Can calorie restriction really delay or even prevent human aging? The jury is still out on how calorie restriction for anti-aging effects people but studies have proven that for many organisms, curtailing the amount of calories consumed can significantly extend life span.
Caloric Restriction and Anti-Aging: The Only Proven Life-Extension Technique
In terms anti-aging, caloric restriction is quite different from a standard weight loss diet. By definition, caloric restriction for anti-aging means consuming 20 - 30 percent fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its ideal weight, while still consuming sufficient amounts of vitamins and other nutrients.
Though research has shown that similar regimes have effectively extended the lives of a number of organisms including yeast, worms, flies, and rodents, there have been no large or long-term studies of how caloric restriction for anti-aging effects humans.
It is believed that caloric restriction triggers a survival mechanism in some organisms that normally have short lifespans, enabling them to outlive food shortages. Reducing the calorie consumption of young rodents by 30 to 60 percent increased their maximum lifespans by the same percentage, while reducing the calorie consumption of adult rodents by 44 percent extended their maximum lifespan by 10 to 20 percent.
In addition, rodents fed a restricted calorie diet also developed fewer age-related diseases, and the onset of those diseases was delayed. The studies also showed that calorie restriction effectively decreased the deterioration of nerves in the brain among animals with neural disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and stroke.
But Does It Work The Same Way In Humans?
While research on the effects of caloric restriction in humans is limited, a number of small studies show potential for health improvement. It has been suggested that caloric restriction for anti-aging may improve memory in older adults, and improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol level, and blood sugar have been observed.
These benefits, along with reductions in weight and body fat percentage resulting from caloric restriction, are known to help reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. But researchers stress that at this time there is no clear and compelling evidence that caloric restriction for anti-aging will extend lifespan in humans as it does in some other organisms.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Ways To Get Rid Of Under Eye Dark Circles
Add A Cold Cushion to the Eyes: Over night pigmentation is also one of the causes of dark circles under eyes. 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.
Blood Test : One must always check that hereditary aspect of the dark circles as well. It is often seen that it is hereditary. 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.
Identify allergens: Allergenic people also go through such discoloration under the eyes and also result in the puffiness of the skin below the eyes. If allergies are the root of your problem, you simply need to treat them or remove the allergen. 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 also helps the cause of getting rid of black dark circles.
Get Rid Of Dark Circles
Often in our thirties after a long schedule of work we tend to get dark circles. Dark Circles are very common for people who work late nights and people with poor food habits. Although all there are many factors other than these, we seldom know the real cause. Here in this article you will read about the best ways to remove under eye dark circles.
Get plenty of sleep nightly. The sleep at night is the most important aspect to get rid of dark circles under eyes as most of the times it is caused because we are sleepless at nights. For one thing, lack of sleep tends to cause the skin to become paler, 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 and try to get that sleep for at least a week and see results.
Add a Cold Cushion to the Eyes: Over night pigmentation is also one of the causes of dark circles under eyes. 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.
Blood Test: There have been plenty of proofs that dark circles are hereditary. Dark circles are believed to frequently be hereditary. Dark circles under the eye may also, in fact, be light carbon deposits that result from incomplete protein digestion. Incomplete protein digestion may be the cause as well. 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.
Eye Dark Circles
Under Eyes Dark circles are the most common skin ailment that people suffer specially in the Middle Ages. Though there are many way outs of dark circles but no one knows the real causes and their cures. There are plenty of steps, which can help you prevent the dark circles.
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, 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 and try to get that amount regularly for a couple of weeks to see if that helps.
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.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Anti Aging Skin Care
It is inevitable that as we age, the quality of our skin will decrease unless we use some type of anti aging skin care treatment. Believe it or not, many people are turning to medical procedures to improve the appearance of their skin. This makes no sense to me since it does nothing to address the underlying needs of aging skin.
Many of these companies fail to mention that they produce these anti aging skin care products with little regard to the effectiveness of the ingredients. Instead these choose to hide these ineffective ingredients with fragrances and fillers to mask the inability of these skincare creams to produce measurable results.
If you’re over 30 and are anxious about your aging skin, consider yourself lucky. Despite the heightening environmental aggressions against our skin, as well as the type of synthetic substances added on to skin care products, science is continuing its efforts to provide women of the 21st century with the best anti-aging skin care treatments. No need to argue about it, a beautiful face (minus the blemishes) can take you anywhere and is probably one of your best assets.
The regular use of anti-aging skin care products is becoming normal these days; the growth in popularity is due in no small part to the fact that we are all living and working longer. The skin care industry uses beauty products that increase the synthesis of the protein collagen, the main protein in skin which becomes less elastic as we age; approximately one quarter of the protein contained in skin is collagen. Collagen is a member of another family of substances that aid in reducing the signs of aging. known as antioxidants, they are the body’s method of slowing down the aging process.
An effective anti aging skin care product will address the major causes of an aged appearance. Those causes include decreased production of new cells and elastic fibers, low levels of hyaluronic acid and free radical damage. Of the three, free radical damage is arguably the largest cause, but the other factors are important, too.
Apply Mineral Foundation
There are a number of reasons many have joined the mineral makeup bandwagon. Mineral foundation makeup provides seamless coverage that lets your skin breathe, cleverly camouflaging imperfections sans the cakey appearance. They're ideal for the acne and break-out prone because they're made from naturally occurring minerals. Mineral cosmetics are the latest trend today. It has already gained a huge following and popularity among women and other cosmetic users. In reality, mineral cosmetics already existed many years ago.
The first makeup essential that is applied to your face is the foundation. Its purpose is implied in the name. Foundation prepares your face for the rest of the makeup. It is like preparing a canvas before you paint. The rest of the makeup looks better when foundation is applied. To cut out a bit of the cost, try doing some research first. There are plenty of sites on the web that provide reviews of various makeup brands, including all of the mineral makeup manufacturers. Read what they have to say.
Mica is another mineral used in the cosmetics which promotes fine pores and reduce fine lines. However, this controversial mineral is toxic to the liver, the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory system. Ultramarine colors are on foundations however, it is not approved to be used as a component of lipsticks. Using a Kabuki brush (sold wherever mineral makeup is sold), dip the bristles into the makeup. You won't need much of it to use on your face. Tap the handle of the brush against the lid with the bristles facing upwards. This spreads the mineral foundation throughout the bristles of the brush as well as removing any extra from the brush.
Whether or not you use a wet sponge, be sure to distribute the product evenly on your face. Do not stop until all lines have completely disappeared. If you want to choose a mineral foundation online, you'll have more companies to choose from. The websites have great photos of the colors - although some monitors may interpret colors slightly differently than other monitors. With that in mind, the mineral companies also give a written description of their colors.
Many people just don't know how to treat their problems. The only person who gets hurt from this situation is the customer himself. Instead of buying a natural skin care cream which can get to the bottom of the problem permanently, he ends up buying something which only damages the skin on the long run.
Protect Yourself from the Winter Sun
Whatever activities that you did over the summer, most likely you were aware that it was important to protect yourself from sun while outdoors. Now, winter is approaching. We will turning my attention to putting away my summer items to make room for the winter ones; long sleeve shirts for short sleeve ones, corduroy pants for shorts, and boots for sandals.
Most of the sports equipment have been using is going to get put away as well. But, what about those items you have been using to protect myself from the sun? Things like my sunscreens, sunglasses, and sun protective hats and clothing. During the winter, you may be putting these items away and not using them. From the report of the National Council of Skin Cancer Prevention reported in their January 2003 newsletter that research shows only 3 percent of Americans routinely wear sunscreen during the fall months, and only 2 percent during the winter months. However, during these season, you can still get a sunburn and snow blindness. The colder temperatures do not block the UV rays and reflections off the snow and higher altitudes can make matters even worse. You may be causing yourself significant, long-term damage by not properly protecting yourself.
So, how do you protect yourself from the winter sun? Here are few simple sun safety action steps recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency. First of all, you should be limit exposure to the sun during 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It is because the sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Also, you can wear a hat with a wide brim offers good sun protection to your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck - areas particularly prone to overexposure to the sun. Besides that, you must wearing tightly woven, loose-fitting, and full-length clothing is a good way to protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays.
Meanwhile, you can wear sunglasses that block 99-100% of UV Radiation. This sunglasses provide 99-100% UVA and UVB protection will greatly reduce sun exposure that can lead to cataracts and other eye damage. You can check the label before buying in order to ensure the right sunglasses. In addition, you should always use sunscreen. Apply a broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 or higher liberally on exposed skin. Reapply every 2 hours, or after working, swimming, playing, or exercising outdoors. Even waterproof sunscreen can come off when you towel off, sweat, or spend extended periods of time in the water. You should be avoid sunlamps and Tanning Parlors. It is because the light source from sunbeds and sunlamps damages the skin and unprotected eyes.
Dark Circles under the Eyes
How can you make those dark circles go away if the problem isn't too little sleep? Proper eye care and dark circles removal is a great way to look younger and healthier. But getting educated about how to properly treat dark circles is crucial is you want to get rid of them fast. Finding the right dark eye circle cream can be a bit tricky if you don't actually know what it is you need to do to get rid of them. So let's solve this problem once and for all.
Most people get dark circles, bags or wrinkles under their eyes every now and then. However, some people can't ever seem to get rid of them. If you have ever had dark circles under your eyes or bags under your eyes you may have felt like you were or are shouting out to the world that you there is something wrong with you, that you are sick, that your looks are fading or that you are older than you really are.
To permanently get rid of dark circles under eye treatments must also be accompanied by good health practices. While there are natural remedies, creams and even medical procedures than can help minimize their appearance, dark circles underneath the eyes can often be avoided by addressing any underlying issues that may be causing them. For most people, this is as easy as treating a cold or a lingering sinus issue, as both of these will cause dark circles under the eyes.
If you want an alternative to getting rid of dark circles, you want to begin by combining these potential solutions with something that is natural. Dark circles under your eyes are caused by a slow down and alteration of specific nutrients in your body. You can find creams and solutions that effectively re-balance this, allowing for your skin to keep a youthful and natural appearance.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Skin Care tips for the Monsoons
The biggest skin problem during the monsoon is fungal infections. As fungus is born in humid weather, it easily grows and enters the skin throw wet pores. As a result, one develops itchy, circular, reddish, flaking patches on the body, underarms and around the breast in women.
A few ways to avoid fungal infections are:
1) Once you are seated at your desk, take your shoes and socks off to allow air circulation around your feet. Wear sandals or floaters as far as possible.
2) Use plenty of dusting talc to prevent accumulation of sweat and moisture in skin folds.
3) Wash your feet with soap and hot water after wading through stagnant water and then dry them completely.
Dull, oily-looking skin is another common problem during the rainy season. Monsoons also affect oily skin by causing over-hydrating effect over it. Naturally, it too becomes essential to protect the oily skin by applying the right kind of moisturizer on it. You can use a moisturizer for oily skin which contains rose water, strawberry extract and orange juice.
Stop Excessive Sweating
Begin with a uncomplicated step. This means finding you a good antiperspirant. But this only applies to those with mild cases. Also, for those who are just starting to perspire excessively, this is the right thing to do. However, if an ordinary antiperspirant does not seem to give you the results you want, try consulting a dermatologist for an antiperspirant prescription. Prescribed antiperspirants are stronger and more aggressive in nature. Follow the instructions that the dermatologist would give you for these creams or lotions contain chemicals that may damage your skin if applied inappropriately.
Oral medications can be taken to reduce one's sweating. These are called anticholigenics. Be warned that the intake of such drugs should be supervised by a physician. These oral medications have untoward side effects like blurred vision or dried mouth. But, this option is not so popular with doctors. This is due to the fact that the drug causes more bad side effects even before it can normalize sweat production.
Medical practitioners also use a method called iontophoresis. This makes use of subtle electric current targeting the pores to treat the problem. Here, water is used for electronic charges that could attack the problematic part. This lasts for ten to twenty minutes and requires three sessions per week. After the major treatment process, maintenance practices should be scheduled. Kits to perform this treatment at home are available through various manufacturing companies.
Botox could serve as a temporary remedy to excessive sweating. This cuts the contact between the nerves and the sweat glands. Hence, this paralyses the capability of the glands to perspire. Fifty units of the substance used in Botox needs to be injected at least twenty times in the problem area. This temporary treatment could lessen your worry for six months.
The most radical procedure is surgery. The medical term used to refer to the operation is called Sympathectomy. The key is to cut the nerves that trigger sweating from the sweat glands. To accomplish this, tube is inserted from just below the underarms to the ribs for the purpose of dilating the lungs. This is to make the nerves which are to be killed visible. This operation could bring long-lasting effect but it could be very hazardous for the patient.
Naturals Beauty Salon
“Naturals” is perhaps the first in the business to open unisex salons and spas across conservative Chennai. Even though all their salons are unisex, rest assured, you do not need to share your space with the opposite sex. Earmarked areas for women and men give you enough privacy.
If you are looking for a body massage, hair wash, beauty treatment, blow dry, pedicure or a facial, here’s your one-stop-shop. Their trained stylists are good at hair colouring and qualified to recommend which colour will suit you best. They are also trained to give you a haircut or hair style suitable to your face cut. If you are looking for a blow dry to add that extra bounce, for the big night out, you are in the right place! If you want to straighten your locks or perm your poker straight hair, it’s always better to go to the expert. Naturals has trained staff to take care of all these services for your crowning glory.
Their staff is trained for bridal make-up and hair styling too. So, leave your worries behind, and just book your appointment for the big day. It may be wise to take in their bridal package, where they pamper your skin, remove blackheads, give you regular pedicures, manicures and massages to make sure you “glow” crazy on your special day! They can include waxing, Mehndi, aroma massages and spa facials too, depending on your budget.
The staff is friendly, polite and unobtrusive. The ambience is relaxing with soft music playing in the background. Hygenic surroundings, fresh towels and a soothing, lingering fragrance in the air is what makes me go back for more! Try their fish pedicure, to remove the dead skin from the feet. Their aloe vera and vegetable peel facials are worth trying.
How to Get Rid of Freckles
There are many different ways to help you lighten and remove freckles. Some of them are home remedies that you can easily do at home, and some are more professional treatments that your skin doctor should do for you which brings faster results.
So how can you get rid of freckles? Here are some of the proven, most common solutions to help you...
1. Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is a proven way to lighten your freckles. You simply apply the lemon juice by tapping your finger to the areas of your skin with freckles.
Simply do it a couple of times a day and after a couple of weeks, you'll see some good results.
2. Sour Creams: These creams have also a similar effect as lemon juice, because both are sour. Simply apply sour creams to your skin areas with freckles and after a few weeks your freckles slowly fade out.
3. Fruit Masks: Regular use of fruit and vegetable masks are also another proven method to lighten freckles. Not to mention fruit masks are very healthy for your skin in general and help your skin feel more fresh and softer.
How to Get Rid of Freckles Permanently
Here's a fact: Even though there are many methods that help you get rid of your freckles for a short time, but the truth is most of them do NOT give you permanent results.
Methods like lemon juice or various creams only help you lighten your freckles for a short time. The next time you get exposure to sunlight for a long while, your freckles will start appearing again.
So is there any long lasting solution to remove freckles permanently?
The good news is, yes. The only method tested and proven to give you long lasting results is laser treatment.
When you use Freckles Removal Laser Treatment, you can rest assured not only your freckles will be removed now, but also your skin will stay this way permanently.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Nummular Eczema
Powerful ointments are used to control nummular eczema. But these ointments are not applied to the private areas of an individual. They are applied wherever the skin has been affected.
Nummular eczema is aggravated by myriad reasons, primary among which are climatic conditions, unsuitable garments and the application of harsh detergents on various parts of the body. Some of the other factors which are responsible for aggravating nummular eczema are use of detergents and soap more than twice a day while bathing, usage of warm woolen clothes in tropical climates and application of concentrated perfumes, colognes and the like.
The treatment methods are one and many but it varies from person to person depending on the intensity of the same. For most mild cases of nummular eczema, topical ointments which have a low percentage of coal tar in them are used while in the more severe cases, injections and pills, which have to be taken internally, are prescribed. If you experience a sudden bout of intense itching and discomfort, you may also get yourself relieved by ultraviolet treatment. This is generally reserved for the intense cases of this disease.
Though this condition cannot be treated completely, you can take some measures which will help in reducing nummular eczema to controllable levels. The first and foremost step is to keep the skin moist. This will help in reducing the itchiness. Application of Alpha-Keri oil is one of the best remedies for this. Also, application of Vaseline will help in treating the cracks on the skin to some extent. This will prevent foreign substances from entering the cracks and increasing the intensity of the infection. You should also avoid using very hot water while bathing as this will open up the pores and help spread the infection. Nummular eczema can be further controlled by using soap and detergents which are neither scented nor oily in nature. The most important tip to remember out here is to maintain high degrees of hygiene.
Nummular eczema is aggravated by myriad reasons, primary among which are climatic conditions, unsuitable garments and the application of harsh detergents on various parts of the body. Some of the other factors which are responsible for aggravating nummular eczema are use of detergents and soap more than twice a day while bathing, usage of warm woolen clothes in tropical climates and application of concentrated perfumes, colognes and the like.
The treatment methods are one and many but it varies from person to person depending on the intensity of the same. For most mild cases of nummular eczema, topical ointments which have a low percentage of coal tar in them are used while in the more severe cases, injections and pills, which have to be taken internally, are prescribed. If you experience a sudden bout of intense itching and discomfort, you may also get yourself relieved by ultraviolet treatment. This is generally reserved for the intense cases of this disease.
Though this condition cannot be treated completely, you can take some measures which will help in reducing nummular eczema to controllable levels. The first and foremost step is to keep the skin moist. This will help in reducing the itchiness. Application of Alpha-Keri oil is one of the best remedies for this. Also, application of Vaseline will help in treating the cracks on the skin to some extent. This will prevent foreign substances from entering the cracks and increasing the intensity of the infection. You should also avoid using very hot water while bathing as this will open up the pores and help spread the infection. Nummular eczema can be further controlled by using soap and detergents which are neither scented nor oily in nature. The most important tip to remember out here is to maintain high degrees of hygiene.
Learn more to quit smoking
Eczema Scalp – Methods to cure it
The most common of all eczema diseases is the eczema scalp. This is the most vulnerable part of the body because the scalp is quite sensitive as compared to the skin in other parts of the body. The sweat glands on the scalp are one of the primary reasons why eczema scalp is the most common variation of the disease. Also, the presence of hair follicles increases the chances of getting infections.
There are a whole lot of other symptoms which can exhibit themselves when you suffer from eczema scalp. Apart from the most obvious itchiness, there might be also lumps and blisters, along with dry skin, coupled with crusty deposits on the affected parts. When you feel the first symptoms starting to manifest themselves, you should get yourself checked from a doctor. This will help you in recognizing the exact type of eczema scalp you are suffering from.
This is a fairly common type of disease affecting almost 20% of all kids from around the world. In some cases, the eczema scalp might not get treated and continue well into teenage life and adulthood. This condition is increasing by the dozen due to the high exposure of children to house dust, mold spores and other forms of pollution. These pollutants act as allergens and affect the body. After you have determined the exact cause for eczema scalp, you can proceed with the treatment.
Most doctors recommend the use of steroid creams and pills which are quite effective in curing this problem. But on the downside, there are a lot of side-effects from the intake of steroids. A viable alternative for those patients who suffer from eczema scalp is the use of natural remedies which are devoid of any side-effects. Some of the common medications include application of various types of plant extracts on the affected areas which will help soothe the skin as well as provide strength to ward off the infection.
Learn more to quit smoking
Eczema Remedy
The two types of light therapy eczema remedies are UVA-1 Phototherapy and Psoralen UVA treatment which is known as PUVA in short. The first eczema remedy is done using a narrow band of light which transgresses deep inside the skin to rid the body of eczema. This method is more deeply focused than other remedies according to doctors from all over the world. A high degree of care is taken during these sessions from burning up the skin of the patient. The advantage of this eczema remedy is that a larger section of the body can be cured using this method. This is one of the primary reasons why this method is preferred by patients all over the world.
The first week entails around 5 sessions while the number goes down by the end of the third week. A single session is enough in the 5th week by when people won’t be able to tell if you had ever suffered from eczema. The entire skin rash starts to clear up after a few weeks itself which is why this eczema remedy is the most preferred.
The second type of remedy is PUVA in which you have to ingest the Psoralen medicine which is available from plants. After this is done, the PUVA therapy starts in an hour. If you have any problem ingesting the medicine, then the hospital can be asked to provide some topical version which is to be applied over the affected areas. During the course of the treatment as well as after that for a whole day, the patient has to wear protective sunglasses. The period of this eczema remedy extends for 3 whole months. The number of sessions per week is three. Even after the treatment is done, you should go for maintenance sessions once a week for a month or so.
Learn more to quit smoking
Eczema Psoriasis
Both the terms are of Greek origin. Eczema means “to boil out” whereas psoriasis literally means “to itch.” There are other glaring differences which help differentiate between the two. While eczema primarily affects children below the age of 5 years, psoriasis affects adults pre-dominantly. While almost 20% of children in US are affected by eczema, a realistic 3% of adults are affected by psoriasis. On a general note, it can be safely said that the former affects children more while the latter affects the adults.
There are many other differences between the two as well. Eczema is primarily caused by skin allergies and other irritants while psoriasis is caused mainly due to environmental irritants. Also, genetic disorders play a greater part in case of the latter than the former. In eczema, the skin develops small blisters or boils which are accompanied by fierce itching while in the case of psoriasis, the skin develops red spots which are raised and cause the skin to itch. The skin in case of eczema becomes very dry and scaly while this is not so in case of psoriasis.
One similarity between the two skin disorders is that there are no specific cures for either. Though scientists have been trying hard to find a cure, results have eluded them so far. But both of them can be kept under control and cured to some extent by the application of steroids as well as natural and herbal methods. Psoriasis is more threatening of the two with symptoms which might get elevated to arthritis symptoms while eczema is a less severe disorder.
Learn more to quit smoking
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)