Eat Your Way to Younger Skin

February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

eating for younger skinYou are what you eat. You have surely heard this before and it could not be more true. How you feed your body is directly reflected on the outside. The condition of your skin can be helped or harmed depending on your diet. It is important to know which foods from each food group can help you on your way to glowing, youthful skin.

Vegetables

The two top vegetables for your skin are Romaine lettuce and tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit, but they are also very closely related to vegetables. Romaine lettuce is number one in terms of these two vegetables. Just six leaves gives you 100 percent of your vitamin A every day. Vitamin A is critical for cell turnover and this is necessary to prevent dull, aging skin. It also contains potassium to help with increasing circulation, oxygen and nutrients in the skin.

Tomatoes have an interesting effect on the skin. This red vegetable actually helps to calm redness on your skin. This can help to defend against issues like rosacea and even sunburn (though this is not an excuse to skip the sunscreen). Tomatoes are also high in antioxidants which help to fend off furrows and fine lines.

Fruits

If you love fresh strawberries then you are in luck. Just a single cup of these sweet, red berries has 130 percent of the vitamin C you need each day. This helps to firm and smooth the skin, as well as increase collagen production to help prevent wrinkles and lines. While research is still pretty new, some promise is shown in strawberries helping to reduce your cancer risk, so if you have sun damage this is good news for you.

Apples come in as a close second for skin-protecting fruits. In the peel of an apple lies quercetin which is an antioxidant that helps to protect your skin from burning when you are exposed to the UVB rays responsible for cancer. So, you still need sunscreen, but an apple a day could help to keep skin cancer away.

Proteins

Soy has fallen under scrutiny recently in terms of how it could affect hormones, but its benefits to the skin remain uncontested. This is known to help with skin firmness and fine wrinkles. You only need to get a little bit each day to reap the benefits.

Eggs are another food that is just being widely accepted again because people feared the yolks for so long. However, you want to eat the entire egg so that you can get the zeaxanthin and lutein. These antioxidants are known to aid in preventing skin cancer, fine lines and brown spots by protecting against the UV damage that causes them. An egg a day also tends to lead to firmer, softer and more hydrated skin.

Fats

You are going to love this because dark chocolate is good for your skin. Some spas actually have chocolate face and body facials due to how well this food helps the skin. Just a little dark chocolate every day can increase circulation and improve your overall complexion. Long-term use results in smoother, softer and more hydrated skin.

Extra-virgin olive oil is another good fat for your skin. The essential fatty acids are known to help in protecting you against UV damage. They can also help in keeping skin supple and hold in moisture.

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Top Five Sports and Fitness Injuries Common in Women

February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

top sports injuries with womenOver the last decade more and more women are getting involved in sports and regular exercise. This is a really great thing, but unfortunately, this means that more and more women are experiencing injuries related to sports and exercise. You are always at risk for injury, but knowing what these injuries are can help you to take some steps to avoid experiencing one of them.

ACL Injuries

You often hear about ACL injuries if you watch sports or catch the sports report on the news. Well, women are an increased risk up to eight times higher than men to experience this injury. This is a really big difference and the sports that women most often experience this in are sports like soccer and basketball where you need to make sudden changes in the direction that you are running. Why women experience this more is not completely known, but women’s muscle balance is different and this is believed to play a role. The differences in women’s hormonal makeup could also be at play. Being aware of your movements and wearing a knee brace that supports the knees well could help to prevent this injury.

Patellofemoral Pain

This is pain at the front of your knee and you tend to feel the pain more when you are going down the stairs or a hill after you have been resting for a while. Tight muscles in the area and over-pronation are generally what cause this to occur. To prevent it you want to make sure that your muscles are always well-stretched and limber and you can wear arch supporting insoles to prevent over pronation.

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are common in women, but occur especially in older women whose bone density tends to be lower. This means that the bones are weakening and are more prone to damage. Stress fractures can occur just about anywhere, but in women, they are most often seen in the bones in the feet, lower legs and spine. The best way to prevent these is to start slow and gradually increase your physical activity. Having well-cushioned shoes and a diet that helps to keep bones healthy and strong are also largely helpful. In terms of diet, you want to make sure that you are getting plenty of vitamin D and calcium. Strength training regularly can also help to increase bone density.

IT Band Syndrome

The Iliotibial band can cause the outside of your knee to hurt if it rubs the lateral epicondyle in the upper leg bone. This is due to repetitive friction. Since women have an increased Q angle and wider hips, they are more prone to experiencing this. You should make sure that the soft tissues associated with your knee are well-stretched and a supportive knee brace can be worn during physical activity to help prevent this.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This is not reserved solely for those who type multiple hours per day. This means that the medial nerve gets compressed and you notice tingling, weakness, pain and burning in the affected hand. Now, this can be a difficult injury to avoid. When you use your wrist repetitively, such as with badminton or tennis, you can fall victim to this. To help to prevent this you should ice, elevate and compress your wrists following any activity where you used your wrists.

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Drink to Shrink: Can Alcohol Help You Lose Weight?

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Drinking and dietingMany people skip going out for drinks when they are trying to shed some pounds. It is true that alcohol has empty calories and when drank in excess can and will cause weight gain. However, some experts are now saying that drinking in moderation could actually help your weight loss efforts.

How Alcohol is Digested in the Body

Alcohol generally contains sugar, ethanol and carbohydrates. Your cocktail goes straight to your stomach after you take a sip and then the lining of the stomach absorbs the alcohol and it gets into the bloodstream. Ethanol makes its way to the liver and then the sugar and carbohydrates are digested as normal. Since the ethanol is being worked on before anything else, it is believed that the sugar and carbs are not taken care of as efficiently, which in turn, leads to weight gain.

Now, this is true when it comes to drinking a lot. If you know someone that tends to hit the bottle hard and frequently, you will eventually notice that he or she is packing on some pounds even if they do not eat much and/or have a healthy diet. Calories are calories.

Losing Weight with Drinking?

If you are someone who enjoys a glass of wine – or even two – every evening to wind down after a long day you could be helping yourself in the weight department. New research that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine is looking at those who have just a standard drink or two each night and how this resulted in less weight gain than those who binge drink on weekends. This is believed to occur because since you have a drink or two daily, your body becomes accustomed to this and has figured out a way to digest it in a way where the metabolism of alcohol is altered. You are torching more calories as you sip that nightly cocktail and the extra calories are not turned into fat.

Now, this does not mean that you can skip wine all week and then have six glasses between Friday and Saturday night. For the results shown in this study to hold true, you need to have at least one drink every night so that your body can make the necessary adjustments.

So, can I Skip Exercise and Diet?

No. Unfortunately, drinking wine does not substitute a healthy diet and regular exercise. However, if you are a healthy woman who eats pretty well and exercises at least three days per week then that evening glass of wine could be a good thing. The key is to drink standard-sized drinks. This means that a 32-ounce draft beer is not a good thing, but a standard four-ounce glass of wine is. You do not want to overdo it because then you are putting yourself at risk for weight gain and other issues associated with drinking too much alcohol. Don’t forget that red wine is also associated with other health benefits, such as boosting your heart health, when consumed in moderation.

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Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Ovarian cancer informationOvarian cancer is something that all women fear due to its notoriously bad remission rates. This is why all women should do whatever is in their power to prevent this cancer. There are things that you can start doing today to lower your risk. Some risk factors are outside of your control, but controlling the controllable ones will go a long way in prevention.

Age

You probably saw this one coming and unfortunately no woman can control how old she is. Women younger than 40 can get this cancer, but it is very rare. It almost always occurs after you have gone through menopause with half of all cases in women older than 63.

Obesity

This is a risk factor that you can control. If your body mass index is at least 30, then it is time to start talking to your doctor about a diet and exercise plan. It is estimated that the heavier you are the higher your risk. In fact, very heavy women are 50 percent more likely to develop this cancer. 50 percent is a really scary number. To add gasoline to the fire, obese women have a higher chance of death related to this cancer than their thinner peers.

How Many Kids You Have Had

If you have never had children then your risk of ovarian cancer is higher than your friends who have some kids. With each pregnancy, your risk of this cancer decreases. If you take birth control pills for over five years your risk is significantly lower. So, if you do not have kids and are not looking to have any, but can still reproduce, it would not hurt to talk to your doctor to see if birth control pills are right for you.

Surgical History

If you have had a gynecological surgery, then your risk of ovarian cancer is lower even when your ovaries are left intact. You cut your risk by one-third when you have a hysterectomy and keep your ovaries, and you lower your risk by as much as 67 percent when you have your tubes tied.

Fertility Drugs

Some women are unable to naturally conceive and opt to use medications to try and get pregnant. Some studies show that using Clomid for longer than a year can increase your risk for experiencing tumors on your ovaries. The risk appears to be higher if you take this drug and it does not end in pregnancy. Now, these tumors are not always malignant, but it is something to think about. More research is being done to look at how different fertility treatments affect your risk of ovarian cancer.

Estrogen Therapy

After menopause some women elect to have estrogen therapy to help reduce the side effects of menopause. If you take only estrogen, it seems like your risk is a bit higher than it is for women taking both estrogen and progesterone. You have to use estrogen therapy for at least five years before this risk starts. If you are taking a combination of progesterone and estrogen, there is still a risk, but it is lower than taking just estrogen alone.

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Dark Under Eye Circles: Causes and Treatments

February 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

correcting dark circles under eyesDark under eye circles are something that every woman has experienced at one point or another. Maybe you partied too late or were up all night with a sick child or work deadline. You can try to cover them up with concealer, but this tends to look cakey and even worse than the dark circles themselves. It is important to know what causes these because then you can treat them correctly because the cause will ultimately determine the treatment.

What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes?

The bad news will come first. Sometimes darkness under the eyes is something inherited and this means that they are going to be a little harder to deal with, but you can still minimize their appearance so don’t give up hope yet. You could have excess pigment, have them due to aging or you chronically do not get good sleep. Remember that good sleep is different than enough sleep. You could be in bed for eight hours, but if you are tossing and turning and waking frequently, then your sleep quality is not good.

What can I do About Dark Circles?

There is makeup, but like was said above you do not want to cake concealer onto them. When you use concealer, be sure to choose one that matches your skin ton exactly. A liquid will work well for mild dark circles, but for more severe darkness, go with a cream. Start at the inner corner of your eye and pat on concealer out to just beyond the outer corner of your eye. Then, you want to use a cosmetic sponge to blend your concealer well so that it does not look like you have makeup on, but your dark circles are not as noticeable. This can take some practice so do not give up if you do not do well the first time.

Caffeine is a good way to awaken the body and the eyes. A day cream for your eyes that contains caffeine can help to constrict the blood vessels under that area of your skin. This can help to slightly lighten up the area under your eyes. You can also wear a night eye cream that is moisturizing to help with dark circles.

Remember that the sun increases pigmentation. Many people do not think about how the sun increases the pigmentation of the area under their eyes. When you choose a daytime eye cream, go for one that not only has caffeine, but also has a minimum of an SPF 30. This will help in preventing the sun from worsening the darkness of your under eye circles.

A few other options include treatments that can be done by a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon. These are not cheap, but they are often effective. There is a treatment known as intense pulse light therapy, or IPL therapy. This smooths the skin and destroys pigment cells. Without pigment cells, you will not have pigment, therefore, lighting the area under your eyes. Now, you will generally need at least four sessions to see noticeable improvement.

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Hypothyroidism in Women: Do I Really Have It?

February 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Hypothyroidism warningsHypothyroidism is one word that women never want to hear. It can occur at any age, but what is interesting is that this condition only affects a very small portion of the population in the United States, so do not automatically blame your difficulty losing weight on this condition. On average, 10 percent of women have a degree of low thyroid, so as you can see, this is really not that many.

What is Hypothyroidism?

This means that your thyroid is just not providing your body with enough thyroid hormones. In the early stages most people do not even know that they have it because there are rarely symptoms. However, as time goes on you will start to notice things like joint pain and weight gain. There are accurate tests available that can get you diagnosed and treated quickly so this is good news.

Risk Factors and Causes

Hypothyroidism can happen to anyone, but there are some factors that put you at an increased risk. These include:

  • Family history of autoimmune diseases
  • Radiation to the upper chest or neck
  • Pregnancy or delivery in the last six months
  • Having an autoimmune disease
  • Received anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine
  • Thyroid surgery

There are also a number of causes that can result in this condition. These include:

  • Having an autoimmune disease
  • Radiation therapy
  • Certain medications like lithium
  • Pituitary disorder
  • Being treated for hyperthyroidism
  • Iodine deficiency
  • Congenital disease
  • Pregnancy

Symptoms

Like was stated above, in the early stages you likely will not feel different at all. As this condition goes untreated, you will start to experience symptoms that generally get to a point where you will see a doctor to figure out what is going on. Symptoms can include:

  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Unexplained weight gain
  • Hoarseness
  • Increase blood cholesterol level
  • Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
  • Thinning hair
  • Depression
  • Increased sensitivity to cold
  • Dry skin
  • Puffy face
  • Muscle weakness
  • Muscle tenderness, aches and stiffness
  • Irregular or very heavy menstrual periods
  • Slowed heart rate
  • Impaired memory

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is actually quite easy and generally only requires a blood test. You will relay your symptoms to your doctor and he or she will order the test. You only need to give a quick blood sample. With new testing methods, you can be diagnosed even when you are in the early stages where you really do not even have symptoms yet.

Treatment

There is no one dose of thyroid medication so it may take a little bit to get your dose just right for you. You will generally be started on a thyroid medication and then have your thyroid levels checked after two or three months to ensure that your levels are within an acceptable range. After your dose is correct, you will have your TSH levels checked annually to ensure that everything is still within an acceptable range. You will almost always need to take thyroid medication for the rest of your life and continue to always have your TSH levels checked annually for life just in case any dose adjustments are needed over the years.

Once you start treatment, you will notice your symptoms going away, such as you will have more energy, be able to lose the weight and will not be so cold all of the time.

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Quick and Easy Cleaning Tips to Help Your Dust Mite Allergy

February 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

cleaning for dust mitesDust mite allergies are not uncommon. If you find yourself waking up every morning just to start sneezing there is a chance that you are allergic to dust mites. Of course, a doctor needs to confirm this, but there are some cleaning tips that you can use to help reduce the dust mites so that you can breathe easier and not sneeze so much.

Get the Humidity Out

This can cause other issues like dry skin and sometimes nose bleeds, but dust mites need high humidity to survive. You can get monitors that will tell you how much humidity is in your home. You want to aim to keep it under 55 percent. This means that using a dehumidifier can be helpful, as are fans in the kitchen and bathroom to keep steam to a minimum.

Say Goodbye the Carpets

Carpets are a haven for dust mites. You could scrub your carpets once a week and vacuum daily, but dust mites will still be present in your carpeting. You want wood floors that you can easily keep dust free with a broom and a damp cloth. You can put throw rugs down, but be sure to take these outside to “beat” them once or twice a week so that dust mites do not have time to settle on them and cause you to start sneezing.

Mite Proof Covers

Your mattress has more dust mites on it than anything else in your home. This is often why you wake up sneezing. You have been exposed all night long. There are bed covers that are “dust mite proof” so that they cannot penetrate and make a home on your mattress. You should also change your bed linens at least twice a week. When you wash them, do so in hot water as this will kill the dust mites on them.

Change Your Window Treatments

Heavy drapery is difficult to clean and it is a major source of dust mites. Ideally, using just blinds is best because you can easily wipe these down every day with a dust brush or even a damp towel. If you really like curtains, go for a lightweight, cotton curtain that can be easily taken down and washed twice a week in hot water. There are a lot of simple curtain options available and they happen to be what is in style in terms of home décor right now.

Your Furniture

You are not going to ditch your furniture to avoid dust mites and you shouldn’t have to. Get a vacuum that has a hose on it so that you can vacuum your upholstered furniture. This can be done once or twice a week to keep dust mites to a minimum. Take your throw blankets and throw pillows outside and “beat” them to get rid of the excess dust.

As for your surfaces, shelves and tables, simply wipe them down. There are some surfaces, such as those in the kitchen, that you naturally wipe down every day. Other surfaces should be wiped down with a damp cloth at least twice a week to keep dust at bay.

You do not need to deep clean every single week to keep dust mites in check. You will be more diligent in cleaning, but it will not take much more time than you usually spend cleaning. Then, you will do your deep spring cleaning and all should be well for you and your family.

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Three Things You Must Know About Your Breasts, but Don’t

February 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

breast issues with womenYour breasts are something that you look at every day. You also know that you have to take care of them in order to maintain optimal health for both your breasts and your body as a whole. However, there are some things that many women are unaware of when it comes to their breasts. Not knowing these things could have a negative consequence on your health. It is critical to understand your breasts and to know everything that you can to prevent breast cancer and other issues.

Your Breasts are Vulnerable

The other parts of your body can withstand small hormonal changes, but your breasts are hypersensitive to these changes. You are around toxic chemicals daily and these can trigger small hormonal changes that can negatively affect your breasts. There are ways to limit your exposure, however. Estrogen-mimicking chemicals can be found in personal care product containers and certain food packaging. Stick with frozen or fresh foods and avoid canned products. Also, avoid personal care product that contain parfum or fragrance.

Breasts are Getting Bigger than they Ever Have in History

It is not unusual to see breast cup sizes as large as H and KK. This is without plastic surgery interventions. Girls are also starting to develop younger than ever, with some girls as young as nine years old developing. Chemical exposure is thought to be the cause of these issues. Early development and naturally very large breasts are also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Benzene and Breast Cancer

Benzene is a chemical that you can be exposed to every day. It is a widely used chemical and it is created mostly by human activities. It is naturally in gasoline, crude oil and cigarette smoke. It can also get into the environment due to forest fires. The main way it gets into your body is through inhalation. The skin can also absorb it with direct contact.

There is evidence of this chemical having cancer-causing potential. The most evidence is associated with this chemical and acute myeloid leukemia. Whether this causes breast cancer directly is still being studied, but there are links that scientists are further testing. It is important to be aware of benzene and its potentially harmful effects. Experts do agree that this chemical has cancer-causing potential and since the breasts are vulnerable, you should be aware of this chemical. Not smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke are two of the best ways to limit benzene exposure.

Caring for Your Breasts

You want to perform your breast self-exams at least once a month. If you feel anything abnormal, call you doctor right away. When breast cancer is caught early your chances of recovery are generally quite high. When you are doing your self-exam, don’t just feel for lumps, but visually inspect your breasts as well. You want to look for things like changes in the nipples or overall breast color, nipple discharge, dimpling or anything else that would be abnormal.

It is also important to talk to your doctor about breast health. Make sure that your doctor knows your family history, as well as your personal history when it comes to medical issues. Your doctor will also let you know when you need to start having mammograms and how often you will need to have one.

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Four Symptoms Women Often Ignore But Never Should

February 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

ignoring health warningsAll women have occasional aches and pains, heart burn and other symptoms from time to time. However, there are some symptoms that always warrant a doctor giving you a once over. These are symptoms that women often ignore, but never should. Having these symptoms could mean nothing, but sometimes they point to a serious issue so always have them checked out.

Severe Pain in Your Head

Headaches are not uncommon for women and are often due to eye strain, stress and just not getting enough sleep. However, when the pain is severe you want to give your doctor a call. Up to five percent of people will experience a brain aneurysm. For most people, these never cause an issue, but for the few people that experience a rupture, the effects could quickly be life-threatening. Emergency surgery is necessary to keep the damage as minimal as possible. A good rule of thumb is that if severe head pain comes with visual symptoms, or if there is a history of aneurysm in your family, to go to the emergency room. If you are having severe head pain that does not go away with basic headache home care, such as OTC pain medication and rest, then call your doctor.

Your Side is Killing You

In many cases, bad pain in your side is due to gas or a pulled muscle. Both of these can be treated at home. However, things like a ruptured ovarian cyst or a ruptured appendix could also be the culprit and both of these require immediate surgery. Remember that old adage that pain always indicates that something is wrong. This something wrong could be minor, or it could be very serious.

Passing Chest Pain

Okay, so your chest hurts a bit once in a while. Maybe you ate something wrong like spicy food. Or, maybe you are having a heart attack. When it comes to heart attacks, women generally do not have symptoms as severe as men do. For women, the pain may be in the middle of the back with some heart burn going on. This is why you should never push chest pain to the side. Always have it checked out right away, especially if you are also experiencing fatigue, shortness of breath or pain in your throat. So many women will not go to the ER unless they have an arm hanging off, but quick treatment during a heart attack is critical to give you the best chance at a full recovery.

Gas and Bloating

All women have occasional gas and bloating. Everything from diet choices to hormones during that time of the month can cause these symptoms. However, if you are frequently bloated and gassy then you need to see your doctor. This is really important especially if you have some discomfort in your abdominal or pelvic areas. Bloating is a major sign of early ovarian cancer. Give your OB-GYN a call and get and appointment with her. She can order the necessary tests to see why you are bloating and gassy all of the time.

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Strengthening the Coopers Ligament: How to Naturally Lift Your Breasts

February 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

breasts exercisesA variety of factors cause the breasts to go a little south as the years pass and this can be something that negatively impacts a woman’s confidence. Having children, losing weight and getting older all play a role in whether the breasts stay youthful. The good news is that there are some exercises you can do to help bring them back up a bit. These exercises will not give you a miracle, but they can help to lift your breasts a little and restore some of that confidence.

What is the Cooper’s Ligament?

These are ligaments that attach from supporting structures in the chest to right under the skin of the breasts. These are responsible for keeping the breasts firm and up where they should be. Over time, these can weaken and when they weaken we notice that the breasts start to sag. There are some exercises that can slow down how lax these ligaments become so that you can maintain firm and lifted breasts for as long as possible. Many also state that doing certain exercises regularly has helped to lift their breasts a bit. The exercises should be done at least three times per week. It is important to have a rest day in between each strength training session.

Do Some Pushups

What is nice about pushups is that you can do them in a variety of ways so that regardless of your fitness level you can do them. If you are unable to do a regular pushup do them on your knees or even against a wall. Start by doing 10 repetitions. If this is easy for you then do two sets for a total of 20 pushups. Add two repetitions every other day until you can do three sets of 15 repetitions each with 30 seconds of rest in between each set.

Pec Flys

For this you will need two dumbbells at a weight that you can handle. Many people start off with two to five pound dumbbells. If you do not have any dumbbells on hand then grab some soup cans for the time being. Lie on the floor on your back and bend your knees. Basically, you want to be in the position you are in when you do situps or crunches. Then, put a dumbbell or soup can in each hand. Bring these straight up over your chest until they are touching. Start with doing one set of 10. Then, work your way up to three sets of 15 repetitions each. The key is to start slow and work your way up so that you are gradually building lean muscle and helping the Cooper’s ligaments.

Chest Presses

This is basically like a bench press without the bench. If you do have a bench or an exercise ball, use these to lie on because they allow a better workout. Now, lie on the floor like you do with the pec flys. The difference here is that you will hold a dumbbell in each hand and bend your elbows so that the dumbbells are facing the ceiling. You will then push up until your elbows are almost locked, but do not lock them. Then, bring them back down and repeat. Start out with 10 of these and then work your way up to three sets of 15.

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