Breast development

Your breasts

The breasts (mammary glands) are a pair of glandular organs that produce milk in response to the hormonal changes of childbirth. They're mainly made up of fatty tissue, which starts high on the front of the chest and extends down and around into the armpit. They are supported by ligaments and large muscles.

Each breast has 15 to 20 lobes with a number of lobules and ducts surrounded by fatty and supportive tissue. Each lobule has about 30 major ducts that open onto the nipple. The darker area of skin around the nipple is called the areola. At the edge of the areola there are large glands that produce fluid to lubricate the nipple.

In each armpit there are about 20 to 30 lymph nodes (glands), which drain fluid from the breast. These form part of the lymphatic system that helps the body to fight infection. 

It's common and perfectly normal for one breast to be larger than the other. The nipples usually point forward, although they may look different on each breast. It's not unusual for one or both nipples to be turned inwards (inverted). This can be present from birth or can happen when the breasts are developing. The nipples themselves are hairless, but some women have a few hairs around the areola.

A small number of women have an extra breast or pair of breasts. These are usually in the lower armpit and are known as accessory breasts. Some women have an extra nipple or nipples. These are usually below the breast or above the belly button. Accessory breasts and extra nipples aren't usually a problem and don't need to be removed. 

Breast development

The breasts are constantly changing from puberty, through adolescence and the childbearing years and into the menopause, affected by changing levels in the female hormone oestrogen.

For most girls, breasts start to develop around the age of nine to 11, but it can be earlier or later. It's not unusual for the breasts to grow at different rates. Breast lumps can occur while the breasts are developing. These are always benign and don't usually need any treatment once they've been diagnosed.

Once the breasts have developed, changes linked to the monthly menstrual cycle (cyclical breast changes) are common. Just before a period, your breasts may become larger, tender or feel a bit lumpy. After a period, this lumpiness becomes less obvious or may disappear altogether (although some women may have tender, lumpy breasts all the time). Many women also experience breast pain linked to their menstrual cycle (cyclical breast pain). 

During pregnancy, the breasts get much larger as the number of milk-producing cells increases. The nipples become darker and may remain that way after you've given birth. 

Around the menopause lumps are common. These often turn out to be breast cysts (benign fluid-filled sacs).

Breast tissue also changes with age. It begins to lose its firmness and the milk-producing tissue is replaced by fat, making the breasts sag. This is more noticeable after the menopause, when oestrogen levels fall. As you grow older, your breasts may change size too. If you take H   RT (hormone replacement therapy) your breasts may feel firmer and sometimes quite tender.

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Swine Flu

What is swine flu?

 Influenza is caused by infection with a virus. There are many types of flu virus and these are constantly changing, which makes it hard for the human immune system to deal with. The particular type of influenza virus that causes swine flu is known as H1N1, which is a type of Influenza A (there are also influenza B and C viruses). 

 It is the same group of H1N1 viruses which cause the regular yearly flu outbreaks in humans, but swine flu is caused by different strains of H1N1. The 2009 strain of swine flu, now known as novel influenza A (H1N1), has not previously been found in pigs or humans, and contains a mixture of genetic material from human, pig and bird flu. In other words it is a new variety of flu which people are therefore unlikely to have much immunity to.

 Although the outbreak of novel influenza A H1N1 first appeared in Mexico, there has since been a growing number of cases reported around the world including the UK. Initially all the confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK were in people who had visited Mexico but these were followed by many more cases that have been the result of virus transmission within the UK. Case numbers rose during the summer (which is very unusual for that time of year as it isn’t typically the flu season) and since schools returned in September 2009 there has been widespread transmission with a steadily rising number of cases. 

In the last week of September there were 14,000 new cases, which represented a 45 per cent increase over the previous week. This second wave of swine flu has mostly affected schoolchildren. 

What is pandemic flu?

Outbreaks of flu tend to follow certain patterns. Every year the number of flu cases rise during the winter months – this is seasonal flu. If a lot of people are affected it may be said to be an epidemic, and about one per cent of those affected are likely to die from it, usually due to complications such as a secondary bacterial infection of the lungs.

 But every so often, with a major change in the flu virus, it spreads rapidly around the world causing a high number of deaths. This is pandemic flu. One of the factors that scientists look out for is when a new strain of flu arises among animals and spreads to humans, changing again to develop the ability to spread from human to human without any contact with the animals.

 In the early stages it can be difficult to predict how dangerous a new strain of flu is and whether it could cause a pandemic. It’s still unclear exactly how severe this novel H1N1 flu strain is going to prove to be but as numbers of cases rise, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a pandemic.

 However, laboratory studies suggest that novel H1N1 is a relatively mild strain and that further mutation of the virus would be needed to cause severe problems. This is being confirmed by the clinical picture as most people with swine flu are experiencing a relatively mild respiratory illness. It’s not clear why it caused particular problems in Mexico where a higher proportion of people died. Many of these people were previously fit young adults, and the WHO have suggested that pre-existent immunity to this new virus is low or non-existent, or limited to older people (who don’t seem to be so badly affected by the virus). There have so far only been a comparatively small number of deaths in Europe. By October 2009, 84 people with swine flu in the UK had died, most of whom had serious underlying health issues. According to the government’s expert advisory group (The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies or SAGE) there are likely to be a lot fewer deaths than originally forecast (with a worst-case scenario estimate of 19,000 people in the UK dying of swine flu.) 

 The virus does seem to be more contagious than seasonal influenza, with up to twice as many contacts of those affected developing the disease. But overall, novel H1N1 is thought to be far less dangerous than the H5N1 strain of bird or avian flu which has caused so much worry in the past few years. 

Causes and risk factors

Although anyone can catch flu, seasonal flu tends to cause more problems among the elderly, the very young and the chronically ill. However pandemic flu tends to affect previously healthy adults – this has been the case with novel H1N1 (swine flu) where many victims have been younger adults.

 Initially in this outbreak of swine flu humans picked up the virus through contact with pigs but now it is being passed from human to human in most countries. This is probably occurring in the same way as seasonal flu, through coughing and sneezing which generates an aerosol of virus particles into the atmosphere that can spread for up to a metre, or through contact with contaminated surfaces such as door handles.

 hose living in close proximity to someone with the infection are at greatest risk.

Swine flu symptoms

 Swine flu symptoms begin within two days of exposure, at which point the person is most infectious. Swine flu is highly contagious and once infected a person soon develops symptoms very similar to those produced by seasonal flu, including :

High fever (usually above 38 ºC).

Cough.

Sore throat.

Headache.

Aching muscles.

Chills and shivers despite fever.

Exhaustion or fatigue.

Diarrhoea or a stomach upset have been a particular feature of novel H1N1.

 It can be difficult to tell mild flu from a cold but it is usually more generalised (the symptoms of a cold tend to be limited to the head while the flu causes aching and fatigue all over) and more severe with higher fever.

 If complications such as pneumonia develop there may be other symptoms such as difficulty breathing.

 The symptoms and signs in an affected person are usually enough to suggest that flu is to blame, but it can be confused with other viral illnesses. Laboratory tests are needed to formally confirm the diagnosis and, more specifically, identify exactly which strain of flu it is.

 A number of tests can be done in the laboratory to identify flu, using swabs or washings from the nose or throat for example. These can give results within 15 minutes but may not identify the exact strains of flu involved, only that influenza type A or B is present.

 These rapid tests are only 50-70 per cent sensitive for detecting flu and so may give a negative result when a person does in fact have flu.

 More reliable tests, which also identify exactly which sub-type or strain of flu is present, may involve growing or culturing the virus in the laboratory, and can therefore take a couple of days to give a definite result. These tests may be needed to confirm a specific strain such as swine flu.

 However, as the infection has become more widespread the Department of Health has advised doctors to stop testing and simply treat those with swine flu symptoms straight away with anti-viral drugs.

Treatment and prevention

 If you think you have developed flu-like symptoms, you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. Contact the National Pandemic Flu Service who will use a checklist to diagnose if you have swine flu. If diagnosed, you will be given a voucher number for a ‘flu friend’ to get anti-viral drugs from a collection point. 

 These drugs, which include Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) or Relenza (Zanamivir), are available free of charge on the NHS. Novel H1N1 (swine flu) seems to respond to these medicines in the same way as seasonal flu. Pregnant women, people with health conditions and the under-ones will still all be referred to their GPs.

 The treatments are not a cure but can reduce the risk of infection for those who have been exposed to the virus, reduce the ability of a person with the virus to pass it on, and shorten the course of the illness when someone has flu. Most importantly these drugs treatments reduce the risk of serious complications and death. For maximum effect, the drugs should be given as early as possible to someone who has the flu. 

 However, as with any medicines there may be side effects from anti-viral drugs. Many people with swine flu will only have mild symptoms and they may decide that a combination of rest and simple remedies for symptoms are all that they need. 

 Treat symptoms as they arise. Try to keep well hydrated with plenty of clear fluids. Take paracetamol or ibuprofen (children should not be given aspirin because of the risk of Reyes syndrome) for aches and pains, and use simple remedies such as cough syrups and vapour rubs. Try to rest as much as possible.

As with all infections, good hygiene is absolutely essential to reduce the risk of spread or contact with the virus:

Wash your hands regularly.

Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.

Use tissues and dispose of them carefully.

Clean hard surfaces regularly with a standard cleaning fluid.

Avoid close contact with people who have fever and a cough.

The effectiveness of wearing a face mask in preventing transmission of the flu virus isn’t yet clear, although it may give some protection to those people such as health professionals who work closely with someone with symptoms of flu.

Don’t worry about eating pork products – there is no evidence that swine flu can be picked up that way. Even if virus is present in the meat, thorough cooking will destroy it.

Swine flu vaccine

At the end of September 2009 a vaccine for swine flu was given a UK licence and should be available for use from mid-October. Priority groups will be given the vaccine first. These include, for example, those with serious heart or respiratory disease, diabetes, or a weakened immune systems due to cancer treatment, as well as frontline health and social care workers.

If you want further information on swine flu, visit the National Pandemic Flu Service, the swine flu page on the NHS Choices site or the websites of leading health and research organisations such as the World Health Organization or the UK Health Protection Agency.

Reference: Dr Trisha Macnair

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Take Care of the Health of Your Eyes

Most of us lead stressful, hectic lives, unaware of the fact that this has a huge negative effect on our bodies. Our eyes go through maximum exertion throughout the day, causing redness, puffiness and aching. This may ultimately damage the eyes.
The good news is that you can counter most stress related eye ailments if you take regular care. Here are some useful tips to make things easier:

1.Yearly Check Ups

A complete eye check up once a year is an absolute must; you must never keep the check up pending until you experience serious vision troubles. Delaying a visit not only increases existing problems, but may also create new ones. This is all the more necessary for those using glasses or lenses, because wearing wrong glasses will give you headaches, apart from vision problems. Therefore, if you can’t see well with your current glasses, have blurry vision or headaches, its time for a check up, even if it’s not a year since the last time. An eye check up will help you keep many problems at bay.

2.Protect Your Eyes

Eyes and the area surrounding it are delicate and needs to be protected against the sun and dust. The best way to do this is to wear sunglasses whenever you’re outdoors. There are many people who think that contact lenses are enough protection for their eyes; which is incorrect as lenses merely protect your eyes, whereas sunglasses provide total protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays. You must choose sunglasses carefully by ensuring that their protection factor is not less than 98 . Another misconception is the fact that sunglasses are not required on cloudy days. In reality, they are as necessary on cloudy days as on sunny days. As clouds don’t block UV rays, the damage to your eyes is not less in any way.

3.Eat Right

There is no evidence to prove that your eyes are seriously affected by the diet and eating habits we follow, or that vision problems may be cured by eating or avoiding certain foods. However, a balanced and healthy diet can resist existing eye disorders, maintain eye health and also ward off some eye ailments. The food groups that are most beneficial for the eye are vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamins A, C and E. Minerals such as Zinc and Folic acid are good for your eyes. So make sure that you include lots of red fruits like carrots and citrus fruits like grapes or oranges to your diet.

4.Give your Eyes Proper Rest

Most importantly, you have to remember that eyes, like the rest of your body deserve proper rest. It’s advisable that you don’t compromise on your sleeping hours, or work on the computer for too long at a stretch, as these exert immense pressure on the eyes. Staring at the computer reduces blinking of the eyes, thereby causing them to dry up.

These are some of the simple ways, yet if you are careful to follow them regularly, you can keep your eyes in perfect shape. Take care!

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Testosterone For Muscle Gain And Boost Pheromone Production

There are a number of things that determine how much muscle you can ultimately build such as your workout intensity, form and techniques, nutrition, supplementation and rest, just to name a few factos.

Not commonly known to many people, a major contributor in your muscle building equation is your body s natural level of the anabolic muscle building hormone, testosterone.

Testosterone is generally regarded as the male hormone and is the most important muscle building hormone in your body. It is the level of this amazing hormone that determines how much and big your muscles can grow.

Other benefits of having a high level of testosterone are :

a) Increasing your muscle size and strength.

b) Help to lose body fat

c) Increase libido and hardness

d) Decrease levels of bad cholesterol

e) Increase production of pheromones, your natural sexual attraction chemical

So it is pretty obvious that if you want to build bigger muscles, you must increase your own production of testosterone. But before I show you how to do that, let s look at the science.

You see, your brain releases a substance called luteinizing hormone (LH). This hormone acts by triggering your body to start producing testosterone. Once this occurs, the adrenal glands release DHEA into your bloodstream. LH and DHEA then travel together to your testicles where testosterone production begins (this is why women has lower level of testosterone than men). Testosterone can now be released into the bloodstream to perform its amazing functions.

So here are some methods to increase your level of muscle building fat busting testosterones naturally.

a) Train with compound exercises during your weight resistance workouts such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses etc. This will put your muscles under the greatest amount of stress that will force your body to increase testosterone production.

b) Always workout with full effort and intensity. If you want to see impressive muscle growth, you must push yourself to the limit. Again, greater muscular stress in the gym translates to higher testosterone production.

c) Train your lower body as hard as your upper body. Many people do not realize that lower body training can actually stimulate growth in your chest, back and arms. Absurd? Of course not because training lower body such as squats forces your body to release more human growth hormones (hgh) such as testosterone!

d) Stay away from alcohol. Alcohol consumption is kown to have a dramatic effect on suppression of testosterone levels, so try to limit your binge drinking nights and keep your alcohol consumption in moderation or be a teetotaler if you can.

e) Increase your consumption of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage etc. Cruciferous vegetables can reduce estrogen levels (female hormones, yes, males do have them), thereby raising your testosterone level.

f) Lower your stress levels. This is because stress stimulates the production of cortisol which is a highly catabolic hormone that will cause your testosterone levels to plummet and consumes your muscle for energy instead of fats.

g) Increase your sexual activity as sexual stimulation causes the body to increase the production of oxytocin which increases endorphin level (feel good or happy hormone) thereby also raises your testosterone production.

h) Go sleep like a log! A lack of sleep contributes to cortisol production, and this will lower your testosterone levels, furthermore, your growth hormone production is at its highest when you sleep!

i) Supplement with Human Growth Hormone and Testosterone Enhancers if you are over 25. This is because these amazing muscle growth and fat busting production keep on decreasing as you age. Imagine, how can your muscle grow to its maximum potential if you have insufficient anabolic growth hormones to make them grow?

So start to produce your natural testosterone for muscle gain and at the same time raise your pheromones level to be sexually attractive.
Author Resource:- Chris Chew is a fitness, health and relationship consultant. Read his free articles at his sites at http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.seductionflirt.com

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Dietary Change at Menopause

Diet can't cure the troubling symptoms of menopause, but—for many women—it can make a significant difference. And, if you take menopause as a signal for renewal and preparation for the second half of your life, the changes you make now can yield important benefits for decades to come.

When you've gone for a full year without a period, you have officially reached menopause. Nevertheless, a woman's body begins to change starting about 6 years sooner. During this time, called the perimenopause, the reproductive system prepares to retire and the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen. With perimenopause comes a variety of symptoms.

For many women, hot flashes (hot flushes) are the most noticeable result of the sharp variations in estrogen levels that mark this part of their lives. This sudden burst of heat can occur at any time and spread over your upper body, perhaps causing you to break into a sweat. The good news is that a hot flash will vanish as quickly as it appears. And despite their reputation as a universal sign of menopause, hot flashes trouble some women for only a few months, while as many as a third have none at all.

Over a span of years (often 10 or more), you may also notice changes in your skin, such as increased dryness and wrinkling, and in hair texture. The lining of your vagina may become thinner, drier, and less pliable. Your breasts may lose some of their fullness, and the nipples become less pronounced. Significantly, although some bone loss is a normal part of aging, bone loss speeds up rapidly in women at menopause.

During or following menopause, you may find yourself gaining weight. Although it occurs at a time of dramatic hormonal changes, you can chalk up this gain to advancing age. Unless you exercise regularly, you'll begin to lose calorie-burning muscle at midlife. In addition, your metabolism will slow down, and your body will no longer need energy to support your reproductive system. To maintain your former body weight, you may need to cut your calorie intake by 10 to 15 percent while increasing your level of activity.

While most menopausal changes are physical, some women also develop such emotional problems as mood swings, irritability, and fatigue. While these feelings have not been directly linked to hormonal changes, they could easily be brought on by hot flashes, sleep deprivation, and other stressful consequences of menopause. Although diet can't solve these problems, keeping your nutritional status at peak levels is obviously a wise move during this stress-filled period.

Menopause is a highly individual experience. You may recognize many of these changes, or you may hardly notice any. Although you may be tempted to chalk up such problems to menopause, it's a good idea to report them to your doctor. Some symptoms associated with menopause could be caused by something else, such as a thyroid disorder. Some could be signs of serious disease. Your doctor can determine whether symptoms such as hot flashes really are due to menopause, and can help you decide on a treatment. Whether you seek treatment or not, however, upgrading your lifestyle and your diet can help get you through.

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Ovarian Cyst

An ovarian cyst is any collection of fluid, surrounded by a very thin wall, within an ovary. Any ovarian follicle that is larger than about two centimeters is termed an ovarian cyst. An ovarian cyst can be as small as a pea, or larger than an orange.

Most ovarian cysts are functional in nature, and harmless (benign).[1] In the US, ovarian cysts are found in nearly all premenopausal women, and in up to 14.8% of postmenopausal women.

Ovarian cysts affect women of all ages. They occur most often, however, during a woman's childbearing years.

Some ovarian cysts cause problems, such as bleeding and pain. Surgery may be required to remove cysts larger than 5 centimeters in diameter.

Most functional ovarian cysts cause no symptoms and go away without treatment in 1 to 2 months or after 1 to 2 menstrual periods. Some cysts grow as large as 4 in. (10.2 cm) in diameter before they shrink or rupture. A rupturing functional cyst can cause some temporary discomfort or pain.

Functional ovarian cysts do not cause ovarian cancer. But your doctor must rule out other possible types of ovarian cysts or growths before diagnosing a functional cyst. This may involve another exam in 6 or 8 weeks, a pelvic ultrasound, or possibly a laparoscopy procedure to closely examine the cyst and its ovary.

Cysts after menopause: After menopause, ovarian cancer risk increases. This is why all postmenopausal ovarian growths are carefully checked for signs of cancer. Some doctors will recommend removing the ovaries (oophorectomy) when any kind of cyst develops on an ovary after menopause. But the trend in medicine seems to be moving away from surgery for small and simple cysts in postmenopausal women. In the five years after menopause, some women will still have functional ovarian cysts now and then. Some postmenopausal ovarian cysts, called unilocular cysts, which have thin walls and one compartment, are rarely linked to cancer.

A functional ovarian cyst is a sac that forms on the surface of a woman’s ovary during ovulation. It holds a maturing egg. Usually the sac goes away after the egg is released. If an egg is not released, or if the sac closes up after the egg is released, the sac can swell up with fluid.

Functional ovarian cysts are different than ovarian growths caused by other problems, such as cancer. Most of these cysts are harmless. They do not cause symptoms, and they go away without treatment. But if a cyst becomes large, it can twist, rupture, or bleed and can be very painful.

 Ovarian cysts affect women of all ages. The vast majority of ovarian cysts are considered functional (or physiologic). In other words, they have nothing to do with disease. Most ovarian cysts are benign, meaning they are not cancerous, and many disappear on their own in a matter of weeks without treatment. Cysts occur most often during a woman's childbearing years

causes of functional ovarian cysts?

A functional ovarian cyst forms because of slight changes in the way the ovary makes or releases an egg. There are two types of these cysts:

 A follicular cyst occurs when a sac on the ovary does not release an egg, and the sac swells up with fluid.

A luteal cyst occurs when the sac releases an egg and then reseals and fills with fluid.

 The symptoms?

Most functional ovarian cysts do not cause symptoms. The larger the cyst is, the more likely it is to cause symptoms. Symptoms can include:

 Pain or aching in your lower belly, usually when you are in the middle of your menstrual cycle. 

A delay in the start of your menstrual period.

Vaginal bleeding when you are not having your period.

Some functional ovarian cysts can twist or break open (rupture) and bleed. Symptoms include: 

Sudden, severe pain, often with nausea and vomiting (possible sign of a twisted cyst).

Pain during or after sex (possible sign of a ruptured cyst).

If you have these symptoms, call your doctor right away. Some ruptured cysts bleed enough that treatment is needed to prevent heavy blood loss. 

Diagnosis

Your doctor may find an ovarian cyst during a routine pelvic exam. He or she may then use a pelvic ultrasound to make sure that the cyst is filled with fluid. In a few months, after you have been through 2 or 3 menstrual cycles, your doctor will recheck you. The cyst is likely to go away on its own during this time. 

 If you see your doctor for pelvic pain or bleeding, you'll be checked for problems that may be causing your symptoms. Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and menstrual periods. He or she will do a pelvic exam and may do a pelvic ultrasound. 

Treatment

Most functional ovarian cysts go away without treatment. Your doctor may suggest using heat and medicine to relieve minor pain. If a large cyst bleeds or causes severe pain, you can have surgery to remove it. 

Your doctor may suggest that you take birth control pills, which stop ovulation. This may prevent new cysts from forming.

 TYPES

Follicular cyst: This type of simple cyst can form when ovulation does not occur or when a mature follicle involutes (collapses on itself). It usually forms at the time of ovulation and can grow to about 2.3 inches in diameter. The rupture of this type of cyst can create sharp severe pain on the side of the ovary on which the cyst appears. This sharp pain (sometimes called mittelschmerz) occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle, during ovulation. About one-fourth of women with this type of cyst experience pain. Usually, these cysts produce no symptoms and disappear by themselves within a few months. A woman's doctor monitors these to make sure they disappear and looks at treatment options if they do not.

 Corpus luteum cyst: This type of functional ovarian cyst occurs after an egg has been released from a follicle. After this happens, the follicle becomes what is known as a corpus luteum. If a pregnancy doesn't occur, the corpus luteum usually breaks down and disappears. It may, however, fill with fluid or blood and persist on the ovary. Usually, this cyst is found on only one side and produces no symptoms. 

Hemorrhagic cyst: This type of functional cyst occurs when bleeding occurs within a cyst. Symptoms such as abdominal pain on one side of the body may be present with this type of cyst. 

Dermoid cyst: This is an abnormal cyst that usually affects younger women and may grow to 6 inches in diameter. It is a type of benign tumor sometimes referred to as mature cystic teratoma. This cyst is similar to those present on skin tissue and can contain fat and occasionally bone, hair, and cartilage. 

The ultrasound image of this cyst type can vary because of the spectrum of contents, but a CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can show the presence of fat and dense calcifications. 

 They can become inflamed. They can also twist around (a condition known as ovarian torsion), causing severe abdominal pain.

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How To Correct Common Beauty Mistakes

Here are a few tips on how to avoid bad makeup for a better look and appearance

Partly lined eyes: Lining only the outer half of the eye is the best way to make your eyes look smaller—and those defeats the purpose of eyeliner. Whether you're lining just the top lash line or both top and bottom, always make sure that you fully extend the line from the innermost corner of the eye to the outer corner.

Ring around the lips: An obvious line between your lip liner and lipstick is not only dated, it's unflattering. For the most natural look, pick liner that is the same shade or one shade darker than your natural lip color. Line lips after applying your lipstick and follow your natural lip line; you may then want to use a lip brush to soften and blend the liner. If you have small lips, don't try to create the illusion of bigger ones by drawing outside your lip line; the best way to enhance them is with a medium-toned lipstick or a creamy gloss.

Blush on eyelids: If you've been trying to shave time off your beauty routine by using your blush as eye shadow, stop right now. The rosy coloring of blush isn't designed for the eye area and can make eyes look tired. If you like the idea of simple eye makeup and want to wear only one shade of shadow, try shades such as beige, toast, or barely-there pink. They give you instant polish with minimal effort.

The wrong foundation shade: Foundation smudged on a woman's shirt collar is a dead giveaway that she's applying foundation on her neck to make it match her face. If your foundation changes the color of your face, it's not the right shade; it should match your complexion exactly. To find your perfect match, smooth foundation along your jawline and check your reflection in natural light (carry a compact mirror with you, and step outside).

You know you've found the right shade when you can't see it. Yellow-toned foundations look the most natural on all skin tones, from fair to dark. Avoid pink-toned foundation, which can make you look like you're wearing a mask.

Drawn-in brows: I love a defined brow—except when it's drawn in with a hard pencil, which makes it look cartoonish. Eye shadow in a tone that matches your brows is the most natural way to fill in and enhance brows. Use a small, hard brush that's flat and angled at the tip. Dip the brush into the shadow, and lightly tap off any excess. Start at the inner corner of the brow and, following its natural shape, work your way outward using light, feathery strokes.

Concealer on blemishes: Concealer is designed to lighten dark under-eye circles and is usually one or two shades lighter than your skin tone. So using it on a blemish actually draws more attention to the problem. The best way to hide a blemish is with stick foundation or cover-up that matches your skin exactly. If possible, buy one in the same product line as your foundation so everything matches up. Use fingers or a small brush to apply the foundation directly on the blemish, and pat gently with your fingertips to blend.

Blush stripes: Unless you want to look like a crosswalk, don't apply blush in a horizontal stripe across your cheeks. To create a flattering flush, smile, and dust blush on the apples of your cheeks. Sweep the blush brush up and back toward the hairline, then downward to blend.

Stop bleeding lipstick: Apply a small drop of liquid foundation to the outer rim of your lips. Line the outside of your lips with a thin lip liner. Make sure that the liner matches your lip color identically. Top your lips with lipstick, and then blot. The liner is the first barrier of protection against the lipstick bleeding into your upper lip.

Your manicure: First make sure your nails are clean and free from oil. Apply one base coat to your fingers. Let this coat dry for a minimum of one minute. Starting in the middle of your nail bed, apply one thin coat of polish to your nails. Follow with another thin coat of clear polish to add shine. Every other day place another thin coat of clear polish to prevent chipping until you are ready for another manicure.

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Nail Biting and its effects

Nail-biting (onychophagia) is a common stress-relieving habit. You may bite your nails in times of stress or excitement, or in times of boredom or inactivity. It can also be a learned behavior from family members. Nail-biting is the most common of the typical "nervous habits," which include thumb-sucking, nose-picking, hair-twisting or -pulling, tooth-grinding, and picking at skin.

You may bite your nails without realizing you are doing it. You might be involved in another activity, such as reading, watching television, or talking on the phone, and bite your nails without thinking about it.

Nail-biting includes biting the cuticle and soft tissue surrounding the nail as well as biting the nail itself.

Who bites their nails?

People of all ages bite their nails.

• About half of all children between the ages of 10 and 18 bite their nails at one time or another. Nail-biting occurs most often as teens are going through puberty changes.
• Some young adults, ages 18 to 22 years, bite their nails.
• Only a small number of other adults bite their nails. Most people stop biting their nails on their own by age 30.
• Boys bite their nails more often than girls after age 10.

Nail-biting may occur with other body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB) such as hair-pulling or skin-picking.

What treatments are available for nail-biting?

Several treatment measures may help you stop biting your nails. Some focus on behavior changes and some focus on physical barriers to nail-biting.

• Keep your nails trimmed and filed. Taking care of your nails can help reduce your nail-biting habit and encourage you to keep your nails attractive.
• Have a manicure regularly or use nail polish. Men can use a clear polish. Wearing artificial nails may stop you from biting your nails and protect them as they grow out.
• Try stress-management techniques if you bite your nails because you are anxious or stressed.
• Paint a bitter-tasting polish, such as CONTROL-IT or Thum, on your nails. The awful taste will remind you to stop every time you start to bite your nails.
• Try substituting another activity, such as drawing or writing or squeezing a stress ball or Silly Putty, when you find yourself biting your nails. If you keep a record of nail-biting, you will become more aware of the times when you bite your nails and be able to stop the habit.
• Wear gloves, adhesive bandages, or colored stickers whenever possible to remind you not to bite your nails.
• Snap a rubber band on the inside of your wrist when you start to bite your nails so you have a negative physical response to nail-biting.

Children may bite their nails more often when they are having problems at school or with friends. Talk with your child or his or her teacher about any new stress at school. Children are more likely to stop biting their nails when they understand what may trigger it. It is also important for your child to help choose a treatment method so he or she can use the treatment successfully.

What problems can develop from nail-biting?

Nail-biting can cause your fingertips to be red and sore and your cuticles to bleed. Nail-biting also increases your risk for infections around your nailbeds and in your mouth.

Long-term nail-biting can also interfere with normal nail growth and cause deformed nails.

Rarely, nail-biting may be a symptom of obsessive - compulsive disorder (OCD) . OCD symptoms are usually treated with medicines.

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7 Steps to stay away from flu

With cold and flu season around the corner, it is more important than ever to bolster your immune system this fall and winter. Here are some natural, simple solutions that will help protect you!

1. Chestnuts bolster immunity
In both Asia and the Mediterranean region, chestnuts have been popular for centuries. Chestnuts differ from other nuts with their low fat content and high fiber. They have a mild, sweet taste and a crumbly consistency. An excellent source of potassium, folate, vitamins B6 and C, chestnuts strengthen the kidney-adrenal system and bolster the immune system to fight off the flu and combat infections. This flu season, introduce more chestnuts into your cooking: they are good roasted in the oven, cooked with chicken, lamb, beef, or pork, or in any dish with beans and legumes.

2. Stimulate your thymus
Your thymus is a fist-size gland located behind your sternum in the center of your chest.  It plays a critical role in the functioning of the lymphatic and immune systems. It develops over time, reaching peak size when you are in your early 30s, then begins to physically diminish until it shrinks to the size of a pea around age 70. You experience the gland's waning as waning energy in your body.

To support thymus health, the Chinese use astragalus root. Studies show astralagus is an adaptogen, which means it corrects both high and low metabolic imbalances, acts on invaders wherever they attack the body, and promotes overall vitality. The usual dosage is 100 to 150 mg per day in capsules or you can drink astragalus tincture or tea.

Another way to stimulate your thymus is to use acupressure. With your index and middle finger, gently tap against the sternum (midway between the nipples) 50 times, in the morning and evening.

3. Immune-supporting herbs
You can use the following herbs to help strengthen your immune system:

• Ligustrum has undergone much research recently, which has revealed this herb's immune boosting functions. Its actions include increasing white blood cell production, phagocytosis, and T-lymphocyte help cell activities.

• Cherokee Rose is traditionally used to protect the body from external pathogens with its astringent properties. It is also one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C.

• Honeysuckle is a natural anti-microbial herb that has been used for centuries to increase resistance and fight against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

You can find these herbs in health food stores, online, and at the offices of acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists.

Or look into a formula that combines all of these herbs in one immune-boosting herbal formula, called "Perpetual Shield."

4. Treat Your Body Right
Encourage your body to fight flu and other infections by giving it the care it needs.

• Get at least 7 hours of quality sleep every night. Studies show that your immune system function drops by an average of 60% after just three nights of poor sleep.

• Keep your stress level low with meditation, tai chi, or yoga.

• Dry body brushing daily can activate lymph circulation that is important to clear out toxic debris and stimulate immunity.

• If you feel your immune system has already been compromised and illness is on the way, consider this Cold & Flu elixir, which supports recovery as it boosts your immune system.

5. Be healthy with bee products
Royal jelly has long been regarded in Asia as a longevity tonic that enhances energy, virility, and immunity. Rich in vitamins and collagen, royal jelly is used to feed queen bees. An antibacterial protein in the substance, dubbed royalisin, is effective against certain bacteria, including streptococcus and staphylococcus.
 
Bee propolis is rich in flavonoids that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains terpenoids that possess antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiprotozoan agents. Not unlike some prescription antibiotics, propolis prevents bacterial cell division and breaks down the invading organism's cell walls and cytoplasm.

Find royal jelly and bee propolis in enriched honey or in supplement form from herb shops and health food stores.

6. Beta-carotene Builds Immunity
Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that improves immune function and promotes mucous membrane health. In fact, a 1997 study conducted by the Institute of Food Research in the United Kingdom suggested that dietary intake of beta-carotene can enhance cell-mediated immune responses. How to get these beta-benefits this flu season? Eat more orange-colored vegetables, including carrots, winter squash, butternut squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and yams. Additionally, these are all an excellent source of Vitamin C, a famous immune support.

7. An all-in-one immunity soup
Cook up a broth of shiitake mushrooms, any kind of seaweed, cabbage, any type of squash, carrots, fresh ginger, oregano, and onion in chicken or vegetable stock. Shiitake mushrooms contain polysaccharides, sterols, and coumarin, as well as vitamins and minerals that increase your immune function. Seaweed cleanses the body, cabbage has ability to increase your body's ability to fight infection, ginger supports healthy digestion, and the remaining ingredients promote general health and well-being.

Eat this soup every other day to build a strong and healthy immune system.

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Impact of soft drinks on the body

Soda, pop, cola, soft drink — whatever you call it, it is one of the worst beverages that you could be drinking for your health. As the debate for whether to put a tax on the sale of soft drinks continues, you should know how they affect your body so that you can make an informed choice on your own.

Soft drinks are hard on your health
Soft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars — or worse, sugar substitutes — and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.

A lot of research has found that consumption of soft drinks in high quantity, especially by children, is responsible for many health problems that include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease. (See: Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health.)

Why the sugar in soft drinks isn’t so sweet
Most soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount!

Just why is too much sugar so unhealthy? Well, to start, let's talk about what happens to you as sugar enters your body. When you drink sodas that are packed with simple sugars, the pancreas is called upon to produce and release insulin, a hormone that empties the sugar in your blood stream into all the tissues and cells for usage. The result of overindulging in simple sugar is raised insulin levels. Raised blood insulin levels beyond the norm can lead to depression of the immune system, which in turn weakens your ability to fight disease.

Something else to consider is that most of the excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain and elevates risk for heart disease and cancer. One study found that when subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Another study discovered that rats fed a high-sugar diet had a substantially elevated rate of breast cancer when compared to rats on a regular diet. (See: Hoehn, SK et al: "Complex versus simple carbohydrates and mammary tumors in mice." Nutr Cancer 1979; 1: 27.)

The health effects of diet soda
You may come to the conclusion that diet or sugar-free soda is a better choice. However, one study discovered that drinking one or more soft drinks a day — and it didn’t matter whether it was diet or regular — led to a 30% greater chance of weight gain around the belly.

Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin. These artificial sweeteners pose a threat to your health. Saccharin, for instance, has been found to be carcinogenic, and studies have found that it produced bladder cancer in rats.

Aspartame, commonly known as nutrasweet, is a chemical that stimulates the brain to think the food is sweet. It breaks down into acpartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol at a temperature of 86 degrees. (Remember, your stomach is somewhere around 98 degrees.) An article put out by the University of Texas found that aspartame has been linked to obesity. The process of stimulating the brain causes more cravings for sweets and leads to carbohydrate loading.

Skip the soda and go for:

• Fresh water
Water is a vital beverage for good health. Each and every cell needs water to perform its essential functions. Since studies show that tap water is filled with contaminants, antibiotics, and a number of other unhealthy substances, consider investing in a quality carbon-based filter for your tap water. To find out more about a high-performance filtration system, click here.

On the go? Try using a stainless steel thermos or glass bottle, filled with filtered water. Enhance the flavor of your water with a refreshing infusion of basil, mint leaves, and a drop of honey.

• Fruit Juice
If you are a juice drinker, try watering down your juice to cut back on the sugar content. Buy a jar of organic 100% juice, especially cranberry, acai, pomegranate, and then dilute three parts filtered water to one part juice. You will get a subtle sweet taste and the benefit of antioxidants. After a couple of weeks, you will no longer miss the sweetness of sugary concentrated juices.

• Tea
Tea gently lifts your energy and has numerous health benefits. Black, green, white, and oolong teas all contain antioxidant polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high or higher than many fruits and vegetables on the ORAC scale, the score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.

Herbal tea does not have the same antioxidant properties, though it is still a great beverage choice with other health benefits, such as inducing calming and relaxing effects.

If tea doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, try adding cinnamon or a little honey, which has important health benefits that refined sugar lacks. For a selection of healthy teas that promote total body wellness.

Carbonation depletes calcium
Beverages with bubbles contain phosphoric acid, which can severely deplete the blood calcium levels; calcium is a key component of the bone matrix. With less concentration of calcium over a long time, it can lower deposition rates so that bone mass and density suffer. This means that drinking sodas and carbonated water increases your risk of osteoporosis.  

Add in the caffeine usually present in soft drinks, and you are in for even more trouble. Caffeine can deplete the body’s calcium, in addition to stimulating your central nervous system and contributing to stress, a racing mind, and insomnia.

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5 Habits to Increase Longevity

Is it really possible for anyone to live happily to 100? The good news is that your body was designed to be 100 - you just have to get out of the way.

Getting out of the way means taking an honest look at the habits and lifestyle you are living with today. Most of us have developed habits that limit our true health potential.

But don't let these bad habits of the past discourage you - it is never too late to make new choices. What you did in the past can be changed, and your body will respond in kind. What matters is what you do from this moment forward.
 
Top 5 Daily Habits for Your Longevity
It takes 14 to 21 days of repetitive behavior to form a new pattern in your brain. Once the pattern is formed, it becomes an automatic behavioral response.

As you develop new healthy habits, they will begin to replace bad habits. These healthy lifelong habits are adapted straight from the time-tested traditions practiced by centenarians all around the world, and I can say with certainty that they will transform and rejuvenate you!

Eat five small meals a day.
In the Western culture, meals are taken three times a day, but it is much better to eat five smaller meals. When you eat smaller portions five times a day, you deliver a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day.

Additionally, eating this way is less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems and also reduces your risk of heart disease.

Climb the stairs instead of using elevators.
The health benefits of a daily exercise program cannot be stressed enough. Regular exercise can help promote physiological well-being, strengthen the immune system, maintain joint mobility, increase energy - and the list goes on.

Look for opportunities all through your day to work in physical activity. Power-walk, run, or ride your bike instead of driving. Begin a daily tai chi practice. Join a gym and actually go! Practice safely and watch your health results pile up.

Laugh it up!
We know from research that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help protect the body from illness and cancer. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, compounds that give you a sense of well-being, in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives.

Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
Water is essential for all healthy body functions. Centenarians from around the globe cite their native water as the source of their health and longevity - and the scientists agree with them. What they all have in common is pure water sources located far from any city, free from chemicals and toxins.

Choose filtered water; the best filtration processes are the ones that use activated charcoal, which removes the impurities but leaves the water-soluble minerals. Also, do not store water in plastic containers because the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can leach into the water.

Unwind with meditation.
Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. In our modern society stress will continue to increase - unless you find techniques to manage it. Meditation is the best way to release tension and revitalize your being. It teaches you to breath properly, which is critical for eliminating up to 70% of your body's toxins and wastes. It also quiets your mind, lowers your stress hormones, and teaches self-discipline, which is a necessary attribute to achieving your health and longevity goals.

Try this beginning meditation:
Sit comfortably on a chair or the floor. Breathe naturally and close your eyes. Each time a thought appears, put it inside a balloon and let it fly up into the sky and disappear. Do this until the thoughts are exhausted. After a bit, your body will feel very light, and your mind will become still. The first few times it may take a while, but it will get easier and faster with practice.

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Best & Worst Ice Cream

Indulgence. It's part of what makes life worth living--giving in to temptation, letting go of one's inhibitions. And one of our nation's favorite indulgences? A smooth, cold, creamy, delicious scoop of ice cream.

Ice cream is as American as apple pie (it's no wonder the two so often go hand-in-hand). Unfortunately, so is obesity--a 2009 report found that overweight and obesity rates have remained steady or increased in every single state of the nation over the last year. The good news is that you can help fight this epidemic without sacrificing life's small indulgent pleasures. That's the entire premise behind Eat This, Not That!

Here, you'll learn how to indulge more often but with less damage. The writers of Eat This, Not That! 2010 have uncovered the 7 worst ice creams in America. Avoid them and choose their equally delicious--but much healthier--counterparts, and you'll be able to indulge and enjoy while losing weight too! 

Worst Fruity Scoop 
Cold Stone Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream (Love It size)

The Love It size at Cold Stone is about 8 ounces, which is equivalent to ordering two scoops at Baskin-Robbins or Ben & Jerry's. Order any ice cream in this size and you can expect to spoon down about a day's worth of saturated fat. One extra hint: Toppings can make or break an ice cream. Most of the cookies and candy bars at Cold Stone have between 100 and 200 calories per serving, so limit the indulgent toppings to Nilla Wafers and yellow cake. Fruits and nuts, of course, are always your safest bets.

Bonus tip: Cold Stone is no stranger to our list of the 15 Worst Desserts in America. See what other cold treat you should avoid!

Eat This Instead!
Tart and Tangy Yogurt (Love It size) topped with Yellow Cake and Blueberries
320 calories
2.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
48 g sugars

Fattiest Scoop

Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream (1/2 cup)

340 calories

24 g fat (12 g saturated)

24 g sugars

There's only one peanut butter ice cream in the country with more calories than this one, and that's Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter. But as far as saturated fat goes, this one is the national loser. Luckily, one of the most popular flavors turns out to be one of the best on the menu. Just don't eat too much, or you might develop a gut like Jerry's!

Bonus tip: Not all desserts are huge dietary disasters. See what delicious postdinner delights made our list of the 39 Best Foods in America. These winners will surprise you--and keep you thin and healthy!

Eat This Instead!

Cherry Garcia Ice Cream (1/2 cup)

200 calories

11 g fat (8 g saturated)

20 g sugars

Worst Supermarket Scoop

Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream (1 scoop)

360 calories

24 g fat (11 g saturated)

24 g sugars

Still the single worst ice cream we've ever encountered. You'd have to chew your way through five Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to consume the amount of saturated fat in one scoop of this. On the flipside, while Haagen-Dazs's new Five line isn't quite lean, we applaud it nonetheless for its commitment to simple, timeless recipes. Every flavor has exactly five ingredients, which leaves no room for artificial coloring or cheap, corn-derived fillers. Hooray.

Bonus tip: Don't shy away from chocolate altogether. Cocoa packs serious health benefits--read about and other foods with super powers in 15 Foods that Cure.

Eat This Instead!

Five Brown Sugar Ice Cream (1 scoop)

230 calories

12 g fat (7 g saturated)

23 g sugars

Worst Malt

Dairy Queen Hot Fudge Malt (small)

700 calories

23 g fat (16 g saturated, 1 g trans)

85 g sugars

Drinkable ice cream is nearly as bad an idea as fried ice cream, but believe it or not, the former tends to be saddled with more sugar and more fat than the latter. You'd be wise to expunge shakes and malts from your list of acceptable desserts, and stick with a sundae instead. At 230 calories apiece, the best sundaes at DQ are the banana and pineapple flavors--but to quell a serious hankering for chocolate, try the Hot Fudge Sundae; it's one of the best you'll find anywhere.

Eat This Instead!

Hot Fudge Sundae (small)

300 calories

10 g fat (7 g saturated)

37 g sugars

Worst Sundae

Baskin-Robbins Oreo Outrageous Sundae

1,130 calories

55 g fat (27 g saturated, 1 g trans)

120 g sugars

Outrageous? That's an understatement. Cookie and candy-bar flavors reign supreme at Baskin-Robbins, and the results are almost always dismal--here it's a day and a half of saturated fat and 30 spoonfulls of sugar! If you must have a sundae, limit it to two scoops with a bit of hot fudge and chopped nuts--that'll run you about 550 calories. But your best bet at Baskin-Robbins is to stick to scoops to mitigate the damage of ice cream indulgences. Venture off into sundae and milkshake territory and you're likely to sacrifice at least half your daily calories in return. 

Eat This Instead!

Oreo Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream (2 scoops) in a Cake Cone

365 calories

18 g fat (10 g saturated)

34 g sugars

Worst Shake

Cold Stone PB&C Shake (Gotta Have It size)

2,010 calories

131 g fat (68 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)

880 mg sodium

153 g sugars

There were dozens of contenders in line for this dishonorable distinction, but Cold Stone's PB&C is the only drink in America to stretch across the 2,000-calorie mark. The combination of peanut butter--good in small amounts, horrendous when liquefied in bathtub-size quantities--and chocolate ice cream outpaces even the worst cookie- and candy-strewn shakes that clutter Cold Stone's embarrassing shake menu. Suck this thing down and you've just blasted away a day's worth of calories, more than 3 days' worth of saturated fat, and almost as much sugar as an entire 15-ounce box of Chewy Chips Ahoy! cookies.

Eat This Instead!

Sinless Strawberry Bananza Smoothie (Love It size)

220 calories

1.5 g fat (0 g saturated)

34 g sugars

Worst Ice Cream Dessert

Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder from Down Under

2,020 calories

88 g saturated fat

161 g carbohydrates

We'll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there's a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream-covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal a week and you're looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month! Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4-1/2 days' worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement.

Eat This Instead: Truth is, Outback doesn't have one dessert under 700 calories. So unless you're splitting it with three other people, skip dessert at Outback altogether.

http://www.healthservicejournal.blogspot.com

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