live is beautiful

The Importance of Skin

The Importance of Skin Self-Exams Especially during and after Summer,- It is essential that you self-examine your skin at various points during the year. However, it is most important that you keep an eye on any change in your skin during the summer and right after.


When the season changes and we are faced with being outdoors more often, keeping up with skin care should be foremost on our mind. Even if you are at an outdoor barbeque and the sun is high in the sky, just because you are not wearing your bathing suit and at the beach does not mean that you are not at risk.

If you have pre-existing moles or are prone to freckles, it is imperative to keep an eye for any changes in shape, size, or color.

How to Begin Skin Self-Examinations

1. First start by getting to know your body; pay attention to moles, freckles, and spots.

2. Take a good look at these things and get familiar with them. Notice the different characteristics.

3. Take a good look in a full-length mirror to check your skin from head to toe.

4. Using a smaller hand-held mirror, check your back and neck as well.

5. Check your skin every six to eight weeks and make notes of any changes. Any change you see is something you must bring to your doctor’s attention.

The importance of skin self-examination can get forgotten, as most individuals do not think of checking their own skin from time to time to monitor for changes. However, the potential for detecting early skin cancer and treating it are significant if you do regular skin self-examinations.

As with any type of cancer, early detection is key.

Continuing Skin Self-Examination

It is important to continue skin self-exams every six to eight weeks and more importantly, during the summer months.

If you see any changes in the moles or freckles or any part of your skin that looks or feels differently from your initial exam, then contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Visit your skin doctor at least once per year for a full exam in addition to your own self-exams.

The more exposure you have to the sun at an earlier age, the bigger your chances are of reaping the unfortunate results of too many ultraviolet rays. The more diligent you are about skin self-examinations, however, the better your chances of having healthier skin and detecting any problems early on.

So, while it may not be uppermost in your mind, it is important to do your own regular skin examinations.

The Many Ways That Drinking Water Affects the Skin and Body,- We have all heard about the benefits of drinking water, and lots of it, for weight loss and dieting purposes. However, it is just as essential to your skin, hair, and body to drink water in order to maintain good health - especially during the summer months.


One of the biggest benefits of drinking water during summer months is to stay hydrated. Staying hydrated benefits not only your organs, but your skin as well.

The old saying that beauty is only skin deep does not apply when drinking the right amount of water. Drinking the right amount of water helps your body in many ways.

Dark Under-Eye Circles

Sometimes dark under-eye circles are truly from lack of a good night’s sleep or perhaps because of genetics. However, dark under-eye circles are sometimes caused by lack of hydration.

Taking in more water throughout the may possibly reduce those puffy dark circles. If your body is in need of more water, then it will hold onto whatever it has for storage purposes. By drinking more, you can alleviate puffiness around the eye area.

Color, Tone, and Texture of Skin

Take a good, long, hard look at your skin on days when you do not have good color, tone, and texture. Keep a journal if you like, as this will help you to see first-hand the benefits of drinking additional water in the summertime.

When you spend time in the hot summer sun, you will notice that your skin will appear dryer, no matter what you do or how many cosmetics you place on your face. The best moisturizer is water.

Acne

Is it not better to treat your skin properly from the outset than to purchase many expensive acne treatments, which could only wind up drying your skin out over time? By drinking extra water in the summertime, you provide a natural cleanser to your skin and its pores. Water serves as a cleanser and an exfoliator and acne preventer.

Dryness and Peeling

If you are like anyone else, you have had the experience of staying out in the sun too long and being burned - especially on the facial areas. By drinking extra water, you provide a natural barrier for skin so that it is hydrated and moist. Dryness and peeling will heal that much faster the more water you take in.

Since the body is made up of more than 70% water, it stands to reason that it needs water in order to survive and thrive, most especially in the summertime.

Summer Skin Essentials: From the Inside Out,- While it is important to do skin self-examinations and to utilize sunscreen, hats, and eyeglasses during summer months, it is just as essential to hydrate your skin from the inside.




Eating the right foods and drinking the right things is essential to healthy skin that glows from the inside out.

Summertime is a time filled with delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, much of which are full of hydrating water. When your body is hydrated, your skin will reflect that well beyond sunscreen and shade.

Fruits and Vegetables That Hydrate

* Watermelon is an excellent example of a summer fruit that hydrates. Watermelon is capable of hydrating you and your skin for quite some time. It is mostly made up of – you guessed it – water, and contains sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Perfect for hydrating you.

* Cantaloupe is packed with hydration and offers vitamin A, Vitamin C, and potassium.

* Grapefruit – Juicy, tangy, and full of hydrating juices, grapefruit is an excellent hydrator for your skin.

* Celery – Celery is a great snack or in between go-to for when you want to crunch on something that is healthy. Packed with water, it also has vitamins and mineral salts to keep your body hydrated and your skin glowing.

* Strawberries – Strawberries are high in antioxidants but also are great for detox, as are blueberries and cherries are.

* Cucumbers are mostly made up of water and contain vitamin C. Cucumbers are naturally hydrating and perfect for summer salads.

Hydrating Your Skin through Beverages

The hotter it gets, the more water you should drink. For those who do not like the taste of plain water, adding lemon or lime, or both, to your water can make the difference in whether or not your skin is hydrated.

In addition, making your own homemade fresh green tea, chilling it and serving it with ice and lemon is a great way to hydrate that tastes good too. Adding a sprig of mint tops it off making it the perfect summer hydrating drink.

For many women, putting something on the outside of your face seems to be the logical path to keeping hydrated looking skin. However, what you do on the inside first will always make the biggest difference.

Eating your summer fruits and vegetables and hydrating yourself with water and teas will not only keep your body functioning properly; it will also keep your skin glowing like the sun without all the side effects.

How to Create Awesome Summer Skin with Natural Body Scrubs,- It is always a pleasure to have soft sensual skin, but more so in the heat of the summer. Summertime is when you show the most skin and knowing that it is soft as summer is a great feeling.


Not only is having soft summer skin a wonderful feeling, but the process of getting soft summer skin is wonderful, too. Anytime you do a facial or a body treatment, it is a wonderful feeling of indulgence. In addition, who doesn’t need a little feeling of indulgence every now and again?

                                     

One of the best ways to exfoliate the skin on your body is, of course, with a salt body scrub. Sea salt has become extremely popular for this purpose. Here's what you need to make your own.

Sea Salt Body Scrub

You will need:

* ¾ cup of sea salt
* ¼ cup of coconut oil
* 6 to 8 drops of essential oils

Mix the coconut oil with the sea salt until it forms a paste-like substance. Add the essential oil of your choice as a fragrance.

Sugar Body Scrub

* ¾ cup of brown sugar
* ¼ cup of sesame oil
* 6 to 8 drops of essential oil of your choice
* One ripe avocado

Peel and take the pit out of one overripe avocado. Mix the sesame oil and brown sugar with avocado in your blender. Add the essential oils once you have transferred the blended mix into a bowl.

Once either of these mixtures are well mixed, spread it all over your legs, making sure to pay special attention to knees and heels of feet. You may also use a pumice stone to scrape off dead skin from these areas.

These scrubs are great for knees and hands as well. Always secure a small area to be certain no allergy or irritation exists before placing sugar or salt scrubs mixed with essential oils to any part of your body.

Many ingredients can go into mixing and matching your own body scrubs. For example:

* Refined sugar
* Brown sugar
* Sea salt
* Kosher salt
* Essential oils such as sesame oil, vitamin E oil, lavender oil
* Honey, avocado, kiwi, coconut milk

Once you know your body and what you are not sensitive to, the world is your oyster when it comes to all-natural, homemade body scrubs.

Experimenting with homemade body scrubs in the summertime gives you more options than you might have in the wintertime. Explore, enjoy, and have fun finding the right summertime body scrub just perfect for you.

Getting Your Skin Summer-Ready before Summer Hits,- We all know that dreaded feeling of wanting to look summer perfect before summer hits. We all have equally good intentions – to work out, wax our legs, prepare our shopping list for sunscreens with moisturizers and, perhaps, to lose a few pounds.



While all those good intentions are great, a little work may be needed in order to really be prepared for healthy and attractive summer skin way before summer hits.

Preparation is really key in getting your skin summer ready. Nobody can expect to wake up one July morning and magically have the glowing summer skin they always dreamed of.

A Little Spring Cleaning for Your Skin

When springtime hits, it is important to take a good look at your cosmetics. Chances are that you are using what is left over from your winter stock. Take a look at your moisturizer. Perhaps it is time to replace that moisturizer with either of these:

* A tinted moisturizer
* A sunscreen that contains moisturizer

Next, take a look at your skin. Has being indoors created a dry, dull appearance? Start by either purchasing, or making at home, all-natural facial cleansers that contain things such as cucumber and/or sea salt. These things will prepare your skin as it cleanses it while waiting for summer.

Check your cosmetic colors as well. Typically, many women utilize winter colors that are a bit heavier and darker than they would during the summer months. See what needs replacing or, better yet, what needs recreating.

Light summer makeup in corals and pinks are wonderful choices for the summer. More natural is better when it comes to summer makeup.

Increase your intake of water now so that when summertime hits, you will not be overdoing your hydrating techniques.

Sun and Your Skin Now

Begin by stepping out into the sun a few minutes each day, either during your lunch hour or by taking a walk throughout the morning before hitting the showers.

Of course, any time you go out into the sun, it is important to wear sunscreen. A sunscreen with moisturizer is even better.

Also, be sure to purchase proper eyeglasses and headwear so that it is not too much too soon. Starting out with a little sunshine every day allows your skin the opportunity to get accustomed to the sun once again after a long, hard winter.

This will provide an excellent base for your summer suntan.

By preparing your skin in spring a little each day, you give your skin a leg-up on looking healthy, beautiful, and radiant way before summer even starts.

Meditation, an exercise recommended for everyone, but especially those of us
with hectic, stressful lifestyles, is defined as an engagement in contemplation, especially of a
spiritual or devotional nature.  Meditation has been shown to relieve stress, and promote overall
good health, by simply reflecting upon our day, and finding happiness within ourselves.  This and
other mind exercises help us to keep our mind fit, and functioning at top performance levels.  But
up until the last twenty years, meditation was something the western world new little about.  Is it
necessary for our health? Or have we just come up with a new fad, to fill up the empty hours of
our day?



Well, the empty hours don’t exist for most of us, and quite frankly, without the
opportunity to reflect and relax, I would quite possibly go completely mad  Our spirituality and
meditation practices are the tools we have available to keep our mind as fit as we keep our
bodies.  The mind is a complicated and versatile machine, but it can become overwhelmed and
unable to function correctly, if we don’t take the time to keep it cared for.

Our mind has varying levels of operation, known as brainwaves.  As we pass through the
different stages of our day, we enter various stages of brain wave activity.  The brain uses this 18  

tool as one way to allow us time to rest our busy mind, and cope with all the pieces of
information we’ve received, a way to kind of “mind file” for the day. Modern alternative medicine and holistic healers believe in the power of the energy that flows through our bodies; this energy radiates from our mind as well.  It is believed to be the chief from of transportation for our body’s nervous system to carry out communication.


Breathing techniques, music, aromas, and candle therapy are all ways we utilize the opportunities
to reflect on our day, allow our mind to rest and replenish itself for further use.  But are these
methods keeping us mentally fit?  Yes, it does help to keep us mentally fit.  The great benefit in
meditation, however, the mind’s ability to transform itself into a vehicle for higher awareness.
Meditation is a way for us to become aware of the fact that there is more to our being than just
our physical activity.  We have so much more potential locked away in our mind, resources that
we never tap into until we have the chance to quiet the mind, quiet our surroundings and open
the door to the possibilities we don’t examine on a day to day basis.


In our meditative state, thoughts that never have the opportunity to be heard during the
bustle of the day are afforded the opportunity to come forward and be heard.  Every step that
we take is a step in some direction for our life.  The opportunity to set our own destiny, develop
our manifestation of what we believe our life should be, is the opportunity meditation provides.
Every action we’ve ever taken started as a thought.  The thought was then brought into reality
by our action on that thought. So are we able to produce new thoughts, new possibilities, in this
time of quiet reflection.

Benefits of Meditation for the Wellness of Ourselves

What Are Your Wellness Needs? ,- As we go about our busy lives, our wellness needs doesn’t often come to mind.  In fact, probably until you read the title of this article, it never even crossed your mind.  But even when we are well, we have needs that help us to sustain that wellness.   Have you ever given thought to what those needs are?



Your wellness rating is dependent upon your immune system, and what vitamins, supplements, and nutrition you provide for your immune system. Nutrition comes in the form of our daily intake of food our eating habits determine the value of our daily nutritional intake.

What about vitamins? What role do vitamins and minerals play in our wellness needs?  More than what some of you have been lead to believe or understand.  The body’s ability to remain well under anything other than ideal conditions is a direct result of the nutrition received on a daily basis. The mind’s ability to remain well is, again, a direct result of our nutritional intake.  However, when you use sound principles based on clean living, exercise, and healthy eating, you attain a state of equilibrium where you are meeting your nutritional wellness needs

What about our preventive needs for our physical body?  Alternative medicine, holistic medicine, and meditation all address different areas of preventive maintenance for our physical health. We don’t often think of the chiropractor until some part of our body isn’t functioning as it should, most often our back.  But what about chiropractic care for the well individual?  Is it a benefit to the well person, to visit a chiropractor when really nothing is wrong? You bet it’s a benefit and here’s why. The very nature of chiropractic care is the belief in the body’s own healing properties.

Quite often, we can have small problems in one area of our body, and not even realize it until the
effect is felt in a much larger way, somewhere else. The practice of chiropractic care focuses on the relationship between your spine and your nervous system.  The spine is the structure, and the nervous system is the function.  Chiropractic believes these two systems work in unison to keep and then restore your body’s health.  

Acupuncture is the basic foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is based on the
belief that there are two opposing and inseparable forces within our body.  They are known as
the Yin and Yang of the entire person. The Yin is representative of the cold, slow, or passive
principle, and yang represents the hot, excited or active principle.  A healthy state is achieved by
maintaining a balance state of the yin and yang.
 
This is done through vital pathways or meridians that allow for the flow of qi, or vital energy.  The vital energy flow occurs along pathways known as meridians. These meridians connect over 2,000 acupuncture points along the body.  There are 12 main meridians, and 8 secondary meridians.  Although traditional western medicine does not completely understand how acupuncture works, the proof that it does work
has been shown in several studies conducted by western medical facilities.

Meditation is the other form of preventive maintenance that we need as we maintain our overall wellness.  Meditation is preventive maintenance for the mind.  Meditation gives us the opportunity to reflect on our inner self.  To listen to that small inner voice that is supposed to help guide and direct our mental processes, but in modern day existence, is often drowned out due to excessive noise pollution.

Wellness of the body occurs when all the body processes, physical and mental are
functioning as the peak levels. What does it take to achieve a complete body wellness? It
requires more than simply taking a trip to the gym, or a walk in the park.
  To evaluate our state of wellness, we must establish the goals we achieve through being
well.  We make our lives more enriched and easier to live. We are able to reap the benefits of
well thought out plans of diet and exercise many years into our life, just because we have taken
the time to remain well and fit.  



Your immune system is a tale tell sign of your state of wellness and one of the real
benefits of a healthy, well immune system is the prolonging of the onset of many age-related
diseases.  Conditions such as macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s, strokes, heart attacks, and
overall feelings of good health depend upon a healthy immune system.

  Our ability to continue in a normal routine many years past the accepted age of
retirement is a goal achieved through maintaining a state of wellness.  To many older people,
their work becomes a genuine source of enjoyment.  Work no longer appears as the thief of our
free time, it becomes an old friend that we are accustomed to visiting with.  It can become a
reason to continue to get up and go about our day.  Either way, our ability to continue
participating is a direct benefit of our state of wellness and continued good health.

  In evaluating our wellness goals, and state of being, the mental capacity for continued
learning, teaching, and experiencing is a top priority.  Mental sharpness comes from continued
use of the mind to learn, communicate and think.  The benefit of retaining those resources is felt
even longer than the benefit of physical wellness.

What about the physical benefits of continued wellness?  The peace of mind that comes from
knowing your body is in top shape, ready to deal whatever comes along, is a priceless
possession.  To be able to ascertain that you’ve spent your day wisely, and invested in yourself is
a real accomplishment.  The benefit seen from adding just 20 minutes of exercise to your daily
routine are unbelievable.  I can attest to the tremendous increase in energy, as a participant in
walking for exercise.  I lost a total of 74 lbs. in one year, by simply adding walking to may
routine.  I had been dieting for almost two months, with very little in the way of results.  Walking
was suggested by my physician, and I’ve never been so impressed.  My energy levels were three
times what they were prior to beginning the exercise program.  Increased energy levels are one
of the greatest benefits of a well and fit body.

Continued wellness and evaluation of our level of wellness is a lifetime responsibility.
If we use our resources wisely and educate our selves about the things our body needs to
maintain wellness, over the duration of our life, it isn’t a difficult thing to attain. The benefits of
continued wellness are reaped will into our later years.  Look at it as an investment you make,
not of dollars and cents, but of time and education.  The return on your investment is as yet
unmatched by any prescription available.

There are many words today associated with wellness.  Many of those terms are new for readers,
and some of the terms are interchangeable between fitness, wellness, and health.  So let’s take a
minute to explain some of the terms you may see from time to time.



Wellness itself is defined as the condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise, and habits. Meditation, an exercise recommended for everyone, but especially those of use with hectic, stressful lifestyles, is defined as an engagement in contemplation, especially of a spiritual or
devotional nature.  Meditation has been shown to be an effective method of lowering blood
pressure, relieving stress, and promoting overall good health, by simply reflecting upon our day,
and finding happiness within ourselves.

Fitness refers to the condition of our physical body and mental fitness would of course be
addressing our mental state. Often we will join and participate in fitness centers that provide
personal trainers, and stationary fitness equipment.  There are numerous pieces of equipment
available that perform many different exercises to address specific areas of the body.  The best
time to learn about this equipment is during the orientation session of the fitness center you
have chosen.

Exercise covers a lot of ground.  There are so many forms of exercise that we can only try to
cover some of the more popular and well defined programs.  There are aerobic programs that
focus on heart rate and your cardio health.  There are water aerobics that again focus on your
heart health.  Weight training and free weights are used for building muscle mass, and sculpting
the body.  Walking is one of the best exercises available, as it doesn’t jar our bodies, but uses all
parts for toning and building heart rate.  Running, swimming, jogging, and skiing are all forms of
exercise, but not recommended for the novice.  

Your nutritional needs refer to the physical supplements of vitamins, minerals and calories
needed in order for you to sustain optimum physical health.  Much discussion is centered on this
topic right now, because our nation faces obesity problems of epidemic proportions.
Alternative therapies refer to the alternative medicine options such as chiropractic care,
acupuncture, herbal cures, and holistic medicine.  Of the examples given here, chiropractic and
acupuncture are becoming more widely accepted as complements to the traditional form of
western medicine.  Studies are conducted often that support the evidence that chiropractic care
and acupuncture are effective forms of medicine.

Herbal cleansing and healing are terms used by many of the natural healers to describe what
ingestion of certain herbal combinations can provide for the body in the effort to bring it back to
optimal health, or to sustain optimal health.

Today wellness is used not only in conjunction with health and fitness, but also wellness of the mind, body, and spirit. There is an ever increasing movement among the health conscious citizens, that wellness should include not only our physical being, but our mental and spiritual
health.  The only true form of wellness must include the entire person.

  As a matter of course, all responsible persons should take the time to educate
themselves, and their children, about the benefits of healthy eating.  Learning to eat for life in a
health conscious way is one of the best guarantees for a long and fulfilling life. The quality of our
lives is as important as the quantity to most individuals, but because of debilitating disease, we
are often forced to make a decision and choose between quality and quantity.  



Thanks to the advances in modern medicine, the average person’s life span now exceeds
seventy years. If you stop to think, that’s quite a long time to walk around on this earth. Along
with the wonderful life expectancy increases, however have the detrimental effects of overeating
and unhealthy eating.  It seems that as we advance in one area, we regress in others
The issue of obesity brings this debate to the forefront, what kind of quality life can
someone who can barely walk because of their weight have?  The first question I always ask, is
how did we get here?  How did we go from one of the most physically fit nations, to just
wallowing in our weight?  I believe the answer lies in our lack of education about the weight
gaining process, and a lack of concern about our children learning how to eat and exercise
correctly.

  Today, we must determine how much nourishment we need, how much physical exercise
we need, and how best to accomplish those ends.  Calorie needs, nutritional needs, physical
needs, and education about those needs now is information we should all understand, at least as
it applies to our individual self.  If you will visit your local doctor, library, or fitness center, there
is massive amounts of information available to help educate and to help you make good health
choices, no matter what the age group.

  The question raised in the title of this article, would have a resounding YES as the
answer. The life you choose to lead, no matter what your field of interest, your level of
education, or your level of income, your life is tremendously affected by your health.  Maintaining
your health is one of the most important things you can do as an individual to enjoy what time
you have on this earth.  It is also one of the most important things you can do for you family.  As
we become an older population, and our life expectancy increases, do we want to become
burdens on our children?  Or de we want our time with our children in our retirement years to be
something we and they have enjoyed?

  There are so many things to do in life that allow us to enjoy the fruits of our labor.  All of
these options can be cut short if we haven’t taken the time to take care of ourselves.
  Quality is as important as quantity.  Education of the healthy choices we can make,
making the right health choices, and then living life to the fullest should be the ultimate goal of
every person alive. Speaking of education, before we can make really effective choices, we need to have a
complete comprehension of the subject at hand.

You pick up the magazines each day, and you’re bombarded with health and fitness information.
Advertisements and articles that are designed to impart much needed information to the reader
about the state of fitness and health in America today, and what we as responsible citizens
should do.  I want you to stop, and think for just one moment.  How do you determine your
current fitness and wellness levels?  Does your regular doctor impart this information as you visit,
does he inquire each time you go if you believe yourself to be fit and well?  Probably not.  Nor
does he give you any method for determining the status on your own.  Fitness centers abound in
this country, and most are staffed with counselors who can test your fitness level.  What about
your wellness level?  Are they one and the same?  They are not one and the same, yet they rely
heavily on each other to keep you healthy.
 


Thanks to the advances in modern medicine, the average person’s life span now exceeds
seventy years. If you stop to think, that’s quite a long time to walk around on this earth. Along
with the wonderful life expectancy increases, however have come the detrimental effects of
overeating and unhealthy eating.  It seems that as we advance in one area, we regress in others.
This doesn’t have to be so, however.  Reaching a place of responsibility, where we combine our
physical health, with our wellness enhances those extra years of life.

Being fit and being well are totally different conditions.  Your wellness rating is dependent upon
your immune system, and what vitamins, supplements, and nutrition you provide for your
immune system.  Fit people can sometimes be unwell.  And well people can sometimes be unfit.
However, when you do combine the two, and use sound principles based on clean living,
exercise, and healthy eating, you attain a state of equilibrium where you are both fit and well. It
is comparable to the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang.  The balance that must exist in the
whole relies heavily on the balancing of the halves.

  The wonderful state that is attained however, when we are both fit and well, is one of
the joys of being alive.  The energy levels that we experience are beyond compare, and the
happiness we feel during our moments of physical triumphs, help us to put life in perspective.
That’s an accomplishment we pass along to our children in the example that we set before them.
We are true practitioners of the philosophies that we preach.

  The example we provide for our family, our children especially, speaks volumes to them
about their own responsibilities in maintaining their health.  Being healthy is a true combination
of wellness and fitness, body and mind.  Our spirit, soul, or inner voice is a benefactor in this
experience, also.  Truly well and fit minds and bodies are better followers of their spirit, and

spend more energy on the wellness of their spiritual aspect, also.  Spirituality is a way of assuring
ourselves of a renewing, and rebirth of ourselves as caring humans.  Wellness encompasses our
state of being, mind, and health.  It is a condition of the whole.  The joining of wellness and
fitness in our life is a condition of the mind, body, and soul.