Summer Beauty Tips

Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's that time when everyone wants to look impressive in their lack of clothing. While I can't promise you that you'll achieve a fitness model body, I can at least give you some simple but important tips in achieving a leaner physique. Listen up! Behavioral changes guarantee your success - not just knowledge alone. You may already have drawn out your road map with your nutritional plan and your workouts, so take that strategy and ACT on it. Stay motivated and consistently remind yourself of your fitness goal. Here are 11 basic tips to get you jumpstarted!

1. CUT THE SIMPLE CARBS. It's unfortunate that the majority of society is a carb junkie. This especially applies to overweight individuals mainly because their bodies struggle with insulin sensitivity. Our body absolutely needs carbohydrates, but one has to learn to appropriately reverse the ratio of simple carbs (high glycemic) to complex carbs (low glycemic). Most importantly reducing total sugar intake. Having a positive ratio of complex to simple carbs will allow the body to regulate blood sugar levels, burn more fat as fuel, and ultimately lose more weight.

2. EAT SMALLER, MORE FREQUENT MEALS. Smaller, frequent feedings about every 3-4 hours prevents your blood sugar levels from spiking dramatically throughout the day. This helps your hormones stay in check, while regulating hunger as well. Ultimately, it helps elevate metabolism, it's easier on your digestive system, and it can eventually provide you with more energy throughout the day.

3. CONSUME MORE FUNCTIONAL FATS. Essential fatty acids, such as omega-6 and omega-3 consumed in appropriate ratios of 2:1 or better yet at 1:1 will allow the body to regulate your hormones, calm down inflammation, and stabilize blood sugar levels. This eventually leads to greater fat loss. So suck it up, and buy your fish and flax oils at your local health food store.

4. DOWN THAT WATER. Water is often overlooked, but it's the number one nutrient for our body to survive. Staying hydrated aids with digestion, curbs your appetite, and flushes our metabolic waste. Make sure to get in at least 64 oz per day.

5. INCREASE FIBER INTAKE. This nutrient keeps food moving along your gastrointestinal tract, and like water, it aids in flushing metabolic waste. It also helps maintain consistent energy levels, slows the rate of carbohydrate digestion, which stabilizes blood sugar levels.

6. ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL. Not only is alcohol estrogenic (negatively affects testosterone for men), can lead to fat gain, and has a whopping nutrition-empty 7 calories per gram, but it takes precedence over fat metabolism when introduced into the body. Alcohol actually shuts down the fat burning mechanism for up to 48 hours, so avoid it as much as possible.

7. SPICY METABOLISM. Incorporating a variety of spices in your foods such as curry, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and certain herbs may help boost your metabolism. Spices also help with stabilizing blood sugar levels.

8. COMBINE WEIGHT TRAINING WITH YOUR CARDIO. While aerobic activity may burn a great deal of calories, especially when maintained at a high intensity, you'll achieve greater success by combining it with resistance training. This is because proper resistance training stresses all of your muscles fiber types (Type 1 and Type 2). When you stress your muscles effectively, you either maintain and strengthen your current muscle mass or you even gain some. For every pound of muscle you gain it equates to 50 extra calories you can burn per day. So remember to hit the weights at least three times per week along with your cardio.

9. SLOW DOWN YOUR EATING. No one truly gets to sit down and have a nice relaxing meal nowadays, especially with our busy schedules. Learning and realizing to slow down the pace at which we eat prevents compulsive overeating and assists our digestion. It takes at least 20 minutes between the time you're full and when your brain actually realizes it. Slowing your eating will also allow you to enjoy your meal.

10. WATCH FOR FOOD ALLERGIES. Many people are allergic to dairy and wheat products. Being sensitive to these two food categories have been shown to cause weight gain. If you're consuming a diet high in refined foods, these sensitivities become more evident. This causes digestive problems such as bloating, stomach pain, and water retention. If you're not sure you may want to consider an allergy test.

11. GET YOUR ANTIOXIDANTS. Getting your daily dose of antioxidants from either a good multi-vitamin, a specific antioxidant supplement combination, or even a healthy combination of fruits and vegetables is important for combating toxins held in fat cells. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, polyphenols in green tea, etc. help your body reduce the time that toxins stay in your system.

So there it is - 11 basic tips to help you achieve a healthier and leaner physique. It's never to late to take action. Have fun and enjoy the summer!

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

Spring has sprung, and summer is around the corner. You know the signs. Dad fires up the grill, oil companies raise gas prices, and kids come down with itchy rashes. The poison plants are back, and this summer they promise to send two million Americans to the doctor's office.

The three most common culprits--poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac--are native to the Americas. European explorers hadn't seen them before. Sometime around 1600, Captain John Smith recorded his encounter when he wrote, The poisoned weed is much in shape like our English ivy, but being touched, causeth redness, itching, and lastly, blisters.

Pocahontas could have warned him. After all, Native Americans knew all about poison ivy. Indian warriors coated their arrow tips with it, and medicine men rubbed the leaves on infections in an effort to break open the swollen skin.

Colonial doctors paid attention. They jumped on the poison ivy bandwagon and expanded its use to the treatment of herpes, eczema, arthritis, warts, ringworm, and even rattlesnake bites. Use of poison sap in early American medicine was so widespread that poison oak was listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the U.S. as an official therapeutic agent.

Today we know the rash of poison plants is a contact dermatitis. Upon first exposure, most folks develop antibodies against the sap. On subsequent exposure, the antibodies attack the sap, resulting in the bothersome rash. The few who don't make antibodies, won't get the rash. But they should still watch out--antibody production can begin anytime, making a fool out of poor Uncle Pete a day or two after he rubs poison ivy up and down his arm just to prove he ain't allergic.

So what is poison sap anyway? The offending chemical is urushiol, a yellowish oil inside the leaves, stems, and roots of the poison plants. Because it's inside the plant, undisturbed leaves won't harm you. However, if the leaves are chewed by insects, stepped upon, or otherwise damaged, the oil leaks onto the plant's surface where it can come into contact with human or animal skin. As it turns out, only humans and closely-related primates break out with the rash. Dogs, cats, cattle, and sheep are not affected, but they can convey the oil to their human keepers. Clothing and tools also spread the oil, and since the sap remains allergenic for years, unsuspecting spring gardeners can get the rash from last season's gloves.

If you come into contact with poison sap, or at the first sign of rash, you should take a long shower with plenty of soap and water. Avoid immersing in a bath because the oil can float, spreading to other parts of your body. Washing the oil from your skin will stop further spread. Rash may still appear in new areas, but this is because areas exposed to smaller amounts of sap take longer to break out.

Once you have the rash, it stays awhile. The skin has to repair itself, a process taking 10-14 days. All you can do in the meantime is treat the symptoms. With mild cases, over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream and oral antihistamines--like Benadryl--is the best combination to control inflammation and itching. If you have widespread rash, face involvement, or infected blisters, it's time to see your doctor. You might need steroid pills, a shot, or an antibiotic.

As always, prevention is best. All three poison plants have compound leaves with three leaflets. My grandma used to say, Leaves of three? You let them be! and she was right. The leaves are glossy green with a smooth surface. In the fall, the foliage may turn orange or scarlet. Poison ivy is a stout weedy vine that often climbs trees. Poison oak is larger and more shrub-like. Poison sumac grows in swampy areas and can reach up to twenty feet in height.

There is a medicine that prevents the rash by providing a barrier on the surface of exposed skin. IvyBlock (bentoquatam) is available over the counter and approved for age six and up. It should be applied 15 minutes before exposure and reapplied every 4 hours for continued protection.

So get out there and enjoy the Spring. Grill your burger. Fill your tank. Take a ride in the country. But when you get there, remember what my grandma said. Otherwise, you might end up in the waiting room, scratching your sores with those other two million Americans.

COPYRIGHT 2006 MIKE PATRICK JR, MD

Mike Patrick Jr, MD is the author of pediascribe, a weekly column from an American pediatrician. Dr Patrick is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics. He received his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed his pediatric training at Columbus Children's Hospital. Mike is a partner of Pediatric Associates of Springfield, a busy group practice in Ohio. Dr Patrick also writes freelance articles for newspapers, magazines, and websites. He and his wife have two school-aged children, bringing street smarts as well as book smarts to his writing. For more information, please visit http://www.pediascribe.com.

Summertime in Iraq is scorching hot, regular day time temperatures reach in excess of 120?F. It is difficult to imagine living in temperatures so extreme. Thousands of troops stationed in Iraq not only have to deal with these extreme conditions; they have to do it wearing a military uniform, body armor and other equipment. These troops are at high risk of suffering from related heat illnesses, such as mild heat stress or a fatal heat stroke.

Dehydration is a major health issue, the body sweats in an attempt to keep the body's core temperature stable, but in very high temperatures the body will sweat at a rate higher than fluid can be replaced, creating a dangerous situation. Heat stress has five major symptoms: weakness, confusion, vomiting/diarrhea, headache/visual disturbance and poor co-ordination. Working in Iraq is dangerous enough without having to suffer from the symptoms of heat stress.

One way to stay cool during the searing Iraqi heat is to use a cooling vest. Thousands of troops in Iraq from the Australian and US Military have started using special desert colored Arctic Heat Cooling Vests. The lightweight cooling vest is used to keep troops cool while on their patrol rounds, when working around their bases, to pre-cool them before their rounds and to quickly cool themselves when they return to camp. The cooling vests will not only help to prevent heat stress, but keeping cool will also help to improve the soldiers concentration and mental alertness in the stifling summer heat.

Arctic Heat is now the preferred supplier of ?Cooling Products? to the Australia Army and their troops are now being issued with the cool vest during training exercises for deployment in the Middle East region.

?We have been selling large numbers of cooling vests to the parents of US soldiers stationed in Iraq who have been sending over the cool vests to family stationed in Iraq, or otherwise we receive email orders and ship directly to the soldiers.? says Dr John Surie, President of Arctic Heat USA.

The Arctic Heat Cooling Vests were used by US Olympic teams at the Athens Olympics, and are now used by leading sports teams worldwide to improve performance.

The lightweight Arctic Heat Cooling vest uses a two stage cooling process. The vests contain a gel-like substance that can be frozen or chilled. The cooling vests are manufactured using Woolmark's Sportwool, a special body cooling fabric which incorporates Vapor Management Technology helping to wick moisture away from the skin, allowing the wearer to keep dry.

The Arctic Heat body cooling vest which is suitable for industrial, medical and sporting applications retails for $174.95

The Military Cooling Vest can be purchased online at a special discounted price through the Arctic Heat USA website www.arcticheatusa.com.

Dr John Surie, President of Arctic Heat USA.

Our favorite time of year is finally here ? Summer! With it comes the daily assault of taxing chlorine compounds, drying sea salt, and damaging sun rays ? not to mention all of the havoc we wreck on our angel?s hair from daily styling fax pas.

Chlorine and salt water both dry, discolor, and damage hair. Chlorine binds to the hair, filling in gaps in the hair shaft. Mineral deposits in salt water make hair brassy and brittle. Both severely dehydrate hair. Imagine how these elements affect delicate, kinky/curly hair which tends to be much drier than straight hair. It is imperative that you (1) take preventative steps to avoid damaged, lifeless hair, (2) moisturize your child?s hair on a daily basis to restore moisture balance, and (3) take the time to incorporate a quality summer hair care regime.

Here are a few summertime tips that will keep damaged, split, brittle, frizzy hair away, so you and your angel can enjoy the summer without worry.

Summer Hair Care Tips:

?Before your angel enters a pool, lake, ocean, or any body of water, drench his/her hair with water and apply a coat of conditioner to the hair. This water/conditioner mixture will fill up the gaps in your hair shaft and act as a barrier from the chlorinated water. Follow up with a little club soda; it makes for a good post-pool rinse. I recommend wearing a swim cap as often as possible. Although most kids hate wearing them for many reasons - it?s comfortable, unattractive, or it never stays on, etc. - using a cap, that securely protects the hair, is always the best option.

?If there is a time to be extra gentle with her hair, it is now. Treat her hair like a fine silk blouse. Purchase a gentle hydrating shampoo. ALWAYS follow up with a rich conditioner. Shampoo gently ? massage a small amount of shampoo into scalp, rinse well.

?Use a quality conditioner with moisturizing ingredients to deep condition her hair on a weekly basis during the summer. Look for ingredients such as wheat germ, jojoba oil, coconut oil, silk amino acids, etc.

?Over-shampooing and under-conditioning is a common culprit to dry and frizzy hair?especially in the summer months. Shampooing more than 1x a week is not recommended. On her shampoo-less days, simply do a conditioning rinse - rinse hair to remove styling products (this is when using the right products that are water soluble come in). Apply an ample amount of conditioner, comb through, rinse, and proceed with styling. Doing so will pump much needed moisture back into her hair without stripping away essential nutrients, rinse away unnecessary dirt and oil, and give her a fresh, clean start.

? Avoid products that contain synthetic oils such as mineral and/or petrolatum oil, as they further dehydrate your hair. Also avoid products that contain drying alcohol, such as hair spray, mousse and some gels. Instead, opt for a finishing lotion.

? Pay special attention to the ends of his/her hair; after all, they are the oldest part of the hair. Mix a bit of a conditioner with a natural oil, apply, and comb through ends; leave in for extra protection.

Mahisha Dellinger
President/CEO
866-999-CURL
http://www.curls.biz

Superb hair care for multi ethnic women

Exfoliating is the first step to beautiful summer skin. As the sun gets warmer, you pull out the tank tops, shorts, skirts and sandals but then you realize that winter has been pretty tough on your skin. It doesn't do much good to whine about getting older or looking for jobs in better climates. (I know, I've tried!)

It's simply time to start using exfoliating soaps or body scrubs as part of your skin care routine. That glowing smooth skin of your younger days is really still there, it just needs a little push to shine again. Okay, so the word, exfoliation, sounds pretty painful and maybe even time consuming but it's not either of those things. Body scrubs and exfoliating soaps can be a great excuse for time to pamper yourself while you mentally plot out a fun!

How do you get summer ready skin by exfoliating?

Body scrubs and exfoliating soaps are a luscious way to smooth your skin all over! Exfoliating with a body scrub is actually a gentle way to remove dead skin cells, leaving your skin smooth and glowing. Depending on the type of body scrub and your type of skin, you can use a body scrub in the shower or bath at least once a week at home. Very popular at health spas, all over body scrubs do not have to be an expensive or time consuming skin treatment. We are taught that it is essential to exfoliate the face to unclog pores and even out skin tones but it?s just as important to clear away the surface of our whole bodies the same way.

Exfoliating Soaps - What exactly are they?

Exfoliating soaps contain ingredients that naturally scrub away that top layer of dead skin cells. Oatmeal, kaolin clay or finely ground pumice can be found in exfoliating soaps but make sure there are also moisture rich ingredients to nourish your newly exposed skin. Soaps that have shea butter, soybean oil, jojoba oil or cocoa butter blended in will give a great spa experience right at home.

Body Scrubs - Which works better?

Most body scrubs fall into two categories - salt scrubs and sugar body scrubs. Body scrubs can be applied by hand, of course but you can also use a loofah sponge and body brushes along with the body scrubs to help with the job of sloughing away that unwanted top layer of skin.

Salt scrubs boost the circulation to your skin and are coarser, with more exfoliating power than sugar-based scrubs. Sugar scrubs are perfect for sensitive skin because sugar is more gentle than salt. Both remove dead skin cells, slough away dirt and toxins while giving your skin a revitalized, healthy glow. An added benefit of sugar scrubs is the anti-aging properties of sugar. Because sugar produces glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that has been used for centuries to rejuvenate skin, sugar scrubs give your skin a younger glow and appearance naturally.

Exfoliating with a body scrub can be done dry or wet. If you have sensitive skin, avoid salt scrubs or dry bathing and start out your exfoliating routine at once a week.

Be careful - don't be too vigorous with the body brushes or loofah sponges to avoid irritated skin. It's often not the scrub itself that irritates but what we use when exfoliating or the frequency of using the scrub. Natural body scrubs often work fine without extra tools of the trade - simply using a clean bath cloth or your hands will do the job nicely!

If you have very dry or sensitive skin, remember to only use sugar scrubs applied to damp skin to avoid over-drying or irritating your skin. AND...don't forget to follow up your facial treatment or body polish routine with a moisturizer to match your skin type.

Now, Get ready for Summer

Tammy Ames is a registered nurse living in Maine. Tammy invites you to visit Home Spas by Tam ? offering natural handmade skin care products including a luxurious home spa line.

Yes, amazing is it not? Despite the fact that the fitness industry is booming?there are obviously still significant problems in America with people loosing weight and being able to keep it off. Pills alone are obviously not the answer. There are documented facts that state that more than half of American adults are unable to lose excess fat, in spite of their exercise and diet efforts.

Federal officials have, based on these facts, recently declared that obesity is a national epidemic. More than 60 percent of American adults overweight, and 30 percent of all Americans are considered obese?according to the ?Journal of the American Medical Association.?

Why? We as a country are literally bombarded with health and fitness marketing every day, and diet fads and healthy eating plans have never been more popular! So despite what the label might say, non-FDA approved dietary supplements may be a total waste of your money.

Facts: Deception in weight loss advertisements promise unachievable goals: Billions of dollars worth of advertisements for dietary supplements and diet and exercise services in America more often than not, include misleading and quite overly exaggerated promises of rapid and effortless weight loss. This deception is not only devastating and costly to the people who fall for it?but the lies keep America in this trend of tendencies towards obesity.

In order to survive the diet industry needs you to fail at your attempts to loose weight: Dieting is business just like any other, and of course there is an enormous interest in this business to maintain and excel in financial gain. Making sure that this happens, the pills you take religiously will have to fail?so that you will constantly be trying new ones. Even if you use dietary supplements in combination with diet and exercise and you are losing weight, you will continue to take them, because you believe that they are part of working for you.

The people who sell them, who intentionally keep you in the dark write most of the information you can find out about diet pills. This means that even if you wanted to research a product you would only get the information they want to give you?falsified information.

There are in fact diet pills out there that can do some good. But it is better to discuss which ones you should take with a nutritionist or look for information on products that is unbiased.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on fur boots and fashion please visit Brazilian Bikinis and Swimwear.

Spring is in the air and ? summer is around the corner! I know a lot of people have been contacting me about getting themselves and their bodies ready for da-da- DUM ?BATHING SUIT SEASON.

For those of us who live in the more northern part of the country and did not go anywhere tropical during the last six months, this can be an intimidating time. Our skin (and everything underneath it) has been tucked away, protected and hidden beneath beautiful sweaters and warm scarves. Now it is time to let every part of you take a deep breath of summer sun. Here we go!

Bathing Suit Season ? a Nutritional Guide

Two important concepts to keep in mind when looking at your food in preparation for your summer self is 1) to start, try to love your body right where it is now 2) be willing to allow your food habits to change. Take into consideration that your body WANTS to change what it is eating. As mentioned in previous editions the springtime is the perfect time for the body to ?go light?. If you listen closely I bet you can hear your body asking for different food, lighter food, and less food. To allow yourself to make these changes follow these guidelines:

1) Do Not Skip Meals ?Eat small meals or snacks containing some PROTEIN every few hours to keep blood-sugar levels steady. Do not to let more than 3 hours go between eating. This will help keep your blood sugar stable and avoid ravenous hunger which often leads to overeating. Low blood sugar and extreme hunger are a dangerous combination.

2) Keep Healthy Snacks Around ? whether you like crunch, salt or sweet, take care and prep ahead to have some energy rich? food available for yourself. The worst type of pre-summer sabotage is stopping somewhere UNKNOWN for just A LITTLE SOMETHING to HOLD YOU OVER. Use some of these Healthy Snack Ideas or create your own.

Crunch ? lite popcorn, or plain popcorn popped in paper bag in microwave/ or use coconut oil to pop in a covered pan

? frozen grapes

? 1 ? 2 hard pretzels ? the large Bavarian variety

? apple

? carrots ? particularly the super sweet, organic baby carrots

Sweet

? organic carrots (category cross over on this one!)

? organic yogurt and over ripe fruit ? all kinds of flavors to enjoy ? fresh, whole fruit

? leftover grains ? (i.e. brown rice, quinoa, spelt) drizzle maple syrup and cinnamon; add soy milk and bananas, heat and enjoy warm oatmeal-like porridge, cook grains in fruit juice (i.e. apple),

? smoothies ? mix any of the following ? whatever you have in the kitchen: fruit, ice?soy milk, yogurt, protein powder, carob powder, fruit juice, etc?

Salty

? tortilla chips and fresh salsa ? try whole grain chips such as ?Garden of Eatin? Brand in health food stores and try freshly made salsa vs. shelved and processed stuff.

? pickles

? fresh lime/lemon juice as seasonings or in beverage

3) Dandelion Greens ? That?s right. This pesky flower has leaves that are a magic component of winter weight loss. This common weed of the composite family is a powerful restorative to the liver. It's also rich in minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium and zinc, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3,and C. Ounce for ounce, dandelion contains more carotene than carrots. Dandelion also cleanses the blood and liver (the organ most associated with Spring in Traditional Chinese Medicine), and increases bile production. Go clean to get lean!

4) Fruits - Fruits are cool and juicy, so they get you the water you need to stay hydrated and they also provide the vitamins and nutrients that fat-free snack foods don't. Eating a lot of fruit does not work for everyone, but if you are a person who does well with fruit ?Spring Lightening? can include eating a lot of fruits.

To your energy and success, Heather

Heather Dominick, ?The Energy Expert? is an energy and nutrition specialist with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather?s primary focus is in helping others identify sources for increasing physical energy and making permanent lifestyle changes. To sign up to receive your free chapter of the famed e-Book Get EnergyRICH?, for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your most energized life, visit http://www.individual-health.net

For many people, New Years Resolutions have long since been forgotten as we happily went through the cold months in our many layers of clothes. If you were motivated and focused enough to stick with your New Year?s resolution to get into shape this year ? congratulations!! As the rest of you start to shed your winter wardrobes and notice lumps, bumps and jiggles in places that you would rather not mention, thoughts start to wander to summer and it?s skin revealing styles. Don?t fear, there is hope to make some serious changes to your body before summer begins and we start hitting the boats, beaches, pool parties and donning our summer wardrobes. You may not be quite in your ?dream? body in a month but you can make real, dramatic changes. Starting now can not only have you looking firmer and more toned in your swimsuit at the start of the summer but will have you 3 months closer to really strutting your stuff as the summer ends. These are the tips and tricks which we have used for years to get our clients? bodies ?summer ready?

1. Set Realistic Goals - Enthusiasm often wanes when pounds don?t magically disappear overnight. You can not undo years (or months) of bad habits and achieve the body of your dreams in a few weeks

2. Look For Situations To Be active -Look for the hard way to do things - Park as far from the store as you can rather than looking for the closest parking spot, use the stairs rather than the elevator, if possible carry your bags out to your car instead of using the cart.

3. Always eat breakfast - Food fuels your metabolism - Studies show that those who skip the first meal, end up eating more total calories throughout the day and tend to make less healthy choices Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body that you're starving because you haven't had food for a while. As a protective mechanism, your metabolism will slow down.

4. Don?t starve yourself - Less than 1,200 is usually not enough to support your basal metabolism and thus will slow your body's calorie-burning ability ? Very low calorie diets will, in the short term, help you lose weight but they?re extremely difficult to maintain. You?ll gradually become tired and irritable & lack the energy to exercise usually putting the end to your fitness program and leading to the beginning of a binge cycle.

5. Eat 5 - 6 small meals a day - Try to eat at least 3 meals a day. Optimally you should spread your calories throughout 5 -6 small meals per day. This will keep your metabolism roaring, your hunger in check and your blood sugar level even to help avoid binging.

6. Drink Plenty Of water ? Drinking water helps keep you feeling full. Many times dehydration can mask itself as hunger so if you are feeling ?snacky? try a glass of water before you eat. Water also helps keep the kidneys flushed which helps the liver metabolize fat at full force.

7. Follow the 90% to 10% rule. If you watch what you eat 90% of the time, the other 10% is not a problem

8. Close Your eyes and visualize - When the going gets rough or when you just don?t feel like it. Take a moment and visualize the slimmer, firmer, healthy more energetic person that you want to be this summer ? Focus on the clothes that you want to wear and the places where you would like to be more comfortable. Remember the reason why you started your fitness/ nutrition program in the first place!! Create a clear mental picture and use it next time you feel like you are losing site of your fitness goal.

9. Eat your fruits & Veggies - Freshness Counts - The packaging and processing generally found in convenience foods generally reduce the nutrient values of foods and substantially raise the caloric content. The simple sugars found in processed foods generally leave people feeling hungry and craving carbohydrates - The American Dietetic Association recommends at least 3 - 5 fruit servings per day and 3 ? 7 vegetable servings. Since fruits & vegetables are nutritionally dense and full of fiber eating plenty will keep your hunger satisfied and your body shrinking - 10. Just do it - The difference between the people strutting their stuff in the summer?s skin bearing fashions and those hiding their stuff is simply habits. There are the same amount of hours and stress in each week for every one of us - those who fit exercise and healthy eating into their lifestyles don't have more time or less stress, they just have healthier habits. The next time that you are unable to follow through on one of your weight loss goals - Identify the challenge and prepare a plan for the next time. Don't dwell on it or make excuses for why you can't do it.

Copyright ? Custom Bodies, Inc. 2005

Article written by Dianne Villano, President of Custom Bodies in Tampa Bay, Fl. Custom Bodies has been serving the bay area since 1996 with weight loss & fitness programs. Dianne is a personal fitness instructor certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and a frequent speaker on health and fitness related topics with articles published in over 20 media outlets. For more articles, free fitness tips or information on programs visit http://www.mypersonalfitnesscoach.com

Once again, winter has faded into Spring and Spring has burst into Summer along with Summer skin. Next comes the invincible Summer sun, your skin's arch-enemy, particularly if you play or exercise outdoors.

Most people know that using sunscreen protection is essential. There are a number of ways to promote a healthy glow without exposing your skin to harmful rays. To help avoid Summer skin when playing or exercising outdoors on a hot, sunny day here are a few tips.

Lightweight and light colored clothing combined with plenty of sunscreen protection on exposed and unexposed skin is a good way to protect yourself.

If overheating isn't a concern, dark colored, tightly woven clothing is more effective at blocking UV rays. Light colored clothing lets the sun and UV rays reach the skin more easily.

Another barrier against sun damage comes in the form of eyewear. Protect not only your eyes, but also the skin around them by wearing sunglasses that block 90 percent to 100 percent of the sun's UV rays.

Always wear a hat. Though a cap may be more comfortable for jogging, try a wide brimmed hat that will shade your neck and face while gardening or walking outside.

Now that you know how to protect the skin's surface, it's time to start thinking about what you can do to make a healthy glow from the inside out. You're already off to a good start with some form of exercise, which gets the blood circulating and delivers fresh oxygen to the skin all over your body.

The next step is to drink plenty of water. Outdoor play or exercise, especially in the Summer, increases your risk of dehydration. This is one risk you don't want to take since it not only affects your performance and robs your skin of vitality, but also may be potentially hazardous to your health.

Be sure to drink fluids before, during and after physical activity. To replenish your fluids after any outdoor activity, weigh yourself before you participate and then weigh again after. Any weight you lost is water and should be replaced by drinking two glasses (16 ounces) of water for every pound you have lost.

Summer is a time for sun, fun and physical activity. Sipping on a cool drink, participating in your favorite activity and enjoying the long days of summer. No matter what you like to do, with a little insight and these few tips you can help alleviate the effects of Summer skin and make your Summer one you will enjoy.

Copyright ? 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles1.html

Many of you have asked this important question about your own makeup. I have had countless conversations about the topic of shiny vs. matte. There seems to be a strong resistance to the shine factor in makeup. Women feel that it will age their skin, making it look drier and older than it actually is.

Your skin in its healthiest state, like hair and nails, should have a natural sheen, a subtle glow. When your makeup is too matte, it ages the skin just as quickly as if it had too much shine! A subtle shine can add ?pop? to the eye area, highlight cheekbones beautifully, and give the appearance of fuller lips instantly.

After painting faces for almost sixteen years, I have to say I love to see women of all ages and skin tones wearing a little something reflective on their face. The key word here is ?little?. I?m not talking about going out and buying metallic makeup to wear to work everyday. No body glitter, frosty lipstick, or shimmering face powders are allowed! The kind of shine I love the best is a ?satin? finish. Often, there does not even appear to be an actual ?sparkly particle? in the product, but it glows and shows off the skin beautifully. Products with this ?satin? finish catch light and give life to your complexion!

A few rules to keep in mind:

1 Create balance between your features by accenting only one or two of them with shine. For example: matte eye shadows with dewy lips, or satin-finish eye shadows with a traditional lipstick texture.

2 If your skin is dry or flaky, shimmery makeup wouldn?t be the best for you. Stick to dewy, creamy textures instead. This will give your skin a very healthy glow. Try Nars Cream Shadows and Blushes in addition to Stila Convertible Color.

3 If your skin is oily, look for creamy, slightly shimmery eye shadow colors that are smudge-proof. This will serve as a base color and help keep your powder shadows in place during the day ahead. Try Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Sticks and Stila Shadow Pots.

Remember, makeup is not permanent. It comes off! How lucky we are as women to have the ability to change the way we look so easily. If this all still seems a bit scary, a well-trained makeup artist can answer any questions and show you how to look your very best!

Sonja George is Senior Makeup Artist for Scott Miller ? a salon, spa, and store in Rochester, NY (http://www.scottmillerstyle.com). Sonja has been a professional makeup artist and licensed esthetician for more than 17 years. Through the proper use of color and technique Sonja helps empower clients to look their absolute best. Additionally she acts as an educator of clients and staff, specializing in product knowledge and industry research and development.

Sonja?s professional experiences include editorial print, runway, fashion, film, and television broadcast. A few of her clients include supermodel Niki Taylor, actor/comedian Joan Rivers, news anchor Dan Rather, sports broadcaster Jim Nantz, and actor Bruce McGill.

Summer is here and you are tired and thirsty. What do you do? Grab a cola and quench your thirst with a chilled, refreshing drink. But wait a minute. Do you know you might be doing more wrong than good to your health. Do you know cola contains Phosphoric acid which is harmful for your health? Best drink for the summer is still the good old water.

Here are some tips you can follow to stay healthy and fresh this summer:

1. Avoid any carbonated or caffeinated drink.

These drinks are acidic in nature and act as diuretics. They cause loss of fluids. Too much sugar is also harmful as it not only adds up calorie intake but all deprives body of fluid. Phosphoric acid dissolved in many soft drinks damages the inner lining of the digestive tract and affects the system.

Phosphoric acid also causes calcium to break away from bones which makes them porous and prone to injury.

2. Drink lemonade and fresh fruit juice.

Eat fresh fruits. They are low in calories and provide necessary anti-oxidants which help your skin.

3. Smoothie and milkshakes.

Drink smoothies ONLY if you are involved in heavy workouts. Smoothies and milkshakes are rich in calories and can give you an instant boost if taken right after a workout session. But you should avoid taking it during other times of the day when you are not working out or if you are weight conscious.

4. Avoid eating deep fried food like French fries and chips.

5. Minimize the intake of hot, spicy foods and extremely salty foods.

The body is capable of only retaining organic salts form found in fruits and veggies; the inorganic salt, meanwhile, is digested and needs to be thrown out of the body. And that is the reason why you need to drink water!

6. Eat fruits.

There is so many varieties of fruits available in the market during this time of the season they you will never get bored. You can choose watermelon, kiwifruit, strawberries, blueberries mangoes and many more exotic fruits.

And finally remember this simple formula. You must drink 10-12 glasses of water everyday, and add one more glass of water for every cup of coffee/tea or cold drink that you take.

Author is a traveler and has traveled most of Asia and Europe. He is a regular practitioner of tae-kwon-do and yoga. He enjoys photography, cooking and gardening and maintains blogs on the same as a hobby. You can also visit his health and fitness blog exercise and yoga for office.

Summer is not too far away. It is almost time for shorts, tank tops, and bathing suits. Time to prepare the body for not only looking good in such few clothes, but preparing the body for the effects of the heat and sun. Three important steps to this preparation include exercise, eating foods high in antioxidants, and drinking plenty of water.

The National Weight Control Registry and a Consumer?s Report survey of 32,000 people both show that people who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off have all followed some consistent guidelines, which has included regular exercise, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, following a low fat diet, and eating primarily healthy fats.

The advantage of regular exercise not only includes weight loss, but more important is that consistent exercise results in body fat loss and development of muscle tone, which shows most when clothes are skimpier. This improvement can be felt quickly, as the muscles are worked and get used to the demands made of them. When you feel more fit, you start to hold yourself up, stronger and prouder. Posture improves and you just look better, overall. For someone who has not been exercising regularly, after a quick checkup by your doctor, simple walking can be a great way to get started! But, in order for it to be effective, you have to do it on a regular basis; at least 3-5 days a week. When just starting out, 3 days a week of 20 minutes per walk may be plenty. It may even be a challenge at first! If you keep it up, though, shortly it will get easier. As it gets easier, progression to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week will be more effective. If someone started walking 4 miles per hour (15 minutes per mile) for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, they will start burning roughly an extra 1500 calories a week. Although this will only result the loss of a few pounds in 10 weeks, the increase in your resting metabolic rate will also increase with regular exercise. Your resting metabolic rate is how many calories you burn at rest. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn when just sitting! So, without even changing the way you eat, you?re already working towards some weight loss.

This brings us to the second step for preparing the body for summer, which is making some changes to the diet by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. There are three advantages to a diet high in fruits and vegetables;

1. these foods are rich in antioxidants, which help protect the skin from the harmful, oxidating effects of the sun and toxic chemicals from the hot air,

2. they also have been shown to help fight against heart disease, cancer and obesity,

3. finally, they will fill you up on fewer total calories because they are high in fiber and bulk. If a person were to eat 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which is the recommendation of many health organizations, today, they would feel fuller on fewer net calories by the end of the day. Theoretically, they could end up eating 200-500 fewer calories per day, which further helps with weight loss. Plus, you would feel better, your hair, skin and nails would look better, and you would become more regular.

The final important step to preparing for summer is to increase your intake of water. Sixty percent of our body is water. Studies have shown that a diet adequate in water helps with weight loss, helps moisten skin, decreases dryness, can help prevent the development of wrinkles, keeps the hands and lips moist, can help fight heat exhaustion, and even has shown to decrease bladder cancer in men. Although there is a lot of debate over just how much water each of us needs, a good individual rule of thumb is to drink enough water so that your urine is clear by the afternoon. Worry about staying up all night going to the bathroom? Then drink most of your water in the first half of the day. Don?t like water? Then experiment with various temperatures of plain water, or add a slice of lemon or orange to your water. Perhaps you can find a flavored (not sweetened) water. Even eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables and getting plenty of other fluids can be adequate for some, because these foods and other fluids also provide free water for the body?s needs.

Now is the time to start getting ready for summer! It is not too late. If you start on these steps now, you will be well on your way to feeling great, looking great, and be prepared for a new you this summer, strutting your stuff in those brand new shorts that are sitting in your closet.

Marjorie Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and now helps other nutrition professionals start up their own private practice. To learn more about the services Margie offers, go to her website at http://www.megfit.com or email her at margie@megfit.com.

As summer temperatures heats up do you find your makeup literally melting down your face? By midday has your perfectly applied makeup fallen victim to the heat and humidity of summer and disappeared? Are you ready to surrender to Mother Nature and stop using any makeup in the summer? Well, now you can chill out, enjoy the summer and with these professional tips used by some of the world?s top makeup artists to look beautiful all summer long.

?Don?t apply makeup for at least 5 minutes after applying moisturizer.

?Use an oil free moisturizer or a moisturizing lotion instead of a cream.

?Use oil free loose powder.

?Apply a light dusting of loose face powder before applying foundation.

?Use a light weight liquid or powder foundation instead of a cream foundation.

?Use a tint moisturizer instead of foundation.

?After foundation and concealer is applied blot any oil built up with a clean tissue press gently into moist areas. This will allow the color to last longer and avoid a cake look.

?Use waterproof products.

?Keep your lip pencils, eye pencils and lipsticks in the refrigerator.

?Before applying eye shadow apply an eye shadow base.

?For long lasting eye color apply powder eye shadow with a damp brush.

?To keep eyeliner in place and color looking fresh, use an eyeliner pencil then go over the pencil with a thin line of eye shadow in the same color .

?Limit mascara to one coat.

?Avoid using mascara on lower lashes.

?After applying your color mascara apply a clear sealant mascara over it.

?For lip color that last; instead of using lipstick, apply lip balm to lips then fill in with lip pencil.

?To set make up and keep make up looking fresh longer spray face with a professional setting spray or a fine mist of water after applying your make up.

Eileen Hammel is a Nationally & Internationally Recognized Image, Style and Beauty Expert Ms.Hammel is President of Smarter Image, and Smart Skin Care - Smart Cosmetics by Smarter Image. http://www.smartskincaresmartcosmetics.com/

You can trust me that I make sure to take care to have as EnergyRICH a vacation as possible (why come back from vacation feeling bloated, a few pounds heavier, experiencing heartburn etc, right?). So I wanted to share my 5 favorite ways (food-wise and fun-wise) of making that happen!

Food For Summer Vacation

1.Bring Your Own ? don?t panic. I?m not talking EVERYTHING, but I am suggesting you consider the basics. Let?s face it: Rest Stops, Airports, Train Stations, and Tourist Destinations do not necessarily have your best energy in mind. They generally are looking to make the most for their dollar. This is fine, but why should your body have to pay the price? So what to do? A few options for ?Bring Your Own?:

*A self-made, EnergyRICH sandwich for in the car, on the train, plane, boat ? you name it!

*Snack bags ? fill ?em EnergyRICH and eat ?em all throughout your trip!

*Breakfast ? have it with you and you can save a lot of money and energy by choosing what you eat to start your day EVEN when you are on vacation!

2.Drink Water ? you?ve got to have it! Traveling in the car ? bring gallons with you; arriving by public transportation ? find the nearest grocery store ASAP and stock up for hotel/motel room or campsites and be sure to have some bottles to carry with you throughout the day. It is so easy to become dehydrated when distracted by the beach or Mickey or what have you.

(As always, being EnergyRICH isn?t just about the food you put in your body. It?s also about making choices around what you do and how you do it so that you are leading your most energized life!)

3.Keep it Cool ? I am a big fan of making sure that there is a refrigerator in your hotel room and if not bringing/buying a cooler. This is so important for keeping veggie snacks fresh, fruit cool or anything else you might need that you know you are not going to get at all of those vacation restaurants.

4.Get Moving - there is no better place to be physically active than on vacation: take walk on the beaches, not just sun baths; swim in the pool; walk around the back streets of the town you are visiting (see where the real folks live); ride a bike; tour the local golf course ? you get the picture ?

5.Don?t Do it All - since life and success is about balance, so is vacation. You don?t need to see every monument, light house, historic spot, t-shirt shop or even hike every trail. Choose your destinations and then take time to stroll, sit and read, have longer dinners than usual and just be with yourself, your travel companions (if you have them with you) and the new environment you are in.

To Your Energy and Success, Heather

Heather Dominick, ?The Energy Expert? is an energy and nutrition specialist with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather?s primary focus is in helping others identify sources for increasing physical energy and making permanent lifestyle changes. To sign up to receive your free chapter of the famed e-Book Get EnergyRICH?, for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your most energized life, visit http://www.individual-health.net

To prepare ourselves for the Summer Sun we want to do more for ourselves than just watch what we eat. We want to get every part of ourselves moving, metabolizing and breathing.

1) Exercise First Thing - Start in the morning. Move and breathe for at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that exercising in the morning burns up to 3x more fat than working out at any other time during the day. When you wake up in the morning your body doesn?t have any carbohydrates stored to burn as energy so it turns to burn body fat to burn for energy. Your metabolism also boosts after your morning movement and stay elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only means that you?ll burn more calories and lose more weight.

2) Breakdown Your Goals - One of the main reasons people fail to meet their goals is they set up unrealistic expectation or extremely complicated goals. Most of us have the tendency to jump to the end product without paying much consideration to what it actually takes to get there. Take a look at what I mean:

? My goal is to lose 8 - 10 pounds for the summer.

? My goal is to lose 1 pound a week to feel comfortable in my bathing suite by July 4th.

3) Get Your Sleep - You have heard me say it before and I will keep saying it ? if you want to improve your health and manage your weight get your right amount of sleep. For most people it is at least 8 hours of sleep. For some it is more, for some less. But if you are thinking you are of the ?less? category because you stay up to watch television or do work, I encourage you to really be honest with yourself. Your body has to have time to recharge every night so it's fresh, ready and the metabolism is boosted to face the activity of the next day.

To your energy and success, Heather

Energy~Nutrition Specialist Heather M. Dominick, The Energy Expert, is author of the information packed 'EnergyRICH Lifestyle' weekly ezine. If you're ready to jump- start your energy, make effective changes, and have more fun in your life, get your FREE subscription and more EnergyRICH Tips at http://www.individual-health.net

On a hot day we may feel like we?re melting, but did you know that our internal temperature (or core temperature) only changes by a few degrees. Our normal body temperature at rest is maintained between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius. Our core temperature is extremely important as the processes that occur in our cells need it to be very constant in order to keep the body alive. In fact, you will require medical intervention if it drops below 34.4 degrees, or above 41 degrees.


Sources of heat
Apart from the obvious source of heat: the environment, the body also has another major contributor: metabolic processes. Anything that increases energy production, the release of hormones, or basal metabolic rate, also increases heat production.


Body temperature whilst exercising
Body temperature reflects the balance between heat production and heat loss. As we exercise we increase our body temperature and for us to be able to continue we must be able to release the excess heat.

This is done using the circulatory system. The heat is carried by the blood, to the skin. It is then released into the external environment.

The release of heat is completed by any of 4 mechanisms:

• Conduction: the heat is transferred through contact with another object. This object must have a lower temperature. The body loses only small amounts of heat due to this process.


• Convection: the heat is transferred by the motion of a gas or liquid (eg, air across the skin when running, or water across the skin when swimming). As these air or water molecules come into contact with the body, heat is released to them, they move on, and are replaced by cooler molecules.


• Radiation: the heat is transferred from one object to another without contact. This can result in heat loss or heat gain, depending on the environmental conditions


• Evaporation: heat is transferred through the evaporation of bodily fluids when brought into contact with the external environment (eg, sweat evaporating off the skin, and to a lesser extent our breathe as we exhale). This is usually the most important form of heat loss during exercise. In this process the heat is transferred from the body, to water on the surface of the skin (sweat). When the sweat reaches a certain temperature it is converted to a gas and the heat is released into the environment.

What does all this mean to the average exerciser?
The human body?s automatic temperature controls work very well, but you?ll perform much better if you follow these guidelines:

• Expose as much of the skin as possible to the open air. This will not only allow the sweat on your skin to evaporate, but it will also allow some heat loss via convection.


• If you are not able to expose much skin (eg, sports uniform), then take frequent water breaks.


• Wear cotton clothing whenever possible.


• In extremely hot weather, take frequent rest periods.


• If you do not regularly exercise in hot conditions, take time to acclimatize before participating in high intensity exercise.

Ray Kelly has a degree in Exercise Science and 15 years experience as a Lecturer and Fitness Trainer. Sign up today for his free 7 Day Weight Loss Course at: Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Weight Loss

Summer is fast approaching. This is the time of year where everyone who fell off the New Year's weight loss bandwagon suddenly becomes frozen with fear. They realize that they have not met their goals to have a bikini body by this summer. Panic sets in and unfortunately so do bad decisions.

Warmer weather and beach vacation plans are a sign of fad diets, intense workouts, and miracle fat loss pills. People looking to slim down by summer need results and they need them fast! I am here to give you 5 great reasons not to jump into the fad diet or crazed workout routine.

1) You Will Destroy Your Metabolism. Any diet that restricts your caloric intake, eliminates a food group or contains the word cabbage will not work. Not eating 5-6 small healthy meals per day will hurt your metabolism. It will slow down and become sluggish. The only way to rev it back up is to eat more healthy foods in the right amounts.

2) You Will Gain Back the Weight- Plus Some. It's happened before. As soon as you stop taking the miracle pill or as soon as you stop doing cardio for an hour every day the weight comes piling back on- plus some. You must make a lifestyle change to keep unwanted fat away for good.

3) You Will Be Quite Moody. Not eating or restricting your calories will leave you moody and sleepy. Sure you may have lost 3 pounds, but no one wants to be around you. Losing fat the healthy way will leave you feeling refreshed, energized and absolutely glowing with charm.

4) You Will Be Heading In the Wrong Direction. Not only is excessive exercise bad for you, but it also takes time away from reaching your goals. 3 weeks of over-exercising is 3 weeks not working out responsibly. It moves you further away from your goal of a bikini body.

5) You'll Be Known as a Yo-Yo Queen. You know what I am talking about. People will know that you are taking the easy way out. They will also know that in 3 weeks you will not be working out anymore. They may even place bets on how much fat you gain after you realize restricting calories and over-exercising is not a long-lasting or permanent solution to fat loss. Prove them wrong!

Deep down we all know that the only way to permanently lose fat is to adopt a healthy and fit lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle means eating enough healthy food throughout the day. It involves carbs, proteins and healthy fats. A healthy lifestyle also means a responsible and safe workout program. A great program will include strength training, cardio and regular rest days.

It is possible to melt the fat and have a bikini body by summer. There is no secret workout plan, there is no miraculous pill, and there is no new diet that will give you long lasting happiness. If you are serious about fat loss then do it right this time around. Get a great plan and get moving. Summer is coming!

Copyright 2006 strength-training-woman.com

Lynn VanDyke is the head trainer at http://www.strength-training-woman.com . Her wildly popular ebook, Melt the Fat, comes complete with over 100 exercises, 160 daily menus, 63 ways to stick with it, 100 strength training routines, 800 healthy meal suggestions and loads more. Learn more by visiting: http://www.Melt-the-Fat.com

Sunlight can cause many different problems the most serious of which is skin cancer. Examples of what sunlight exposure can cause also include premature aging, cataracts, and wrinkles. The amount of damage can depend on the strength of the light, the length of exposure time and what type of protection is used. There is no such thing as a safe suntan. Those who have fair complexions sure exercise the most caution. Skin cancer may develop from exposure to sunlight, often times people do not realize that skin cancer may not develop until several years after exposure. Skin cancer may also appear anywhere on the body, the area that is exposed may not be the area that develops cancer. The most dangerous type of skin cancer is Melanoma, Melanoma can be life threatening. Those at highest risk often display physical features that include Fair skin, Blond, red, or light brown hair, freckles, and possibly moles. Self examination is a good idea for early detection, a simple examination can be done monthly. Skin cancers that are detected early can almost always be cured. The most important warning sign to look for is a spot on the skin that is changing size, shape, or color during a period of 1 month to 2 years. If you find any of the following items you should consult a health care specialist immediately

1. Pale, wax-like, pearly nodules.
2. Red, scaly, sharply outlined patches.
3. Sores that don't heal.
4. Small, mole-like growths, may be melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer

So how can you protect your family

1. Cover up.
Try this test: Place your hand between a single layer of the clothing and a light source. If you can see your hand through the fabric, the garment offers little protection.

2. Use sunscreen.
A sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 blocks 93 percent of UV rays. You want to block both UVA and UVB rays to guard against skin cancer. Be sure to follow application directions on the bottle.

3. Wear a hat.
A wide brim hat (not a baseball cap) is ideal because it protects the neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose, and scalp.

4. Wear UV-absorbent shades.
Sunglasses should block at least 99% of UVA and UVB rays

5. Limit exposure.
UV rays are most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you're unsure about the sun's intensity, take the shadow test: If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun's rays are the day's strongest.

For more information about preventing,detecting, and treating skin cancer, visit: http://wongaa.com/

Summer brings a lot of fantastic things with it, but one of the healthiest for those of us in the colder climates is more fresh food. The growing season has started and is shifting into full gear. Keep your eyes open for these foods to help your summer be absolutely luscious.

Glorious Greens

Most of my clients who have worked with me individually have experienced learning how to use greens for the benefit of their individual body. Green vegetables are the food most missing in modern diets. Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium (120 -190 mg per cup!) They're also high in magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and they are a power house for Vitamin A, C, E and K. Believe it or not, they are also crammed high with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals ? you just can?t get any better than this. For summer, however, here are two to really take advantage of:

1) Lovage ? according to K?Eogh, an 18th century Irish herbalist, this strong scented herb, ?expels flatulence; clears the sight; removes spots, freckles and redness; provokes urination and menstruation; and aids digestion ? and is aptly used in love potions?. Sounds like the makings for fabulous salad fixins? to me!

This green also happens to be tasty, too, and is similar to celery in its appearance. Not only is it yummy raw, but it retains its flavor in slow cooking soups and stews.

2) Watercress ? a known immune booster. This powerful green is valuable for treating colds and coughs, but in general also helps maintain vigorous workings of both the thyroid and endocrine glands. This makes it perfect for an extra summer-time energy boost, not to mention that it has a dramatic, spicy bite!

When buying: look for fresh leaflets of an evenly spread, darkish color. Don?t buy or eat any yellowish leaves that you discover.

When storing: place the stems in cold water and refrigerate. Use within 1 day as this leaf is grown in cold spring water and doesn?t keep well when it?s dry.

To your energy and success, Heather

Heather Dominick, ?The Energy Expert? is an energy and nutrition specialist with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather?s primary focus is in helping others identify sources for increasing physical energy and making permanent lifestyle changes. To sign up to receive your free chapter of the famed e-Book Get EnergyRICH?, for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your most energized life, visit http://www.individual-health.net

On a hot day we may feel like we?re melting, but did you know that our internal temperature (or core temperature) only changes by a few degrees. Our normal body temperature at rest is maintained between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius. Our core temperature is extremely important as the processes that occur in our cells need it to be very constant in order to keep the body alive. In fact, you will require medical intervention if it drops below 34.4 degrees, or above 41 degrees.


Sources of heat
Apart from the obvious source of heat: the environment, the body also has another major contributor: metabolic processes. Anything that increases energy production, the release of hormones, or basal metabolic rate, also increases heat production.


Body temperature whilst exercising
Body temperature reflects the balance between heat production and heat loss. As we exercise we increase our body temperature and for us to be able to continue we must be able to release the excess heat.

This is done using the circulatory system. The heat is carried by the blood, to the skin. It is then released into the external environment.

The release of heat is completed by any of 4 mechanisms:

• Conduction: the heat is transferred through contact with another object. This object must have a lower temperature. The body loses only small amounts of heat due to this process.


• Convection: the heat is transferred by the motion of a gas or liquid (eg, air across the skin when running, or water across the skin when swimming). As these air or water molecules come into contact with the body, heat is released to them, they move on, and are replaced by cooler molecules.


• Radiation: the heat is transferred from one object to another without contact. This can result in heat loss or heat gain, depending on the environmental conditions


• Evaporation: heat is transferred through the evaporation of bodily fluids when brought into contact with the external environment (eg, sweat evaporating off the skin, and to a lesser extent our breathe as we exhale). This is usually the most important form of heat loss during exercise. In this process the heat is transferred from the body, to water on the surface of the skin (sweat). When the sweat reaches a certain temperature it is converted to a gas and the heat is released into the environment.

What does all this mean to the average exerciser?
The human body?s automatic temperature controls work very well, but you?ll perform much better if you follow these guidelines:

• Expose as much of the skin as possible to the open air. This will not only allow the sweat on your skin to evaporate, but it will also allow some heat loss via convection.


• If you are not able to expose much skin (eg, sports uniform), then take frequent water breaks.


• Wear cotton clothing whenever possible.


• In extremely hot weather, take frequent rest periods.


• If you do not regularly exercise in hot conditions, take time to acclimatize before participating in high intensity exercise.

Ray Kelly has a degree in Exercise Science and 15 years experience as a Lecturer and Fitness Trainer. Sign up today for his free 7 Day Weight Loss Course at: Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Weight Loss

Diets play an ever growing role in the lives of many many people from all walks of life. A recent study conducted in the USA, concluded that one third of all US residents have at one point in their lives dieted, or are in the midst of trying to lose weight. Whether its the lack of nutritional knowledge, laziness, or a combination of both, our world is growing, and I am not referring to the planet itself, just us that inhabit it.

The summer season is prime time diet season. Looking good for the summer is such an important requirement for so many people, that they will try anything from the South Beach Diet, to the ever popular, starvation approach in order to attain an acceptible figure.

Telling somebody that eating food is the first thing they need to do in order to loose weight usually results in them never asking your advice again. Well shame on them because what they do not know, is by eating healthy food, your metabolism initiates in order to break down that food into energy that the body needs to function. No food = no metabolism = fat!

Other little additions or in this case subtractions that you can make to your diet to help shed the weight include simply decreasing your portions, not eathing past a certain time of day, and not eathing foods that are not good for you.

Today?s fast paced lifestyle that we are caught up in does not afford us the time to always pick foods sensibly, leading to the purchase of high cal. low protein, cheaply prepared food items that do more arm than good. Taking the time to properly select what you plan to put into your own body and the bodies of your family if you shop for one, should be something that you take very seriously, as it has an impact on your health, and their health. Remember we all only get one crack at the can of life, making the most of it starts with being healthy so we can do just that, make the most of the time we have.

We are home to the very popular South Beach Diet as well as breaking news from The World of Health

Summer is not too far away. It is almost time for shorts, tank tops, and bathing suits. Time to prepare the body for not only looking good in such few clothes, but preparing the body for the effects of the heat and sun. Three important steps to this preparation include exercise, eating foods high in antioxidants, and drinking plenty of water.

The National Weight Control Registry and a Consumer?s Report survey of 32,000 people both show that people who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off have all followed some consistent guidelines, which has included regular exercise, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, following a low fat diet, and eating primarily healthy fats.

The advantage of regular exercise not only includes weight loss, but more important is that consistent exercise results in body fat loss and development of muscle tone, which shows most when clothes are skimpier. This improvement can be felt quickly, as the muscles are worked and get used to the demands made of them. When you feel more fit, you start to hold yourself up, stronger and prouder. Posture improves and you just look better, overall. For someone who has not been exercising regularly, after a quick checkup by your doctor, simple walking can be a great way to get started! But, in order for it to be effective, you have to do it on a regular basis; at least 3-5 days a week. When just starting out, 3 days a week of 20 minutes per walk may be plenty. It may even be a challenge at first! If you keep it up, though, shortly it will get easier. As it gets easier, progression to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week will be more effective. If someone started walking 4 miles per hour (15 minutes per mile) for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, they will start burning roughly an extra 1500 calories a week. Although this will only result the loss of a few pounds in 10 weeks, the increase in your resting metabolic rate will also increase with regular exercise. Your resting metabolic rate is how many calories you burn at rest. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn when just sitting! So, without even changing the way you eat, you?re already working towards some weight loss.

This brings us to the second step for preparing the body for summer, which is making some changes to the diet by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. There are three advantages to a diet high in fruits and vegetables;

1. these foods are rich in antioxidants, which help protect the skin from the harmful, oxidating effects of the sun and toxic chemicals from the hot air,

2. they also have been shown to help fight against heart disease, cancer and obesity,

3. finally, they will fill you up on fewer total calories because they are high in fiber and bulk. If a person were to eat 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which is the recommendation of many health organizations, today, they would feel fuller on fewer net calories by the end of the day. Theoretically, they could end up eating 200-500 fewer calories per day, which further helps with weight loss. Plus, you would feel better, your hair, skin and nails would look better, and you would become more regular.

The final important step to preparing for summer is to increase your intake of water. Sixty percent of our body is water. Studies have shown that a diet adequate in water helps with weight loss, helps moisten skin, decreases dryness, can help prevent the development of wrinkles, keeps the hands and lips moist, can help fight heat exhaustion, and even has shown to decrease bladder cancer in men. Although there is a lot of debate over just how much water each of us needs, a good individual rule of thumb is to drink enough water so that your urine is clear by the afternoon. Worry about staying up all night going to the bathroom? Then drink most of your water in the first half of the day. Don?t like water? Then experiment with various temperatures of plain water, or add a slice of lemon or orange to your water. Perhaps you can find a flavored (not sweetened) water. Even eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables and getting plenty of other fluids can be adequate for some, because these foods and other fluids also provide free water for the body?s needs.

Now is the time to start getting ready for summer! It is not too late. If you start on these steps now, you will be well on your way to feeling great, looking great, and be prepared for a new you this summer, strutting your stuff in those brand new shorts that are sitting in your closet.

Marjorie Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and now helps other nutrition professionals start up their own private practice. To learn more about the services Margie offers, go to her website at http://www.megfit.com or email her at margie@megfit.com.