Do Yoga And Get Beautiful And Healthy Skin

Yoga for beauty can help you to look young and beautiful well into old age. Face is the index of mind, good texture of skin and health of your hairs are an indication of your physical and mental health.

I have come across many people who have a glow on their face with years of regular yoga practice. But this is not possible in a few days by doing some selective asanas. You need to be disciplined in your diet, regular yoga practice, follow yama and niyama yoga ethics and keep balance between your outward personality and your true self.

You have to avoid excesses of all kinds. A person with disciplined life and regular yoga practice will look beautiful form outside as well outside and treats you with a refreshing smile always.

Yoga helps you to attain your ideal body weight and gives you a proportionate body by removing excess weight from all body organs. It helps to improve flexibility and maintain correct posture for young looks.

Detoxifying your body is most essential for beauty. Yoga improves blood circulation and helps to remove toxins from the body. Detoxification of alimentary canal through yogic kriyas helps optimum absorption of nutrients in your food. Yoga practice helps to provide nutrition at the cellular level. All the internal organs and particularly the endocrine glands get activated and their functioning is optimised.

Yoga practice helps to reduce the stress levels considerably and provides complete relaxation. Yoga asanas and pranayama makes you free from disease by strengthening the immune system. Healthy body means healthy skin.

Yoga practice can specially benefit women to retain their natural beauty while coping up with menstrual problems, child birth, work and home stress etc. Most of the film personalities around the world practice yoga for years to retain their beauty and youthfulness. Yoga helps women to stay slim and active. So, ideally start your day with yoga practice.

Learn more about yoga at www.facebook.com/learnyoga

Smile and be Beautiful

People smile for a lot of reason. Some of them maybe smiling because of a positive event in their lives or a simple gesture to return the favor to someone who just gave it to them. But whatever the purpose is their are actually three kind of smile in which you could actually project to be deemed beautiful and picturesque at the same time. I have the enumerated the famous one's and these smiles are not really categorized according to gender but to the loveliness you would illuminate for yourself if you could show them sincerely and of course with a complete set of teeth and smooth lips.

Smile # 1 Monalisa


Of course her smile is the most classic and timeless of all and some people even think that she is not actually smiling but grimacing from pain. But regardless on what she is actually feeling, if you could project this smile so simple yet beautiful its better to do it all the time to save you the wrinkles from frowning.

Smile # 2 Beauty Queen Smile


Now this is the smile we usually see on yearbooks . Its a smile that shows confidence with eyes that flash with sincerity. The aura of positivity and brightness is present. If you want a smile that draws attention then you must learn to practice this.

Smile # 3 Cheerleader Smile

Now this smile is trying to say that you are vibrant and brimming with life. It also inspire confidence like the beauty queen smile but its a bit more candid than the second one. For those moments you feel like smiling and you want to show the world that you know what funny really means this is the way to show it.

Of course we dont want to inspire stereotypes on how people should smile but these types of smiles are the popular picks. You could just pick any of the smile and project it depending on your mood. But if you have a signature smile that launch a thousand ship already then by all means practice. After all these three kind's of smiles that I just pointed out could be an additional arsenal for your bag of tricks for beauty. Just remember to keep your pearly whites shiny and those puckers soft and moist to boot. :)

To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar

While I was scanning my favorite cd rack I came across this old funny movie called “To Wong Foo, thanks for everything Julie Newmar. This comedy is the story of three Drag Queens namely Vida Boheme, Noxeema Jackson, and Chichi Rodriguez. Their story started when Vida and Noxeema win the Drag Queen title in New York and decided to take a young prodigy Chichi who was down and out of her luck to the Drag Queen of America Pageant. All sort of misadventures and Glamour was encountered by the trio as they start their cross country tour to Lala Land California where the contest would be held.

Then it cross my mind and wonder why do this Drag Queens although eccentric and beautiful at the same time get to attract peoples attention. What are their fine attributes that make them click which maybe useful in achieving beauty.

As we know it Drag Queens put lavish make up and clothings with statement for the purpose of entertaining people through satirical expression of culture that trend towards glamor and extravagant fashion and make up. With the obvious intention also to flaunt its hard not to get notice by the public and be viewed as beautiful. But the movie about Drag Queens teach us lessons which I believed will make a person really beautiful inside out . The following are the enumeration and my personal interpretation of what they mean.

Lesson #1 LET GOOD THOUGHTS BE YOUR SWORD AND SHIELD

In the movie Vida and Noxeema teach their prodigy Chichi to think good thoughts while she recite a prayer for help in achieving real beauty. In reality and true enough to my observation most beautiful people I know who has a claim to fame for being a bitch or an a**hole don’t look beautiful in the long run when you get to know them. Beauty is good but we need also the right attitude to handle it. No amount of make up can cover up for a bad reputation. So I say beauty is good to boot with a beautiful mind.

Lesson #2 IGNORE ADVERSITY

In the movie Vida and Noxeema try to stop Chichi from entering a hotel from fear of prejudice, which in the later part of the movie makes Vida commend Chichi for being bold and smart in handling the situation. In applying Lesson #2, for me I think Ignoring Adversity is more on not comparing yourself with people who look better than you or who think less of you. Of course these people will tend to dampen your spirit which is not very good to begin any endeavor of changing yourself. Beauty is different for every individual and as they say it “Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder”. So if you want to feel beautiful you have to feel good about yourself and if find yourself comparing it to others think of beauty as Diamonds. For like Diamonds , no two Diamonds are alike.

Lesson #3 ABIDE BY THE RULES OF LOVE

In the movie Chichi was commended by his mentors for letting go of his Country Boy love Bobby Ray to give way for a girl Bobby Lee. She did it because she don’t want to mislead Bobby Ray who believes he is a girl. I have to say that Chichi did it to feel good about herself by being selfless and unselfish. You wont feel beautiful at all if you mislead somebody or cheat someone intentionally. Think about the constant conscience encounter. If you don’t feel good about yourself , you cant begin to beautiful. In relation to lesson number #1 true beauty is made from inside and out.

Lesson #4 LARGER THAN LIFE IS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE

In the end of the movie Chichi was crowned as the Drag Queen of America from the numerous tips that Vida and Noxeema gave her on their way to Hollywood. A lot of people do do take care of themselves in terms of clothings and hygiene. But lesson #4 is telling us to be a little different from the regulars or try not to be like the rest of the flock. Every body else seems to follow a certain fashion or beauty trend. Why not try taking your beauty to the next level or try to deviate a little from the norm so you could stand out from the rest by putting a little extra. If every body else wears a red bangle why not wear a red bangle mixed with other colors that way you will be a tod different. For guys if you notice there are very few men out their with big guns so why not pump up your arms and feel the difference.

How to know if you are Lacking Sleep

One of the things that you must do regularly to be beautiful is having enough sleep during the night. Enough sleep does not mean you are getting it only through quantity but also the quality of that slumber count.

I for one believe that I was getting enough sleep because usually make up for the lost sleep I have on some days I over work. Until I felt sometimes I easily get sick and my eyes diminish in luster. I asked my doctor friend how to determne if I was actually lacking sleep. He said I could identify the shortage through the following signs.

1. You actually need an alarm clock to wake up on the correct time.

2. Its hard to pull you out of bed in the morning.

3. You repeatedly hit the snooze button of the alarm clock to get more sleep.

4. You constantly feel tired, irate, and stressed during weekdays

5. Its hard to concentrate and remember things

6. Having a hard time being creative, analyze things, and solve problems

7. Falling asleep while watching the tube

8. Falling asleep while in meetings, lectures, or in a warm room.

9. Feeling asleep after meals or after gulping a small amount of alcohol

10. Actually falling asleep after dinner

11. You doze off five minutes after hitting bed

12. Drowsy when driving

13. Sleeping extra hours on weekends

14. Needing naps during the day

15. Having dark circles around the eyes like a racoon.

The doctor told me if I am experiencing at least 3 of this symptoms I actually lack proper rest and sleep. He said that I must rest completely and never neglect that. If you compromise this very important thing it might affect not only your beauty for having dull skin and tired eyes but your general health. Sleep is the only way your body recuperate from all the stress it encountered during the day. Some disease are actually incurred for having lack of rest.

So from now on I will use the checklist above to see if I need a dose of ZZZZZSSSSS and improve my beauty and overall health altogether.

Sporting a Flat Stomach by Equalizing Body Mass

One of the body part that I have trouble eliminating is my gut. Their are a lot of techniques on how to make it small in the shortest time possible from diet to some sort of creams that would make you perspire or spike your metabolism to increase your burn rate. The solutions are many and sometimes I could hardly implement all of them in my routine.

My gym instructor told me that their are actually exercises that could help and minimize the appearance of your beer belly but it would require to target specific body part for maximum result .

He specifically told me that the main problem why our stomach stand out compared to our other body part is that it require no effort to maintain its volume and we dont exert effort to even out the imbalance. One sure fire way to make it less prominent is make our shoulder and back more voluminous.

Shoulder and back are the muscle group closest to the gut and if they are miniscule in size all the more our bodies would look like walking pear's. The best way to create an illussion of a coke bottle figure even if our tummy is big is to increase the mass of both shoulders and back so to create a balance in their appearance making the tummy less obvious.

Another body part that my gym instructor advice to improve is my hamstring. These specific muscle support our body when we are standing. If they are weak we tend to slump thus in effect give the chance for our love handles or tummy to protrude. If we strengthen these muscles to support our overweight midsection we will lessen the chance for it to sag.

It would be silly of course if you just have your back, shoulders, and hamstrings improve while your other body parts look punny. These muscle improvement is advisable if you want to minimize the appearance of your tummy as soon as possible when your method is exercise. Over the course of time when you achieve the look you must target other body parts for growth like your arms and exercise that actually minimize the stomach. It would help of course to incorporate the tummy exercises while having these back, shoulder, and hamstring exercise for maximum effect.

The best way to get the most effective exercises for back, shoulder and hamstring is to ask your gym instructor for a program that would improve first those body parts while your other muscles grow at a close pace.

The Beauty of Juicing

"Bottoms up." This is my catch phrase before during my high school times when I frequently juice my veggies and my fruits so I could extract most of the nutrients. I have these big white juicer that I bought. I tried to juice all sorts of fruits and vegetables and I drink them individually.

I heard that Juicing help me get the most of the nutrients I want because minus the fiber the juice contains all the nutrient and it is easily absorbed by my system. It is also a good way to compliment a healthy diet and it will eliminate the tedious munching. A one day detox of fruits of vegetables guarantees health benefits like smooth skin and a boost in your immune system over long term practice. You just have to plan it for a day and make sure you are not doing anything tiring.

The only downside is when you are juicing these vegetables most of them dont taste good thats why children hate them on their plate. I tried drinking bittergourd (ampalaya) and white radish. The bittergourd is known to cure a lot of ailment including diabetes, it felt like after I gulped the first sip it numbed my tounge of taste because it is so bitter. Although its the case I simply drink it since I know it would be good for my over all health.

The real challenge though is drinking the white radish vegetable. They said that drinking it would eliminate most bacteria including worms in your system. Though that alone sounds encouraging, when I drink the glass it felt like I gulped down a bottle of muriatic acid. Their are times I actually spit the juice because of the taste. It felt like I am drinking a polyjuice potion in the book Harry Potter where Hermione actually dropped the bottle containing the potion due to the disgusting taste.

The only solution I come up with is mixing it with fruits. Yes it is possible that you can mix both vegetable and fruits to counteract that yucky taste of vegetables. Vegetables are more dense with nutrients compared to fruits, but on the brighter side fruits are more tarty and palatable compared to vegetables.

To sum it up to benefit mostly from juicing and if you would want to gain the most benefits in juicing, try to combine delicious fruits with gruesome tasting vegetables. This way you could have the best of both worlds with fruits and veggies, and get that beauty with no hassle from juicing like shiny hair, sparkling eyes, and so on so fort.

How to feel Happy and look Beautiful at the same time (Part 2)

Here is the second installment of these blog about how to be feel Happy and Look Beautiful at the same time. The following are the second part of the list I enumerated on activities and lifestyle at triggers Happiness and Beauty.

6. Lot of Sleep - Sleep is one of the things in life that is free yet it is a luxury for some. Lack of it do make us irritable and creates mood swings. According to some psychologist and therapist beside the fact it makes us tired it lessen the smile factor in our face. The best amount of sleep at least is six hours a night. If we get to be rested enough the lesser the chances we feel bad and our mind is clarified enabling us to feel good. Lots of sleep also brings benefit like better skin and better body function that in turn contributes to overall wellness and beauty.

7. Moderate alcohol consumption - These activity is a no brainer for everybody. We all know that over consumption of alcohol adversely affects our mood for a number of days due to hangovers. Beside the fact its bad for the kidneys and distorts our brain funtion these side effects brings down our smile-o-meter a lot because of the heavy effects. Too much alcohol also dehydrates our skin due to water loss. Alcohol initially works as a stimulant at first but ends up as a depressant after too much consumption.

8. Take L-Tyrosine - Base on a study by the U.S. Army the best benefit of consuming it is it lessens depression and wards of stress. A chemical reaction that a have a good side effect to our hormones. These amino acid is abundant in most poultry like chicken and turkey. Poultry as we know it is low in fat as a protein source which is good in maintaining a svelt figure to look good.

9. Dressing Sexy - On studies made by famous researchers M Lewinsohn and M. Graf, the idea of being perceived as sexy or beautiful by others makes us feel good and positive all day long. So by all means make yourself look good and even sexy. Wear somethig that flatters you and put a bit more effort to enhance those looks. The study also points out to give back a compliment when you saw somebody with the same aura and it adds to your smile-o-meter when you make somebody feel good as well. Confidence in yourself is a big source of happiness together with beauty.

These is the complete list of activities that makes you Happy and look Beautiful at the same time. I hope you implement most of them. Did you know that Most people who are happy most of the time tends to age Slower compared to their friends who frowns a lot. All the more reason not to frown ehehehe and have a positive perspective about everything..

Source : Better than Chocolate by Siimon Reynolds

How to feel Happy and look Beautiful at the same time (Part 1)

There are many ways a person could feel happy about his life. Usually happiness is a state of mind but their are a lot of techniques on how a person could be really happy about himself. Some people find happiness in achieving life goals, relationship, new property and the list goes on.

But dont you know that certain activities that you do to make you beautiful actually makes you happy at the same time. Though it happens by accident or for some unknown reason this activities will really help put a smile on your face. As we know it people who smile a lot looks much younger than people who grudge 24/7. ehehehhe. The following are the list of things that could make you happy and beautiful at the same time.

1. Exercise - The work out that we indulge release the tension and stress we feel. Also the biochemistry of our body produce feel good or happy hormones known as endorphins which in turn makes us high during the work out. The benefit of having better skin, losing fat, better muscle tone as an added effect to exercising will really boost our self esteem which in turn would put an inch to our smile.

2. Low insulin diet - usually we consume a lot of white foods like flour, rice, pasta, and a lot of sugar that yoyo's our sugar level which in turn contributes greatly to our mood swings. A diet known as the Zone diet helps stabilize our sugar level and mood by teaching us to eat fruit every four hours and to incorporate vegetable with every serving of meat and fish that we eat. The result is proper weight loss and significant increase in energy level which in turn contributes to happiness.

3. Discipline - As we know it over indulgence to a lot of stuff like vices (e.g. smoking, drinking, eating, sex) is very taxing on our health. It degenerates the state of our mind, body, and soul. Practicing control over those habits that you over indulge will help you feel better. Control over our habits in a way contributes to happiness which in turns out to be a source of accomplishment. Too much vices also ruins our health that ruins our beauty altogether

4. More Fish more Fun - According to Andrew Stoll from Harvard Medical School a diet high in omega 3 coming from fishes reduces depression. This diet have been study and proves to be effective. The big reason I can come up is fish is low fat and doesnt contribute much fat. Fat in bad form when added to our body ruins our mood especially when its dangling as a love handle on our midsection.

5. Yoga & Tai Chi - this two major form of stretching exercise bank on the theory that our body have this meridians which are rivers of energy that flow in our body. If that flow get slackened it dampens our mood which in turn make us feel bad. Indulging in this two major exercise contributes in releasing or maintaining the good flow of meridians in our body. But if its not possible 10 to 20 minutes stretching activity a day will suffice to get those meridians to circulate and put a smile in our face. Regular stretching however also add to flexibility of our body during exercise that prevents injury.

These are just some of the things that you can do to be Happy and Beautiful. Watch out for the part 2 for the complete list. For the mean time stay Beautiful and be Happy :p ehehehe

Source : BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE (by Siimon Reynolds)

How to improve your looks even if your not good looking enough

Their comes a time when all of my hopes to feel good about myself regarding on the way I look was really out. I have done a lot of stuff to make myself beautiful and, I keep thinking that I have tried everything and yet their is no difference, I still feel the same and no confidence was gained. Despite the many efforts I dont think its not paying enough on what I am giving out. I was about to give up my journey to beauty then I was confronted by one of my beautiful friends and he give me an advice on how get back on my feet. The advice was really stern but direct to the point.

He told me that in order to be beautiful you must accept whatever you are right now. Its the first thing that you must digest. If you lack height you can never change that. If you come from a family of receding hairline its totally unchangeable. Their is no shortcut, no magic wand to change anything at all. I am beginning to feel disheartened because it seems like no matter what I do I am heading for a dead end.

But the next thing he told me really give me inspiration. He told me that why not bank on your assets. Or if their is none why not enhance whatever you got. I ask him to explain further to give me enlightenment on what I must to do achieve whatever he is advising. He told me that not all of us are born as prince charming or a person that could launch a thousand ship, but we could improve ourselves to the next level.

One key to feeling good is banking on what you got. He told me as an example if I have good skin why not flaunt it more. Reveal more flesh or improve the state of my skin to a higher level that it supersede all other things that is flawed in my body. Whatever your asset is like good eyes, beautiful hair, candle like finger nails ( the list goes one) they are the first things you must flaunt and improve. Now this dont exactly mean you should neglect other aspect of your body but what he is trying to say is that let that one good asset be the highlight of your looks. If you got big muscular arms by all means wear a tight fitting shirt or if you got long clear bright eyes highlight them with a good combination of eye make up. Let people have something to look at you then after that target the next best thing about you

If you feel that you have no asset whatsoever in your body then the next best thing to do is make one or better yet improve your worst liability. My friend told me that if you cant find anything to appreciate on yourself then improve something or somepart of your body. If you think that your hair is your most gruesome liability that it detracts everyone else then by all means concentrate all your energy in improving it. Treat it weekly to treatments like hot oils or find that perfect hair do so it will compliment the shape of your head. Let it improve to the point it is no longer problem for you. Then improve the next thing you hate about your body. Its like turning your liability into an asset. Of course their are unchangeable things in our body but we could always find other things to improve

The focal point of his advise is that never grudge on things that you cannot change. Nobody is created as a total loss and their is always room for improvement on everything else including your body. Give people a reason to compliment you, and from that starting point everything else will follow. A thousand mile journey start from a single step. My friend sounded more like an Accountant slash Life Coach when he told me this things but they all make perfect sense to me and it make me feel good about my endeavors on beauty even if they take so long to reach fruition. But nonetheless I feel good about it and it give all the reason to continue with this odyssey

Top Foods for Gymgoers

On my frequent visit at the gym I often feel hungry after the workout. Sometimes even before the workout I already feel the lack of energy and I wonder what could be the perfect food that could compliment my weightloss plan. While I was resting at one of the sofas at the lounge I see gym buffs and aerobics fanatics pass me by carrying small pouch bags and eat their food beside me. I was thinking of something fancy was inside the brown bags and I was shock to find out their meal plan is so simple I could also do it. I made a list of the most common food I see these health conscious people are consuming and it is enumerated below.

1. Banana - yes I do see a lot of them and they eat it two pieces each session. The best reason I could only think of beside from the high nutritional content and fiber is its rich in potassium. Potassium is perfect when having exercise because it alleviate muscle spasms and cramps.. I guess this will be a regular food for me as well.

2. Sweet potatoes - these food I see baked or boiled in small tupperware. Often they are boiled and sliced in circles. The body builders told me its one of the best sources of carb because it helps in the nitrogen retention inside human muscle that aids in natural muscle building. It is also high nutritionl contents and fiber that is good for the digestive system. Perfect for moving those junk inside for a more flatter abs.

3. Tuna - these food seem to be a staple in every gym fanatic. Tuna is a fish low in fat and high in omega 3 content. Gym goers often buy the water packed tuna for maximum benefit. You wont really need the extra vegetable oil in your body. Omega 3 is known to aid in metabolism thus boosting your weightloss endeavors.

4. Chicken breast - Both guys and girls at the gym indulge with these high protein and low fat food. Of course they all remove the skin where all the fat are and eat it boiled or broiled. People at the gym eat it for more protein source aside from the tuna for more variety. Sick people are give chicken soup to make them feel better. They said their are enzymes that only chicken contain that can open the taste buds so that sick people can enjoy them. Of course you dont have to be sick to consume them but it could also be the reason why consuming these low fat protein by healthy person makes them more perky or enthusiastic to workout. Chicken is also packed with a lot of nutrient beside from having high protein.

5. Whey Protein - Most gyms have refreshment stand that serve whey protein with fruit or soya milks in shake. Sometimes they also put a cup of yogurt for more digestion benefit. People at the gym cant seem to get enough protein. They told me that whey protein as an additional source helps in boosting metabolism. Protein is harder to burn compared to fat. Whey protein is easily absorbed by the body when working out which becomes muscle food in the process. If you gain more muscle when working out it will help your body to burn more calories even when you are not working out.

These are the food are foods most gym goers consume whenever I see them at the lounge. Of course they may have other food on the list and also some supplements but I am sure these gym foods that I enumerated will always be included in their shopping list.

My one day wellness Program

It was a hectic week for me during the last summer. I hardly go out with friends and didnt get to go out much. Their are a lot of things to do and my day off at work is usually weekdays. I was getting burned out since my friends are not available to talk to on weekdays since they have work the following day. I decided to give my self a one day break that would relax my body entirely.

I wake up tuesday morning and I prepared myself a nice bowl of oatmeal filled with fruits. I choose to put slices of a whole banana and a small box of raisin over a big bowl of cooked oatmeal. Right after that I drink a big glass of non fat milk to prepare myself for the things I am about to indulge for the rest of the day.

I went straight ahead to a dentist have a propylaxis or teeth cleaning. Its been awhile since I have it. I would really want to feel good inside out so I think my mouth is one of things that should benefit from this endeavor. The procedure lasted for a hour.

After the dentist I went to the nearest badminton center in my area and played for an hour together with my buddy. I sweat generously and I feel wonderful about it cause I think I lost a lot of toxins in my body and it made me feel light inside out.

The next destination I have is the spa in alabang town center. I enjoyed a nice honeybody polish scrub with some light massage. The body scrub made my dull skin glow. The body scrub includes a procedure where I must be in a steam room for 30 minutes, a 30 minute massage, and healthy scrubbing of honey with salt. It removed most of my dead skin cells and right after that I thought I dont want to step out the spa hahaha. But the day must go on to the other treatments

I stop by to have a grub at subway sandwiches at the food court at alabang town center. I bought a sandwich filled with a lot of greens and lean turkey. I told the person preparing the sandwich to hold the mayo and put some olive oil in it to aid in my metabolism. I ordered a big bottle of buko juice also so that it would clean my kidney.

After my lunch I went to a skin clinic and have a collagen facial. I preferably asked for collagen facial over the other treatments because since I am exposed to a lot of free radicals (e.g. sun exposure, pollution) everyday it damage my skin structure. Collagen is the substance responsible for maintaining it firm so I think its best to put collagen over stressed skin. I also told the facialist to put an extra eye treatment that would help lessen the appearance of my dark circles. She put a cream on my eye and covered with a piece of cloth for about 30 minutes so I can sleep.

Before going to my next beauty stop I went to the food court and bought a fruit shake made of watermelon, strawberry, and kiwi. This three is not only refreshing on a hot summer day but loaded also with nutrients that is perfect for your skin.

I went to the parlor to have a hot oil treatment. I have these dandruff problem so I asked them to give me a hot oil treatment that would target my scalp specifically. The staff massaged my head together with the treatment. By far its the most relaxing treatment cause my stress point is concentrated on my head. They steam my hair so the hot oil mixture would blend well with my hair and scalp. While having a hot oil treatment I also indulge with a foot spa and a manicure. The foot spa with massage and reflexology almost made me fall sleep completely.

After the treatments I have a light dinner with a big bowl of salad, a delicious soup, and big glass of fruit juice. I went to the movies after that and watch a comedy flick with my buddy. The day was so relaxing and I could see glow radiating from the inside out. If only everyday could be spent relaxing and chilling ahhaah but that is wishfull thinking.

My buddy and I went home early to sleep. I drank another glass of milk before retiring and put some night cream on my face. I sleep like a log the whole night. The day I went to the office after my one whole day of wellness my officemate asked me their is something diffirent about me. I was thinking of repeating it next week but then again I have to schedule it because of my hectic schedule arghhhhhh!!!!!

Strawberry the Skin Food

One of my most favorite fruit is strawberry. A fruit that grows on small shrubs on cold temperature climate. I like the hint of sweetness that it give and most of all its great to mix with most food like, shakes, salads, and chocolate fondues. When you purchase them on the produce section of the supermaret make sure you get the one that is the most freshest and mold free. This fruit is highly perishable and can last only for a few days in the fridge, having one of them contaminated with molds will damage the other fruits.

Thankfully this food is also one of those great food that can contribute greatly to your beauty and well being. Its high vitamin c content can help greatly in protecting the colagen and elasin structure of your skin making it more firm and lowering the risk of having bruises. It also helps to fight the side effects of pollution which is great because this fruit is handy you can snack it anywhere. Strawberries are known to have high amounts of ellagic acid, an acid that fights hydrocarbons derive from smoking which in turn damage our skin and lungs in the process

Just make sure you wash this fruit whenever you serve it so you wont consume the pesticides and dirt that comes along when it is harvested. Its most healthy when you serve it together with probiotic yoghurt and along with fruit salad served with grape vinaigrette. A dark chocolate fondue will be ok as well for those nights you want to get cozy and healthy with your partner. If ever these fruit is not in season healthy alternatives for it is raspberries, blueberries, oranges, and kiwi fruit.

How to make your Gym workout effective

I always go to the gym before and enjoyed every moment that I was their. Of course my objective was to gain some muscle and becoming more fit but it turns out I havent gain much of a mass although I have lose some weight in the process.

I repeatedly do the same mistakes that didnt make my workout worthwhile. Few month of going their didnt produce the muscle I desired plus its getting more tedious going back their due to lack of inspiration. The following are common mistakes I have observed on why most workouts is not effective in getting the result I want to achieve.

1. Sliming down by too much weight lifting - Most guys I know want to look macho pronto. Their objective is to have a lean muscular body as soon as possible but the method they do is wrong. They only get stocky and beefy but not lean and muscular which is the objective they want. Most of them put too much weight that they can hardly make a lift which is crucial for fat burning. We need to have 15 reps done in good form and done 2 to three sets per exercise. But if we are lifting to much weight we will only bulk up and we wont be able to lift much because its so heavy and its hard to reach the 15th count more so repeat the process.

2. Obsessing on your body at the gym - most of us think that achieving the body that we want at the gym is the end all of fitness. We spend a lot of time at the gym thinking we are in the perfect fit by working out a lot. The truth is to achieve complete body form you must have variety in your work out and get some exercise outside the gym. Yes doing the treadmill is fine and will cause you to sweat a lot but joining a marathon is so much better since their is more fresh air and a real terrain adds more value to the running. My point is dont limit yourself in just working out in the gym. Try to find other exercise outside the gym (e.g. sports) that will enhance your performance and body form. Remember we are also trying to avoid in making your workout becoming tedious in the process.

3. Dont rest too much between sets - We do know that rest is necessary between reps to catch your breath and recover your strength. But too much rest between reps will eliminate the benefit since you will recover too much. We are trying to shock your muscles so they would use more muscle fibers in your next rep. On top of that too much rest will somehow lessen the momentum of the exercise causing you to slack in the process. The best resting time between reps is a one minute or less.

4. Dont be in the rut of the same old exercise routine - When we go to the gym we must sweat out a lot and feel motivated all the time. But if for the past 4 or 6 weeks and your exercise routine is still the same you wont get any progress of developing any muscle at all. You must change your exercise routine every four weeks when your muscle finds it easy to do it. It maybe great to work out but we are not just maintaining your body to stay fit we also want it to change to the next level to get inspired and keep exercising.

5. Do stretching exercises - most guys I know just do minimal stretching before working out because they are too eager to lift weights. The end result is they compromise their flexibility and sometimes they also gain some injury during the work out. Stretching is necessary in a workout to warm up and relax your muscle at the same time. So dont skip stretching because its vital in any work out regimen. It might discourage you to lift weights if you damage your body in the process

These are just some of the things you must do to make your work out effective. In the future I will post more stuff in making your Gym workout really work for you. :)

How to Eat Healthy at the Movies

One of my frequent hobby whenever I am alone is going to the movies even if I have to watch the movie over again. I love the feeling of sitting in a big room and watching the big screen. It is simply invigorating and enjoyable for me. Of course one of the perks in going to the movie house is the buttload of snacks available around. Most of them of course is junk food. Gorging on junk food is a sure complimentary habit when watching your favorite movies at cinemas. Unfortunately junk food is not good for our body and it ruins our beauty as well.

I look around to see if their are any healthy choices that I could eat to avoid the regular fat and calorie overload associated with impulsive snacking. The following are the list I come up with as healthy and low calorie.

1. Popcorn - Alright! Its an unavoidable snack and its the most aromatic. Its scent fills the lobby of the cinemas and its hard not to eat it. Just make sure that when you eat this empty calorie snack you choose to have the one without butter and flavor. Just plain iodized salt will do and for heavens sake buy the smallest bag and dont consume everything. Consume only to satisfy your cravings and throw it away after eating two handful at most. If you are going with someone at the movie eat only a handful and let your companion finish the small bag. If you can resist this so much the better.

2. Nuts - Their are a lot of nuts for sale at movie concessionaires. They are the better option compared to the popcorn. Just make sure its unsalted and eat only a small bag.

3. Juices - Their are also a lot of juices available near the cinemas. Avoid the one filled with sugar and just flavorings. I've have seen juices that are for sale with pulp bits or coconut juice with the meat on. They are the better choice because they have some fiber.

4. Fruit shakes - so far this is the most healthiest choice of them all because they are freshly blended with the fiber and the sugar is less. Their are fruit shakes stands at the mall that only put small amount of syrup and the rest is just ice and fruit. Some have whey protein scoops as an option to add to the shake. Go for this snack for it is both vitamin packed and good for the muscles.

5. Ice cream - get the yoghurt versions of ice cream with pro biotics (good for digestion). I have also seen some ice cream at the cinemas with low fat so you better look for them, of course sugar is another issue but at least you already lessen the chance of getting more fat. Ice cream is not that healthy as a choice so make sure that you have this as a treat or really occassional.

6. If you looked high and low and found out that their is no such thing as healthy at the cinema food booth by all means bring your own healthy snack like fruits, sandwiches, and water. This will save you from a lot of things like money, fat, cholestrol, and guilt of consuming high fat foods.

This is the food list I can come up with that is healthy and low calorie when eating at cinemas. Just remember you are their to enjoy the movie and not to add fat at your belly, so snack healthy and munch low calorie food as much as possible.

Ms. Corazon Aquino the icon of Democracy & Colon Cancer

Today is the day that we bid farewell to our beloved former President Ms. Corazon Aquino. Thousands of Filipinos went to the funeral of this revered woman and all of them also was part of the convoy that will bring her body to her final resting place at Manila Memorial Park.

She was known as an Icon for Democracy for she is the only known leader who lead a most peaceful People Power Revolution. Her term of six years after being elected as President is a legacy we cannot forget.

It saddens me to find out that this strong woman of faith and belief in ideals have been diagnosed with illness of Colon Cancer back in March 24 2008 by her doctors which led to her death on August 1, 2009. Her strong determination to survive despite doctors analysis that she have only 3 months help in extending her life together with the chemotheraphy treatments.


I dont know exactly what is the medical history of their family but I found out that their are several preventive measures one can do to avoid untimely deaths due to cancer. The following are the tips I have gathered and I hope it will be useful for you.

1. Take barley juice - this food is known to be the most highest in antioxidants according to the ORAC test and was mentioned in the bible more than 50 times as a staple food. A recent study shown here in the Philippines a woman who have leukemia with 75000 cancer cells took this as a supplement for two weeks in juice form and reduce her cancer cells in half. I am pretty sure it could help a lot in avoiding most Cancers.

2. See a Doctor for regular check ups - usually colon cancers early stages are loss of appetite, cramping, and bloody stools. Its best that you visit your doctor regarding your health condition because some cancers can still be cured at their early stages. If your age is 50 above you must see a doctor more frequent because this is the age people are most prone to get it

3. Lose those love handles - according to recent studies men are more prone to women to colon cancer specially those who have apple shape bodies. Obesity is link to a lot of cancers this is due to the high amount of fat and cholesterol we intake. A balance diet rich in fiber is recommended if we are to avoid this dreadful disease and fiber also aids in digestion. Fat and cholesterol is a magnet to most disease and ailments.

4. Exercise much - most of us tends to become couch potatoes as we grow older. The result is that we have a sluggish metabolish and most of the waste that our body accumulate hardly leave our body. In our digestive system the colon stores all the food we digested until they are ready for release. Exercise can aid in getting your body to move those unwanted waste to your rectum preventing the waste in staying long in the colon and have the toxins absorbed by your body. Exercise cut your risk by 40% in getting colon cancer.

5. Know your family's medical history - check your ancestors or immediate relative if somebody have been diagnosed with colon cancer or any other cancer. Some cancers are hereditary. So its best to find out if your family have it and see a doctor immediately for more preventive measures.

6. Dont smoke or avoid it - inhaled tobacco smoke are carried through your body all the way to the colon and gets stored their. I can only imagine the danger it can bring to passive non smokers. According to doctor it cuts your risk of developing it by 12% if you avoid this habit. Much worse if you have some polyps in your colon it can make them cancerous at some point due to the smoke.

7. Avoid Radiation - radiation can contribute to developing cancers in you body. A 1,000 millisieverts (scientific equivalent of radiation units) can cause cancer to develope. In everyday life you get radiation but make sure its in safe levels. So as much as possible avoid getting too much radiation to avoid certain cancers from developing

Whew! This is the list that we must follow to at least avoid having colon cancer. Its still the rule of the thumb that a Prevention is far better than Cure. I hope that everybody follow the simple steps. Nobody can be Beautiful if they are Sick.

Here is the link to the video of the song Magkaisa which the famous song back in 1986 for People Power Revolution when our beloved former President Corazon Aquino rose to power and brings us back the gift of Democracy. We will surely miss you Madam.

Getting Healthy and Beautiful with ORAC

While munching the piece of fruit that I am eating I was thinking how much nutrition was I getting. Of course the fibre do its magic by helping in my digestion and all but what about the nutritional contents. Fruits and vegetables that we eat have different nutrient level but which is the most beneficial to consume on a regular basis to get the most and contribute to better health and beauty?

I came across with this findings about the anti oxidant level a food can provide to person. Its this research called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Aborbance Capacity) which measures the level of anti oxidant a food possess. Anti oxidants fights free radicals which we get on a daily basis from exposure to all stressfull factors like the sun, pollution, and even exercise. The list goes on from where to get free radicals. Too much free radicals contributes in developing cancers and disease that can naturally occur in the body.

To get the most nutrition according to the scientist who conducted the ORAC research we must have 3000 to 5000 ORAC units on a daily basis to create an impact on our plasma and tissue antioxidant capacity. Sadly we do not consume enough and at best we get only a dose of 1200 units a day by consuming 3 fruits and vegetables a day. Its even sadder because I rarely see people consume a lot of fruits and vegetables.

The following is the table I have come up with the fruits and vegetables with the highest ORAC value that could possibly help us pick the produce with better value.

FOOD and ORAC VALUE

Barley 1275
Dark Chocolate 656
Prunes 289
Raisins 142
Blueberries 120
Blackberries 102
Kale 89
Dark Honey 82
Strawberries 70
Alfalfa 49
Brocolli 45
Beets 42
Orange 38
Grape 37

To get the ORAC units from the list just multiply the ORAC value by 10. Grapes have 37 ORAC value times 10 it is equivalent to 370 ORAC units. This ORAC values shown above is equivalent to a serving of the fruit and vegetable.

The test conducted to measure the Orac Value of this Fruits and Vegetable also states that consuming regularly foods with high Orac Value slows down the process of agingboth the brain and the body. Which is why it could really help also in maintaining Beauty in a longer term

Ramping up your daily consumption of fruits and vegetable by eating 5 to 9 servings specially the ones with high ORAC value will contribute greatly to reducing the chances of you developing age old diseases. Just make sure you eat a variety of the fruits and vegetables from the list I enumerated because diffirent antioxidants and nurients contributes differently to the body. The key is always variety.

Skin Type Questionnaire (Pigmented Vs Non-Pigmented)

Its been awhile since a posted about this article . Anyways this article is a continuation of my previous articles on how to determine your skin type. But we have to determine first your skin category before we can know what is your skin type. This is the third installment of this article.

We will determine if your skin produce melanin a lot. Although melanin is the contributing factor for your skin color its not without benefits. It helps to protect the skin from sunburn so those people with less is more prone to skin cancers. The questionnaire below will determine if your skin actively produce this pigment.

1. Your pimple or ingrown hair once healed produce a dark spot:

a. Didnt happen
b. At some occassion
c. Happens a lot
d. Happens all the time
e. I never have pimples or ingrown hairs.

2. How long does a brown mark stays in your skin after being cut?

a. I dont get one
b. 7 days
c. 14 days or more
d. Months

3. Do you acquire dark spot when your pregnant or taking birth control pills?

a. Never
b. Just one
c. Maybe two or more
d. I lost count
e. Count me out I am male or I am unsure what dark spots are

4. Do you recognize any dark spot or pactches in your upper lip or cheeks, or do you have them before?

a. None
b. Not really certain I have them
c. I do have them but beyond notice
d. I have them and friends notice it

5. Your dark spots fluorish or gets worse under the sun

a. Dont have any
b. Never notice
c. It have a little effect
d. It aggravates my dark spots
e. I always have sunscreen or rarely goes under the sun ( answer is d if you wear
protection to avoid the effects of the sun)

6. Did you ever have melasma or dark patches on your face?

a. Never
b. A one time thing then it disappear
c. Yup
d. Yup, worse case ever
e. Uncertain

7. Do you have freckles on your skin?

a. None
b. quite a few but not more than 6
c. I could count 6 to 15
d. Oh my gosh I lost count

8. What is the reaction of your skin after being exposed to sun after a few months

a. I get sun burns
b. A sunburn then later it darkens
c. It darkens my skin
d. I hardly notice my skin is naturally dark

9. What is the result of almost week long of sun exposure to your skin?

a. Sunburn & blister nothing more
b. It darkens my skin a bit
c. Darkens my skin a lot
d. Dark is my natural color

10. Does the sun contribute to freckles in your skin?

a. Never happen
b. Its an annual happening I do get a few yearly
c. I always spawn a few regularly
d. Never notice I have dark complexion
e. I dont go in the sun

11. Do your parents have freckles? If only one has freckles answer the question relating to the parent who have freckles?

a. Nope
b. Quite a few
c. A lot on the face
d. A lot all over the body
e. Not certain neither of them have it

12. What is your hair color (the one you are born with)

a. Blond
b. Brown
c. Black
d. Red

13. Does your relatives have melanoma?

a. None
b. One
c. We have two or more
d. It runs in the blood
e. Not sure

14. Add 5 points to the score below if you gain dark spots on skin that is exposed to the sun.

Score for the test above is as follow

A = 1 point, B = 2 points, C = 3 points, D = 4 points, and E = 2.5 points

Tally your score and see the results below

A total score of 29-57 means you are Pigmented Skin
A total score of 13-28 means you are Non Pigmented

We are almost near to the end of the skin categorizing questionnaires only one more to go then we will find out what is your skin type. Stay glued to my blogs and you will see soon enough what skin type do you belong and know how to treat it right.

( Source : The Skin Type Solution by Dr. Leslie Baumann printed 2005)

Keep Young and Beautiful by Annie Lennox

The other day I was watching youtube and came across this video that my friend Cris recommended. I got curious with this video of her song titled Keep Young and Beautiful and decided to watch it and read the lyrics. I even look at google to read the lyrics thoroughly. I posted it below for every body to catch up with what I've found out and enjoyed

Keep Young And Beautiful lyrics

What's cute about little cutie

It's her beauty, not brains

Old father time will never harm you

If your charm still remains

After you grow old, baby

You dont have to be a cold baby

Keep young and beautiful

It's your duty to be beautiful

Keep young and beautiful

If you want to be loved

Dont fail to do your stuff

With a little powder and a puff

Keep young and beautiful if you want to be loved

If you're wise exercise all the fat off

Take it off, off of here, off of there

When you'er seen anywhere

With you hat off

Wear a marcel wave in your hair

Take care of all those charms

And you'll always be in someone's arms

Keep young and beautiful

If you want to be loved

If you're wise exercise all the fat off

Take it off, off of here, off of there

When you'er seen anywhere

With you hat off

Wear a marcel wave in your hair

Keep young and beautiful

It's your duty to be beautiful

Keep young and beautiful

If you want to be loved

Keep young and beautiful

If you want to be loved

Boopie doo, ah

The song simply amazed me because it teaches us to be beautiful for a purpose. It teaches us to be beautiful to gain attraction and love in the process. Well beauty have always been associated with wellness and health since having it does require to be a stiff advocate. The song is so candid and blatant at the same time for me since it also suggest to maintain beauty and love will also remain. For some instances as we know it, some couples lost their passion for each other and eventually look for another partner because one of them became lousy or losyang in the process. This song simply emphasized on beauty as a cementing factor for relationship. Well I do believe the song for some guys go out of their way their leave their partners for a more beautiful girl to flirt, and some old women vie for younger guys for their stamina and physique. Of course the brains is not a considered factor but the mere company of a lovely creature simply supersede all other factors for consideration.

Beauty is indeed a powerful tool one must possess for health and relationship sake. But any ways we shouldnt fret about it since everyone can achieve it with a little bit of exercise and dedication coupled with a few make up here and there as our Diva Annie Lenox have suggested.

Here is the link to the youtube for more inspiration to be beautiful :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrpHbTZ_jL8

Healthy Jambalaya

One of the major carbohydrates we Filipino's often consume is rice. Its our most eaten carbohydrate and second to that we consume mostly bread and rarely we eat legumes or fruits as a primary source of energy. The sad thing about it is that we consume only white rice which is reduced of nutritional content because it is too polished to improve the taste. I have posted blog a month ago about the health benefits of brown rice and why should we eat it despite the fact that its more pricey and less palatable because of its texture.

Just recently I have experimented this recipe that I got from a Food Magazine. Its called a Jambalaya. My friend Don Don who likes to cook a lot approves to give it a try since he is the one who have a fondness for cooking. Although we thought it may not turn out as delicious as its white rice countepart version but nevertheless its more healthy.

The following is the recipe I have followed :

Healthy Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups of cooked ham
1 medium onion sliced and quartered
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers. Any color combinatin will do
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup Brown rice uncooked
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried leaf thyme
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 pound peeled, cleaned, and cooked shrimp

Procedure

1. Heat the oil in medium heat over a large deep skillet.

2. Put the ham and cook it till slightly brown, then saute in onions, bell pepper and garlic ; cook them till tender

3. Put the tomatoes and tomato paste, water, rice, bay leaf, salt, thyme and cayenne pepper. Stir to mix the ingredients well till its boiling. Then reduce from medium heat to low. Cover the skillet and simmer it for 30 minutes. Stirring the food from time to time.

4. Put the shrimp and mix it in. Simmer for a few more minutes to let the shrimp flavor to sink and enhance the flavor.

After cooking it. It the turns out delicious despite the husky texture of the brown rice. I would recommend this recipe to my friends who wants to maintain a healthy body. The good thing about jambalaya is it contains a lot of tomato which is a rich source of lycopene and the shrimp content makes it great because of its high selenium, zinc, and protein content. The lycopene, selenium, zinc, and protein makes its perfect enough to be a skin food and the rich vitamin B complex content of brown rice makes up for a healthy nervous system.


(recipe source : SL Agritech Corporation)

Skin Type Questionnaire ( Sensitive Vs. Resistant )

This is the second part on determining your skin Category for my blog for the 16 types of skin. In this blog you will find out if you have Sensitive or Resistant to skin. It will determine if you have the probability to have pimples or reactions to certain stimuli. Again its crucial to answer it in all honesty so we could determine skin type do you belong on the 16 skin types.

1. Do you have red bumps on your face

a. Didn't happen
b. Sometimes
c. a monthly occurrence
d. you have one weekly

2. Skin care products which includes regular make up and cleaning products ( e.g. cleansers) can cause allergic reactions that leads to itching or create pimples.

a. Didn't happen
b. Sometimes
c. Regularly
d. Never use these products

3. Do you have acne or rosacea?

a. Never
b. My colleagues said I have it
c. Yup
d. A worst case of it
e. Uncertain

4. Do you get rashes when not wearing a 24 carat gold jewelry with your skin?

a. Unlikely
b. Sometimes
c. Regularly
d. Always
e. Unsure

5. You are allergic and feels itchy using sunscreens

a. Unlikely
b. Sometimes
c. Regularly
d. Always
e. Not a fan of Sunscreen

6. Do you have atopic dermatitis, eczema, or contact dermatitis?

a. Nope
b. Colleagues said I have it
c. Yup
d. A severe case
e. Unaware

7. Do you get rashes when wearing rings?

a. Unlikely
b. Sometimes
c. Regularly
d. Always
e. Dont like using rings

8. Fragrant bubble bath, massage oil or body lotions makes your skin itchy or feel dry

a. Unlikely
b. Sometimes
c. Regularly
d. Always
e. Never use these products

9. Do generic soaps from establishments like hotels pose as a problem when you use them?

a. Yup
b. Not really
c. It is a problem for me, makes me itchy
d. Wont use it cause I have a problem using them before
e. Havent tested because I have my own set of toiletries

10. Do you have a family history of eczema, atopic dermatitis, asthma or allergies?

a. None
b. Just one relative
c. A few relatives
d. Most of my relatives have them
e. Never checked them

11. What happens when you use scented laundry detergents?

a. Nothing
b. My skin feels dry
c. My skin feels itchy
d. I develop rashes that itchy
d Never use them

12. Do you develop red face and neck whenever you do light exercises or you are under some sort emotional stress when you are mad?

a. Unlikely
b. On some occassion
c. Regularly
d. A natural occurrence

13. Does your skin turn red after consuming alcoholic beverages?

a. Unlikely
b. On some occassion
c. Regularly
d. A natural occurrence
e. Dont drink alcohol

14. Does your skin turn red after consuming spicy foods or beverages?

a. Unlikely
b. On some occassion
c. Regularly
d. A natural occurrene
e. Dont eat spicy foods

15. Do you have visible broken blood vessels on your face?

a. Never have them
b. I counted 3 so far
c. I have somewhat four to 6 of them in my face
d. More than 6

16. In photo's do you look reddish?

a. Never noticed it
b. On some occassion
c. Regularly I am reddish on photo's
d. A natural occurrence

17. People are mistaken that you have sunburns even if you never been under the sun.

a. No one thinks that way about my skin
b. On rare occassion
c. Some people do and some people don't
d. No one believe I am not sunburned

18. Does your skin turn red or swells whenever you use cosmetics or whenever you use skin care products

a. Nothing happens
b. On some occassion it does
c. Regularly I have that but no always
d. I never use them because its a natural reaction of my skin

Scores for the result of the test is as follows

You get 1 point for all a answers, 2 point for all b answers, 3 points for c answers, 4 points for all d answer, and for all those e answers you get a 2.5.

Add plus 5 points to your score if you are diagnosed by your dermatologist to have acne, rosacea, contact dermatitis, or eczema.

If your points range between 34 - 72 you are indeed sensitive skin
If your points fall between 30 - 33 you are somehow sensitive
If your points fall between 25 - 29 you are somehow resistant
All score falling under 24 and below means you are resistant

Just follow my blog about this skin categories and you will find out what skin type do you belong from the 16 skin types. From these we will see the proper way to treat your skin on a personal level.

( Source : The Skin Type Solution by Dr. Leslie Baumann printed 2005)