Immune-system test may predict early death

June 4^th,2012 (health.com) A blood test that measures a marker of immune-system activity may help doctors identify people who are at risk of dying at an early age, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic measured levels of the immune-system molecules known as free light chains in 15,859 Minnesotans age 50 and up, and found that people whose levels were in the top 10% were four times more likely than the other study participants to die over the next 13 years.

Doctors commonly test for free light chains to diagnose and manage blood disorders and blood-related cancers, such as multiple myeloma or lymphoma. This study, which was published this week in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, is the first to link high levels of free light chains with earlier death in a group of people without any known blood disorders.

Normally, light chains bind with so-called heavy chains to form infection-fighting antibodies. The presence of unattached "free" light chains has long been recognized as a signal that the immune system has gone awry, either due to inflammation, infection, or both, says lead author Vincent Rajkumar, M.D., a hematologist at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota.

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Elevated free light chain levels have been observed in people with kidney dysfunction, and are also seen in autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Even after the researchers took into account the kidney function, age and gender of the participants, however, those with the highest free light chain levels were still twice as likely as their peers to die during the study.

Free light chain levels appeared to be equally effective at predicting death from many different causes, including cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes.

It's not clear from the findings why, exactly, free light chains are linked to a higher risk of early death. High levels could be a marker of inflammation, which is associated with heart disease and numerous other health problems. But it's also possible they're a sign of normal, age-related deterioration of the immune system, the study notes.

Health.com: The cholesterol-inflammation connection

And it's still unclear how this test might be useful in generally healthy people. For now, Rajkumar and his colleagues urge doctors not to use the test as a screening instrument, as that will simply serve to alarm patients.

On the other hand, Rajkumar says, if doctors order the test for a specific reason and it comes back high, they may want to use that information to test for additional problems that could then be treated.

"It might be telling you something you might be missing," he says.

Dr. Neil Blumberg, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, says he's skeptical that free light chain tests are more powerful than existing tests that measure immune-system function or markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein.

Health.com: Do you really need that medical test?

The study authors didn't compare the free light chain test with these other tests, Blumberg points out, and it "may not measure anything that we don't get with white cell count or C-reactive protein or 15 other tests which are cheaper and easier to do."

Besides, Blumberg says, if a person's test results were to come back sky-high, the advice for preventing an early death would likely be what patients hear from their doctors already. "We really don't need any more tests to tell us we ought to lose weight, exercise, [and] eat a less pro-inflammatory diet," he says.

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What are the stem cells?

Stem cells are cells found in most, if not all, multi-cellular organisms. They are characterized by the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types. Research in the stem cell field grew out of findings by Canadian scientists Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till in the 1960s.

The two broad types of mammalian stem cells are: embryonic stem cells that are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells that are found in adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.

Stem cells can now be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture. Highly plastic adult stem cells from a variety of sources, including umbilical cord blood and bone marrow, are routinely used in medical therapies. Embryonic cell lines and autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning have also been proposed as promising candidates for future therapies.

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Fast Foods Can Be Addictive

Scientist have previously proven links between drug addiction and fast-food addiction, but now there is a growing body of research that is finding out how junk food is hard wiring our brains for cravings.

The latest study, published March 28 in "Nature Neuroscience," likened the affects of high-fat, high-calorie fast food to those of cocaine or heroin, in animals at least.

The researchers showed that the pleasure-center in rats brains were overstimulated from the fast food similar to an addict's cocaine binge. Eventually, the pleasure centers became so overloaded that rats needed more and more food to feel normal, according to Paul H. Kenny, an associate professor of molecular therapeutics at the Scripps Research Institute.

Throughout the study, Kenny and his co-author studied three groups of lab rats for 40 days. The first group ate healthy food. The second ate a limited amount of junk food. The third group, however, was allowed to gorge on high-fat, high-calorie foods and became obese.

The startling side effect? The brains of the obese rats changed. "The body adapts remarkably well to change -- and that's the problem," Kenny said in a press release. "When the animal overstimulates its brain pleasure centers with highly palatable food, the systems adapt by decreasing their activity. However, now the animal requires constant stimulation from palatable food to avoid entering a persistent state of negative reward".

During the study, the rats lost complete control over the ability to regulate whether they were hungry, often eating despite electric shocks. When the obese rats were put on a healthy diet, they refused to eat, starving themselves for two weeks.

In another study, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City showed that feeding rats a diet high in saturated fat, calories and sugar -- which is the typical make-up for a fast-food menu item -- lowered the rats ability to respond to leptin, a hormone that helps regulate eating behavior by controlling how full one feels. As rats grew fatter, the amount of leptin in their bodies increased signaling that they were dangerously close to starvation. They continued to overeat and gain weight.

Those who yo-yo diet face similar problems that those going through withdrawal do, Boston University researchers proved last year. According to Pietro Cottone, an assistant professor in the Laboratory of Addictive Disorders at BU, dieters seek out foods to avoid the negative feelings that they experience if they are deprived of their favorite comfort foods.

"These findings confirm what we and many others have suspected," Kenny said, "that over-consumption of highly pleasurable food triggers addiction-like neuroadaptive responses in brain reward circuitries, driving the development of compulsive eating. Common mechanisms may therefore underlie obesity and drug addiction." 

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The Effects Of Information Technology in Our Daily Life

These days, the information technology industry is rapidly growing and changing. Along with the growth and change in information technology are the people who almost instantly adapt to change.

Computer technology has made our lives much easier and convenient. For example, our banking needs. Years ago, people had to manually archiving of important data of their customers, now you just use the computer to find this data. In just one click, instantly find the customer name, date of birth, address, email address, phone numbers and so on. As customers of these banks, which also can easily get a quick look at their account balances through logging into the bank's website, plus many people are able to borrow using the computer.

Due to the birth of computer technology, we now have credit cards or what others call plastic money, which are very useful especially when you have no cash on hand or when ordered a product over the Internet. It's amazing how computer technology has changed both the way we live. Today, buying products such as mobile phones, bags, household utensils and clothing, or even paying bills can be made effortlessly in the comfort of your own home.

With the computer use a lot of students, especially those with disabilities or serious illnesses can register unfortunate to different schools through home schooling. Students are still able to take their examination paper or check out their qualifications for use of the computer.

From my knowledge of computer technology has helped many businesses to better serve the community. But computers have not only helped us in the business industry but also has an effect on our communication systems. Long before the birth of computers, writing letters were the main source of communication, which would be a nuisance particularly to those who live in distant places, plus the phones are pretty expensive for most people prefer to write to their loved ones. And for that reason, people who are far from civilization really have difficulty communicating with others. Now we have email and live chat or even voice messages. Today we have video calls which would be able to see the person you're talking about. This would be great for people who have loved ones who are away from home. Contact with each other is now a piece of cake.

Computer technology has changed our lives for the better. Without him, we'd still be living in pre-historic times.

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5 Tips For Better Resume

Resume is the text providing details of your past history. It is the complete mirror reflection of the individual. It gives details of the candidate's educational credentials, professional background, skills, achievements and other relevant details. A resume is essential for a job seeker from every field. Hiring managers check the relevancy of the candidate depending on the details presented in the resume and short list the candidates for the interviews. The objective section in the resume is the first section of the resume after the contact details of the applicant. As it is the beginning, it should be presented effectively. 5 tips for writing the objective in a resume will help you frame your career objective effectively in your resume and get you highlighted.

The objective section in the resume is the most important section in terms of getting you short listed. It shows the employer your future aspirations and provides an answer to the question about what you can offer to the employer. It narrates how you can be beneficial in the company's growth and convinces the employer to hire you for the job. It provides an excellent start to your resume and holds the interest of the reader through the rest of your resume. It is not compulsory to include this section in every resume. It is required for entry-level candidates and the applicants that are changing their careers.

Providing a good start to your resume helps make an impact on the managers and get a positive response for the rest of the resume. Presenting your job objectives effectively in the resume will help achieve this purpose. The resume objective is generally written in two to three lines and states the future goals and skills that the candidate is seeking.

Tips to Write Job Objective Effectively in Resume:

·      Write the job objective within two to three lines. Do not exceed this limit as writing the job objective for more than three lines can divert the attention of the employer from the work experience and other important details in your resume. Long job objectives sound ineffective and do not attract employers.

·         Proof-check your objective and resume for simple grammatical and spelling mistakes. The resumes with spelling and grammar mistakes are immediately discarded by employers.

·         Using the keywords and phrases provided in the job advertisement of the job will help to catch the sight of hiring managers. The use of job relevant keywords will help you get short listed in the automatic database short listing systems.

·         Be specific in describing your future goals. Do not provide vague or unclear information. Give the clear details of your aspirations and the positions you seek in future.

·        The job objective varies with the position applied. Design your job objectives according to your career goals keeping in mind your applied position. It should be relevant to your job profile. Match your career goals with the current job profile you are applying for, in case you are changing your career.

The above mentioned 5 tips for writing an objective in a resume helps you know the importance of presenting a job objective in the resume and provides you with the basic information on what should be included in the job objective of resume.

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10 Things Men Hate About Women

1. She has a life- but it revolves around him!

Men can't stand a woman who doesn't continue to enjoy her own hobbies and take care of her own responsibilities while in a relationship. When he becomes her entire world, it puts too much pressure on him. He feels like he's responsible for her happiness and sense of being fulfilled, which isn't fair to either person.

2. She acts the wicked witch.

One of the biggest things men hate about women are the women who act rude, jealous, and bitchy towards other women. Criticizing other women's sense of style or fashion, among other things, is one of the top things men despise. Women who do this are unattractive and often do well at repelling men.

3. She can't fulfill herself.

When a woman doesn't love and care about herself enough to have a fulfilled life without a man in it, she becomes very clingy and needy when a new man does enter her life. It is important to know this one thing. You can't hope to have any man love you, if you don't love yourself first. It is impossible. Without self love and respect you can't and won't receive it from any boyfriends permanently. Men hate a woman who is clingy and needy all of the time.

4. He is her emotional support.

Tying into the above, men hate women who use him to lean on all the time. Yes, if something in your life goes wrong its okay to need someone for a little while. But on a regular basis your family and friends should be your 24/7 emotional support, not the boyfriend.

5. The compulsive shopper.

There is little men hate more about certain women than the ones who must shop all of the time. When they can only think, breathe, and do shopping, severe irritation begins to set in with the man in her life. To be a well rounded woman means to have a wide variety of active hobbies and responsibilities both.

6. She's too independent.

While independence is a quality men admire in a woman, taking it too far can cause more harm than good. Men need to be needed, to a point, to feel that they are a real part of your life. Men hate the overly independent woman because she accepts no compliments, acts indifferent, and makes no real space for a man in her life, even if there is a boyfriend in existence.

7. Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy.

Men hate women who are jealous and act crazy because of it. The girlfriend who asks, "Do you think that girl is pretty?" is certainly not appreciated for it. It puts the man in a very bad lose-lose situation. Women who become jealous of other women and act rude, cold, or distant towards them and others because of it are quite unattractive to men.

8. The High Maintenance Woman.

While at first this woman may be quite appealing by her dazzling looks and ultimate self confidence, all men will come to find this woman horrid. The high maintenance woman is not appreciated by men in the least. She is unable to act laid back, relaxed, and enjoy the company of other men and women without taking over the entire scene. She demands expensive gifts and pretty words in exchange for affection from her man, and seems fake and uncaring towards him.

9. The "femi-nazi".

If you look around you, you will find that nearly all men believe women are equals. In today's world, this is the norm. However, there are still a select few women known as "femi-nazis", women who love to bash men while calling it what it really isn't. Men love women who love men, in general. Women who take pride in themselves by belittling men and making generalizations about them are unattractive, rude, and not favored by men. Or most other women, for that matter.

10. The hysterical, emotional woman.

If there is one thing that men truly hate about women, its that many of them become emotional about absolutely everything. Be it a sappy movie, a broken nail, or the fact that they can't find their car keys, women go crazy over the little stuff often. No one is perfect, but a woman who is constantly in hysterics over every little problem or inconvenience will have no brownie points with the men she interacts with.

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10 Easy Ways to Get More Done

The New York Times recently ran an article about how email can make people less productive. However, misuse of email is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Here are 10 actions that you can take today that can make you at least twice as productive as your colleagues.

1. Avoid meetings that lack an agenda.

Meetings can only be productive if people know why they're meeting in the first place. An agenda provides focus and purpose. The lack of an agenda guarantees meandering conversations that dive into rat holes. They're a waste of your (and everyone else's) time.

2. Never pick up on an unknown caller.

Unless you're working in telesales or product support, there's no reason why you should ever take a call from somebody you don't know. After all, when was the last time you took an unexpected call that was truly important? Days? Weeks? Months?

3. Permanently turn off your voice mail.

A voice-mail message consumes minutes of your time (more if you have to replay) to communicate information you could absorb from an email in seconds. Explain in your outgoing message that you don't use voice mail, and instead provide your email address.

4. Hone your email program's sorting rules.

It takes time and energy to change gear to sort through (and respond to) a long list of disconnected messages. Most email programs allow you to route different types of messages into folders, where you can review and respond en masse rather than piecemeal.

5. Periodically disable email and texting.

When you must do creative work or absorb complex information, the last thing you need is your computer and phone chirping and beeping for your attention. Whatever it is, it can wait until you've finished the task at hand. Trust me.

6. Give social butterflies short shrift.

For some people, a day at work means an endless coffee klatch. They wander the halls searching for somebody, ostensibly to discuss business but really just to chat. Don't let these time leeches hobble your success. Just say no. If necessary, get rude.

7. Reward your body with high-quality fuel.

What you eat determines your energy level, and your energy level determines how much you can get accomplished. Sugary treats provide a quick energy boost but then create an even deeper dip. Heavy foods take energy to digest, leaving you with less to use.

8. Take a five-minute walking break every hour.

The human body is not designed to sit for hours at a stretch. Attempting to do so inevitably creates aches and pains that leech your energy as your body tries to compensate and heal them. So get up and move! Use a timer if you have to.

9. Make your decisions more quickly.

Most people waste an extraordinary amount of time obsessing about (and second-guessing) their decision making. However, you're always better off making a good-enough decision quickly than waiting for an imaginary best decision.

10. Completely disconnect for 12 hours every day.

If you stop pretending to be productive when you're eating and sleeping, you'll be far more productive when you're actually working. Being always available is an unfailing recipe for stress, illness, and bad decision making. Give it rest.

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Is homework really necessary?

By Charyn Pfeuffer

Studies have shown that too much homework isn't beneficial to students, but many researchers think some amount of take-home work is valuable.

Lynn Stoddard’s years as a teacher and administrator in northern Utah schools produced a few opinions on the educational system. Among them, homework isn’t needed, at least from a traditional standpoint.

"It's such a strong myth in our society that teacher-assigned homework is good for kids," Stoddard was quoted. 

He debates that take-home work is detrimental for a few reasons: 
•         It is an excessive burden on parents. 
•         It interferes with family activities. 
•         It puts much stress on many students. 
•         It makes less time for other beneficial interests. 
•         It gives children an aversion to learning.

When it comes to homework, Stoddard says kids tend to learn what’s necessary to pass a test and then ditch the information as soon as it’s no longer needed.

Instead, Stoddard said children should have self-chosen home study.

"If you can get a child curious about something, you can't stop them from reading about it," he was quoted. “It’s time to look at individual children, instead of a standardized public system we have now.”

But a review by researchers at Duke University of more than 60 research studies on homework between 1987 and 2003 showed that, within limits, there is a positive interaction between the amount of homework which is done and student achievement. The research supports the ‘10-minute rule,’ the widely accepted practice of assigning 10 minutes of homework per day per grade-level.

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Eye Drop Danger

By Kristen Danielso

The FDA recently issued an alert pertaining to over-the-counter eye drops and nasal decongestants. The alert is a warning that accidental ingestion of some ingredients in these products by young children can cause serious and potentially life-threatening consequences.

A real danger that's hidden

The reason why this warning is so important is this: Ingestion of as little as 1 milliliter to 2 milliliters of these medicines (less than 1/2 of a teaspoon!) can cause serious symptoms.

Plus, these products are readily available in grocery and drug stores, and they frequently do not have child-proof caps, making them easily opened if found by children. Keep them locked up or up high. (I’ve frequently carried them in my purse, which my kids love to explore!) The active ingredients found by the FDA to be dangerous to children under age 5 years are tetrahydrozoline, oxymetazoline, andnaphazoline.

Hospitalizations

No deaths have been reported but hospitalization was required with some children. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, lethargy, changes in heart rate—either too slow or too fast—changes in blood pressure, decreased breathing, stupor, hypothermia, drooling, and coma.

And, as I noted above, these medicines, which of course seem perfectly harmless to adults, can seriously endanger young children in doses of as little as 1/2 teaspoon.

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Gifts for the girl who has everything

By Leslie Baumann

When it comes to gift giving, it’s the thought that counts, right? Sure, we believe that, too, but who wouldn’t want an extravagant, over-the-top present? (I would.) While compiling my own holiday wish list, I came across these amazing beauty-minded gifts that are perfect for the woman who has it all—or for any gal that’s been extra-nice this year.

Tweezerman Luxe Edition Crystal Vanity Stand Mirror 

Perfect for the girly-girl who loves bling, this vanity mirror is sure to put a smile on her face. One side is a regular mirror and the other has 10x magnification, making ideal for makeup application and tweezing (but not picking, please!). And the Swarovski Elements lend unparalleled glitz and glamour.

La Prairie Limited Edition Skin Caviar Cristal

To me, La Prairie products are a wonderful indulgence (though not a necessity for beautiful skin) and this holiday season the Swiss company has taken luxury to a whole new level. For a limited time, you can get a super-sized Skin Caviar Luxe Cream in a reusable Swarovski crystal-encrusted case—if your budget allows for $1,100.

Make Up For Ever Beauty Box

Ideal for anyone who’s ever wanted to be a makeup artist (or any lady who simply loves makeup) this toolbox-turned-vanity is sure to please. Complete with lights, electrical outlets and removable legs and wheels, this dream toolbox is also packed with 38 of makeup artist Dany Sanz’s favorite Make Up For Ever products. (Swoon.)

Tom Ford Beauty Nail Set

Tom Ford is synonymous with luxury, and while the price points for his clothing and accessories may be out of reach for most, his makeup collection is relatively within reach. This $480 set includes all 16 shades of Ford’s nail lacquer “wardrobe” and comes in an uber-chic box. (There’s also a 4-piece polish collection for a more reasonable $120.)

Sedu ICON Prive Hair Dryer

Every girl wants to speed up her hair-drying time, and this technologically advanced blowdryer produces a wind speed of 93 miles per hour to get the job done fast. It also has 18 temperature, speed, and ion combinations for a customized styling experience—and it weighs in at just slightly over one pound.

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Habits That Contribute To Stress

Leading a healthy life entails eliminating stressfrom one’s life. Whilst this may not entirely be possible, there certainly are some habits that can be avoided, to ensure the levels of stress are greatly reduced from your life. Read on to know 10 of these:

1. Lack of Sleep

Sleep is a basic requirement of the human body. Whilst not everyone may be blessed with eight hours of sleep daily, lack of proper or a few required hours of sleep every day may lead to grogginess and the inability to stay calm and focused. This circumstance, in turn, results in added stress.

2. Irregular Meals

Skipping meals or not eating them on time leads to crankiness and shortness of temper. This may also reduce the ability of the brain to think rationally. The result is a stressed individual.

3. Long Hours at Work

Working long hours keeps you engrossed in your job. While this may be a good thing in some ways, an overload of work leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety.

4. Lack of Care for Your Body

Adequate care of your body, personal hygiene and overall personality are essential in leading a more healthy life. The lack of these will cause discomfort to you as well as those around you.

5. Not Communicating with Friends

Talking to friends and hanging out with them once in a while is a great stress-buster. If you are missing out on this, you certainly need to change your lifestyle a bit.

6. Short Temper

Do you lose your temper at the drop of a hat? Do you get angry with your friends and family very easily? Then, you definitely take on a lot of stress as well! Work on your temper to get less tensed!

7. Not Getting Along with Family

Trouble brewing amongst family members is the worst known cause of stress within that family. A family that is happy and living together in harmony is free of stress as it copes with troubles together.

8. Not Exercising

Exercise is the lifeline of a healthy mind and body. The lack of it causes all sorts of problems – mental and physical. A body that lacks physical exercise is bound to be mentally disturbed, as the energy has no release and a huge feel-good factor is missing.

9. Zero Meditation

With the help of meditation, the mind can stay focused and channel its energies on positive and productive thoughts. To ensure a less stressed life, inculcate the habit of meditating, even though for a few minutes, daily.

10. No Time for Self

To be too immersed in work or the lives of others can also be very stressful. You need to develop the habit of giving yourself some time every day or at least once or twice a week and unwinding.

To lead a stress-free life is not the privilege only of the saints and sadhus. You can do so too. Just get rid of the above habits and watch the magic!

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Why your muffin top might be killing you

People who carry weight around their stomachs are at more risk of heart disease, high bloody pressure and cancer.

Unlike people that carry weight on their thighs or bum, the proximity of a spare tyre to the body's vital organs can do a lot of damage.

Known on the street as love handles, jelly belly, or muffin top – excess abdominal fat on the outside is an indicator of too much visceral fat sitting on the inside.

Visceral fat isn't all bad. Everyone has it and it provides necessary cushioning to your organs, but it's when there is too much it becomes a problem.

Fat collects inside on your omentum (a fatty structure which hangs off the middle of the colon and drapes over the intestines inside the abdomen) which then distributes it around the body via the liver to the arteries.

This can then contribute towards having high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and it affects blood sugar levels.

Belly fat has also been linked to various illnesses including diabetes, dementia and cancers including uterine, colon, pancreatic, breast, kidney and ovarian cancer.

This makes weight carried by apple shapes more harmful than the subcutaneous fat that sits on the thighs of a pear shape as subcutaneous fat doesn't feed the body's organs.

Skinny people can have too much visceral fat too as it mainly loves people that are inactive – so if you are thin but control your weight through diet alone, you may be at risk.

Research has found that normal-weight people who have what is called central obesity have an almost three times greater risk of dying from heart disease and two times greater risk of dying from any cause than those with a normal waist-to-hip ratio.

How to lose belly fat

There is no easy miracle cure or magic tablet. It takes work.

The good news is that when you go on any form of diet, the belly fat is usually the first to disappear. Try moderating portion sizes and measure the amount of fat and calories you are taking on with a handy app like My Fitness Pal.

Exercise will trim the fat. Vigorously exercise regularly (half an hour, four times a week) to shift the weight you have and then moderately exercise (30 minutes, three times a week) to keep it off.

Make sure you are also getting seven hours sleep a night and keeping your stress levels down as being tired and anxious can contribute to weight gain. 

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6 Steps To Winter-Proof Your Skin

The grey and white season of winter isn’t simply dull for many outdoor lovers; it could be pretty harmful to your skin as well. Don’t let the biting chill play spoiler and ruin your skin. Follow this step-by-step guide to take care this winter.

Step 1

Face Wash

Who says face washes are only for women? Men can suffer dry and dirty skin too! Avoid using the bar of soap you use on your body, and get yourself a face wash to suit your skin type. Wash your face twice – once in the morning, and once at night before sleeping.

Step 2

Exfoliation of Facial Skin

Get hold of a good face scrub and exfoliate your skin at least 2 or 3 times in a week. Gently rub the scrub all over your face and neck, and rinse clean. The dead and dry cells will get eliminated.

Step 3

Moisturize

Washing and scrubbing the face not only cleanses it of dirt hidden in the pores, but also robs the skin of its natural moisture. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to use a moisturizer on your face after washing it. Use an aloe vera based moisturizer. Aloe Vera has healing properties too, so it keeps the skin radiant and feeling healthy too!

Step 4

Drink Water

This step should actually say – drink plenty of water. The harshness and dryness of winter sucks the moisture out of your skin, and it becomes necessary to humidify the skin regularly. If you use heaters or blowers, keep a bowl of water next to it, so that the skin does not get totally parched. Also, avoid jumping from one extreme temperature condition to another, as your immunity to the temperature change will reduce and the sensitivity of your skin will increase.

Step 5

Lip Care

With the face and neck protected from the dryness, why leave the lips out? No, you do not need to make them appear rosy to frighten the ladies or give them the wrong idea! But you can certainly keep with you a good lip balm, which shall help you keep dry lips from cracking, feeling bitten and looking like a blade cut through them!

Step 6

Body Lotion

With the dryness comes a tearing sensation all over your body as well. Do not let it get that bad. Make sure you buy a good body lotion that you use after a shower every day. The lost moisture needs to be retained and the skin revitalized with the smoothness of a good lotion. Just make sure you do not land up picking up a very feminine smell like lavender, rose or lilac!

Skin care is essential for all, especially in winter. Cracked, ripped and frost-bitten skin neither feels good, nor looks good. So, follow the steps above ad take care!

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Do not eat too close to your run

Do not eat too close to your run

Naturally, us runners are obsessed with time. So when it comes to eating, keeping an eye on the clock shouldn’t be too hard for you to master. Ideally you should not eat anything for two hours before you run. If you do eat this close to your run you may end up giving yourself cramp or nausea. If you run after work or in the evenings then not eating during this period should be fine.

However, a problem arises if you like to run in the mornings. If you are one of those early morning runners then the best solution for you is to postpone breakfast and instead fuel up using a protein shake. Remember though, after your run you need to refuel and eat your breakfast.

Do not perform a static warm-up before your run

Hopefully you don’t completely skip a warm-up before your run because, as you know, not warming-up means that you are not as flexible, that you may feel sore after your run and you may not recover from your run as quickly as if you had warmed up. However, if you do warm up make sure you are not doing a static warm-up. Prior to running you should instead do a dynamic warm-up.

This means doing exercises like lunges, arm swings, leg swings, ankle bounces and some gentle jogging. Doing a dynamic warm-up using some of these exercises will help to improve your run because a dynamic warm-up reduces muscle friction and in turn this can help you to pick up speed when you first start to run. You never know, this dynamic warm-up might help you to get that PB you’ve been chasing.

Do not eat a salad before your run

Obviously salads and veg are a good option if you want to fuel your body healthily or if you are trying to trim down. However, eating veg and salads that contain high-fiber foods, such as broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage can cause you some difficulties when running. This is because these high-fiber vegetables are difficult to digest and during your run you might find that these foods are causing you some serious discomfort.

Also, although healthy, a salad made up purely of vegetables does not contain the carbohydrates you need to fuel your run.

Do not drink too close to your run

As you know, drinking is important and the last thing we want to do is to tell you not to keep hydrated. Yet if you’re going on a long run, say eight miles plus, then it can be wise to drink a pint of water an hour before your run and then stop drinking. Not drinking too close to your run will help you because it means you won’t need to stop to go to the toilet.

To make sure you stay hydrated, drink small amounts regularly throughout the day. When at work make sure you always have a glass of water in front of you, or if you are out and about carry a bottle of water. If you want to know if you are hydrated or not you should look at your pee when you go to the toilet. If it is clear in color then chances are you are not dehydrated.

Do not drink orange juice before your run

Although keeping hydrated is a good thing to do before your run, consuming drinks that contain lots of sugar such as juices, fizzy drinks or gels will cause you issues when running. Some people use these drinks to give themselves an energy boost, yet sugary drinks will cause your energy to dip.

As well as energy dips, sugary drinks can also cause you to have acid reflux, which can be painful and will most likely disturb your run. Citrus drinks that are high in sugar are the most likely to cause you this discomfort.

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The dos and don'ts of getting started in diving

Do progress gradually

Do not, we repeat, do not boldly climb the springboard ladder at your local pool in the mild hope that you’re going to be a natural at diving. Although diving can be an extremely safe sport, there are dangers, and if you are new to diving you will need to train in order to prepare for the moment when you first use the springboard.

If you are a complete diving novice, start simply by doing a sitting dive. To do this, sit on the edge of the pool with your feet resting on either the swimming pool trough or the rail. Put your arms into the diving position and, with your head between your arms, raise your hips before launching yourself into the water. Once you feel confident and comfortable with your technique, progress to the kneeling dive, then the crouch dive and finally finish by working on your standing dive.

Do use dry land diving equipment

Hands up if you knew that divers used trampolines to perfect their techniques and trial out new moves? Nope, not many people do. Dry land equipment is the name given to lots of different diving equipment that helps divers to improve their technique safely. For example, you can practice turns on a stretching mat, or sequences on a trampoline. Other dry land equipment includes a dry land diving board, spotting equipment and video recorders.

Dry land equipment does not just help you to perfect your diving technique, dry land equipment can also help you to avoid injury, boost your diving confidence and help you to be creative with your moves. It is well worth ringing diving clubs or your local pools or buying some basic equipment if want to progress safely as a diver.

Do streamline

If you’re like most people the biggest fear you’ll have about diving is hitting the water and stinging your skin with a huge belly flop. To avoid this embarrassing and painful diving error you need to make sure you are streamlined when you dive off of the springboard. To make sure you are streamlined ensure your hands enter the water first and extend your legs behind you.

If you struggle to do this then you need to work on your balance and your strength doing specific diving exercises.

Don’t stop practicing the fundamentals

Once you have grasped how to perform the fundamentals of diving, such as the board work and takeoffs, do not stop practicing. As with most things in life there is always room for improvement and if you want to dive safely and avoid injury you will need to continually go over these skills and moves. This is because some of the more serious diving injuries are caused by bad takeoffs and practicing these techniques will help you to prevent this error.

Although you might not think hitting the board would hurt that much, you can break bones, get concussion or split your skin. None of these injuries sound particularly fun, so make sure you practice.

Don’t skip the gym

Other than the obvious danger of falling from a distance into a pool of water, diving poses other injury threats. For example, diving repeatedly uses the wrists, the back and the neck. The impact these body parts endure when you begin to dive regularly can result in a repetitive injury which can be very limiting and painful.

To make sure your foray into diving isn’t short-lived hit the gym. Here you should build strength in your shoulders using weight machines, such as the chest fly machine, or using free weights. Wrist guards can also help ease the strain on your wrists and can be worn when you are diving or practicing. Although not as strenuous, stretching is also beneficial to your diving and it will help you to avoid neck injuries.

Read More

The dos and don'ts of getting started in diving

Do progress gradually

Do not, we repeat, do not boldly climb the springboard ladder at your local pool in the mild hope that you’re going to be a natural at diving. Although diving can be an extremely safe sport, there are dangers, and if you are new to diving you will need to train in order to prepare for the moment when you first use the springboard.

If you are a complete diving novice, start simply by doing a sitting dive. To do this, sit on the edge of the pool with your feet resting on either the swimming pool trough or the rail. Put your arms into the diving position and, with your head between your arms, raise your hips before launching yourself into the water. Once you feel confident and comfortable with your technique, progress to the kneeling dive, then the crouch dive and finally finish by working on your standing dive.

Do use dry land diving equipment

Hands up if you knew that divers used trampolines to perfect their techniques and trial out new moves? Nope, not many people do. Dry land equipment is the name given to lots of different diving equipment that helps divers to improve their technique safely. For example, you can practice turns on a stretching mat, or sequences on a trampoline. Other dry land equipment includes a dry land diving board, spotting equipment and video recorders.

Dry land equipment does not just help you to perfect your diving technique, dry land equipment can also help you to avoid injury, boost your diving confidence and help you to be creative with your moves. It is well worth ringing diving clubs or your local pools or buying some basic equipment if want to progress safely as a diver.

Do streamline

If you’re like most people the biggest fear you’ll have about diving is hitting the water and stinging your skin with a huge belly flop. To avoid this embarrassing and painful diving error you need to make sure you are streamlined when you dive off of the springboard. To make sure you are streamlined ensure your hands enter the water first and extend your legs behind you.

If you struggle to do this then you need to work on your balance and your strength doing specific diving exercises.

Don’t stop practicing the fundamentals

Once you have grasped how to perform the fundamentals of diving, such as the board work and takeoffs, do not stop practicing. As with most things in life there is always room for improvement and if you want to dive safely and avoid injury you will need to continually go over these skills and moves. This is because some of the more serious diving injuries are caused by bad takeoffs and practicing these techniques will help you to prevent this error.

Although you might not think hitting the board would hurt that much, you can break bones, get concussion or split your skin. None of these injuries sound particularly fun, so make sure you practice.

Don’t skip the gym

Other than the obvious danger of falling from a distance into a pool of water, diving poses other injury threats. For example, diving repeatedly uses the wrists, the back and the neck. The impact these body parts endure when you begin to dive regularly can result in a repetitive injury which can be very limiting and painful.

To make sure your foray into diving isn’t short-lived hit the gym. Here you should build strength in your shoulders using weight machines, such as the chest fly machine, or using free weights. Wrist guards can also help ease the strain on your wrists and can be worn when you are diving or practicing. Although not as strenuous, stretching is also beneficial to your diving and it will help you to avoid neck injuries.

Read More