10 Self-Care Tips You’ll Be Happy You Followed

Normally we've heard the saying that " beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder". Some say it is there in your genes. Beauty isn’t only genetic, rather it also depends heavily on our everyday practices. Small habits can help us maintain a younger and fresher look, as long as we persist with them over time. Their effect over a period of time is great in the long run, so don’t underestimate them even if you don’t see immediate results. Here are 10 tips for keeping a youthful look that in ten years’ time you’ll be happy you followed!

1. Lift your feet above your head

During a phone call or while waiting for your food to heat in the microwave, lie on your back and lift your legs above your head. This practice will help prevent varicose veins in the legs because your blood will pump towards your head and prevent the effect of gravity on your legs - this will give the veins in the legs a little rest.

2. Apply sunscreen throughout the year

For some of you, this may sound a little strange, but applying sunscreen to your skin is important in the winter as well because, even then, the sun's rays are harmful to our skin. Studies have found that the skin of people who used sunscreen all year long aged 24 percent more slowly than those who didn’t. For the same reason, you should also wear sunglasses every season, not just in the summer, to protect your eyes.

3. Do not forget to take care of the skin on your neck 

The skin on the neck is as thin and delicate as the skin on the eyelids. It is also important to remember to apply moisturizer to your neck every day.

4. Take a bottle of water everywhere

Almost everyone already knows how important it is to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily, but not all of us do so, usually because we forget. So, just make sure to take a bottle of water with you wherever you go, whether it's in your bag or on your desk, you'll definitely drink more water every time you see it.

5. Sleep on a satin pillowcase

Have you ever woken up with wrinkles on your face from the creases on your pillowcase? Know that this is also why you wake up with wild hair, and if you use a smooth silk or satin pillowcase you can protect your skin and hair from these effects and wake up with smoother skin every day, which will eventually protect your youthful look.

6. Don’t tie your hair back too tight

Any experienced hair stylist will tell you that tying a ponytail too tight is harmful to the hair. This practice makes the hair become fragile and over time it will grow split which creates an older unkempt look even at young ages. Another tip is to use a spiral hair tie instead of a rubber band as it helps keep the hair loose even when it is tied up.

7. Keep the 2/30 rule

The simple rule says this: For every two hours of sitting on the couch doing nothing, do half an hour of exercise. Not only will this rule help you lose weight and strengthen your body, but it will also help prevent snacking that stems from boredom.

8. Use dental floss and mouthwash

Since we were children we were always told to brush our teeth twice a day, however, this isn’t enough to keep a shiny white smile. Use mouthwash and floss every day before going to bed. This will reduce the amount of plaque in your teeth significantly and help keep your teeth white, especially if you drink tea and coffee every day. Furthermore, make a point of visiting your dentist every six months. Do this, and in 10 years your teeth will still be beautiful and healthy!

9. Hold the smartphone at eye level

Plastic surgeons say that in the last 10 years they have seen more and more cases of sagging chin and neck wrinkles in people under the age of 40. This is because we’ve grown accustomed to looking down at our smartphone, which negatively affects the muscles of the chin and neck. To avoid this, just make a habit of holding your phone up at eye level, which is also recommended if you read a lot.

10. Use a headset and don’t hold your smartphone to your face

Further to the topic in the previous section, when it is time to make a phone call it’s best not to hold your phone to your face. Studies have found that smartphone screens contain 18 times more bacteria than a toilet handle in public toilets. These bacteria are harmful to your skin and can accelerate aging, so it is generally recommended that you clean it regularly with an alcohol pad.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

How to Care for the Skin Around Your Neck

The skin on the neck is the thinnest part of the body. And when people get to a certain age it begins to sag and wrinkles begin to show. It may also occur among people who do not have wrinkles on their face. Nevertheless, wrinkles on the neck make you look older. So, for a younger looking neck, anti-aging creams should be used, and it is just as important that you exercise the area before it becomes problematic. If age and gravity have already created unsightly wrinkles, there are measures you can take to make the skin around your neck look younger. Here are 7 essential steps you should follow:

 

Step 1: 

Do exercises that are specifically targeted at the neck to get rid of the wrinkly appearance. To start, you can sit on a chair, tilt your head back and stare at the ceiling keeping your eyes closed. Then, start chewing. Feel how the skin on your neck tightens. Remaining in the same sitting position, pucker your lips and try to kiss the ceiling. Finish off by sticking out your tongue as you try to touch your chin with it.

Step 2:

Be sure to always use sunscreen on your neck, as too much sun can cause aging to the skin. Facial creams are also beneficial, yet you need not spend a fortune on facial creams to avoid wrinkles, as many do not offer the same benefits for the face, that they do for the neck. So, when purchasing facial creams, look into creams that are also beneficial for the neck.

Step 3:

Practice perfect posture. Keep your head held high for the skin on the neck to automatically stretch. Then, pretend that a cord from the sky is holding your head in place. This will diminish the look of wrinkles. Avoid looking at the ground and refrain from sagging your shoulders as this position accentuates the wrinkles of the skin on your neck. If working at a desk, adjust your computer screen so that you won't have to look down at it.

Step 4:

Be sure to treat any age spots on your neck as they draw attention to the wrinkles. You may also use a lightening cream on areas that have hyper-pigmentation. High levels of glycol acid will also reduce the appearance of brown spot. Liquorice extract is another natural alternative you can use.  

Step 5:

If you are a smoker, make it a point to try and quit. Smoking contributes to wrinkles and puckers around the lips. It can also lead to neck skin looking older.

Step 6:

Exercise regularly. Opt for a healthy general exercise program that stimulates the blood circulation to all areas of the body, including the neck.

Step 7:

Maintain a healthy diet and eat foods that are high in antioxidants. Be sure to take Omega 3 supplements also as well as vitamin C and vitamin E. 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                       PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

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Secrets to Protecting Your Facial Skin

One thing is certain about our facial skin - we would love it to stay young and taught forever! However, most of us aren’t really sure how to keep it that way. The following tips will help you keep your face healthy and young, even when age begins to take its toll ... this article is definitely worth reading before getting under the knife!

1. Expensive isn’t always better

There are a lot of products in the anti-aging market, some at skyrocketing prices. That’s why it’s important for you to know, that it’s possible to achieve better results with cheap products, so give them a try first before running off to buy the most expensive the stores have to offer.  

2. Do not lose too much weight

Although diet and exercise in the gym will make you leaner and healthier, thinness will make you look older and more wrinkled, because you have less fat to fill out the creases. This doesn’t mean that you should be living it up in restaurants every day. The smartest thing to do is to maintain a balanced and healthy weight. 

3. Always sleep on your back

Sleeping on your side or stomach causes wrinkles in the face, and be sure that dermatologists always know whether you sleep on your back or not. Sleeping on your back may make you snore a bit, but at least you’ll be wrinkle-free.

4. Beware of sun damage in your car as well

The sun is particularly harmful while driving because we don’t feel it when the air conditioner is cranked up. However, the sun’s rays penetrate our car windows and reach our skin. To avoid wrinkles and other UV damage, make sure to apply sunscreen, even if you're just driving around. 

5. Don’t change cosmetics often

Many skin care products are replaced and switched out too often. The effects of most skin care products can be seen only after 21 days of use, so if you are trying to get results, especially when it comes to anti-aging products, be sure to apply the same product every day without change. 

6. Grooming your eyebrows can have almost the same effect as a facelift

Over the years, wrinkles can sometimes create the illusion of a sad or angry look, especially in the forehead and eyes. Doctors and therapists won’t recommend this treatment to you, but before you get a facelift or Botox injections to treat the problem, try getting your eyebrows groomed. Such treatment can counteract the illusion, especially if you get it done by someone professionally. A simple shape change can change your whole face! 

7. You don’t apply enough sunscreen

Many of us forget that the sun is always around. Even on days where it's cloudy, the sun is there, it's just hiding behind the clouds. To maintain facial skin, it is recommended to apply sunscreen or moisturizer with a sunscreen every day or even several times a day, depending on the amount of exposure to the sun. The sun is our skin’s biggest enemy, don’t forget.

8. A good cream can provide a similar result to surgical procedures

Surgical procedures such as eyelifts lead to distinct results, but the truth is that a cream can achieve a very similar result. The only difference is that this result is temporary and requires constant use of the cream. If you don’t want to undergo a surgical procedure, or are afraid of its consequences, keep this in mind.

9. Keep your face calm

As we get older, our skin loses its elasticity and sets into a more permanent pattern. If you frown all day, don’t be surprised if you start seeing wrinkles around your mouth. Keep your expression calm and relaxed, and your skin will also be calm and relaxed.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

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Healthy Habits Which Take Less Than A Minute Each Day !

Good health is something we all desire and do our best to protect, but with busy lives where time is often at a premium, it can be difficult to devote a huge amount of attention to looking after your well being. However, there are some quick and easy ways you can look after different elements of your health. All these habits and tricks take less than a minute to perform, yet can safeguard your health in significant ways. Try to ensure some or all of them are part of your daily routine.

1. Brush Your Tongue in Addition to Your Teeth

We all learn the benefits of brushing our teeth every day to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease, but we may overlook brushing our tongues. The back of your tongue is a breeding ground for germs, and taking just a minute to give it a gentle once-over with your toothbrush after you've cleaned your teeth could help remove all sorts of plaque-causing nasty and lingering food particles. It will also leave you with much fresher breath.

2. Stretch When You Get Out of Bed

For many of us, stretching is a natural, involuntary reaction on some mornings, but it should be something you add to your daily routine regardless. After hours lying still, your muscles need to start pumping again. It takes no more than 20 seconds to have a good stretch - extend your arms above your head, raise on to your toes and keep your body as straight as you can. You should feel the benefits pretty much straight away.

3. Use an SPF Moisturizer or Apply Sunscreen Every Day

When it's hot and the sun is beating down, we become immediately conscious of the need to protect our skin from the harmful rays and often reach for the sunscreen. However, just because it's cloudy does not mean that the sun isn't having an effect on your skin. Studies have shown that people who use SPF 15 sunscreen or a similar strength moisturizer maintain healthier, younger looking skin than those that don't.

4. Leave Your Shoes At the Door

Many people consider it polite to remove their shoes and leave them in the hallway when they enter a home, but there are plenty of us who traipse around our own house with them on before taking them off later. Try to get into the habit of leaving your shoes by the door. It's a logical tip - your shoes carry bacteria (hence the odor), dirt, lawn chemicals and allergens that you don't want to be spreading around the house.

5. Take a Break From Your Screen

Nothing puts more strain on your vision than staring at a computer screen for much of the day. If you are on your computer for a good number of hours over the course of a day, give your eyes a break by following the '20-20-20' rule. For every 20 minutes you are staring at the screen, turn your head and stare at something 20 feet (6 meters) away for 20 seconds. Your vision is too important to be messed with - protect your eyes and this technique will help you maintain your concentration levels for longer too.

6. Microwave Your Kitchen Sponge

If you were asked to name the place in your house that's most likely to be full of germs, you are likely to point to your toilet seat or front door mat. However, research has shown that the kitchen sponge is often the most bacteria-ridden item in your home. It's likely to be used on all sorts of grime and spills, and the chances are that it will also come into contact with raw meat at some point too. You should change the sponge regularly, but in the meantime, zap your sponge in the microwave for 30 seconds every day to kill unwanted germs.

7. Liven Up Your Water

Many people don't drink the recommended daily amount of water every day because they find a glass of plain old H2O a little boring. It takes less than a minute to grab a piece of fruit or a vegetable and chop off a slice to liven it up. Infuse your water with whatever you like - orange, lemon, cucumber, kiwi, strawberries, and peach are all good options and will also help quash your cravings for sugary, fruit drinks. Try to get into the habit of preparing and drinking a glass of infused water every two hours and keep yourself hydrated, while also benefiting from some of the goodness the infusions offer.

8. Manage Your Sneezes

When you have a cold, chances are that you will carry tissues around with you and sneeze into them. However, the reality is that we all sneeze pretty much every day, regardless of whether we are sick or not. Protect both your own health and the well being of others by sneezing into the bend of your elbow if you don't have a tissue on hand. Importantly, this ensures that you don't use your hands, which are likely to be unclean and spread germs. Even better, carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your bag or pocket at all times and use it after sneezing.

9. Focus on Your Breathing

Anxiety not only causes great distress at the time, but it also has a negative effect on your overall health. However, focusing on your breathing is a quick and easy way you can alleviate stress and ease your mind. Next time you are feeling anxious, take a minute to breathe slowly and deeply to help dispel the negative emotions, refresh your mind and lower your blood pressure.

10. Drink Your Milk

If you eat healthy cereals, then you need to be aware that up to 40% of the nutrients contained within them dissolve when you add milk. This means that you have to drink the leftover milk in order to benefit from the complete nutritional boost that the likes of Muesli and grain-based cereals provide.

11. Recite the Alphabet as You Wash Your Hands

This may sound like common sense, but although one of the earliest lessons we were taught in childhood is to 'always wash your hands', it's easy to slip out of the habit.  Most of us will give them a quick blast under the tap after we use the toilet or handle food, but we should also wash them when we return from any public place or outdoors - especially during flu season when germs are lurking on door handles and surfaces. You also need to wash them properly - scrubbing them for at least 20 seconds in soap. Reciting the alphabet as you wash them is one way you can make sure you do a sufficient job.

12. Hug a Friend or Family Member

Hugs are not just ways of showing affection or greeting a loved one, they are also healthy for you. There have been a number of studies that have proven the health benefits of regularly cuddling, and they have been found to be an effective stress reliever and a way to lower blood pressure. It only takes a few seconds, and you will be sharing the health benefits with the other person too (although in most situations, it's probably best not to hug complete strangers)!

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/  

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Emotions are really good motivators for healthy habit

Invoking fear about a health problem may not be enough to change behaviour, says a study that found adding a little hope to a message might make people more willing to take preventive action, the researcher says.

The findings, published online, showed that hope and self-efficacy — the belief that people can help themselves — significantly predicted intentions to take action against skin cancer, such as wearing sunscreen or protective clothing.

“With health messages, it’s not enough just to tell people, or merely educate them, you need to motivate them, and emotions are really good motivators,” said one of the researchers.

“We often think of emotions as irrational, but what our research is pointing to is that emotions can help us do the things that will keep us healthy and safe, so it’s important to understand the broad scope of emotional responses to different type of messages and messaging components,” she said.

According to the researchers, previous work indicated that while fear can grab attention and create awareness about a health problem, it might not necessarily lead to behaviours that could help people tackle the problem.

Fear and hope may work together to create more persuasive messages, the researcher said.

In the study, 341 participants, whose ages ranged from 17 to 72 years old, were recruited from an online task-completion platform.

The participants reviewed and reacted to an article about skin cancer from a web page designed to resemble a page on the health site.

The article was divided into three sections reflecting factors that can drive persuasive health messaging results, including whether a person feels susceptible to the condition, whether they believe the condition is serious — severity — and whether they believe that help exists and that they have access to that help, according to the researchers.

After reviewing the message, the participants reported on emotions they felt about the article, including hopeful, optimistic and encouraged, all emotions that the researchers considered hope states.

Self-efficacy and hope did serve as significant predictors of sun safety intentions, said the study.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.    

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