Three Steps for getting Soft Lips !

1.   Just the way you exfoliate your arms and legs, do the same with your lips as well. But remember to be slow and gentle while scrubbing.

2.   After exfoliation, apply a good lip balm with SPF. just like your skin, lips too require protection from the sun.

3.   Lastly apply a moisturising lipstick. For a natural look, apply a shade that is closer to your original lip color.

Always apply a lip balm before applying any lip color or lip gloss for super soft lips.

Source : TOI

Cholesterol Tests

What cholesterol is, and what it does to our bodies.

Cholesterol Test

Our liver produces a wax like substance which is also found in some foods. This waxy substance called cholesterol is needed in order to produce vitamin D. It is also used by our bodies to build walls around cells, and to make bile salts that will allow us to digest fats. A thousand milligrams of cholesterol is produced by our liver each day, which is enough to sustain us without ever eating another cholesterol loaded thing. There are so many foods that contain cholesterol that it is not easy to avoid it. A cholesterol test helps that.

Heart disease is only one of the problems that can come from too much cholesterol, but there are ways to contain it. The one thing you need to do first is talk to your doctor and have a cholesterol test. A cholesterol meter, monitor, or other testing kit, can be used at home to monitor levels on a regular basis, and so adjust your lifestyle to improve your health and lessen the chances of getting a life threatening illness in the future.

The test is different from most of the other medical tests any adult might undergo, as it is not necessarily used for diagnosing disease, or to monitor a disease.

The cholesterol test is used for noting whether the patient is at risk for a disease such as heart disease or atherosclerosis, or perhaps death from a stroke or heart attack. An important part of preventative health is the cholesterol test.

There are two types of cholesterol (also known as lipoproteins) and they are HDL which is the high density, and LDL which is the low density.

HDL is considered to be the good cholesterol, and LDL is considered to be the bad cholesterol. The bad cholesterol will block the blood vessels and keep the blood from flowing through the body properly.

A routine cholesterol test is done during a patient’s routine physical at least once every five years. This is so unless the patient has a history of having a cholesterol problem; then it is suggested that the patient have a cholesterol test several times throughout the year. This is to monitor how well the cholesterol is being held at bay.

There is much talk these days about high cholesterol and the diet, and sometimes altering eating and drinking habits can make a big difference. Many patients that have been diagnosed with high cholesterol will need to have medication and diets prescribed for them.

A cholesterol test may be needed more frequently if the patient is at higher risk for heart disease because one of these factors which are considered to be major :

• The patient is a smoker,

• The patient is over the age of forty five (men) and fifty five (women).

• The patient suffers from hypertension with a blood pressure of more that 140/90,

• If the patient has a family history of premature heart disease,

• If the patient has already had a history of heart problems, or

• If the patient has diabetes.

Cholesterol Meters - Test Cholesterol at home !

A cholesterol meter (or cholesterol monitor) is a handy new tool to help. Cholesterol testing meters are an easy way to do a cholesterol check at home. A cholesterol check meter can produce results in minutes, and some are known as a glucose cholesterol meter because they can check your glucose levels too. Cholesterol meters are fast becoming a tool commonly found in the home of health conscious individuals, and are used as a part of a stay healthy regime.

Although everyone needs cholesterol to help the body build new cells and produce hormones, high cholesterol levels can be harmful. The body gets its cholesterol (a fatty substance) via the diet and the liver. While the liver produces around 80 percent, foods such as meat, fish, cheese, and animal products provide the rest.

Foods that contain saturated fats result in the body producing more cholesterol. Many people think that avoiding animal products is the answer for how to reduce cholesterol, but there are foods that don’t contain animal products but do contain trans-fats which will still lead to the body making more cholesterol.

Cholesterol travels around the bloodstream by latching on to specific proteins.

Very bad cholesterol is known as VLDL or very low density lipoprotein.

Bad cholesterol is known as LDL or low density lipoprotein.

Good cholesterol is known as HDL or high density lipoprotein.

Chylomicrons carry a small amount of cholesterol but a large amount of fat known as triglycerides. High LDL cholesterol levels is often a factor in coronary artery disease such as atherosclerosis. This sort of disease can lead to strokes and heart disease, etc. High fat diets, obesity, stress, and inactivity, are all contributing factors in raising cholesterol levels. The problem can also be hereditary. Hospitals frequently advise doing a cholesterol check on these vulnerable groups of people, and they use very similar machines to the cholesterol meters you would use at home.

Many people are unable to pay for frequent cholesterol testing and this is where a home blood cholesterol meter comes in very handy. A cholesterol monitor (such as a home cholesterol meter) allows you to see what is actually going on inside your bloodstream and make any necessary adjustments, such as trying a cholesterol diet where you introduce foods to lower cholesterol. Using a cholesterol test meter will allow you to take control of your health and you should then take steps to find out exactly how to lower LDL cholesterol.

Tips to keep your knees, back injury-free !

Follow some simple tips to keep your back, knees injury-free :

Who is most prone to back and knee injuries ?

Those with bow legs - outward curvature of legs or knock knees, where the knees touch each other while running, or flat feet, where the entire sole comes into contact with the ground --- should avoid running. They can instead train on the cross-trainer or swim for their cardio workouts. These conditions can lead to back or knee injuries.

Those who are excessively over-weight, too, should avoid running till they lose some pounds through a diet combined with specific workouts such as rowing or cycling. Such people's knees and lower back are already under pressure and could get easily injured.

Those used to walking with their feet pointing at an outward / inward angle from the body should avoid running till they consciously learn to walk without angled feet. Walking without the right form itself is inviting injury to the lower back and knees.

Some people have a posture where the legs are bent at the knees while walking. They need to straighten their legs first through stretching exercises before getting into a running or brisk walking regimen. Such a posture can cramp the calf muscles, leading to injuries.

5 Ways to Energize Your Life - Part 2

Activate your day

Even though you may feel pooped after your workout, moderate exercise can actually give you energy. "As you exercise, you use blood glucose," Cochran explains. Your body then pulls glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate in the liver and muscles) into your bloodstream, which can ultimately make you feelmore energized as your blood glucose level rises. To rev up your daily routine, Cochran recommends revving pacing when you're talking on the phone and taking the stairs at every opportunity.

Get an hour's more sleep

To function at your best, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends at least eight hours of sleep a night for adults. But according to a recent NSF poll, on average, adults sleep just under seven hours nightly during the work week.

With a chronic sleep deficit, it may take you long to execute low-level mental chores such as figuring the tip on your lunch check. And say goodnight to multitasking and making sound judgment calls — especially in crisis situations. All told, "anything that's not routine is difficult to do if you're tired," says Andrew A. Monjan, PhD, MPH, chief of the neurobiology of aging branch of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.

Nix caffeine

Granted, caffeine can be a quick picker-upper, because it stimulates brain cells. But if you have trouble getting to sleep at night, "avoid caffeine after lunch," advises Sonia Ancoli-Israel, PhD, director of the sleep disorders clinic at the Veterans Affairs-San Diego Health Care System. Besides obvious sources of caffeine — coffee (103 mg caffeine/6 oz cup), tea (36 mg/6 oz cup) and cola beverages such as Diet Coke (46.5 mg/12 oz) — take stock of your diet's hidden caffeine sources, such as chocolate or coffee-flavored foods. Even some decaffeinate coffee has been found to contain small amounts of caffeine.

Concluded

Article By: Sandra Agababian

5 Ways to Energize Your Life - Part 1

Got too much on your plate (and we don't mean food)? Here's what you can do to optimize your energy level and get it all done.

Just reading your to-do list is enough to make you tired: Pick up dry cleaning, go to the gym, learn software, plan birthday party, prepare for tomorrow's meeting, et cetera. If only you had the energy to get it all done. 

You can have more vim and vigor with just a few diet and lifestyle changes, like the ones below. Try these strategies at home, not to mention at work or at school. You won't be sorry.

Don't skip meals

To maintain your energy level, your body breaks down the food you eat into glucose, otherwise known as blood sugar — the main fuel for your brain — and sends a steady stream of it to your body's cells.

"To feel energized throughout the day, your blood glucose level should stay within a certain range," says Neva Cochran, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant based in Dallas. If your blood glucose drops too low — which can happen if you go too many hours without eating — you could feel lightheaded and lethargic, says Cochran. Your best bet: "Don't go more than four hours without eating something nutritious," she advises.

Balance meals with carbohydrates, protein and fat

It's important to get a balance of food types — no matter which plan you're on. "A combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat helps moderate blood glucose absorption so that your blood sugar rises gradually," says Cochran.

On the other hand, if you eat only carbohydrates, your blood glucose level could rise and drop quickly, leaving you hungry and low on energy within an hour or two after eating. Similarly, if you only eat protein, you'll get calories but they won't kick in fast enough to make you feel energized, says Cochran, because your meal's missing that carbohydrate-exclusive sugar-boost.

To Be Continued.....

Article By: Sandra Agababian