Natural Beauty Tips

Summer is the most anticipated season of the year as the chance to stay in the sun and getting a gorgeous tan is virtually free. And it’s about time you got that bikini out from hiding and, felt the summer breeze and sea on your skin.

However, summer can be cruel to your skin and hair. But don’t fret. Here are some tips to face the summer that lies ahead.



Maintain a great summer look with these tips.

Best Hair Care

It is common knowledge that summer is not the best time for your hair, as the heat can dehydrate it, causing dryness and frizz. Keep it healthy by putting enough sun protection and moisturizer. There is no exception for this protection whether your hair is curly or straight.

In addition, you must shower after every swim to remove sea water as it could dry your hair. Moisturize after every shower. If you have processed hair (colored or highlighted), use color protector before you go out basking in the sun.

Want to wear a great hair this summer? Then try coloring your hair. As long as you stick to the natural colors or the one nearest to your hair tone, it’s great. Avoid lemon juice application too as it can help intensify dryness of your hair.

Letting your hair free during summer is a wonderful feeling, but keep it off your face to maintain a clean look. Use ballerina bands and headbands, or tie it loosely with a scarf, which will give you a gorgeous summer look.

Best Makeup

Summer should not prevent you from using makeup. What you need to do is to avoid using those that will melt in the summer heat, such as using tinted moisturizers instead of a foundation. Plus, it contains SPF that is great for your skin safety.

Eyeshadows are fabulous for summer too especially those shimmering highlighters, just as long as you use those products that will not melt down. Wearing liquid eyeliner and waterproof mascara are your best options when it comes to defining your eyes.

Flushed skin will look natural during summer. Apply bronzer on your t-zone and a bit on the cheeks with a little pink blush.

Best Skin Care

Never go out into the summer sun without sunscreen, especially if you are planning to get a tan. Remember to tan gradually, not fry yourself in one day because the UVA and UVB light from sun are quite dangerous for your skin. A self-tanner will also help you get it beautifully, just pick the right one. Apply sunscreen and moisturizer twice daily.

Best Nail Polish

Flip-flops, slippers and sandals are great summer footwear. Show off your nails using these while sporting a fun and bright color nail polish, like hot pink or bright orange.

Bad Breath

Bad BreathWrecks Love Life

A smile is among the most important aspects of a healthy social life, but imagine not being able to make the full use of yours just because you suffer from bad breath and can’t afford to open it! Imagine – not being able to utilize the full potential of this very first introduction of every person as effectively as it is meant to be only because you are affected by bad breath! It can wreck havoc with your love life, not to mention preventing you from talking openly with your friends also. You can end up being too embarrassed to talk about your bad breath even among good friends, who also may decide on taking impromptu hikes when you’re around.

However, taking timely measures to control bad breath can help you enjoy a great social life and double your dating too! Learn ways to banish bad breath, regain your social status and increase your circle of friends simply by raising your grooming standard.

Do a simple breath-analysis test by licking the inside of your wrist when you feel your mouth’s not fresh. Then sniff at it. If your wrist emits a foul odor, work to address the problem with solutions given below.

Since bad breath is also called Halitosis in medical field, find dental rinses specially formulated to fix this problem; if its due to your diet (e.g. foods like onions and garlic affect our breath because they are strong smelling and leave an odor in the mouth), avoid such foods and remember to always brush and floss at night as well as mornings.

“No one wakes up with a sweet-smelling mouth in the morning” say Profs at the New York College of Dentistry, but they do reveal that more than the regular stale smell of your mouth, other oral hygiene issues like gum disease due to bacteria coating your teeth and gum can build up to more serious problems, so do take care to pay regular visits to a dental clinic, take anti-plaque treatments and brush effectively to control bad breath and enjoy life to the fullest – with more dates wanting to get closer to you, thanks to your new-found freshness!

Beauty and Style

What Causes Body Odor

Our body produces a number of odors in the form of chemical substances which arouse the sense of smell. Since you can’t prevent bad breath or smelly feet, you have to seek remedies for them.

Body odors sometimes serve a purpose; a particular obnoxious smell can indicate an infection. Most of our body scents are socially unpleasant, but there are some scents which attract other people. The worst odors come from the intestines, mouth, feet and armpits. The odor is dependent on the kind of bacteria that reside in the intestines, and the kinds of food you consume.

Some bad odors produced by the body include:

Bad breath or halitosis may be due to bacterial growth on the teeth, dental cavities, or a dry mouth. Saliva cleans up bacteria, but because saliva production is low at night, you will have bad breath when you wake up in the morning. Bad breath can also be due to an intestinal or lung disorder.

Another unpleasant body odor comes from sweat that originates from the armpits and from the feet. When the sweating is excessive, the condition is known as hyperhidrosis. Men or women’s feet can smell equally bad. While some glands release odorless sweat, other glands located under the armpits, genitals or where hair is present produce foul-smelling sweat.

Odors from different parts of the body smell differently. Since no two people are alike physically, each person’s smell is different from another person’s.

If a woman has a fishy odor, she could be suffering from bacterial vaginosis or from a rare hereditary malady called trimethylaminuria, or fish-odor-syndrome; the odor can be present in their breath, sweat and urine.

While our body produces a number of bad odors, is there a definition of bad odor? An unpleasant smell may be due to sickness, infection, or poor hygiene. If you don’t clean your body properly, you will definitely smell bad. Just as sweet-smelling milk acquires a putrid smell after some time, your body parts which are not cleaned properly can also smell. Many people clean only their faces and hands … there are other parts which they should not ignore!

How Your Heart Works

Your Heart and How it Works

Functioning of heart


The normal heart is a strong, hard-working pump made of muscle tissue. It's about the size of a person's fist.

The heart has four chambers. The upper two chambers are the right artium and left atrium, and the lower two are the right ventricle and left ventricle (see Figure A in diagram). Blood is pumped through the chambers, aided by four heart valves. The valves open and close to let the blood flow in only one direction.


The four heart valves are:

1. the tricuspid valve, located between the right atrium and the right ventricle
2. the pulmonary (pulmonic) valve, between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery
3. the mitral valve, between the left atrium and left ventricle
4. the aortic valve, between the left ventricle and the aorta.

Each valve has a set of "flaps" (also called leaflets or cusps). The mitral valve normally has two flaps; the others have three flaps.

Dark bluish/purplish blood (because it is low in oxygen), flows back to the heart after circulating through the body. It returns to the heart through veins and enters the right atrium. This chamber empties blood through the tricuspid valve (B) into the right ventricle.

The right ventricle pumps the blood under low pressure through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery. From there the blood goes to the lungs where it gets fresh oxygen (C). After the blood is refreshed with oxygen, it's bright red. Then it returns by the pulmonary veins to the left atrium. From there it passes through the mitral valve (D) and enters the left ventricle.

The left ventricle pumps the red oxygen-rich blood out through the aortic valve into the aorta (E). The aorta takes blood to the body's general circulation. The blood pressure in the left ventricle is the same as the pressure measured in the arm.

Tips for Raising Heart-Healthy - Active Children

Help your children develop good physical activity habits at an early age by setting a good example yourself.

Practice these heart-healthy habits with your kids:



* Limit screen time (television, movies, videos and computer games) to less than 2 hours a day. Substitute the rest of leisure time with physical activity.

* Plan family outings and vacations that involve vigorous activities such as hiking, bicycling, skiing, swimming, etc.

* Give your children some household chores that require physical exertion, keeping in mind their levels of strength, coordination and maturity. Mowing lawns, raking leaves, scrubbing floors and taking out the garbage not only teach responsibility but can be good exercise.

* Observe sports and activities your children like, then find out about lessons and clubs. Some children thrive on team sports; others prefer individual activities. Some activities, like tennis and swimming, can be enjoyed for a lifetime and are much easier to learn during childhood.

* If it's safe to walk or bike rather than drive, do so. Use stairs instead of elevators and escalators. Increase the distances you and your children walk.

* Stay involved in your child's physical education classes at school. At daycare, make sure the kids exercise at least 20 minutes a day. Ask about frequency of classes and activity, class size, curriculum (instruction in lifetime fitness activities as well as team sports should be emphasized), physical fitness assessments, qualifications of the teacher (should hold appropriate certification in physical education and be an appropriate role model for students). Physical fitness should be measured at the beginning and end of each year, and goals should be established for each child. Encourage your school board to emphasize skills students can use for the rest of their lives.

* Discourage homework immediately after school to let children find some diversion from the structure of the school day. Kids should be active after school and before dinner.

* Choose fitness-oriented gifts -- a jump rope, mini-trampoline, tennis racket, baseball bat, a youth membership at the local YMCA or YWCA. Select the gift with your child's skills and interests in mind.

* Take advantage of your city's recreation opportunities -- from soccer leagues to fun runs. Check out the various camps or organizations like the Sierra Club that sponsor outdoor activities such as camping, hiking trips and bird watching.

* Free your infant from mechanical restraints as much as possible. Strollers and playpens are high on convenience but low on activity potential. Try to unleash your diapered dynamo whenever and wherever he or she can safely move around.

* When your children are bored, suggest something that gets them moving, like playing catch or building a snowman in the yard.

Tips For Healthy Heart

The heart beat is the first steady rhythm that a baby hears while in the mother's womb. This is the beat that keeps on going through out his/her life and when the beat comes to an end, so does the individual. It is imperative to take good care of the heart because this is the centre of the body and without a healthy heart the whole body has to suffer. The sufferings can greatly increase if the condition of the heart is not regulated properly and may even lead to sudden death or slow and painful agony. As an organ the heart is vulnerable to develop diseases. This implies an affliction of the heart along with the systems that are associated with it.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world. The most important way that you can prevent a heart attack is to change your lifestyle. The three most important areas to change are to improve your nutrition, increase your exercise and stop smoking. Improvements in these three areas can reduce your chances of a heart attack and increase your chances of a long and healthy life. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Don't Smoke: Don't start smoking, or if you are a smoker, stop smoking. Long-term smokers can cut their risk of heart attack to equal that of non-smokers within just two short years of stopping.


Cut down on salt: Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Avoid foods like crisps, salted nuts, canned and packet soups and sauces, pizzas and ready meals. Many breakfast cereals and breads that appear healthy also contain high levels of salt, so keep your eye on these too.


Eat Heart Healthy Foods: Choose foods that can reduce cholesterol and improve heart health, such as fruits (apples, avocados, dried fruits, grapefruit, oranges, strawberries), vegetables (broccoli, carrots, corn, onions), seafood (clams, mussels, oysters), fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (salmon and bluefish), soy, nuts and whole-grain breads and cereals.


Cut the Fat: To keep your cholesterol level down, limit the amount of fat you eat, especially saturated fat. Your total fat intake should be no more than 30% of your daily calories. Focus on low-fat alternatives to red meat, such as fish or skinless chicken. Lower your intake of dairy fats by switching to low-fat or skim varieties or try soy milk - soy protein can lower cholesterol.


Know Your Body: What is your blood pressure? What is your cholesterol level? Make sure these indicators are within the normal limits. If not, take the appropriate action to get these within healthier levels.


Know Your Family Health History: If your father or mother died of a heart attack or suffered from heart disease, you are more likely to be at risk and should be more aware of how to control risk factors. Don't ignore possible symptoms.


Monitor Your Alcohol: Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. Binge drinking will increase your risk of having a heart attack, so you should aim to limit your intake to one to two units a day.


Work your heart: The best preventive medicine for your heart is aerobic exercise. It reduces high blood pressure and atherosclerosis by widening the blood vessels. Choose an activity that works the large muscles of your legs and buttocks (like brisk walking or bicycling), and strive to reach your target heart rate for at least 15 to 20 minutes, three or four times a week. A more active lifestyle can control your weight and blood pressure, or help you relax and improve your mood.


Make sure you can recognize the early signs of coronary heart disease: Tightness or discomfort in the chest, neck, arm or stomach which comes on when you exert yourself but goes away with rest may be the first sign of angina, which can lead to a heart attack if left untreated. It could just be heartburn or it could be "the big one." Don't take it for granted that you know what that unexplained chest pain is all about. This is especially true for women who don't present the classic symptoms of heart disease found among men. Consult your physician and tell him/her about the nature of all your symptoms.


Check for Diabetes: Increased blood sugar can be a factor in the onset of heart disease, especially if you are 20-45 kg (50-100 pounds) overweight. Controlling the disease is often just a matter of losing extra pounds, exercising regularly and following a heart-healthy diet.

Prevention is better than cure so one should work hard to keep their heart healthy in the first place. The only thing one has to ensure to keep his heart healthy is a regulated intake of food and sufficient physical exercise.

Halthy Heart Tips

Heart-Healthy Diet :

Changing your eating habits can be tough. Strart with these eight strategies to kick-start your way toward a heart-healthy diet

Although you might know eating certain foods can increase your heart disease risk, it's often tough to change your eating habits. Whether you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt or you simply want to fine-tune your diet, here are eight heart-healthy diet tips. Once you know which foods to eat more of and which foods to limit, you'll be on your way toward a heart-healthy diet.

Limit unhealthy fats and cholesterol

Of the possible changes, limiting how much saturated and trans fats you eat is the most important step you can take to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a buildup of plaques in your arteries, called atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Type of fat	Recommendation
Saturated fat	Less than 7 percent of your total daily calories
Trans fat	Less than 1 percent of your total daily calories
Cholesterol	Less than 300 milligrams a day for healthy adults; less than 200 milligrams a day for adults with high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol or those who are taking cholesterol-lowering medication

The best way to reduce saturated and trans fats in your diet is to limit the amount of solid fats — butter, margarine and shortening — you add to food when cooking and serving. You can also reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet by trimming fat off your meat or choosing lean meats with less than 10 percent fat.

You can also use low-fat substitutions when possible for a heart-healthy diet. For example, top your baked potato with salsa or low-fat yogurt rather than butter, or use low-sugar fruit spread on your toast instead of margarine.

You may also want to check the food labels of some cookies, crackers and chips. Many of these snacks — even those labeled "reduced fat" — may be made with oils containing trans fats. One clue that a food has some trans fat in it is the phrase "partially hydrogenated" in the ingredient list.

When you do use fats, choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats, found in nuts and seeds, also are good choices for a heart-healthy diet. When used in place of saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may help lower your total blood cholesterol. But moderation is essential. All types of fat are high in calories.

Fats to choose	Fats to limit
Olive oil Canola oil Margarine that's free of trans fats Cholesterol-lowering margarine, such as Benecol, Promise activ or Smart Balance	Butter Lard Bacon fat Gravy Cream sauce Nondairy creamers Hydrogenated margarine and shortening Cocoa butter, found in chocolate Coconut, palm, cottonseed and palm-kernel oils

Choose low-fat protein sources

Lean meat, poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, and egg whites or egg substitutes are some of your best sources of protein. But be careful to choose lower fat options, such as skim milk rather than whole milk and skinless chicken breasts rather than fried chicken patties.

Fish is another good alternative to high-fat meats. And certain types of fish are heart healthy because they're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood fats called triglycerides. You'll find the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Other sources are flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil.

Legumes — beans, peas and lentils — also are good sources of protein and contain less fat and no cholesterol, making them good substitutes for meat. Substituting soy protein for animal protein — for example, a soy burger for a hamburger — will reduce your fat and cholesterol intake.

Proteins to choose	Proteins to avoid
Skim or low-fat (1 percent) milk Fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese Egg whites or egg substitutes Fish, especially fatty, cold-water fish, such as salmon Skinless poultry Legumes Soybeans and soy products, for example, soy burgers and tofu Lean ground meats	Full-fat milk and other dairy products Organ meats, such as liver Egg yolks Fatty and marbled meats Spareribs Cold cuts Frankfurters, hot dogs and sausages Bacon Fried or breaded meats

Eat More Vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals; they are low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Vegetables and fruits also contain substances found in plants that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you eat less high-fat foods, such as meat, cheese and snack foods.

Featuring vegetables and fruits in your diet can be easy. Keep vegetables washed and cut in your refrigerator for quick snacks. Keep fruit in a bowl in your kitchen so that you'll remember to eat it. Choose recipes that have vegetables or fruits as the main ingredient, such as vegetable stir-fry or fresh fruit mixed into salads.

Fruits and vegetables to choose	Fruits and vegetables to avoid
Fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits Low-sodium canned vegetables Canned fruit packed in juice or water	Coconut Vegetables with creamy sauces Fried or breaded vegetables Canned fruit packed in heavy syrup Frozen fruit with sugar added

Select whole grains

Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. You can increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet by making simple substitutions for refined grain products.

Another easy way to add whole grains to your diet is ground flaxseed. Flaxseeds are small brown seeds that are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower your total blood cholesterol. You can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor and stir a teaspoon of them into yogurt, applesauce or hot cereal.

Grain products to choose	Grain products to avoid
Whole-wheat flour Whole-grain bread, preferably 100 percent whole-wheat or 100 percent whole-grain bread High-fiber cereal with 5 or more grams of fiber a serving Whole grains such as brown rice, barley and buckwheat (kasha) Whole-grain pasta Oatmeal (steel-cut or regular) Ground flaxseed	White, refined flour White bread Muffins Frozen waffles Corn bread Doughnuts Biscuits Quick breads Granola bars Cakes Pies Egg noodles Buttered popcorn High-fat snack crackers

Reduce the salt in your food

Eating a lot of salt can contribute to high blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Reducing the salt in your food is an important part of a heart-healthy diet. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (about a teaspoon).

Although reducing the amount of salt you add to food at the table or while cooking is a good first step, much of the salt you eat comes from canned or processed foods, such as soups and frozen dinners. Eating fresh foods and making your own soups and stews can reduce the amount of salt you eat. If you like the convenience of canned soups and prepared meals, look for ones with reduced sodium.

Another way to reduce the amount of salt you eat is to choose your condiments carefully. Many condiments are available in reduced-sodium versions, and salt substitutes can add flavor to your food with less sodium.

Low-salt items to choose	High-salt items to avoid
Herbs and spices Salt substitutes Reduced-salt canned soups or prepared meals Reduced-salt versions of condiments, such as reduced-salt soy sauce and reduced-salt ketchup	Table salt Canned soups and prepared foods, such as frozen dinners Tomato juice Soy sauce

Control your portion size

In addition to knowing which foods to eat, you'll also need to know how much you should eat. Overloading your plate, taking seconds and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to eating more calories, fat and cholesterol than you should. Portions served in restaurants are often more than anyone needs. Keep track of the number of servings you eat — and use proper serving sizes — to help control your portions.

A serving size is a specific amount of food, defined by common measurements such as cups, ounces or pieces. For example, one serving of pasta is 1/2 cup, or about the size of a hockey puck. A serving of meat, fish or chicken is 2 to 3 ounces, or about the size and thickness of a deck of cards. Judging serving size is a learned skill. You may need to use measuring cups and spoons or a scale until you're comfortable with your judgment.

Plan ahead : Create daily menus

You know what foods to feature in your heart-healthy diet and which ones to limit. Now it's time to put your plans into action.

Create daily menus using the six strategies listed above. When selecting foods for each meal and snack, emphasize vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Choose lean protein sources and limit high-fat and salty foods. Watch your portion sizes and add variety to your menu choices. For example, if you have grilled salmon one evening, try a black bean burger the next night. This helps ensure that you'll get all of the nutrients your body needs. Variety also makes your meals and snacks more interesting.

Allow yourself an occasional treat

Allow yourself an indulgence every now and then. A candy bar or handful of potato chips won't derail your heart-healthy diet. But don't let it turn into an excuse for giving up on your healthy-eating plan. If overindulgence is the exception, rather than the rule, you'll balance things out over the long term. What's important is that you eat healthy foods most of the time.

Incorporate these eight tips into your life, and you'll continue to find that heart-healthy eating is both doable and enjoyable. With planning and a few simple substitutions, you can eat with your heart in mind.