Lifestyle Choices

Life, the biological chain that holds our parts together, is only as strong as its weakest vital link..

You are as young or as old as your smallest vital links—the cells. The aging begins when your normal process of cell regeneration and rebuilding slows down. This slowdown is caused mainly by the accumulation of waste products in the tissues, which interferes with the nourishment of the cells. Each living cell is a complete living entity with its own metabolism. It needs a constant supply of oxygen and sufficient nourishment. (more…)

With intrinsic biological aging, the skin’s outer layer is thinned (over time by about 20 percent). The surface of the skin remains smooth. The border between the epidermis and the dermis becomes flattened, making the skin less resistant to friction (you get more blisters in snug shoes!). In contrast, extrinsic photoaging causes a thickening of the outer skin layer, with up to 50 percent more cells being accumulated onto the skin’s surface, making it feel rough and dry. Think of the grainy, thickened skin on the backs of the hands of a gardener, for example. With photoaging, accumulation of pigment in the basal cells is more markedly irregular than in intrinsic aging, causing the so-called “liver spots” or “age spots” (medically called solar lentigos), the unattractive dark spots especially prevalent on the hands, arms, face and chest. (more…)

In common with all other life forms, the human body goes through a natural cycle of decay. This normal deterioration is inevitable, but need not necessarily be uncomfortable. Discomfort and a poor quality of life mean that ageing is taking place too quickly. Ageing is a process; being old is a sentence. The ageing process should be like of brandy: the better the ageing process is managed, the better the end product. (more…)

You will notice at the base of the fingers that it says “ears” and “eyes.” With your right thumb, press on the pad just about where the fingers join your left hand. Use a press-and-roll motion here as you search out tender spots. When you find a sore spot, keep working it for a few seconds to release a flow of electrical life force into the congested area, thus giving nature a helping hand in healing whatever the malfunction might be. (more…)

You have a general idea of how each part of your body has a corresponding reflex located in the hands and fingers. In explaining how to work the various reflex points and their coinciding areas in the body.

We will start with the top of the thumb and fingers, and work the reflexes corresponding to the head. Then we will progress to the rest of the hands, explaining the reflexes and body areas as we go. (more…)

You Are Not Alone

Many teens suffer from depression, therefore you are not alone. There are effective treatments and hence no depression is a hopeless case. You need to be patient with yourself. It takes time for the mind to heal just as it takes time for the body to heal. Wishing that the depression will disappear is not going to work. It will not go away immediately but it will, eventually. Continuing with treatment and therapy will ensure that that day will come even sooner. In the meantime, try to relax yourself, sort out your feelings and thoughts, and allow your mind and emotions to recover. (more…)

Giant brown birthmarks may sometimes cover a large area of the body or the face and neck and cause a great deal of distress. Unfortunately simple excision is rarely the answer as the brown pigment usually extends deep into the skin. A skin graft may be necessary.

Removal of Brown Birthmarks

To remove the unsightly pigmented area with the best cosmetic results possible in each individual circumstance. (more…)

When I was a child growing up in Portsmouth, the naval town on the south coast, and we saw someone who was grossly obese, my mother would say pityingly, in a knowing stage whisper, ‘Trouble with their glands, dear.’ In those days Portsmouth was full of sailors of all nationalities and anyone who was very fat was unusual. Now, when I go back to my home town forty years later, the sailors have all gone and people who are very overweight are so common as to be unremarkable. The attitude to these heavyweights has also changed. They are no longer the subject of pity, but of a kind of loathing. Fat today says greedy, slothful and self-indulgent. As I will show you, hormones and obesity and intimately bound together. Trouble with your glands is indeed part of the obesity equation, including a gland that has only in the last decade been discovered to be secreting hormones — fat itself. (more…)

Actinic keratoses(AKs) are flat or slightly raised, sometimes red, scaly patches which appear on the background of sun-damaged skin — especially on the face, the scalps of balding men, the backs of the hands, arms, chest and back. Since they are rough to the touch, AKs are often more easily diagnosed by feel than by observation. They are especially prevalent on fair-skinned people who continue to develop AKs even long after discontinuing sun exposure. AKs are pre-malignant skin growths that can develop into squameous cell carcinomas. They must therefore be treated straightaway, either by cryosurgery or chemotherapy using Effudex (5-fluorouracil) or Actinex (masoproco) cream. These creams cause the skin to become markedly inflamed for at least one week, but there is also some decrease in wrinkles as a bonus! (more…)

Moles(nevi) are collections of nevus cells derived from the pigment- producing melanocytes. Almost everyone has at least one nevus, which can be flesh-colored, brown or bluish-black. Some are flat (Junctional), some slightly elevated (compound), and some dome-shaped (dermal). Nevi occur in about one percent of all newborn babies; the number of nevi increases in childhood. The size and pigmentation may increase throughout life, especially during puberty, pregnancy, with oral estrogens such as the Pill, and after sun exposure. Although some women such as Elizabeth Taylor are known for their distinctive “beauty marks”, many moles are unattractive or irritating, and others may change in appearance. These should be removed for microscopic examination. (more…)

While drinking plenty of pure water will help to keep your skin hydrated and facilitate the release of toxins, you can also take advantage of the purifying benefits of water externally through the use of saunas, steams, and special cleansing baths. A daily bath or shower removes surface perspiration and toxins. But you don’t want to dry out your skin or upset the natural protective acid mantle. Use gentle vegetable oil soaps and lather up only where you absolutely need to. A thorough scrubbing with warm water and a loofah or rough washcloth is all you need over most of your body to remove dry skin cells and refresh your skin. Be sure to install a water filter on your shower if your tap water is chlorinated. Your skin and your hair will be much softer and you won’t be absorbing chlorine, which is a potent toxin. (more…)

Regardless of income, background or lifestyle, modern women have no excuse for being badly groomed. We can all transform our appearance simply by bothering to attend to details — and a little regular care and attention doesn’t take as much time as you might think. Here are some guidelines.

Hair

Clean, conditioned and well-cut. Individual needs obviously vary but, at minimum, have your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks. (more…)

Proper cleansing can be the most important part of your skincare routine! Not only is it absolutely necessary to get your face clean without irritating your skin (often a delicate balance), but you can also treat your skin by the way you wash and the soap or cleanser you use. Your bath or shower can be your best friend, your greatest indulgence and your most important key to excellent health and a great, young appearance.

Getting the product right!

Your skin is by nature slightly acidic (with a pH of about 5.5). Until recently, most soaps and cleansers were the opposite — slightly alkaline. The result was dry skin! With advances in cosmetic chemistry, no longer do you have to choose from only harsh, alkaline products. (more…)

In the busy lives we lead today, people often shower rapidly. We can benefit greatly, however, from the luxury of relaxing in a bath. This time can be a real beauty treatment — for your face, your body, and your soul! To get the most out of your bath or shower and to appreciate these relaxing minutes of your day, here are some suggestions:

1 The ideal temperature for showering or relaxing in your bath without becoming drowsy is about 95°F (35°C). The steam is very good to open the pores of your face for a thorough Cleaning. (It’s also therapeutic if you have a cold with congestion.) (more…)

Allergic reactions

A potential recipient of bovine collagen implant must first be tested for possible allergy to the substance. The test is simple: a small amount of collagen is injected painlessly into the forearm through a tiny needle. The dermatologist examines the area tested a few days later, and again after a month. Almost everyone allergic to collagen shows a reaction within two days — an itchy, red bump appears at the site of the pin-prick. A few people might not show a reaction for up to four weeks. (more…)

There are two types of sweat glands. The eccrine glands which are most numerous on the palms, soles, and forehead, and the apocrine glands which are in the armpits, anogenital area, nipples, eyelids, ear canal (secreting ear wax) and around the belly button. The apocrine secretions are regulated by sex hormones that activate at puberty and decline with old age. It is the apocrine sweat which breeds the bacteria that causes body odor, explaining why pre-adolescents and the elderly usually suffer less from this problem. (more…)

The activities of the body-mind are engendered and maintained by the vibrations of the environment. Certain vibration frequencies are picked up by our sense organs. Colors, light, sounds, and the resistance of matter are manifestations of the same energy, segments perceived in a continuous range of waves.

We are sometimes conscious of these phenomena, and sometimes not. The same can be said of the waves picked up by our skin, the palms of our hands, and the soles of our feet. Not all human beings pick up energy in the same way, because many receive vibrations from the environment badly or incompletely. (more…)

GoreTex is a synthetic material composed of interconnected fibrils of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). You may recognize Gore- Tex as the lightweight fabric used to make insulating ski jackets, but GoreTex fibers are even more interesting as surgical implants. They have been used for almost 30 years as surgical vascular grafts and more recently for implants in the skin.

GoreTex patches can be placed just under the skin of the nose to give a smooth profile to previously unaesthetic indentations, and can be threaded under the deep folds between the nose and the mouth to smooth the grooves. (more…)

Most people who are plump are jolly and good natured. They are pleasant and easy going and not at all hard to get along with—until perhaps they take it into their heads to begin to reduce! Most of them are full of alibis and reasons for their extra weight. Except in rare cases there is only one reason why any of them are plump and well padded. They just love to eat! (more…)

Meditation has been practiced for centuries in many spiritual traditions as a way of purifying the mind. Basically, meditation involves quieting the mind so that the mental chatter that fills your waking consciousness can be stilled, if even for a moment. Through quieting the mind, you cultivate a sense of calm, and come to know yourself in a deeper way. Meditation helps you to become aware of habitual patterns of thinking so that you can make better choices about how you are living. Meditation is an excellent way of relieving stress, because when the mind is calm, the body naturally follows. Many people experience feelings of deep peace and clarity through meditation. Experiment with the different meditation techniques that follow and find those which appeal to you. (more…)