Health Topics

1. Step 1

   Lose belly fat by going on a low carbohydrate diet like Atkins for a few weeks. Gradually increase carbohydrate intake after your belly fat has shrunk by a few inches. When increasing carbohydrates, be sure to eat plenty of complex carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables. The Atkins diet should reduce your appetite as well. A high protein diet will help you burn fat instead of muscle, but it's also important to do cardio exercise and weight lifting a couple times a week to increase muscle tone to tighten loose skin.

2. Step 2

   Get a prescription of Retin-A and apply it to your stomach once a day after your daily shower. Your stomach should be completely dry before applying. Make sure to wear sunscreen on your stomach to avoid burning while using Retin-A. You can purchase Retin-A online without a prescription or buy it when you are traveling abroad at most local pharmacies.

3. Step 3

   Take supplements like leucine amino acids, calcium, and vitamin D to reduce belly fat and tighten loose skin. It's important to take supplements especially as you age for maximum reduction of belly fat.

4. Step 4

   If you're losing belly fat and your stomach looks really bumpy and lumpy with little pockets of fat, consider getting Titan treatments. They are relatively inexpensive compared to tummy tucks. Titan works by increasing the amount of collagen in skin and helping it to contract becoming more smooth. Titan is non-surgical and safe. It's an infrared light and usually only needs to be done twice a year.

1. Step 1

   Decide that reducing your waist size is really important to you. Make it a priority in your life. Hang a pair of pants that don't fit well over the closet door for inspiration.

2. Step 2

   Quit eating sugar and all refined foods entirely. Do not "cheat" at all. Read labels to make certain that NO sugar is in the food you are eating. Keep in mind that refined foods are anything that is not in its natural state. White flour, white rice, pastries, cakes, etc. are out.

3. Step 3

   Have some Advil on hand, because sugar withdrawal can feel awful and give you headaches. Keep looking at those jeans that you want to fit into. Chances are, in two or three weeks, they will fit if you stick to this method of reducing your waist size!

4. Step 4

   After all of the symptoms of sugar withdrawal have passed, step on the scale. You have probably lost several pounds. Try on the pants. You will see that the pounds came off of your waist. You reduced your waist size because eliminating sugar and refined foods from your diet will greatly reduce bloating, which shows up in the waist area first, and then usually the face.

5. Step 5

   Enjoy a slimmer, healthier you!

1. Schedule a blood test with your physician. Establish whether or not this condition runs in your family. Dark circles are believed to frequently be hereditary. This doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about the conditions, but you should be prepared for minimal success actually trying to get rid of them. Dark circles under the eye may also, in fact, be light carbon deposits that result from incomplete protein digestion. Incomplete protein digestion may result from insufficient hydrochloric acid in your stomach that may be caused from a lack of primarily B6 and Folic Acid. About 30% of the population does not absorb regular B6 (pydroxine) or folic acid and need to take in these vitamins in a different form or another way.
2. Identify allergens. Allergies may be the most common cause of skin discoloration under the eyes. If allergies are the root of your problem, you simply need to treat them or remove the allergen (i.e., the thing to which you are allergic). Seasonal allergy problems such as the hay fever can frequently be effectively treated with over-the-counter and prescription medications. For other allergies the best course of action is usually avoidance. If your dark circles or puffiness are constant, you may have an undetected food allergy or an allergy to a chemical in your home or workplace. Talk to a dermatologist for help determining what you may be allergic to. People with allergies also tend again to be deficient in B6, folic acid and B12 on occasion. Taking a multivitamin, if you don't already, may help with your allergies as well as black circles.
3. 

   

   Bloodshot Eye
   Get plenty of sleep nightly. It’s not entirely clear why inadequate sleep results in dark circles under the eyes, but we’ve all seen it happen either to ourselves or someone we know. For one thing, lack of sleep tends to cause the skin to become paler (thus increasing the appearance of darkness under the eyes), and it reduces circulation. It’s also believed that too little time lying down is a cause in itself. Determine how much sleep you need (it’s usually 7-9 hours per night, but varies throughout different people) and try to get that amount regularly for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. Remember that alcohol and drugs can adversely affect the quality of your sleep; abstain from these products or use only in moderation for best results. A lack of sleep, coupled with poor vitamin absorption also tends to reduce adrenal function. The less adrenal function you have the less B6 you tend to absorb, the less B6 you absorb, the less well your adrenal glands work and alas you end up in a vicious circle. Sleep, regular vitamins for those that need them, and good calcium/magnesium support in the form of milk or good mineral supplement restores adrenal function. So if you want to break the cycle and the black circles under your eyes, you've got to reduce your stress, sleep more and take the proper vitamins and minerals to support the adrenal function in general.
4. 

   
   Treat your skin while you sleep. There are overnight facial masques available that may help reduce the appearance of puffiness or discoloration, but you can also make your own. Just before you go to bed, take a washcloth and wet it just a bit with cold water. Then squeeze out any excess water and place it over your eyes as you sleep. Treating your skin may help, but the real problem may also be that you have a poor vitamin and mineral absorption problem that must also be corrected. Seeing a naturopathic physician may help for those people who suffer other ailments such as miscellaneous aches and pains that come and go and a general run down feeling.
5. 

   

   Cucumber Therapy
   Apply cool tea bags, an ice cube wrapped in soft cloth, or cucumber slices to your eyes daily. The tannin in tea bags has been shown to reduce swelling and discoloration, and cucumber slices have long been used to reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of skin around the eyes. Lie down, preferably in the morning, and leave fresh cucumber slices or cool, damp caffeinated tea bags (you can refrigerate them overnight so they’ll be ready) over your eyes for about 10-15 minutes. Keep your eyes closed.
6. Try to relax the space. You can do this by wetting a cotton swab and then freezing it for a little while. Then you should gently wipe under your eyes in the areas where the circles are occurring. When wiping, close your eyes and try not to flinch.
7. 

   
   Apply an eye cream containing vitamin K and retinol. Dark circles may be caused by a deficiency of vitamin K. Regardless of the cause, however, recent research has shown that skin creams containing these two ingredients reduce puffiness and discoloration significantly in many patients. Long-term daily use seems to have the greatest effect.
8. Avoid rubbing your eyes. Usually rubbing of the eyes is brought on by allergies, but not always. Regardless of the reason, stop doing it. The rubbing irritates the skin and can break tiny capillaries beneath the skin, causing both puffiness and discoloration.
9. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, take vitamins, and drink plenty of water. A whole host of cosmetic problems can be attributed to vitamin deficiencies. Dark circles and puffiness are often attributed to lack of vitamin K or inadequate antioxidants. Also, a deficiency in B12 (usually anemia-related) can result in dark circles. Be sure to get plenty of fruits and vegetables—especially cabbage, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables—and take a daily vitamin supplement if necessary. Get adequate fluids to improve circulation.
10. Reduce salt intake. Excess salt causes the body to retain water in unusual places, and this can result in puffiness under the eyes. Too much salt can also impair your circulation, and cause the blood vessels under the skin to appear bluer.
11. Quit smoking. Smoking causes vascular (blood vessel) problems that can not only threaten your life, but also make your blood vessels appear more prominent and bluer beneath the skin.
12. 

    
    Cover the problem up with cosmetics. If all else fails, use a yellow or peach-toned concealer which will camouflage the problem under your eyes. The yellow/peach undertones in the makeup will help cancel out the purple, blue, and brownish colors of your undereye circles. Pink-toned concealers can actually make your circles more noticeable. After applying, set the concealer with a light dusting of translucent powder.

Follow these tips for a healthy weight gain:

1. It takes time to increase muscle weight.

Most athletes can successfully gain ½ to 1 pound per week if they eat enough food to meet their calorie needs and train properly. Increasing calorie intake by 500 to 1000 calories per day can help supply the extra calories needed to gain lean weight.

2. Choose higher calorie foods from all the groups in the Food Guide Pyramid.

For example, choose a multigrain bread over white bread, or juices and milk over water.

3. Eat larger food portions.

Increasing the amount of food that you eat at one time will supply the calories needed to gain muscle weight.

4. Eat five or more meals a day.

Eat plenty of high calorie snacks throughout the day.

5. Drink plenty of fluids that supply calories like juice, milk, milkshakes, and sports beverages.

For example, drinking 1 ½ quarts of grape or cranberry juice supplies 1000 calories. 1 ½ quarts of 2% milk supplies 720 calories.

6. Set realistic goals.

Hereditary factors can play a large role in physique. You are not going to look like Arnold if your parents look like Pee Wee Herman.

The following are some examples of high calorie snacks:

• A soft pretzel with cream cheese or peanut butter
• Milkshakes made with whole milk and ice cream plus powdered milk
• Dried fruit
• Bean and cheese burritos
• Bagel and cream cheese or peanut butter
• Baked potatoes with sour cream, cheese, or chili
• Granola and yogurt
• Muffins
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• Cheese and crackers
• Blender drinks with fruit, milk, ice cream, or protein powders or powdered milk
• High calorie granola bars or energy bars

wIth all of the makeover shows on television, new anti-aging cosmetics, and general obsession with staying young looking, its no surprise that people are willing to spend small fortunes on products and procedures to look and feel younger. But you don’t have to break the bank to look and feel your best. Here are ten easy and inexpensive ways to take years off of your appearance and keep it that way.

Keep those pearly whites white! You can use over the counter tooth whiteners which have become very popular (such as Crest Whitestrips Premium), or have your dentist help you out with professional grade options. Either way, everyone likes a brilliant smile.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times, moisturize! Dry skin looks dull and lackluster. So not only do you want to use a moisturizer on your face (including an eye cream) but also on your hands and body. And since your hands especially get a lot of abuse, and can show age almost more than your face, keep some hand cream handy at your desk or by the sink. There are plenty of great moisturizes for men out there but I have My Favorite Face Moisturizers for Men.

Always use sunscreen! We all know that the sun is the single most damaging thing to your skin, so make sure to protect yourself. I have compiled a list of Face Moisturizers for Men with SPF as well as My Favorite Sunscreens and Sunblocks for Men.

Maintain your brows! Be sure to keep your brows neat and trimmed, especially between the eyes! The uni-brow isn’t something to be proud of.

Say no to facial hair! Some folks like their beards and goatees and that okay, but if you want to look younger, shave it off since facial hair ages you. Here are 7 Tips for Getting the Best Shaving Results.

Nose and ear hair? Not! It’s an unfortunate reality for men as they age, but hair starts popping out from unwanted places, so you will want to keep that nose and ear hair in check. You can pick up an ear and nose hair trimmer at your local drug store among other places. They are simple and easy to use.

Wear color! Especially wear color that complements your skin and eye color. Check out my article 7 Tips Men Need to Know About Wearing Color.

Manage those dark circles under your eyes! There are products out there such as Hylexin by Bremmen Research Labs that can help alleviate this problem, especially if it is chronic or hereditary. It is also proven that you can combat dark circles by getting a good night’s sleep and eating well. And if you still need help, try an under-eye concealer for men. Yes, they do exist.

Lose the glasses! Contact lenses will help you go from studious to stunning!

Hit the gym or take a walk! Even if it is just to walk on the treadmill, exercise will help you maintain good posture, alleviate stress (which causes wrinkles), and increase blood flow (which keeps your whole body well oxygenated), not to mention that it keeps you fit!

Wrinkles on anyone’s face are sign of aging. Problem is that due to wrinkles we often mistake the other person to be old, but it is not so. Wrinkling is a fact of life that affects all people and today’s certain lifestyle choices have made wrinkles appear sooner, e.g. hectic work schedule, night shifts , exposure to drugs at very young age, use of various cosmetics, etc . Besides, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, either from the sun or the use of tanning beds is a major cause of premature aging of the skin. In addition, doing this can cause malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Infact recent research has made it clear, that stress and tension is also one of the main reasons of increasing the wrinkles and skin related problem. Reducing wrinkles is a major concern for both women and men. Taking all this point in concern we are providing tips , which you can follow to reduce your wrinkles and have a healthy skin.

Tips to reduce your wrinkles:

1) Gradually reduce smoking, because it is one of the main reasons of aging the skin. Infact reducing smoking is good not only for skin but also for health of the body as a whole.

2) 2^nd best thing to reduce wrinkles is to increase the intake of healthy diets, which included fresh fruits and vegetables. These intakes help in keeping the skin firm and tight.

3) Drink plenty of water as it helps in hydrating the whole body as well as your skin. Dehydration is also one of the main reasons in increasing wrinkles. Have at least 8 glass of water daily

4) One should avoid intake of alcohol, as skin go limp due to this. This is the reason whoever drinks a lot alcohol are having older looks than that of who don’t drinks. Never drink before going to bed if you want to have young skin.

5) Be cool; never take much tension in your life. Try to find out the ways in your life to reduce stress in your day to day life. This can be meditation, yoga, prayer, playing with kids, have good time with your family, etc. Stress is becoming one of the great danger for good skin.

6) Always sleep on your back, not with face towards bed, because it increases wrinkles.

7) Don’t use hard chemicals for make up, better try for home remedy. Though these cosmetics give instant good look but in long run it is harmful for your skin.

8) Wash your face twice or thrice a day. Use mild soap because as mentioned above chemicals in the water and soap can harm the skin.

9) Never use very hot water to wash your face as it dry the skin , which is also the reason to increase the wrinkles.

10) After washing your face, pat dry and use a moisturizer.

The herbal way for those of us, who have not been blessed with a fair complexion, here are a few recipes to help to lighten your skin tone. The paste made out of sandalwood and rose water may be plied everyday.

Turmeric paste combined with sandal wood paste makes your skin noticeably fairer.

• Cucumber juice is considered to be an excellent whitener. Coconut milk combined with equal quantities of cucumber juice may be applied as often as possible.
• Gently massage coconut water all over face and neck to lighten skin tone.
• De seed and mash grapes, it may be applied liberally over face and neck. This helps to make your skin fairer.
• Almonds ground to a paste using rose water or milk is said to make your skin fair.
• Make a paste using red sandalwood and rose water. This preparation not only whitens your complexion but also helps to fade away scars and blemishes on the skin’s surface.