Ten ways to stay Slim

1. Keep to your meal routine. Try to eat at roughly the same times each day, whether this is two or five times a day.

2. Go reduced fat. Choose reduced fat versions of foods such as dairy products, spreads and salad dressings where you can. Use them sparingly as some can still be high in fat.

3. Walk off the weight. Walk 10,000 steps (about 60-90 minutes of moderate activity) each day. You can use a pedometer to help count the steps. You can break up your walking over the day.

4. Pack a healthy snack. If you snack, choose a healthy option such as fresh fruit or low calorie yogurts instead of chocolate or crisps.

5. Look at the labels. Be careful about food claims. Check the fat and sugar content on food labels when shopping and preparing food.

6. Caution with your portions. Don't heap food on your plate (except vegetables). Think twice before having second helpings

7. Up on your feet. Break up your sitting time. Stand up for ten minutes out of every hour.

8. Think about your drinks. Choose water or sugar-free squashes. Unsweetened fruit juice contains natural sugar so limit it to one glass per day (200ml / 1/3 pint). Alcohol is high in calories; try to limit the amount you drink.

9. Focus on your food. Slow down. Don't eat on the go or while watching TV. Eat at a table if possible.

10. Don't forget your five a day. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day (400g in total).

EYES NEED REST

Most of us take our eyes for granted, never thinking of them as muscles or as organs needing special exercises or needing periods of complete rest.

The eye is composed of muscles. Just as any muscle in the body, when we exercise the muscles of the eye, we need to give those muscles a rest.

The best way to rest the eyes is to put them in complete darkness. By shutting out all light, we keep the optic nerve from being stimulated by outside images. Even when we sleep, we can control the resting or not resting of the optic nerve. By covering the eyes and trying to control the images in the mind's eye, we can more thoroughly rest the eyes.

Resting the eyes has another benefit: Relaxing the optic nerve relaxes the rest of the nervous system and can do wonders for relaxing the whole body. The benefits of resting the eyes multiply geometrically, making five minutes of rest more than five times better than one minute of rest.

Eye rest is especially important as more and more of us stare at a computer's monitor screen all day, straining our eyes.

Eye Rest

It is best to remove contact lenses before doing eye rest. Certainly glasses must be removed.

Palming Rub your hands together vigorously to make them warm. Cup the hands slightly and cover your closed eyes with your hands. Rest your hands on the tissue surrounding the eyes rather than the eyes themselves. Now breathe deeply into your abdomen, then let the breath out completely. Relax; imagine that your incoming breath is black. Meditation is a good accompaniment to palming and will help you relax. Use pillows to support your arms when you palm while meditating.

Palm for 5 minute periods during the work day but try for one 20 minute period each day.

Cover the Eyes

Cover the eyes with a soft material, making certain you block out all light while retaining comfort. Sit in a relaxed position, lie down on a bed or reclining chair, or lie down on the floor in the yoga "Dead-Man's Pose." Imagine that the world around you is black. Try not to sleep; just relax into the blackness.

Meir Schneider, PhD, the eye expert who has cured himself of congenital blindness, has this to say about relaxing the eyes, "The relaxation also has an important psychological effect: it teaches the brain that the eyes do not always have to strain, that they can function better and more comfortably through relaxation than through stress.

If you're dedicated to a fitness lifestyle -- exercising regularly and following a healthy diet -- you probably notice the smallest change in your body and its abilities, whether you can lift more weight, increase the intensity level on the elliptical trainer or even fit into your clothes better. But when it comes to your vision, changes are harder to pinpoint, even though your eyes play a crucial role every day. People generally can't measure how well they see, or how well they're using their eyes; they don't know when their eyes have changed, or if they aren't seeing their best, says Else Brisco, OD, FAAO, optometrist at the Hollywood Vision Center in Los Angeles.

"Vision consists of two main components: seeing clearly and how the eyes work (eye muscle control and coordination)," Brisco explains. "Both are very important in your daily life, and for sports." The eyes provide information and feedback to the hands and body about placement, depth and speed, making them critical for optimal sports performance. This affects your ability to catch a ball, your timing, the speed of your visual reaction time, the way you shift your bodyweight and more.

How can we help ensure that our eyes stay healthy and continue to assist us in our quest for optimal fitness? Actually, that's easy: They respond to the same type of diet and exercise regimen we follow for the rest of our body.

Diet & Exercise for the Eye

Just as your body responds to a clean diet, your eyes benefit from good nutrition. "[Eating] carrots and other orange- and green-colored fruits and vegetables is a great way to keep your eyes healthy," notes Brisco. Foods like yams and cantaloupe that tend to be high in beta-carotene are other beneficial additions to your diet. A well-balanced diet, including antioxidants, water and essential oils like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, is important for eye health as well, she says; antioxidants in particular slow the progression of certain age-related eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

How to care for your Feet and Toe nails

Like all parts of the body, also the foot is an amazingly ingenious device. Its construction is really complex: 26 bones, 33 joints, 106 ligaments, 19 foot muscles and 11 muscles in the lower leg. Not only is the foot sufficiently strong to carry the entire body for hours at a time, but it also enables us, through subtle movements, to walk and run up to 10,000 to 17,000 steps a day. During our lives our feet carry us between 65,000 and 115,000 miles.

You'd expect the foot to be a body part we are proud and caring of. But surveys show that's not the case. According to this survey, two-thirds of the population has a foot condition like blisters, bunions, calluses, fungus, sweaty feet, nail conditions, cold feet and cramps. These are conditions that do not seem too serious, but which can be very inconvenient and they better be avoided with proper foot care.

More difficult to solve are structural deficiencies in feet which cause pain, fatigue and mobility problems. Flat-footedness being the most well-known deficiency. But also hollow-feet, heel spur, spreading-feet and hammer toes may cause much suffering.

Your feet are two of the most abused & often used parts of the body, what with all the walking and running that you do everyday. This being said, you should make sure to give your feet the attention and care they deserve every so often. Taking good care of your feet will prevent you from getting foot conditions such as Athlete's foot or other fungal infections. No matter what the season is, it is always important to keep your feet and toenails in tip-top condition. During the hotter months, for example, your feet are constantly visible due to footwear choices such as sandals and slippers, so it would be a good idea to keep them looking fabulous and presentable. But even during the winter months when you feet are bundled up in socks and boots, it would still be advisable to take extra measures in keeping your feet well-cared for. Some of these feet and toenail care tips are applicable not only to women, but to men as well (sans the nail color portion, unless this is a preference of the male individual). So to the men, don't overlook the advantages of having nice-looking and cared-for feet as well! Your gal will definitely notice.

Here are some useful steps in taking care of your feet and toenails, which will get you to putting your best feet forward -- literally -- in no time.

BEST TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR TOES AND TOE NAILS

Make sure to wash your feet daily.

With all the running about from place to place that most people do everyday, the feet would have been exposed to a lot of dust and dirt by the end of the day. If you take showers in the morning and not at night, at least make feet-washing a part of your nightly routine when you get home. Lather up with soap, and pay extra attention to the spaces in between the toes. Wipe the feet gently with a towel afterward. Aside from being a mark of good hygiene, doing this would also ensure that you do not step onto your bed with dirty feet, and thus prevent from bringing dirt to your place of rest and relaxation.

Give your feet a pedicure every two weeks. Painting them does not necessarily have to be part of every pedicure routine, but regular pedicures really make a difference in keeping your feet soft and free from dry and rough skin, and your toenails clean and neat. You don't need to spend a lot of cash to have your pedicure professionally done in a salon, as with a few tools, you can do your own pedicure right in the comforts of your own home. Here's how to do one:

• Soak your feet for about 5-10 minutes in a large bowl with lukewarm water. As an added treat, you may also wish to infuse the water with a few drops of essential oils or Dead Sea salts, to keep the feet smelling good and to soften hard skin respectively. The soaking time indicated here is merely just a suggestion -- you may choose to soak your feet for much longer if you want to relax, or if the hardened skin on your feet need extra hydration.
• Exfoliate your feet with a foot scrub to slough off dry and dead skin, and to moisturize your feet as well. Massage the scrub in circular motions, and rinse off afterward. To exfoliate the hardened skin on the heels and bottom part of the feet, use a foot file or a pumice stone. Make sure to use a gentle filing motion, and to never rub too hard.
• Cut your toenails straight across, as opposed to a curved shape, to prevent ingrown toenails from occurring. If you would really prefer a rounded shape instead of a straight square, use a nail file to smoothen the ridges and to give the edges a bit of a curve, so you would end up with a square shape with rounded edges. Ensure that the nails are cut and filed to just the right length -- short, but not too much that you end up hurting yourself.
• Remember to include your cuticles too. Apply cuticle oil to your toenails to soften and moisturize the hardened edges, and push the cuticles back with an orangewood stick to create a smooth, open area ready for your polish. Make sure that you do not push too hard, or you might risk cutting the cuticles and exposing your feet to possible fungal infection. Some people also prefer to skip this step completely and leave their cuticles untouched,,,,, this is ok as well.
• For women, apply polish to your toenails if desired. Do this after you have done your pedicure, so that you have a smooth, clean base for the polish to go on to.
  • Before painting, clean the nail plates by wiping over them with nail polish remover. This removes excess oils as well as old polish from the nails, so your new colour will go on smoothly and last well.
  • Use toe separators to keep your toes apart. This makes the process of painting easier, and prevents a freshly painted toenail from staining another toe.
  • Always use a basecoat - a clear layer of polish - under your colour to prevent staining and to ensure your polish goes on smoothly.
  • Using the nail color of your choice, apply the polish to your toenails. Try to follow the "three stroke method", which consists of using one stroke on each side and a stroke in the middle. This ensures that the polish is evenly applied on the whole nail. Apply two coats of polish to your toenails.
  • After around 10 minutes, use a topcoat to achieve the smoothest, longest lasting results and a high-shine finish.
• Choose nail polish colors which suit your preference or the season.
  • For fall, choose browns, oranges, and reds. Dark green also looks good.
  • For winter, try not to go too festive. For December, either go with red or dark green, but not both. Other colors for winter include dark blue and white. You can really use any color though because your feet are not seen a lot.
  • For spring, bring out the pastel colors! Soft greens, pinks, purples, and blues are a great touch!
  • For summer,
    • • • you will probably be pretty tan, and coral really brings out the tan, even if you're as pale as a ghost! Other colors that work are light blue, turquoise, yellow, and white.
  • • If you can't decide on a colour, remember that a French polish (nude or pale pink polish with white tips) suits everyone and goes with all colors of clothing and skin. But feel free to be bold with toenail colours -- on the fingernails, some colours can look garish and tacky, but on the toenails, pretty much anything goes!
  • Moisturize your feet everyday. Put lotion or foot cream on as a part of your routine. One way to achieve soft, moisturized feet is to rub on some lotion or petroleum jelly before bed, and slip on some socks. When you wake up in the morning, you'll find that your feet are very soft and free of dryness.

Seven tips to improve your complexion

1. Drink water: Yes you’ve heard it before, but this works and is as easy as…drinking water. Eight to ten glasses will wash out the toxins from your system, cleaning up your body and face!

2. Keep your face clean: This is an old one too…but we all know that old is gold. If you have oily skin, wash your face in cool water as often as you can and pat dry. This will prevent clogged pores and blackheads.

3. Keep hair away: Hair carries dust, oil and sometimes dandruff. None of these things contribute to a glowingly clear face. So tie your hair back so that it is not in constant contact with the sides of your face or your forehead.

4. Facials and clean-ups only once every 2 months: Do not fall into the trap of frequent beauty treatments. Steaming and applying packs etc on your face too often will tire and disturb the natural balance of your skin.

5. Moisturize at night: It’s protection during the day and prevention at night. Your skin repairs itself while you sleep. So a light night cream, after removing all make-up will gently assist your skin’s rejuvenation process.

6. Home beauty treatments: You don’t have to trust your face to the care of the experts every time. Your refrigerator and green grocer has some amazing skin care products. Some cold milk dabbed on with cotton will instantly refresh and re-hydrate. A slice of chilled tomato rubbed over your face thrice a week will lighten dark spots and kindle the glow. A face scrub of sugar and olive oil will polish away dead skin and oil wells.

7. Sleep: The easiest of all beauty treatments is also among the most effective. Heard the term ‘beauty sleep’? Well it’s not grandmotherly lore. The prescribed 7-8 hours of sound sleep will prevent wrinkled skin, dull and puffy eyes and dark circles. That’s a big contribution towards a more beautiful you.

So take a good look at yourself in the mirror and head for your kitchen. You will look and feel great when you come out and its guaranteed. Having fair complexion can never be this much easier and cheap by any other means.

Best of luck girls.

Self Tanners and Bronzers

Anyone living in the free world knows the damage traditional tanning and tanning beds can do to your skin. Not wearing sunscreen throughout the day can lead to an uncomfortable sun burn and ultimately cancer, due to the sun’s harmful UV rays. However, most women still feel as if a great tan is the best beauty accessory of their lifetime. The good news is sunless tanning is easier than ever before, with great sunless product choices on the market for every type of woman. Before attempting your first sunless tanning application, take a look at these types of self tanners and how to apply (or remove) them.

Gradual Self Tanning Lotion

Most moisturizer companies are now offering gradual self tanning lotions. From Sephora to Coppertone, shoppers who want to stay healthy while getting a little color can choose these easy self tanning options. These lotions do include smaller amounts of dihydroxyacetone (the ingredient in most self tanners which allows the color to develop). However, they allow the user to get a “glow” over time. Basically, you moisturize with the lotion and after using it for a few days will notice a faint tan glow to your skin. The more you use it, the darker the glow becomes. These options are ideal for those who are new to self tanning, as they are virtually mistake-free and rarely show streaks or “orange” tints.

Self Tanning Cream With Bronzer

Sure, the organic way to look tan is to sit in the sun. But, today there is no need for the skin damage tanners can develop during tanning sessions in the sun or at the spa. Self tanning cream with a bronzer is the ideal choice for someone who wants their tan to show up instantly. The bronzer in this type of self tanning cream gives them instant color, while the self tanner shows its true color in about an hour. These creams do offer more of a risk of discoloration of the hands and other difficult to self-tan areas.

Spray Tanning Booths

For those who have little time to worry about self tanning, spray tanning booths are a hot commodity. These booths are often offered at the spa or traditional tanning stores. They require the user to step into the booth and spray the self tanning solution directly onto the body. Usually lasting only a few minutes, this is the fastest way to self tan. However, upon review many users didn’t like the process and found it uncomfortable or even startling.

Salon Airbrush Tanning

If you have a little extra cash to spend on self tanning, salon airbrush tanning is the way to go. During this process, a professional airbrush tanning specialist sprays your body with self tanning solution. They can mix colors to make you look completely natural and most often get the most even application of all of the self tanning options.

How To Get A Great Self Tan

The key to getting a great sunless tan depends greatly on your preparation. It’s important to exfoliate your skin in the shower, before applying the sunless tanning lotion. Be sure to rub a thin layer of lotion on your ankles, knees and elbows before beginning the tanning session as well. If you make mistakes and need self tanning removal, you can try to exfoliate again to rub off the color or you can wipe astringent on the area to remove the unwanted color.

Overall, sunless tanning is the premier choice in tanning this summer.

Acne Scar Prevention and Pimple Treatment

Many people suffer with mild to severe acne throughout adolescence and well into their adult lives. While a small zit or blemish can wreck your week, it can turn into something much more bothersome if it leaves an acne scar behind when it fades. With many women worrying about fine lines around their eyes and mouths, others are more worried about the scars caused by acne.

Long Lasting Acne Scars Worse than Wrinkles Some Say

In fact, adults admit acne scars are much more bothersome than wrinkles due to aging. Thus, if you want better skin it’s important to think about how to reduce pimple breakouts and focus on prevention of acne. After all, once the pimples are present it can be difficult to deal with them. But, if you can head them off before they even show up you’ll be one step ahead of the game and on your way to a face without acne and acne scars. Use these tips to help you reduce not only pimples and blackhead breakouts but also the appearance of acne scars.

• Try at-home treatments to reduce pimples: You may be tempted to run to the dermatologist to solve your acne problem. However, before you make the doctor’s appointment you may be able to see excellent results with at-home treatments like Proactiv treatment cream systems or those with Retin A. Many people can see great results in reducing their acne and acne scars with this treatment and prevention skin product line. The key to these products is often consistency. If you want to commit to doing an at-home treatment plan, you must be willing to follow the plan completely. Most of these plans fail because the user won’t consistently use the products as recommended and directed.

• See a dermatologist about skin care options: If you’ve tried everything on the shelves to eliminate your acne or acne scars, it may be time to see a dermatologist. A skin care specialist can help you determine the cause of your acne and help you seek therapy for acne scars. Dermabrasion and laser treatments are often great choices for those who want to reduce or improve the look of their acne scars. In addition, skin doctors can prescribe medication if necessary. Another great reason to see a dermatologist on a yearly basis is for a skin check, to eliminate your risk of having skin cancer and not being aware of it.

• Use sunblock everyday to protect skin:
• Many people think the sun helps their acne but it often only masks the problem. When the tan fades, the skin will still show inflammation or rosacea because acne vulgaris doesn’t go away fully when exposed to the sun. While you may feel your best when your complexion is tan, sun exposure can lead to cancer which is obviously much worse than dealing with your acne in other ways. Thus, it makes more sense to use a sunblock which will not clog your pores.

Acne and acne scars can be embarrassing. If you suffer from cyst acne and deal with an eruption daily, you may also be suffering with acne pain. Thus, finding a way to get rid of your acne and acne scars might be high priority in your life. The great news is there are many ways to reduce the appearance of acne and acne scars. Try the at-home treatments and if they don’t work head to your dermatologist for more intense treatment options.

Natural Dry Skin Remedies & Treatment Products for Hydrated Facial Skin Reasons for dry skin include a variety of conditions such as too much sun, windburn, harsh soaps and cleansers, aging and even diet. Insufficient water can dry your skin overnight. Start working on dry skin problems by increasing your water intake. Vitamins and Natural Oils that May Help Dry Skin Drinking lots of water is one remedy for dry skin, but if your skin is very dry, you may need additional help. You may have noticed that many skin care creams contain vitamins: although Vitamin E has been shown to work externally to correct dry skin, most other vitamins don't have a noticeable effect. Look for Vitamin E enriched skin creams, and increase its effects by also taking Vitamin E capsules, which help strengthen skin from the inside.Another benefit of taking Vitamin E is that it works on the skin all over your body—hands, feet, face and everything in between. Other natural remedies for dry skin include Evening Primrose oil, flaxseed oil or Omega 3 oils derived from fish. All of these nutritional supplements have been shown to increase skin's elasticity, its rebuilding capacity and its moisture. You can get these treatments at any health food store, and most pharmacies carry them too. Diet and Nutritional Changes that Will Improve Skin’s Appearance Support the health of your skin by eating plenty of fresh fish (providing you with Omega 3). Adding a tablespoon of flax seeds to your morning cereal tastes good and increases your essential fatty acid intake. These nutritional steps do more than fix your dry skin: they're also natural cures for everything from stomach problems to heart disease. Products, Lotions and Skin Care that May Help Keep Skin Hydrated If you've recently started using an antiaging lotion or cream, you may suddenly develop dry skin. Creams that contain retinol, alpha lipoic acid, or either alpha or beta hydroxyl acids work by chemically exfoliating (breaking down) upper layers of skin. If you experience peeling, redness, scaly skin or a rash, stop using your new cream and try something with milder ingredients or a lessened concentration of the main ingredients. Some people have gotten contact dermatitis from the very skin creams that were supposed to solve their dry skin problems! The best products for your complexion are usually the simplest: look for creams that have not been tested on animals and whose main ingredients are natural. Read the ingredients list on the back of the label! Consider ingredients like beeswax, plant oils, herbal extracts and basic ingredients such as glycerin and water. Acne treatment can lead to peeling or dry skin; especially over the counter products containing salicylic acid or peroxide. Allergies to menthol, camphor and eucalyptus can also cause scaly, irritated skin, so if you're using a Noxzema type product or a nice-smelling toner, you might want to switch to something that doesn't contain those ingredients. For Extreme Dry Skin Treatment and Relief Extreme dry skin can get relief through intensive therapy by way of daytime moisturizer lotion, night creams and increased home humidity. If you suffer from dry facial skin or dry skin all over your body, especially in winter, it may be because the heat in your house is drying you out. Try putting a cool mist humidifier in your bedroom at night, and you may see a difference in a few days. A popular home remedy for dryness is the moisturizing facial mask. Use a half of a ripe avocado, pureed. Rinse your face with lukewarm water and apply the mask while your face is still damp. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry. Apply your favorite moisture lotion. Skin Conditions that Lead to Scaly, Itchy Skin Eczema starts out looking and feeling like extremely dry skin, with itching and redness increasing until you may have scaly patches, clear, fluid filled bubbles , or welts on your arms, legs, face, eyelids or body. Eczema isn't dry skin, however: it's your body's allergic response to causes in the environment, and it can be worsened by stress. If you think you have eczema, talk with your doctor to find out about treatments: although dry skin remedies may be part of controlling eczema, you may also need treatment with corticosteroids, antihistamines, a special ointment for relief of itching, or other prescription drug therapy.