The influences that are within our control are largely environmental such as pollution (eg; smoking) and sun damage.

Here are 20 easy ways to reduce wrinkles and slow down the aging process:

1.    Stop smoking (It’s #1 for a reason)
2.    Always wear sunscreen whether it’s cloudy or sunny and don’t sun bake.
3.    Hydrate your skin by drinking about 8 glasses of water a day.
4.    Use skin care products that contain antioxidants and AHA’s.
5.    Moisturize the skin on your face twice daily.
6.    Reduce stress. (Try reading, exercising, meditating) 15 minutes a day is a good start.
7.    Reduce alcohol consumption. Over indulging can put enormous strain on your system and will accelerate wrinkles forming.
8.    Eat healthily by incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
9.    Sleep at least 8 hours every night.
10.   Eat fish three times a week. Great for the skin and general health.
11.   Check with your doctor about taking supplements, your diet may be lacking some of the important ones.
12.   Use an eye cream for the delicate skin around the eyes nightly.
13.   Facial scrubs remove the build up of dead cells that can increase the appearance of wrinkles, try this weekly.
14.   Use natural skin care products that will nourish your skin and give it lots of vitamins and minerals to help it stay fresh and healthy.
15.   Jojoba oil resembles the skins natural oils. Dab this around the eyes to keep wrinkles at bay.
16.   Take vitamin C supplements and use products that contain vitamin C, it will help boost your collagen.
17.   Start a good skin care routine in your 20’s. Prevention is easier than the cure.
18.   Honey is known worldwide for it’s beneficial abilities. Use a honey mask weekly. Simply apply the honey to your face and neck and leave for 30 minutes then rinse off. This mask will “feed” your skin with nutrients.
19.    Aloe Vera and Avocado oil both have the ability to prevent the skin from drying out; they are both used to improve the skins elasticity.
20.    A soothing way to help achieve a wrinkle-free face is to lie on your back with your knees elevated by placing a pillow or cushion beneath them.

Try this when you are watching TV or reading.

Here a 10 simple tips to help you with your fitness success:

1.   Get Moving.  Resolve to be active in a variety of physical activities on a regular basis that will develop strength, cardiovascular capacity and flexibility.

2.   Prime the Pump.  Resolve to participate in physical activities that involve the large muscle groups of the body.

3.   Let Your Muscles do the Work.  Resolve to lift weight or use resistant exercises to place demands and challenge your muscles.

4.   Loosen Up.  Resolve to stretch regularly – before and after or during exercise.  Remember to move your muscles through their full range of motion on a regular basis.

5.   Win the Losing Game.  Resolve to maintain your weight at an appropriate level.  If you need to lose weight, a general rule to follow is to eat less and exercise more (both in moderation).

6.   Watch What You Eat.  Resolve to eat a healthy diet.  Good nutrition equates to good health.  Good nutrition involves providing your body with the required nutrients in appropriate amounts.

7.   Chill Out.  Resolve to keep matters of your life in proper perspective.  Know what factors you can and cannot control in your life.  Don’t “stress out” over those things beyond your control.  See change as an opportunity, not a threat.

8.   Get Plenty of Rest.  Resolve to get enough sleep.  The basic guideline concerning how much sleep you need is whatever enables you to feel refreshed, alert and in relative good spirits the next day.  Sleep helps to rest and restore your body – both physically and mentally.

9.   Keep Your Focus on the Task at Hand.  Resolve to make time to exercise on a regular basis.  Consistency gets results.  Focus on the muscle you are exercising.  Don’t just go through the motions.

10. Keep in Mind that “There is no Free Lunch.”  Resolve to commit to sound lifestyle choices.  For example, don’t smoke.  Maintain an appropriate level of body fat.  Avoid the latest fitness and diet fads, magic potions and exercise gadgets that seem too good to be true (they always are).

Great news – putting your eye shadow on correctly really isn’t difficult at all. It really is just a matter of finding the right technique and look for you and your personal style. Don’t worry if it takes a few tries to get it right.

Check out these tips:

1. Always apply a base coat on your eyes just as you do to the rest of your face. Loose power works or you can apply your foundation to the eye area. It gives a nice even palette to work with.

2. Blend, blend, and then blend some more. I can’t stress this enough. Try an experiment. Blend one eye and then just use a brush and apply the other eye. You’ll instantly know what I’m talking about and you’ll never forget to blend again.

3. If you want dramatic eyes, take your eye shadow brush, dip it into water, and then into the shadow, then apply. It will give you a much deeper, dramatic color.

4. If you have blue eyes, wear purple, violet, taupe, gray, deep blue, and black. Funky colors include fuchsia, turquoise, and silver.

5. If you have green eyes, wear purple, plum, forest green, brown, and khaki. Funky colors include light green, gold, and bright purple.

6. If you have brown eyes, wear champagne, copper, brown, apricot, khaki, and beige. Funky colors include royal blue, tangerine, hand hot pink.

7. Everyone can wear navy, powder blue, and charcoal. Fun colors include silver.

8. Apply a lighter shadow in the inner corner of the eye to reflect and make your eyes look younger.

9. If you want your eyes to appear larger, use a light color on the inner corner, and a darker shade in the middle of the eye area.

10. Practice until you get the application of your eye shadow down to a science. When you get good, your make up will look more natural and more polished.

11. Apply your dark shadow only to the eyelids from the lash line to the crease in the eyelid. Apply your medium shadow from just below the eyelid crease to the brow bone.

12. Highlight along the brow bone. Doing it this way will make your features stand out naturally and beautifully.

So there you have it. With these top tips you now know how to apply your eye shadow so you will look your best.

Remember that while you’re practicing all these steps, that you should take notice of what works best for you. Practice by yourself, or practice with a friend if you find it easier to ask someone else’s opinion.

And one more thing. If you make your face more youthful looking with wrinkle creams that gives results, then any make up that you have will be so much more effective.

Whether you are going to be doing a cardio workout or a resistance workout, you should try to make it a point to eat a mix of carbohydrates and protein. What determines the percentage of carbohydrates and protein you should consume is whether you are doing cardio or resistance and the intensity level you will be working at.

The ideal time to eat your pre workout meal is 1 hour before you start. If you are working at a lower intensity level, keep this meal down to around 200 calories or so. If you are working at a higher intensity level, you may need this meal to be as high as 400 to 500 calories.

If you are doing a cardio session, you will need to eat a mix of around 2/3 carbohydrates and 1/3 protein. This will give you longer sustained energy from the extra carbs with enough protein to keep muscle from breaking down during your workout.

If you are doing a resistance session, you should eat a mix of around 1/3 carbohydrates and 2/3 protein. This will give you enough energy from the carbs to perform each set you do and the extra protein will help keep muscle breakdown to a minimum during your workout. It has been shown that your body most effectively uses protein during exertion meaning that taking in more protein before resistance workouts aids in faster recovery as well.

Now, eating after a workout is just as important as the pre workout meal. Remember that when you exercise whether it is a cardio or a resistance session, you deplete energy in the form of glycogen. Our brain and central nervous system relies on glycogen as their main source of fuel so if we don’t replace it after exercise, our bodies will begin to break down muscle tissue into amino acids, then convert them into usable fuel for the brain and central nervous system.

Also, mostly during resistance workouts, you break down muscle tissue by creating micro tears. This means that right after a workout; your muscles go into a repair mode. Proteins are the key macronutrient for muscle repair and so you don’t want muscle breaking down further to create fuel in place of lost glycogen.

If you have just finished a cardio session, you will need to consume mostly carbohydrates, preferably ones with high fiber. Oatmeal, rice, whole wheat pasta, and most northern fruits are good sources. Try to consume around 30 to 50 grams of these carbohydrates after a cardio session. After cardio, it is ok to eat within 5 to 10 minutes of completion.

If you have just finished a resistance session, you will need a combination of carbohydrates and protein. Because unlike cardio workouts, with resistance workouts you are breaking down muscle tissue by creating micro tears. The protein is needed to build up and repair these tears so the muscle can increase in size and strength. The carbs not only replace the lost muscle glycogen, but also help the protein get into our muscle cells so it can synthesize into structural protein, or muscle itself.

Chicken or fish with a potato, egg whites with a piece of fruit, or a protein shake with fruit mixed in are good meals after resistance workouts but remember to keep the fiber low here. High fiber slows down digestion, meaning the protein will take longer to reach the muscle cells.

After resistance, it is recommended to wait 30 minutes before eating so as not to take blood away from your muscles too soon. The blood in your muscles helps with the repair process by removing metabolic waste products from them.

Any fats should be consumed well before and well after exercise.

CALM gets it name from four main factors: Communication, Assist, Listen, and Modification. For the right Yoga teacher, you should be answering with a “yes” to all questions.

• Communication: Does your Yoga teacher talk to you, and other students, in a manner of mutual respect? Can you ask a question during class time?

Does your teacher show compassion for you and other students? Does your Yoga teacher take the time to lead you through a guided meditation or relaxation? Meditation and relaxation are major aspects of Yoga practice.

There are Yoga teachers who just want to get “their workout” done. Beware of Yoga teachers, who are so important, they don’t have time for you.

Some students love this air of superiority and, unfortunately, some people love abuse. If you want to learn Yoga, you need an open line of communication with your Yoga teacher.

• Assist: Does your teacher care about your form? Will your teacher give you a verbal or physical assist during your Yoga class? Are props encouraged in your Yoga classes?

Some students never have major problems with alignment and some do, but if your teacher doesn’t give verbal cues, what does that tell you?

• Listen: Does your Yoga teacher take the time to listen to your feedback? Is your teacher “in the moment” with the class?

Once in a while, there is a Yoga instructor who runs, “The-it’s-all-about-me-show.” You are not going to learn anything from this type of teaching. Beginners will be put at risk, trying to keep up with a seasoned Yoga teacher who doesn’t explain anything.

• Modification: Does your Yoga teacher allow modifications and props? If your teacher discourages props, you are in the wrong place.

Some students will need props for life depending upon their range of motion. Just because a teacher can do a posture without props, doesn’t mean every student can.

Summary: Stay away from abusive Yoga teachers, and if you are attracted to abuse, there is always professional help. Some students crave “the stern, but loving parent” types. They will push you harder, but how much pushing do you really need?

Respect is a two way street, and you deserve as much respect as your Yoga teacher does. Let common sense be your guide. You should feel good after a Yoga class, and you might even feel muscle soreness days after a vigorous class.

Make sure your Yoga teacher meets the above criteria before making a commitment.

1. Coconut oil doesn’t turn to fat in your body.

Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won’t make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT’s are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.

People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.

Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.

2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.

Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.

Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT’s burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT’s.

The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman’s World magazine stated that coconut oil is the “underground high-metabolism secret.”

This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.

3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.

Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

4. Coconut oil gives you energy.

Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT’s promote thermogenesis, which increases the body’s metabolism, producing energy.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT’s promote thermogenesis, which increases the body’s metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.

5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.

Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.

Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.

Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.

Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.

7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.

It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don’t do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.

It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.

Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won’t be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!

1.    Visit your doctor at least a month before you leave to make sure your diabetes is under control. If you need to do any stabilizing, a month will give you enough time. The same month should let your body settle down after any necessary immunization shots, so get those at the same time.

2.    Get a letter from your doctor certifying that you are diabetic, and listing the various medications and supplies you must carry with you. Without this, you might have difficulties passing through Security at airports and international border crossings.

3.    Also get a prescription for your insulin or other diabetes medication. Even though you should have enough syringes, strips and medication to last for the duration of your trip, it’s always good to have a prescription in case you lose them, they become spoiled because of extreme weather conditions, or your trip lasts longer than you original planned.

4.    Wear an ID bracelet announcing your have diabetes, and also carry a small card saying so in the local language of the places you will be visiting.

5.    Learn to express specific diabetic requirements in the local languages. Since you probably won’t know how to pronounce the words, the easiest way is to carry them on a printed card and simply point to what you want to say.

6.    Pack at least twice as much medication and supplies as you think you’ll need. Put half in your suitcase, and half in a special bag that never leaves your possession. The container for these supplies should be sturdy, preferably hard sided, for protection.

7.    Carry a sealed pack containing hard candies or glucose tablets in case irregular eating makes your blood sugar drop too low. Your pack should also contain emergency snacks, such as crackers, cheese, fruit, juice — in case you must wait too long between meals, which can happen when we are traveling.

8.    Insulin can lose its strength in extreme temperatures, so carry your supply, as well as pills and other medication, in a thermally insulated bag.

9.    Carry bandages and first-aid cream, comfortable walking shoes and protective beach shoes. Your feet neet extra special care while you’re traveling.

10.    While on your trip, check your blood sugar more often than usual. Many factors, such as fluctuating temperatures and changing time zones, can cause wild swings in your blood sugar levels. If you check often, you’ll be better able to take corrective action as needed.

11.    Finally, contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers at 417 Center Street, Lewiston, NY 14092. They can provide you with a list of English speaking doctors in the countries you’ll be visiting.

As long as you take sensible precautions to care for your diabetes, there’s no reason why it needs to stand in the way of a happy travel experience. Bon voyage!

1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children, Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure.  If there are chips, cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks, how can they succeed?  Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC, close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily — not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say, ‘Let’s be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you should limit eating. Say, ‘Let’s go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,’ not ‘Don’t eat this or that.’ Instead of saying, ‘We have to exercise,’ say, ‘Lets go to the park.’ Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair.  Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food.  Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don’t.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control, buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating.  Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables  at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping.  Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter, rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again.  Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy.  There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle.  It is important to keep trying.  Failure is certain if you are not trying.

If you are at you wits end with being woken up every hour either to the sound of your own snoring, or being dug in the back and told to “Roll Over”; or if you are the long suffering sufferer of a snorer, then read over these five tips to snoring treatment.

Snoring Treatment Tip 1

Take a look at your diet. Although this probably won’t be the complete snoring treatment answer, it is worth starting with what you’re eating and drinking. You could well have intolerance to certain foods which affects your breathing, especially when lying on you back. For example, too much (or an intolerance to) dairy produce is likely to cause you to become blocked up with mucus, when horizontal, this collects causing heavy breathing and snoring. Alcohol is another common offender.

Snoring Treatment Tip 2

Being overweight is another significant contributor. Excess weight in the neck and chest puts pressure on the breathing passage.

Snoring Treatment Tip 3

Sleep on you side or front. Now this is easier said than done, because it’s hard to control your sleeping position when you are asleep! However, there is an old trick that may be worth considering. You could sow a walnut, table tennis ball or similar size object into the back of a shirt and wear that in bed. Each time you roll on your back it will dig into you, causing you to roll back again – providing you don’t take your shirt of in your sleep.

Snoring Treatment Tip 4

Use nasal strips. I found these to be very helpful, at least to start with. Nasal strips (often used by athletes) open the air passage for you, thus removing or preventing blockages. If your desperate it’s worth a try, but the cost can add up over the days, months and years.

Snoring Treatment Tip 5

I’ve saved the best until last. Exercising the muscles in your throat, tongue and doing breathing exercises can completely cure your snoring.

But many factors can disrupt this cycle. The result can be that your hair falls out early or isn’t replaced.

A new discovery has been made in finding out what actually causes hair loss, namely: the hardening of collagen. Persons who do not suffer from hair loss have supple collagen and persons who begin showing signs of hair loss have hardened collagen. Collagen hardening interferes with the healthy functioning of the hair roots. The vital exchange process of the hair follicle cycle is disrupted and the hair becomes suffocated.

But What Causes Hair Loss?

Diet: Too little protein in your diet can lead to hair shedding. So can too little iron. Bottom line: Too strenuous dieting can result in hair loss! If you want to lose weight, do it the sensible way, especially if you have a hair thinning/loss problem to begin with.

Childbirth: Some women lose large amounts of hair within two to three months after delivery.

Hot Tips!

One great tip is after washing your hair, dry it in whatever manner you normally do. Then turn your head upside down, give your head a vigorous shake, and once back in a standing position, either “place” your hair using your fingers, rather than a brush or comb. You can also use a hair pick to style your hair. The upside down, shaking, also gives a great deal of fullness to otherwise flat looking thin hair. You’d be amazed at how creative you can be with your fingers without pulling at the root of the hair!

To protect hair, the best practice is to shampoo only when hair is dirty. Because fine hair gets dirty faster, people with fine-textured hair need to shampoo more frequently — even though fine hair breaks more easily.

For that reason, fine-textured hair benefits from a good shampoo and volume-building conditioner.