Fitness Tips

Unhealthy lifestyle. It's a common contributor of our biggest health problems: stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cancer. What do the nation's top physicians recommend to keep your heart, mind, and body in optimally good health?

Here I discuss few things for your healthy life.

1. Daily exercise.

You brush your teeth every day; exercise is equally important for your daily routine. Turn off the TV or computer, and get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.

To work your heart, it's got to be aerobic exercise. You've got lots of options: walking, jogging, biking, rowing machine, elliptical machine, swimming. But don't feel like you have to be an athlete. Walking is great exercise. Get 10 minutes here and there during the day. It all counts.

Start with something simple, like parking in the far corner of the parking lot -- so you get those extra steps to the door. Take the stairs one or two flights instead of the elevator. If you take public transportation, get off one stop early and walk the rest. Get out at lunch to walk. Or walk with your significant other or your spouse after work. You'll get a bonus -- relaxation and stress reduction.

2. Healthy diet.

Quit eating junk food and high-fat fast food. Your heart, brain, and overall health are harmed by foods high in saturated fats, salt, and cholesterol. There's no getting around it. You've got to replace them with healthy foods: lots of fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, olive oil -- what we call the Mediterranean diet. Eat like an Italian, a Spaniard, a Greek! Enjoy!

3. Weight loss.

Too much body weight puts your health at great risk. When you take in more calories than you burn, you get fat -- it's that simple. You've got to eat less. You've got to exercise more. You've got to push yourself to make these lifestyle changes -- but you've got to do it to help avoid serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes, or stroke.

4. Regular physical exams.

Tell your doctor your family medical history. Learn your personal risk factors, and the screening tests you need. Women may have mammograms to screen for breast cancer and Pap tests for cervical cancer. Men may have prostate cancer PSA tests. Routine screening for colorectal cancer should start at age 50, perhaps earlier if colon cancer runs in your family. You also need regular diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol tests. Make sure your immunizations are up to date. You may need flu and pneumonia shots, depending on your age.

5. Less stress.

When a person says they're too busy to exercise, it tells me other things are crowding out what's important in life: They don't spend time with family and friends; don't exercise enough; don't eat right; don't sleep properly. All these things reduce stress in your life, and that is critical to your health and longevity.

To be healthy, we need to set boundaries -- and set limits on work hours. We should not be working so hard that we're neglecting the things that keep us healthy. This is important advice, too, for people who take care of elderly parents or young children. Make sure you're getting proper exercise and sleep -- and that you're not trying to do too much.

Dull Hair Tips

Dull Hair and their Solution

In this article, 'hair care' is taken to mean care of hair on the human head, but mention may be made of processes and services which impact hair on other parts of the body. This includes men's and women's facial, pubic, and other body hair, which may be colored, trimmed, shaved, plucked, or otherwise removed with treatments such as waxing, sugaring, and threading. These services are offered in salons, barbershops, and day spas, and products are available commercially for home use. Laser hair removal and electrolysis are also available, though these are provided (in the US) by licensed professionals in medical offices or specialty spas.

Hair care is an overall term for parts of hygiene and cosmetology involving the hair on the human head. Hair care will differ according to one's hair type and according to various processes that can be applied to hair. All hair is not the same; hair is a manifestation of human diversity.

Even though most women aren’t going bald in the same numbers as men, their tresses can start to thin, dry out and lack general oomph, especially after 40. But this cannot be treated, as complexions can, with moisturizers and trips to the spa. For one thing, there is the problem of styling.

“As hair ages, we tend to torture it more, which makes matters worse,” said Dr. Alan J. Bauman, a physician in Boca Raton, Fla., specializing in hair restoration. “It’s not addressing the root of the problem.”  The problem is what encases the actual hair root: the follicle. “The follicle function diminishes with age in proportion to hereditary risk,” Dr. Bauman said.

He performs hair transplants as a last resort, when follicles, the organs that grow hair, cannot be resuscitated. But he said he was mostly concerned with keeping follicles alive and healthy. To nourish them, he recommends eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and flaxseeds, as well as dark green vegetables, which are strong sources of vitamins A and C, needed by the follicles to produce sebum, hair’s natural conditioner. He also encourages eating eggs, beans and poultry. You need protein for hair,” Dr. Bauman said. “If you’re starving yourself, your hair will suffer.” Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist in New York, agreed that the right foods are necessary for healthy hair. “I believe that inflammation is negative for the hair follicle, that it can accelerate stress shedding and compromise growth,” she said. She suggests eating pomegranate, avocado, pumpkin and olive oil, and herbs like turmeric, mint and rosemary.

Hair care also comes in pill form. Biotin has been a go-to for hair and nails for years. The newer Norwegian dietary supplement Viviscal includes biotin and other traditional hair strengtheners like niacin and vitamin C. But its star ingredient is a mysterious fish-derived protein based on the Inuit diet. Dr. Day said she had seen published medical data on Viviscal and believed that the studies were “well done and reliable.” Dr. Bauman said he had prescribed Viviscal for years to his patients, many of whom rave about “shinier, fuller hair and stronger nails.”

Dr. Day also endorses the LaserCap, which costs $3,000 and is used 30 minutes a day. Dr. Day described the cap as offering “specific wavelengths that produce very low heat to stimulate follicle growth,” as opposed to hair removal laser treatments, which deliver stronger amounts of energy, “like a hammer to a nail,” to the base of the follicle, killing it.

But the LaserCap is no panacea, Dr. Day said, so she encourages consulting a dermatologist who specializes in hair to explore other options and to manage patient expectations. “The problem with hair loss is that people want to go back to when they had a full head of hair, and for most it’s really a battle to grow back some of it and prevent it from getting worse,” she said. “When patients spend that amount at once on a product, they can’t help but have bigger expectations, and even if it works, they can still be disappointed.”

Cause #1: Inadequate Water Intake

Be honest: Are you getting your eight glasses of water every day? If not, what are you waiting for? Drinking water can work wonders on not just your body, but your hair, too. We all know that our bodies are made mostly of water, so if you’re still not taking in what you’re putting out through exercise and other daily activities, your hair isn’t quenching its thirst.

 The Cure: Drink. More. Water. Plain and simple. If you’re one of those people who doesn’t like the taste of good old H20, you’re not alone! There are plenty of other, tasty ways you can get your eight a day. So, drink up and watch how much shinier and more hydrated your hair will become.

Cause #2: Not Shampooing Smartly

Do you wash your hair every day? You might want to rethink that routine. Knowing when to shampoo your hair, and what shampoo to use is an important aspect of keeping your hair hydrated and healthy. Allowing your hair’s natural oils to build up for a bit will protect your hair from becoming too dry.

 The Cure: Shampoo your hair every other day with a gentle shampoo. If your hair gets oily between washes, try using a dry shampoo. This type of shampoo is super easy to use and works quite well to soak up excess oil. When looking for shampoo, don’t forget to check those ingredient lists. Some moisturizing shampoos contain harsh sulfates and sodium chloride, both will strip protective oils from your hair. And the next time you shower, keep the water cool when rinsing. Water that’s too hot will result in frizz and dryness.

Cause #3: Heavy Heat Styling

If you use a blow dryer, flat iron or other heat styling tools every day, you’re doing more harm than good when it comes to your dry hair. All of these beauty items can be convenient when it comes to styling, but taking a break every now and then will result in healthier tresses.