For example when the nervous system is effected as the result of unbalanced pH balance it shows up in the form of the depression. When cardiovascular system is effected we could have heart disease or experience other heart-related problems, including thickening and hardening of the arteries, coronary heard disease, pain or discomfort in the chest, stroke, high blood pressure, and heart failure. When muscles are effected we often feel fatigue and lack of energy. When skin is effected by improper pH balance we age quicker than normal.

When the body’s pH level is in balance, the body reaches ideal weight and corrects negative health challenges naturally.

Transition to a more alkaline healthy diet requires a shift in attitude towards food. The important point to remember is that small changes go a long way. Add more alkaline foods to your diet gradually.

7 Sure-fire ways to make alkaline diet benefit you:

1) Reduce the consumption of sugar and products made from sugar, including soda pop, pies, ice cream, jello, jams & jellies, artificial juices, puddings, doughnuts, corn syrups, chewing gum, sweetened drinks, cookies, breakfast cereals, liqueurs, mixed drinks.

2) Avoid processed foods and condiments including ketchup, salad dressings, pickles, luncheon meats, canned fruits, breads, relish, cheese dips, peanut butter, prepared seafood, frozen vegetables, crackers, canned soups, hot dogs, sausages, sweetened yogurt.

3) Avoid cooking and heating foods and drinks in microwave.

4) Avoid dairy, meats, fried foods and fast foods.

5) Increase your consumption of raw vegetables and raw fresh fruits (without sugar). You should include raw vegetables in every meal. If your breakfast is so small that you only eat toast or cereal, stop eating toast and take fresh fruits or vegetable juices instead. If your lunches are usually consist of sandwiches  try to substitute it with a raw salad or a vegetable juice. Have a large salad before you eat a heavy entree at dinner. This way, you will be sure to eat all of the salad instead of finding yourself too full to finish it.

6) Grains form the base of a balanced diet and are important in maintaining the alkaline balance in the body. Grains are great source of vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients, including folic acid, fiber, carbohydrates antioxidants and phytoestrogens. The Department of Food and Science and Nutrition at University of Minnesota determined that consumption of whole grains reduces the risk of chronic diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease. By eating grains you can eat less but feel full. Grains should comprise about 20% of your diet.

7) Don't forget to hydrate. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of good quality of water each day. Add liquid minerals to increase the quality of water.

CONCLUSION

If you follow these easy 7 steps it will allow you to create the proper alkaline balance within your body.

Creating the proper alkaline balance within your body will bring you increased quality of life. You'll start seeing immediate improvements in your health. Your energy will increase, your concentration will be stronger. You'll build strength, stamina, and resistance to diseases. Your entire body will function more efficiently just like it was meant to do.

Are You Ready to Get Serious About Mental Attitude for Success

Success is in the blood. There are men whom fate can never keep down they march forward in a jaunty manner, and take by divine right the best of everything that the earth affords. But their success is not attained by means of the Samuel Smiles-Connecticut policy. They do not lie in wait, nor scheme, nor fawn, nor seek to adapt their sails to catch the breeze of popular favor. Still, they are ever alert and alive to any good that may come their way, and when it comes they simply appropriate it, and tarrying not, move steadily on.

Good health! Whenever you go out of doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high, and fill the lungs to the utmost; drink in the sunshine; greet your friends with a smile, and put soul into every hand-clasp.

Do not fear being misunderstood; and never waste a moment thinking about your enemies. Try to fix firmly in your own mind what you would like to do, and then without violence of direction you will move straight to the goal.

Fear is the rock on which we split, and hate the shoal on which many a barque is stranded. When we become fearful, the judgment is as unreliable as the compass of a ship whose hold is full of iron ore; when we hate, we have unshipped the rudder; and if ever we stop to meditate on what the gossips say, we have allowed a hawser to foul the screw.

Keep your mind on the great and splendid thing you would like to do; and then, as the days go gliding by, you will find yourself unconsciously seizing the opportunities that are required for the fulfillment of your desire, just as the coral insect takes from the running tide the elements that it needs. Picture in your mind the able, earnest, useful person you desire to be, and the thought that you hold is hourly transforming you into that particular individual you so admire.

Thought is supreme, and to think is often better than to do.

Preserve a right mental attitude the attitude of courage, frankness and good cheer.

Darwin and Spencer have told us that this is the method of Creation. Each animal has evolved the parts it needed and desired. The horse is fleet because he wishes to be; the bird flies because it desires to; the duck has a web foot because it wants to swim. All things come through desire and every sincere prayer is answered. We become like that on which our hearts are fixed.

Many people know this, but they do not know it thoroughly enough so that it shapes their lives. We want friends, so we scheme and chase 'cross lots after strong people, and lie in wait for good folks or alleged good folks hoping to be able to attach ourselves to them. The only way to secure friends is to be one. And before you are fit for friendship you must be able to do without it. That is to say, you must have sufficient self-reliance to take care of yourself, and then out of the surplus of your energy you can do for others.

The individual who craves friendship, and yet desires a self-centered spirit more, will never lack for friends.

If you would have friends, cultivate solitude instead of society. Drink in the ozone; bathe in the sunshine; and out in the silent night, under the stars, say to yourself again and yet again, "I am a part of all my eyes behold!" And the feeling then will come to you that you are no mere interloper between earth and heaven; but you are a necessary part of the whole. No harm can come to you that does not come to all, and if you shall go down it can only be amid a wreck of worlds.

Like old Job, that which we fear will surely come upon us. By a wrong mental attitude we have set in motion a train of events that ends in disaster. People who die in middle life from disease, almost without exception, are those who have been preparing for death. The acute tragic condition is simply the result of a chronic state of mind a culmination of a series of events.

Character is the result of two things, mental attitude, and the way we spend our time. It is what we think and what we do that make us what we are.

By laying hold on the forces of the universe, you are strong with them. And when you realize this, all else is easy, for in your arteries will course red corpuscles, and in your heart the determined resolution is born to do and to be. Carry your chin in and the crown of your head high. We are gods in the chrysalis.

Getting to the root of female hair loss

Is your hair thinning and falling out? Do you notice more strands of hair in your hair brush after you get done brushing your hair in the morning? How about more hair in the tub or shower drain after every shower? These could be signs that you need to look into female hair loss causes.

If some of the older women in your family have been victims of female pattern baldness, you may also be in line to suffer the same fate. If you know what the causes are then maybe you can put some prevention tactics into action and decrease the predisposition to becoming bald like your mother and grandmother or aunts did.

Some causes are due to medical reasons. The three main medical reasons are Androgenic Alopecia, Telogen Effluvium, and Alopecia Areata.

Androgenic alopecia, or female pattern baldness is the leading cause of hair loss in women. Androgenic alopecia can affect any woman at any point in her life, especially if she has a familial predisposition to hair loss. This means it is hereditary and more likely than not you will experience hair loss just like mom and grandma. In androgenic alopecia, what happens is the hair follicles become very sensitive to the androgens in the blood stream. Androgens enter the androgen receptors in the hair follicle and tell the hair follicles to produce less hair. Your hair then becomes thinner and soon the follicles die off and you are left with less hair.

Telogen Effluvium is the second of the most common female hair loss causes. This condition is caused by an increased amount of stress in your life, unusually high amounts of prolonged stress causes your hair to become thin and fall out. You may notice this type of hair loss when you become pregnant. With all the changes your body goes through with being pregnant, all the hormone fluctuations can cause hair thinning or loss. Usually though, with the resolution of the prolonged, high stress, your hair will grow back just fine.

Alopecia areata is the the third most common cause of hair loss in women and may be linked to immunodeficiencies in the woman's body. If the immunodeficiency is identified, treated and gets resolved then so does the hair loss and hair grows back.

Other medical reasons a woman may lose her hair are vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including iron deficiency which causes anemia. Thyroid dysfunction and liver problems can cause thinning hair. Chemotherapy treatments for cancer will make a woman lose her hair but this is only temporary. When the course of chemotherapy is complete, your hair should grow back. Any of these conditions can be temporary and when treated correctly and are under control, your hair can and will grow back. Menopause is also a big reason why some women lose their hair. Just like with pregnancy, menopause causes all sorts of hormonal fluctuations and hair becomes thin and fragile.

If you hair loss becomes severe, talk to your doctor about female hair loss causes and ask to be tested for any of the above conditions to rule them out. You may just need to learn how to decrease the stress in your life to get your full, head of hair back.

Alcohol Can Act as a 'Blood Thinner'

 Alcohol Can Act as a 'Blood Thinner'
 

Dr. Richardson, in his lectures on alcohol, given both in England and America, speaking of the action of this substance on the blood after passing from the stomach, says:

"Suppose, then, a certain measure of alcohol be taken into the stomach, it will be absorbed there, but, previous to absorption, it will have to undergo a proper degree of dilution with water, for there is this peculiarity respecting alcohol when it is separated by an animal membrane from a watery fluid like the blood, that it will not pass through the membrane until it has become charged, to a given point of dilution, with water. It is itself, in fact,  so greedy for water, it will pick it up from watery textures, and deprive them of it until, by its saturation, its power of reception is exhausted , after which it will diffuse into the current of circulating fluid."

It is this power of absorbing water from every texture with which alcoholic spirits comes in contact, that creates the burning thirst of those who freely indulge in its use. Its effect, when it reaches the circulation, is thus described by Dr. Richardson:

"As it passes through the circulation of the lungs it is exposed to the air, and some little of it, raised into vapor by the natural heat, is thrown off in expiration. If the quantity of it be large, this loss may be considerable, and the odor of the spirit may be detected in the expired breath. If the quantity be small, the loss will be comparatively little, as the spirit will be held in solution by the water in the blood. After it has passed through the lungs, and has been driven by the left heart over the arterial circuit, it passes into what is called the minute circulation, or the structural circulation of the organism.


The arteries here extend into very small vessels, which are called arterioles, and from these infinitely small vessels spring the equally minute radicals or roots of the veins, which are ultimately to become the great rivers bearing the blood back to the heart. In its passage through this minute circulation the alcohol finds its way to every organ. To this brain, to these muscles, to these secreting or excreting organs, nay, even into this bony structure itself, it moves with the blood. In some of these parts which are not excreting, it remains for a time diffused, and in those parts where there is a large percentage of water, it remains longer than in other parts.

From some organs which have an open tube for conveying fluids away, as the liver and kidneys, it is thrown out or eliminated, and in this way a portion of it is ultimately removed from the body. The rest passing round and round with the circulation, is probably decomposed and carried off in new forms of matter.

"When we know the course which the alcohol takes in its passage through the body, from the period of its absorption to that of its elimination, we are the better able to judge what physical changes it induces in the different organs and structures with which it comes in contact. It first reaches the blood; but, as a rule, the quantity of it that enters is insufficient to produce any material effect on that fluid. If, however, the dose taken be poisonous or semi-poisonous, then even the blood, rich as it is in water and it contains seven hundred and ninety parts in a thousand is affected.


 The alcohol is diffused through this water, and there it comes in contact with the other constituent parts, with the fibrine, that plastic substance which, when blood is drawn, clots and coagulates, and which is present in the proportion of from two to three parts in a thousand; with the albumen which exists in the proportion of seventy parts; with the salts which yield about ten parts; with the fatty matters; and lastly, with those minute, round bodies which float in myriads in the blood (which were discovered by the Dutch philosopher, Leuwenhock, as one of the first results of microscopical observation, about the middle of the seventeenth century), and which are called the blood globules or corpuscles. These last-named bodies are, in fact, cells; their discs, when natural, have a smooth outline, they are depressed in the centre, and they are red in color; the color of the blood being derived from them. We have discovered that there exist other corpuscles or cells in the blood in much smaller quantity, which are called white cells, and these different cells float in the blood-stream within the vessels.


 The red take the centre of the stream; the white lie externally near the sides of the vessels, moving less quickly. Our business is mainly with the red corpuscles. They perform the most important functions in the economy; they absorb, in great part, the oxygen which we inhale in breathing, and carry it to the extreme tissues of the body; they absorb, in great part, the carbonic acid gas which is produced in the combustion of the body in the extreme tissues, and bring that gas back to the lungs to be exchanged for oxygen there; in short, they are the vital instruments of the circulation.

"With all these parts of the blood, with the water, fibrine, albumen, salts, fatty matter and corpuscles, the alcohol comes in contact when it enters the blood, and, if it be in sufficient quantity, it produces disturbing action. I have watched this disturbance very carefully on the blood corpuscles; for, in some animals we can see these floating along during life, and we can also observe them from men who are under the effects of alcohol, by removing a speck of blood, and examining it with the microscope.

The action of the alcohol, when it is observable, is varied. It may cause the corpuscles to run too closely together, and to adhere in rolls; it may modify their outline, making the clear-defined, smooth, outer edge irregular or crenate, or even starlike; it may change the round corpuscle into the oval form, or, in very extreme cases, it may produce what I may call a truncated form of corpuscles, in which the change is so great that if we did not trace it through all its stages, we should be puzzled to know whether the object looked at were indeed a blood-cell.


All these changes are due to the action of the spirit upon the water contained in the corpuscles; upon the capacity of the spirit to extract water from them. During every stage of modification of corpuscles thus described, their function to absorb and fix gases is impaired, and when the aggregation of the cells, in masses, is great, other difficulties arise, for the cells, united together, pass less easily than they should through the minute vessels of the lungs and of the general circulation, and impede the current, by which local injury is produced.

"A further action upon the blood, instituted by alcohol in excess, is upon the fibrine or the plastic colloidal matter. On this the spirit may act in two different ways, according to the degree in which it affects the water that holds the fibrine in solution. It may fix the water with the fibrine, and thus destroy the power of coagulation; or it may extract the water so determinately as to produce coagulation."