26 Ways To A Healthier You

Instead of setting new year resolutions that are soon broken, consider making some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle which you can adopt throughout this year and beyond.
1. Aim to eat a minimum of 5, but preferably 8 to 10 fruits and vegetables a day.
2. Choose "negative calorie" vegetables which use up more calories to digest than the number of calories they contain. Examples are broccoli, carrots, celery, lettuce, asparagus, cauliflower, chilli peppers, cucumbers, garlic, onions, spinach, turnip.
3. Fruit is best eaten in the morning - for example, a fruit smoothie for breakfast, or as a snack between meals. Negative calorie fruits include apples, tangerines, papayas, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, grapefruit, lemons, mangos, oranges.
4. Include some raw vegetables in your diet each day, such as a side salad or crudités but avoid high sugar and fat dressings or dips.
5. NEVER cook vegetables in a microwave as it destroys most of the nutrients and can be harmful to health. Steaming is the best cooking method.
6. Unless you have an allergy to them, nuts and seeds make an ideal snack instead of crisps or chocolate. They are best eaten raw and a handful is not as fattening as you may think.
7. Choose lean cuts of meat but only eat a small portion. It's not necessary to eat meat every day.
8. Eat at least one portion of oily fish a week such as salmon, tuna or mackerel.
9. Use a smaller plate. Psychologically, you will feel more satisfied eating from a full, small plate than a half empty, large plate.
10. Go easy on the dairy products. They can be quite fattening and are not essential for health. Green, leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds are a far superior source of calcium.
11. Natural, pro-biotic yogurt can help aid digestion by providing millions of good bacteria to the gut but avoid yogurts with fruit, sugar or artificial sweeteners.
12. Keep processed foods to a minimum, especially starchy carbohydrates, as they are high in calories and soon leave you craving for more.
13. Avoid "white" foods such as white bread, pasta, rice and sugar. Instead, use the wholemeal or brown versions.
14. Avoid all artificial sweeteners as they are harmful to health and actually stimulate your appetite! Xylitol, a natural sweetener, is a safer alternative with few calories.
15. Drink at least 2 litres of fluid a day, ideally water.
16. If you feel hungry between meals, try a glass of water, first. Thirst lets us know we are dehydrated but sometimes we mistake it for hunger.
17. Keep caffeinated drinks to a minimum as they can be dehydrating.
18. Alcohol is high in calories, so limit the amount you drink.
19. Avoid fizzy drinks full of empty calories. Even the diet versions are bad and will make you want to eat more!
20. To make up the shortfall in nutrients in our food today, take a broad-spectrum multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Liquid versions are usually best for absorption.
21. Take a probiotic supplement with billions of "good" bacteria (acidophilus and bifidus) to aid digestion and absorption of nutrients in the gut.
22. Take fish oil, either in capsules or as a liquid for omega 3 fatty acids.
23. If you are deficient in Vitamin D, your ability to lose weight will be harder. A supplement with Vitamin D3 can help raise your levels. Most people in the UK are deficient during the winter months.
24. Avoid eating after 7pm. Any carbohydrates not used as energy will be stored as fat.
25. Get active. No need to sign up for the gym. A brisk walk, running up and down stairs, parking further away from your destination, doing housework... can all help burn extra calories and keep you fit and healthy.
26. Finally, some people struggle with weight control due to an underlying medical condition. The most common are Hypothyroidism (underactive Thyroid Gland), Insulin Resistance (Pre-Diabetes/Type 2 Diabetes), or a Food Intolerance. If you suspect you may have a problem, consult a health practitioner for a health check.
Sue Bedford is a Registered Nurse with a Diploma in Nutrition, specialising in health screening and health promotion. More information can be found at http://www.pulsescreening.co.uk/


View the original article here

Baca Selengkapnya...

How to Choose, Buy And Use an Essential Oil

Essential oils are the primary component in the aromatherapy practice. They can also be used at home for the physical and psychological well being. Essential oil is the distilled and pure concentrate that is extracted from the flowers, fruits, leaves, peel or twigs of a plant. There are a variety of essential oils available in the market, however, when you plan to buy one you need to be extra careful as there is a risk of getting the one that is not original. Oils that are less costly can be highly toxic and can damage your skin after application.
How to choose essential oils
When it comes to aromatherapy it is not necessary that all the products will be pure or natural. You have to make sure that you buy from a reputed dealer and check the label of the oil for ingredients. If you find the words such as "perfume oil", "fragrance oil" or "natural ingredient oil", avoid the product.
The label of the product should say 100% essential oil. And along with the common name of the plant, its botanical name should also be denoted. For example, if you are buying clove oil, the botanical name of clove, which is Syzygium Aromaticum, should also be seen on the label.
The price of the product can also act as a guide to buying pure and good quality aromatic oils. The essential oils that are 100% pure can't be cheap. The more tough it is to extract out the oil, the more will be its cost. Also make sure that you buy from well established dealer so that you avoid the risk of getting tricked.
Buying online is not a very good idea as the oils might expire and lose their essence. While buying online you also lose the opportunity of smelling the oil at the time of buying. Oils may differ by origin, and the weather conditions can also affect the smell and quality of the oils. Also, avoid smelling too many oils at the same time as it get confusing because the strong small of the oils can be overwhelming. You should rather smell the oils after breaks or return to the store later sometime.
How to apply essential oils
There are different ways of applying the essential oils. You can either apply the oil directly to your skin or by making use of a vaporizer or an oil burner. You can use a few drops in warm bed or inhale it directly by putting a few drops on your pillow or a handkerchief. It is said that by putting a few drops of the lavender oil on your pillow can assist you in getting a sound sleep. If you want to us the oils directly onto your skin, you have to use a carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil or jojoba oil to use it.
Phototoxic essential oils
There are some essential oils that can react to sunlight and can cause sunburn to a person. The oils that are to be used carefully include grapefruit, mandarin, lime, bergamot, cumin, lovage and angelica. The oils that are associated with lesser risks include caraway, ginger, lemon verbena, cassia and Melissa. Therefore, after applying these oils, you should try to avoid direct exposure to sunlight.
Shabina is a senior technical writer at a registered content creation firm. Shabina is a post graduate in management with a specialization in marketing. Her passion for writing combined with her literary knowledge makes her a good writer. Shabina writes about a variety of topics, however she has a knack for the health and fitness articles.
For knowing more about Shabina you can visit:
http://www.hueandscribe.com/?page_id=350


View the original article here

Baca Selengkapnya...

Check your breast health

Breast cancer has emerged as one of the leading causes of cancer death in women in the world, especially in economically developing countries. It is also the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world. Early detection of cancer is the Foundation for the treatment of breast cancer and survive. The fact that the early stages of breast cancer, however, complicated often asymptomatic screening for breast cancer. It is therefore important that women recognize the importance of regular screening tests, such as mammography to detect the presence of cancer that is still at a very early stage.
Here are some of the recommendations, the American Cancer Society, which help in the early diagnosis of breast cancer in women;
· Women in the 20s and older should begin with its BSE (self breast exam). The doctor should be reported to detect changes in their breasts while BSE. To know the proper technique for BSE, you can learn the BSE technique by a professional health.
· Women in the 20s and older should a CBE (clinical breast exam) every three years receive.
· Women aged 40 and older should be for a mammogram once a year, despite the fact the they otherwise in perfect health
Symptoms of breast cancer
In many cases, the early detection of cancer is not possible and you get only the disease after the manifestation of the signs and symptoms in the body to know. Some of these symptoms can be:
You clumps in the breast or armpit ·
Swollen and painful breast cancer
· Nipple discharge
· Irritation of the skin of the breast
· Pain or irritation in the nipple
Change in size and shape of the breast ·
It is essential that every woman, the changes in their breasts, mentioned including the signs and symptoms, recognizes a member who must request a medical examination immediately to health care professionals.
Treatment
With advances in medical science, there are several treatments for breast cancer. The type of treatment for patients generally followed depends on the severity of the cancer and the extent that it has spread to the human body. Some of the common treatments include:
· Chemotherapy-it includes the use of certain drugs to kill cancer cells. They be given to patients in the form of pills or through intravenous tube.
· Surgery - this involves the surgical removal of tissue cancer
· Radiation therapy of high energy waves are part of the body aligned where the cancer cells to kill the cancer cells are
· Hormonal treatment of this therapy blocked the hormones in the body that grow by the cancer cells are needed
The type of treatment the patient must, taking into account the nature and the cancer determines the members of a health professional. Doctors tell their patients that use costs, and side effects of each type of treatment. Taking into account all factors, the patient under treatment options that are available can choose to help her and also decide where you the treatment of get. Many patients opt for cancer breast surgery in foreign locales, such as for example cancer breast surgery in Turkey, to take the cost benefits associated with it in order.
About the author
Rashmi Kalia has to write extensively about topics relating to health and fitness. More information and resources on treatment of cancer in Turkey can be found at http://www.cancerhospitalturkey.com/cancer-hospital-in-istanbul-turkey/


View the original article here

Baca Selengkapnya...

Let the sun shine in

It seems that like every week there is a new study revealing further benefits of vitamin d. As you probably know, vitamin D is like the sunshine vitamin and is known for his role in calcium absorption and the prevention of rickets for a long time, but the last 5 years has seen an explosion of research revealing how appropriate this vitamin are crucial to your health.
Vitamin d affects 2000 our 30000 genes and a deficiency has been with many health problems including linked:
• Autoimmune disease.
• Cancer.
• Infections.
• Obesity.
• Eczema/psoriasis.
• Infertility.
• Periodontal disease.
• Depression.
Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and Chrohns have been disease, almost not existence of the population living near the Equator due to their increased exposure to the Sun.
People, the higher exposure to the Sun were also found to have lower incidence of breast cancer, colon and prostate cancer, and surprising melanoma.
It has been estimated that up to 80% of Australians have some vitamin D deficiency. You're probably like this wondering in such a Sun sun loving country can be soaked,. It is true that sunlight is by far our best source of vitamin D, but what is less known is that vitamin D is produced only when our skin is exposed to UVB rays. UVB rays are there only between 10 and 14 (11 and 15 during the summer season), we are prompted the times to protect us from the Sun. Sunscreen blocks UVB rays (a cream SPF15 sunscreen vitamin D production of 99.9% reduced). Glass blocks all UVB rays.
So, how much sun you need to produce enough vitamin D? This depends on factors such as age, your skin type and where you live. Vitamin D synthesis can be used for those, the older than 60 and under the age of 20 until to 4 times as long; People with darker skin and which go further South lives to have to live more sunlight than someone with white skin, or those who in North Australia. As a rule of thumb you should expose at least 40% of the skin in the Sun in the middle of the day (if your shadow is longer than you are great, you do not high levels of vitamin d) before you begin, Rosa and no longer to make, you want never to burn. This can be as little as a few minutes for a fair skin person and much more for darker skin be person.
Vitamin D deficiency is to correct one of the most widely used nutrient deficiencies in Australia but also the easiest way. Safe and sensible sun exposure is one of the most important things, you can for your health and your protection from a range of diseases to increase. Elderly, dark skinned people, and those who cover their bodies for religious reasons are at special risk of vitamin D deficiency and should their vitamin D levels checked and have monitored by a competent physician.
Matt Douglas BHSc is a Sydney Naturopath and nutritionist.
He has a strong interest in food as medicine and in his practice practices and herbal medicine combines modern nutritional science with the wisdom of traditional food. Matt is aware of the profound impact that not only our food can have choices of food buying decisions when you create a healthier and more sustainable world on our physical health, but also makes passionate.
http://www.nutrilogical.com.au/

View the original article here

Baca Selengkapnya...

Spa Salon marketing - 4 core marketing principles, the marketing errors to success to make

Error in deserializing body of reply message for operation 'Translate'. The maximum string content length quota (8192) has been exceeded while reading XML data. This quota may be increased by changing the MaxStringContentLength property on the XmlDictionaryReaderQuotas object used when creating the XML reader. Line 1, position 8769.
Error in deserializing body of reply message for operation 'Translate'. The maximum string content length quota (8192) has been exceeded while reading XML data. This quota may be increased by changing the MaxStringContentLength property on the XmlDictionaryReaderQuotas object used when creating the XML reader. Line 1, position 9048.
All You Need to Know to Accelerate Your Spa Salon Marketing
The most important thing to understand is that promotion campaign has to be designed for clients not for salon owners. And certainly, it has to attract them be speaking the language of clients which means, by implementing the right promotion strategy that fits the clients' income level and attracts them by offering what they want. That is why many salon owners have to precisely understand who the target market is and how the clients can be excited into action.
It is not a secret that the best ideas for marketing campaigns are those that have already been implemented. If they worked in the past, they will work in the future as marketing is like ageless wisdom, doing the same things in new different ways. However, those ideas must remain fresh that translates as the concept is remained but the message changes.
Birthday letters, cards or notes can be successfully utilized for salon promotion campaign. They can take lots of different forms and shades or colours. They can be handwritten or beautifully printed or send electronically via e-mail. The most important thing to understand that marketing is all about matching and therefore, birthday letters, cards or notes must match the salon's image.
So, the concept is remained but what changes is the message
The message has to be short, simple and catchy highlighting the benefits the client will get by purchasing the salon services. The message should emphasize the reason of this campaign such as `Mothers' Day' or Birthday and then, the way to stand out is in the `look' or discount or the offer that the salon owners give as a gift.
It is advised to set up a system that makes it easy to manage and sent those postcards two days before the beginning of the birthday month. Post or e-mail are preferred ways to send as the first one gives a feeling of personal attention or surprise and the second is very cost - efficient. You can do up a fantastic looking graphic and the cost of sending is very small.
The salon owners need to utilize birthday letters, cards on routine basis. But the `look' and `offer' should be changed every year. It is advised to keep offers so to be able to utilize them again after certain period of time or be aware of them aiming not to repeat the offer and fail.
The gift or the salon's offer does not need to cost a lot but need to mean a lot. One of the greatest examples of creating brand loyalty is to provide free treatments for clients or a gift card. This is important as it serves as relationship building with your clients.
Everybody knows that 20 per cent of clients are contributing to 80 per cent of profits. And those are called loyal customers.
Newsletters are very effective vehicles of salon advertising. However, they require a lot of work. As they carry some kind of news, newsletters are excellent for introducing a new product or a discount offer. As they carry a WOW factor. Therefore, clients need to be somehow attracted to read the newsletter.
There are several things that need to be transcended correctly: Despite the newsletter is a letter it has to be short or brief. It is also suggested to have no more than FOUR PROMOTION NEWSLETTERS
A YEAR:
Some options:
Christmas time
Spring
Summer
Winter
The salon's birthday or anniversary Mothers Day
As it was mentioned earlier, it is important to create a marketing plan for the salon and keep it in the marketing folder along with the samples of previous campaigns. This will be of significant help when the next promotion is required. The salon owners can also add a future newsletter or a promotion idea when they get a new one at anytime. In this case, consistency is what makes us a winner. By not writing it down, the salon owners are likely to forget their idea and not having it when is required.
Newsletter content must be really good mix of news and interesting items as well as the salon's current promotions. Sometimes the salon owners confuse newsletters with advertising, so, they end up failing in its promotion as they end up not translating new and current propositions into benefits but simply write it in the form of add. This creates not only failure of promotion but also damages its salon's image. So, newsletters need to be newsletters.
One of the most important things to remember is that everything in promotion has to be spoken from the clients' point of view and therefore has to highlight the benefits it carries to the salon's clientele.
PLEASE NOTE: It is strongly recommended to get the salon's image from the graphic experts. Many salon owners try to do it themselves and once again fail in its promotion campaign as they cheapen on quality of paper and graphic design and end up damaging its brand image. Clients start thinking that the company is not doing well and poorly respond to such campaign.
However, the cost of printing and mailing this type of marketing is high, therefore, the work has to be done thoroughly and well in advance the campaign is planned to be undertaken. The salon's database must be up-to-date so you can effectively e-mail your newsletters.
PLEASE NOTE: It is more important to keep loyal customers satisfied than create new ones. So, keeping loyal clients is a number one priority for promotion campaigns as it easier to attract those who have an experience of the services rather than those who have been loyal to other salons.
It is recommended to set up a system for e-mailing (DM) at the point of 3 to 4 months if not returning. During the month of June you would go back to 3-4months and any client who visited the salon in January and February and has not returned would receive an invitation to re-visit the salon.
It is important to include the reason why the client is invited to return to the salon and discount is not always a good idea as it is seriously diminishing the value proposition.
The reasons why the discount is not always a good idea:
• It diminishes the value of the services
• There is a need to get a great response to a discount promotion to make up for the margin that is lost. If the salon owner has a 30 per cent profit margin and you discount by just 10 per cent. The salon owner will have to sell more than 50 percent to make the same profit.
• The salon owner risks only attracting clients for price by offering a discount. Its better to value add. For example book a style cut and receive a complimentary number of highlights. Book a style cut and blow dry this month and a friend can come with you for free.
The Front Window: Posters
The front window is a frontier of sales as it creates a first and the most important impression. It is advised to use the front window for current promotion campaigns and its messages. To do this, the salon owner needs to create the salon roster that has to be changed every six weeks. This time frame keeps the window fresh and interesting for people who regularly walk by. Imagine that this is way of `talking' to clients and prospective clients.
Building relationships with your client is vital.
This is the most important area of all. Best of all it costs absolutely nothing extra. The salon owner and hairdressers should talk to the clients. Thus, it is essential to create a benefits scheme that will be of benefit for all, a client, a salon owner and a hairdresser. It is also important to explain the hairdressers that they are working independently for themselves and therefore, their profit depends directly on their sales. Empowerment is always a great source for staff motivation that leads to increased sales. However, to get this right requires some effort and training.
Ruslan A Khisameev is a founder of GAI IAA Innovative Solutions Pty Ltd. He is also a Business Development and Marketing Coach who is specializing in Salons. He came to Australia in 2005 to complete his Master's Degree with specialization in Marketing and Business and from then he decided to stay in Australia for good. His passion for salons led him to complete Diploma in Salon Management as the result of which he started his Salon Coaching Business. Ruslan has 8 years of Marketing and Business experience as well as Diploma in Salon Management which makes him highly knowledgeable about the Salon business and Salon industry.
Ruslan does not believe in quick fix but in building a strong business performance and business model. There are many marketing strategies that can be applied to boost sales quickly, however, if the business system is not efficient - it won't be able to keep them in the long run. Ruslan is a member of Australian Spa Association and Australian Hair & Beauty Association.

View the original article here

Baca Selengkapnya...

Losing Water Weight: The Know-How Tips to Use

It may seem awkward when the clothes that fit you just a few days prior won't fit you today and yet you know you haven't gained any significant weight - this is a sign of water weight which is basically fluids retained in pockets across your body. Some fats are also attributed to fluid retention since these fats usually cling on to fluid pockets and when people start losing weight they are actually losing water weight because the usual first groups of fats that the body gets rid of are those hugging fluid pockets.There are several ways to work on losing water weight and here is a short, concise list of the best tips to help you cut down the fluid fats.
Get rid of water by drinking water.
It may sound counter-intuitive to drink fluids to get rid of fluids but this is actually one of the key factors to making it work. The reason why body fats cling on to water and the reason why water sits itself in your body in the first place are usually because you do not hydrate enough and the body clings on to what little water it has. The goal is to get your system out of the survival area and get it back to taking in water, using it regularly and then flushing it out. Start hydrating regularly and drink clean water. If water alone does not seem all too attractive then squeeze in some lemon; nothing beats ice-cold water with a bit of lemon for taste. Drinking regularly also helps you feel full and this is great if you want to avoid overeating.
Say no to salt.
Salt is a major culprit when it comes to obesity. It does not have calories or anything else bad for you but it is a major factor in retaining body fluids and this promotes to pockets of water weight. To keep the water out of your system to need to help your body flush it out and this means reducing your salt intake. Typically the human body needs about 1200mg of salt with an extreme of up to 2400mg of salt per day. It is a good idea to start checking the salt content on the food you eat in your diet program.
Work on burst exercises.
Burst exercises are those that can be done in just a few minutes, presumably fifteen minutes total for all of them and yet achieve as many repetitions as you can while breathing regularly in between. Push-ups and crunches are the king exercises in this degree. There are different positions and alterations to push-ups and crunches if the normal types are bit too difficult to do or if you cannot repeat the exercise as much as you hoped to do.
Losing water weight is essential to a good start on a diet-workout program and to get you hydrated on a regular level. Water is essential and getting rid of the excess fluids that fills the pockets of fat in your body is one of the beginning phases of a good weight loss program.
Want a FREE guide on how you can effectively lose weight the easy way?
Visit http://bestdiet101.net/ now to get your FREE eBook "30 Simple and Effective Ways to Lose Weight". This free eBook will only be available for a limited time so I suggest you download your copy TODAY!
Don't let the fad diets fool you! If you're really serious about losing weight and you want to kick your weight loss problem for good, then I suggest you get the free eBook now at http://bestdiet101.net/

View the original article here

Baca Selengkapnya...

Prevent Free Radical Damage And More With The Xanthophyll Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll and phytonutrient (plant based chemical compounds with health boosting properties) that is mainly found in orange and red coloured fish, fruits and vegetables. Early research indicates that this natural nutrient has a long list of benefits in humans. In this article I will be taking a deeper look at these benefits and providing you with a full overview of astaxanthin.1) DISCOVERY:
Astaxanthin was discovered by the British chemist Basil Weedon in 1970.
2) HEALTH BENEFITS:
Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant that can protect your body's cells from free radicals (dangerous by-products that get released into your body's cells during oxygen related reactions).
Early studies indicate that this xanthophyll may also have a wide range of further health benefits in humans. More studies are needed before these benefits can be confirmed but those that are available suggest astaxanthin might be able to boost the reproductive system, prevent Alzheimer's disease (a mental disorder that causes memory problems, thought problems and speech problems), fight cancer (a health disorder where your body's cells start to grow in a rapid, uncontrollable way), protect against heart disease, prevent the common cold and the flu and reduce unnecessary inflammation. Additionally, it may be able to protect against cataracts (clouding on the lenses of the eyes), protect against glaucoma (a disease where your optic nerve gets damaged), protect against macular edema (a condition where fluid protein collects behind the macula of the eye), protect against kidney damage, lower high blood pressure and treat diabetes (a disease which causes your blood glucose to reach extremely high levels).
3) RECOMMENDED DAILY ALLOWANCE (RDA):
Astaxanthin is not classed as an essential nutrient so no official RDA has been established. However, numerous experts believe that consuming 4 milligrams (mg) of this xanthophyll daily will promote optimal health.
4) FOOD SOURCES:
Some of the top food sources of astaxanthin include red and orange coloured fish such as crab, lobster, salmon and shrimp with farmed salmon containing 1.8mg of this nutrient per 100g and wild salmon containing 4mg of this nutrient per 100g. Red and orange coloured fruits and vegetables such as carrots and red peppers also contain good levels of this natural nutrient but the exact amounts they contain are not known.
5) SUMMARY:
Astaxanthin has shown a lot of promise when it comes to human health benefits. Whilst more evidence is needed before they are fully confirmed, you should definitely make this xanthophyll part of your diet. Red fish are a particularly good choice as they contain high levels of healthy omega 3 essential fatty acids so by consuming them you get the antioxidant protection of astaxanthin, the additional health benefits of omega 3s and the possibility of the provisional astaxanthin benefits discussed in this article.
Tom Parker owns Free Fitness Tips - an excellent source of diet tips and exercise tips. You can learn more about astaxanthin and the xanthophylls by visiting his website.

View the original article here

Baca Selengkapnya...