The Importance And Challenges Of Vitamin C In Skin Care

Vitamin C is often regarded as a wrinkle fighter or an anti-aging agent. The main objective of ‘Vitamin C skin care’, in scientific terms, is to increase the synthesis of collagen (a structural protein that is found in skin).

The additional benefit of ‘Vitamin C skin care’ is related to its capability of countering free radicals which cause damage to the skin.

Vitamin C skin care, however, faces a major challenge today. This is related to the oxidation tendency of Vitamin C skin care products.

 On coming in contact with any oxidising agent (e.g. air), the Vitamin C in the Vitamin C skin care products,  gets oxidised; thus making the Vitamin C skin care product useless (in fact counter-effective).

The oxidised Vitamin C imparts a yellowish-brown colour to the Vitamin C skin care product. This is something that you need to check before buying a Vitamin C skin care product.

 Even after you buy a Vitamin C skin care product, you need to store it properly and keep checking that it’s still good to use (i.e. it hasn’t attained a yellowish-brown texture).

The manufacturers of Vitamin C skin care products have tried to deal with this (oxidation) problem in multiple ways (and research on Vitamin C skin care products is on the top of their list).

One such method of retaining effectiveness of Vitamin C skin care products for a long term is to keep a high concentration (say 10%) of Vitamin C. However, this makes the Vitamin C skin care products even more expensive.

The Vitamin C skin care products are already pretty inexpensive and making them even more expensive will throw the product manufacturers out of business.

 The other way is to use Vitamin C derivatives (like ascorbyl palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate). These are not only more stable but also inexpensive.

 Even though the derivatives based products are not as effective as the Vitamin C skin care products, their stability against oxidation is a very desirable feature that makes them very attractive.  Moreover, these are known to be less irritating too.

Talking of effectiveness of Vitamin C skin care products, it’s important to mention that not everyone responds to Vitamin C treatments. So it’s not a magic potion in any way.

If you don’t see a noticeable difference in your skin, it might be because of your skin not responding to Vitamin C treatment (and the Vitamin C skin care products might not be at fault, at all).

As more research goes on, one can only keep our fingers crossed and wait for a complete solution to the challenges faced by ‘Vitamin C skin care’ today.

11 Simple Tips To Boost Your Metabolism

There are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity.

Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.

There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels.

Metabolism slows done due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.

Here are several ways to fire up one's metabolism:

1. Build up on lean, mean body mass.

It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat.

So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights.

Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories.

The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

For strength training

-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.

-Add the level of resistance

-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible

For cardiovascular training

-Insert intervals between exercises

-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises

-Add up on resistance and speed

2. Eat breakfast.

A lot of people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not.

Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.

3. Avoid sugar.

Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar.

Additionally, progressive exercise 2-3 times a week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar.

4. Eat spicy foods.

Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.

5. Sleep more.

 According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.

6. Increase water intake.

 Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

7. Eat smaller meals.

It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.

8. Never skip meals.

 People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.

9. Plan meals in detail.

Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.

9. Ditch the stress!

Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.

10. Guzzle up on green tea.

 It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.

11. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss.

 A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.

5 Important Ways To Prevent Hypertension

It seems as though many Americans are living a life that leads to high blood pressure or hypertension. As people age, the situation gets worse.

Nearly half of all older Americans have hypertension. This disease makes people five times more prone to strokes, three times more likely to have a heart attack, and two to three times more likely to experience a heart failure.

The problem with this disease is that nearly one third of the folks who have hypertension do not know it because they never feel any direct pain. But overtime the force of that pressure damages the inside surface of your blood vessels.

However, according to experts, hypertension is not predestined. Reducing salt intake, adopting a desirable dietary pattern losing weight and exercising can all help prevent hypertension.

Obviously, quitting bad habits and eating a low fat diet will help, but the most significant part that you can do is to exercise. And just as exercise strengthens and improves limb muscles, it also enhances the health of the heart muscles.

Heart and Exercise

The exercise stimulates the development of new connections between the impaired and the nearly normal blood vessels, so people who exercise had a better blood supply to all the muscle tissue of the heart.

The human heart basically, supply blood to an area of the heart damaged in a “myocardial infarction.” A heart attack is a condition, in which, the myocardium or the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen and other nutrients and so it begins to die.

For this reason and after a series of careful considerations, some researchers have observed that exercise can stimulate the development of these life saving detours in the heart.

One study further showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building up these auxiliary pathways than extremely vigorous exercise done twice as often.

Such information has led some people to think of exercise as a panacea for heart disorders, a fail-safe protection against hypertension or death. That is not so. Even marathon runners that have suffered hypertension, and exercise cannot overcome combination of other risk factor.

What Causes Hypertension?

Sometimes abnormalities of the kidney are responsible. There is also a study wherein the researchers identified more common contributing factors such as heredity, obesity, and lack of physical activity.

And so, what can be done to lower blood pressure and avoid the risk of developing hypertension? Again, exercise seems to be just what the doctor might order.

If you think that is what he will do, then, try to contemplate on this list and find some ways how you can incorporate these things into your lifestyle and start to live a life free from the possibilities of developing hypertension.

But before you start following the systematic instructions, it would be better to review them first before getting into action.

1. See your doctor

Check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. If you make any significant changes in your level of physical activity — particularly if those changes could make large and sudden demands on your circulatory system — check with your doctors again.

2. Take it slow

Start at a low, comfortable level of exertion and progress gradually. The program is designed in two stages to allow for a progressive increase in activity.

3. Know your limit

Determine your safety limit for exertion. Use some clues such as sleep problems or fatigue the day after a workout to check on whether you are overdoing it. Once identified, stay within it. Over-exercising is both dangerous and unnecessary.

4. Exercise regularly

You need to work out a minimum of three times a week and a maximum of five times a week to get the most benefit. Once you are in peak condition, a single workout a week can maintain the muscular benefits. However, cardiovascular fitness requires more frequent activity.

5. Exercise at a rate within your capacity

The optimum benefits for older exercisers are produced by exercise at 40% to 60% of capacity.

Indeed, weight loss through exercise is an excellent starting point if you wan tot prevent hypertension.

Experts say that being overweight is linked to an increased risk of developing hypertension, and losing weight decreases the risk.

Weight Loss Tips That Helped Me Lose 70 Pounds

I am not a weight loss expert, but I have lost 70 pounds in the past two years and I do have some tips that really helped me.

Most of this I learned from trial and error, but other tips have come to me during my process of trying to lose the weight. If these tips can be of help to anyone else, then I am really happy to be able to share them with you.

The very first tip I have is one that took me a long time to learn and often I think that I am still learning it. If you are calling this a "diet" you need to stop now! You need to start to think of this as a "lifestyle change". How many times have you told people that you are on a diet?

 They might think "oh, another diet". I know, because I have done that. What you have to do is to work at changing your habits. If you are think diet, you are setting yourself up for failure. You are changing the way you are living your life!

The next tip is one that a friend told me, and it is very helpful. You need to think as a thin person thinks. You might learn this trick just by just watching the kinds of things a thin person eats or drinks. If you don't start thinking thin, it will be hard to be thin.

Generally thin people are on the go a lot, and are burning off those extra calories. They also may eat differently than you do. So start today and think like a thin person thinks.

Add exercise to your daily life. You already know that eating less will mean that you are consuming less calories and if you start to exercise you now burn off more energy.

You really did not need me to tell you this, because you already know this, but you can change your lifestyle just by adding more exercise to your life. You do not need to go to a gym to do this, you can add walking to your daily activities.

Post a photo on your refrigerator of what you look like now! Then find a photo of something you would like to fit into or a goal you would like to achieve. Maybe, if you lost all the weight you wanted to you could once again go hiking, or some other activity. This might be the one thing that reminds you to not snack.

Don't do it alone. Tell someone that you know that will be supportive about what you are trying to achieve. They can cheer you on when you are discouraged. My daughter has been my cheering squad.

 Even if I lose one or two pounds, she has been there to tell me that I am doing a great job and that she is proud of me. I can also tell her when I am having a hard time of it, and she does not judge me. You need a person in your corner!

Try to avoid sabotaging well meaning friends or relatives. They might no realize what they are doing. You can even sabotage your own self. You need to be aware of this and only then can you address it.

Drink Water! This tip alone will make a big difference in your weight loss. I find that when I do drink water I have a much better loss. Water is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Use it when you are thirsty, but also you it when you think you are hungry. Often you will find, a glass of water will fill you up and curb that desire to have a snack.

Set a realistic goal. You might want to lose 50 pounds. Scary isn't it! So start smaller. Think I want to lose 10 pounds in the next month or whatever time limit you would like. After you reach that goal, reward yourself with a new haircut, a new shirt or something that is NOT food. Then set your next goal and go for it. Soon you will be at your own personal goal.

Before starting any "lifestyle change", go and talk with your doctor. There might be certain things that he does not want you to do. Your health has to be considered before starting any weight loss plan.

There are lots of other things that might be helpful to each of you as we all are individuals and have different things that help us, but one important thing will to be to find a weight loss program that works for you and to stick to it. There is a great program that is quickly becoming the # 1 best selling weight loss Program because it is both healthy for you and easy to follow. Be sure to check it out here! http://www.weightlossmystory.com/fat_loss.html

These tips have helped me lose 70 pounds! I have more to lose and I know I will do it! It is not easy, but it will be worth being able to do the activities that I love once again. Find a daily plan that works for you. You are important! Make time for yourself in your life. Start your day with a time that is just for you, to exercise, to plan and to make your life better because you deserve it.

About the Author

Read my amazing weight loss story! http://www.weightlossmystory.com

Your Ultimate Guide To Healthy Living

In the United States, the leading cause of death is still heart disease, which claims a whopping 652,091 people each year, followed by cancer (559,312) and strokes (143,579).

Doctors say that the importance of healthy living and health prevention cannot be overstated. In recent years, so much has been learned about the contributing factors to heart disease, the role of fat and cholesterol, and the steps to reduce the risk.

While researchers are still a little in-the-dark about cancer prevention, they have found that increasing fiber and vegetables, as well as meeting with physicians for early detection tests can have many patients walking away from what would have been fatal diseases.

As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out." Eating the right foods is the most important step toward healthy living. Yet this simple matter of choice can also be one of the most difficult lifestyle modifications as well.

 Fats, salts and sugars are just so tasty and so convenient, they can be hard to resist! However, just about every healthy eating plan runs off the same principles. Eat more fruits, more vegetables, more fiber and more lean protein.

Eat less saturated fat, less sodium, fewer carbohydrates and fewer calories. When you dine out, try to avoid fried foods and ask for soup or salad instead. You may want to ask for a box so you can set half of your portion aside for later.

You don't have to give up your favorite foods, but you do have to eat them in moderation. There are a number of websites that offer healthy recipes and diet nutrition calculators to help you get started eating your way to disease prevention.

For healthy living, the appropriate amount of fitness for a normal adult is at least 30 minutes per day or 60 minutes, four days a week. Weights experts will tell you that part of overall fitness is stretching, sculpting your body through resistance training and strengthening muscle mass, as well as bones. You can accomplish this task by purchasing a basic dumbbell set, participating in circuit training at the gym or taking a Pilates/yoga class.

Another component of fitness is ensuring your heart health through cardiovascular exercises like running, biking, brisk walking, dancing, jumping rope, swimming, rollerblading, cross country skiing and playing sports. By creating a diverse array of physical activities that you can stick to, you will decrease your risk of injury, sickness and disease to live a healthier life.
 
Stress management is an essential component of healthy living, as research shows stress can take years off our lives and can lead to weight gain, depression, hypertension, high blood pressure and heart attacks.

 Stress is part of your normal physiological reaction to threat, which triggers a sudden release of hormones in what is called the "fight or flight response."

To keep anxiety at bay, try making lists and prioritizing your tasks, while outsourcing tasks to others to make your load lighter. Strive for a balance of work, family and personal time. Know when it's time to take a break because your stress levels are jeopardizing your health.

Be sure you are practicing healthy eating, exercising and getting at least seven hours of sleep each night. Devise strategies to help you cope with stress, such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques, yoga, tai-chi, meditation, massage, music, reading or hypnosis.

Lastly, if you feel your efforts aren't working, then you should consider counseling, which will help you identify where you've gone wrong and how you can begin living a more satisfying life. This blog has some informative articles for the creative mind. Find out more about the healthy living guide at his resourceful site. We appreciate your feedback on our blog.

Benefits Of Drinking Water The Most Abundant Health Drink

Who needs commercial health drinks when water alone can help a person to be healthy? Many people don’t realize it but by drinking clean water can keep them from developing various diseases caused by the unhealthy environment.

If you are into consuming commercial health drinks that cost too much money, now is the time to consider water as your very own health drink. Aside from being pure, you can save more money since it is the most abundant health drink available.

Why drink water?

Studies say that an average individual's blood contains 83 percent of water. A person's muscles have 75 percent. The brain has 74 percent. The bone is 22 has percent.

If you sum it up, almost 80 percent of the person's body are made up of water. Experts say that there are several factors that affect the requirement of water to people. These factors include:

1. Exercise. This is because there is greater need for water since the body loses so much when there are rigorous muscular activities on a regular basis.

2. Climate change. Since hotness and humidity in certain areas can affect the water requirement of the person in that specific place.

3. Health conditions. When a person has diarrhea, experience vomiting, and fever, they need more replenishment of water since the body loses a great amount of it during these times.

4. Pregnancy. This condition requires additional water to keep the body well-hydrated at all times.

Health benefits of water

Experts say that people need adequate supply of healthy water because it gives energy. Aside from that, it also helps avoid dehydration, and it gets people moving. It also helps relieve constipation, and beats stress. Other health benefits of drinking healthy water include:

- keeping the skin soft, supple healthy and glowing;

- improving the blood circulation in the body;

- helping kidneys and liver to remove toxins from the system;

- preventing memory loss;

- eliminating instances of frequent headaches and dizziness;

- increasing mental and physical performance;

- removing toxins and other waste products from the body;

- aiding weight loss, and

- allowing proper digestion

Safe water as a health drink

Experts say that to remain healthy, one of the most important things a person should consider is taking in lots of healthy water. And what better way to do this but to use it as a health drink?

However, the quality of tap water is no longer reliable for health purposes these days. If you want to use your own water as health drink, it is a must to ensure that it is safe and clean.

One of the ways to do this is by using a water filter. Experts believe that through the use of water filter, one can ensure that he or she is drinking healthy water for himself or herself and for his or her family.

Today, there are many brands of water filters available in the market. Majority of these comes in various shapes and sizes. But, before buying a water filter, you must know what is the most suitable type for your water source.

Once you have safe and clean water through the use water filter, rest assured that you can come up with you very own health drink at the comforts of your home or office.

Know About The Healthy And Unhealthy Drinks

Wondering why you don’t eat too much but still keep on gaining weight? Then maybe you drink is not healthy at all. There are hundreds of beverages out there that can boost your waistline.

You have to be cautious of what you drink. Coffee, although it has significant health effects, can be making you fat. If you drink coffee with full fat dairy and artificial flavorings, and do not forget about chocolate sprinkles, then it is highly likely that this is more detrimental than beneficial.

To maximize the health benefits of coffee, it is better to drink it plain or with soy milk. Or you can just switch to green tea which is much better for you since it is a rich source of anti-oxidants.

Sugary summer drinks like margarita or a pina colada doubles your sugar and calorie intake. A can or a glass of this can give you 800 calories. If you’re looking for cool, alcoholic beverage to share in a hot night, then switch to red wine or light beer.

Red wine can reduce coronary heart disease and can lower cholesterol count, thus, reducing risk of high blood pressure or hypertension. Red wine can also maintain the immune system. It also has polyphenols which is an excellent anti-oxidant.

Polyphenols lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure, risks of cancer. It also has anti-bacterial properties. Aside form polyphenols, red wine also has flavonoids which are also an anti-oxidant. Wine can also be associated in reducing stress. It has a calming influence that helps the body to relax and unwind.

Before buying your juice drink, be careful on reading the label. There is difference between “100 % juice” and “made with real juice”. There can be a big amount of artificial sweeteners and big amount of calories included in your juice drink.

 Drinking real juice drink can give you the necessary nutrients and vitamins, while there re juice drink which is not different from drinking a glass of sugared water.

Whether it is diet or regular soda, soda still has no nutritional value. Unfortunately, this unhealthy drink is the leading and most favorite beverage. There are studies showing soda related to obesity. Soda is known to be high in calories and sugar. Even diet soda shows no significant difference in sugar and calories. Both regular and diet sodas are associated to weight gain.

Drinking soda has also been related to tooth decay. It is still attributed to high consumption of sugars which is present in all soda drinks. Caffeine is also present in sodas. So children who drink too much soda can develop caffeine dependence.

 This may interfere with the development of the brain of children. Although, this is not yet proven, several medical researchers and health care professionals are expressing concern.

Unfortunately, there are more of unhealthy drinks than healthy drinks out there in the market. More and more people are forgetting to focus on healthy drinking. Yes, we try to be cautious with what we eat but we still neglect what we drink. Then definitely, we will be missing our healthy mark.

So if you would like to create your own drinks minus the sugar and calories, then definitely go ahead. There are health guides and magazines, even the internet, can help you concoct a savory but healthy drink without the risk factors.

Healthy Reasons To Drink Fruits Juice

In a very fast-paced and high-pressure world we seem to forget to eat healthy. And to make things quicker, it seems to be easier to put everything, vitamins and minerals in one gulp. 

Health drinks are proliferating in the market. But what is more economically efficient than making your own health drink?

If you are a person who finds it difficult to insert vegetables and fruits into your diet, then think of drinking fresh juices and vegetable juices. Freshly made juices are a great source vitamins, minerals, enzymes and co-enzymes.

 Enzymes serve as catalyst for the processes and chemical reactions that happen throughout your body. Enzymes are much needed when you digest, convert and absorb food into body tissue.

There are fruits and vegetables whose nutrients and vitamins are trapped in the fibers. These nutrients and vitamins get released after blending them. 

This make blended fruit and vegetable juices more nutritious compared to eating them whole. Also, drinking fruits and vegetables make it easier for the fibers and nutrients to get quickly into the bloodstream and system.

There are studies showing that drinking fruit and vegetable juices are best done every morning and evening. The juices drank in the morning and evening will get into the bloodstream within ten minutes after drinking it.

If you are interested in creating your own vegetable and fruit juice, here are some steps that can get you started in your healthy habit:

• Purchase a juice machine.

• Remember to juice vegetables and fruits when they are raw.

• Fruits that have small seeds like watermelon and pears can be juiced with their seeds. But papaya and apple seed need to be taken out before being juiced. Orange and grapefruit seeds can leave a bitter taste to the mouth, so you can take it out also.

• Fruits and vegetables which are not organically grown should be peeled. There may be chemical residues left on the skins of the fruits. While pineapple, kiwis, oranges, grapefruit and papaya skins should be removed even if they are organically grown.

• When choosing fruits and vegetables, make sure to pick out the fresh and ripe ones. Wilted, under-ripe, bruised fruits and vegetables are not good for you and does not taste good too.

• Follow the instructions in your juice machine. Make sure to cut the fruits and vegetables in pieces suitable for the juice machine. After juicing, remove the pulp right away. If you leave it, it would have sour smell and would have fruit flies within 8 to 10 hours after juicing.

• Drink your juices immediately. It is better to drink freshly made juice.

Do not be afraid to try out combinations. You can use different fruits in season to create a great tasting health drink, you can use bananas, mangoes and pineapple. Their tart and sweet flavor can be balanced with fruits like strawberries, kiwi fruit and oranges. 

When using vegetables, it is best to use dark leafy vegetables like spinach or beet tops. For added flavor, you can even add yoghurt and ice cubes for the chill. You can even add ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla extract to complete your healthy concoction.

Health juices as health drinks are not new. As early as 16th century, lime juice was used to save sailors against scurvy. But it seems like for a while, health benefits of fruits and vegetables have been forgotten and currently we are on the way to rediscover it.