ULTIMATE HEALTH

TIPS FOR HEALTHY HAIRS

2008-07-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hair is composed of protein which in turn is made up of fibres. The main protein in hair is called keratin. Everyone’s hair is composed of different textures, shapes, styles and qualities. To decide out what product to use, it is important to determine your hair type. Once this is done, you will be able to incorporate a suitable hair care product into your daily beauty regime. The following tips for hair care, if followed, will give you nourished, manageable and beautiful hair.

Tip 1: Be Gentle with your hair
The first tip, is to be delicate with your hair. Your hair is the most fragile when it is wet or moist. Rigorous scrubbing or washing of your hair and scalp causes the majority of hair damage. Wash your hair gently, section by section in an orderly fashion. This will enable you to wash it thoroughly without damage or breakage.

Tip 2: Less is more
The 2nd tip is to avoid over washing your hair. Over washing your hair will strip the natural oils that protect and nourish the scalp and hair. Washing your hair every 2 to 3 days is usually sufficient. However, there are some types of hair that need more frequent cleaning, Korres’ range of products are gentle enough to use everyday.

Tip 3: You are what you eat
Tip number 3 is something that a lot of people fail to do. This will not just give healthy hair but will benefit your whole body. Tip number 3 is ensuring you eat a healthy balanced diet. A healthy diet will provide the nutrients and vitamins to essential to nourish your hair and prevent split ends, dandruff, or hair loss. Most of all, it keeps your hair shiny and helps it retain the moisture needed by your hair.

Tip 4: Avoid sun damage
Tip number 4 requires you to take the necessary steps to avoid UV ray exposure. UV dries out your hair strands leaving it looking lifeless and dull. When you go out in the sun or to the beach, wear a hat or a bandana to protect your hair from harmful UV rays.

Tip 5: Minimise damage
The 5th tip is making sure you deep condition your hair after colouring or using heat styling products. Many women do not realise the damage caused by hair dye or heat styling. It can cause hair loss, as it strips the hair of its healthy nutrients and vitamins. It can take a long time to rebuild and repair damaged hair. Deep conditioning re-bonds damaged hair and revitalises chemically coloured hair follicles.

Tip 6: Dry with care
Tip number 6 is to be careful with that hair dryer. The recommended distance between dryer and hair is 24 inches. Do not apply it directly on the hair as this will increase the damage done by the heat. The best option is to let it air dry naturally.

Tip 7: Have a trim
The 7th tip is to get your hair trimmed regularly. Getting your hair trimmed regularly will snip off any split ends cropping up and will promote healthy growth for your hair. Loose strands and split ends can make you look unkempt and messy.

Tip 8: Get manageable
Tip 8 is to use a light gel or mousse to keep those unmanageable strands in place to give you a clean pleasant hair style.

Tip 9: Let your hair relax
Tip 9 is to let your hair relax from time to time. This means letting it breathe by not using any styling products or tying it up in a ponytail. You should avoid hair clips also.

Tip 10: Healthy scalp, healthy hair
Tip 10 is to look after your scalp and your scalp will look after your hair. For example a head massage once a month will work wonders for your hair. A head massage stimulates your roots and improves circulation to the scalp. This promotes healthy hair growth.

It can be difficult to fit proper hair care into a busy day but these tips only take a few minutes but will make the world of difference. Choosing the right product for your hair is the first step, but that is not enough to make sure your hair is as beautiful and manageable as you want it to be.

CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS

2008-07-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

The cause of hair loss is a controversial issue and disagreement is widespread even with the so called experts. There are many opinions on the subject and even more recommendations on how to stop hair loss or at least slow it down. There are some products which are even supposed to help regrow hair, however this is also debatable and can vary between person to person.

Adrogenetic Alopecia or so called male pattern baldness can be a man's worse nightmare, everyone loses hair but lets face it men do it faster and more efficiently than women. Male pattern baldness is a natural process and unfortunately is a part of getting older; if you are between the ages of 18 - 45 and you start to lose hair from your scalp then the probability that you are experiencing male-pattern baldness is very high.

To the despair of most men we are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness and this is by far the biggest cause of hair lose in men. It also affects different groups of people to different extents. Supposedly more than 50% of white men will experience some level of male pattern baldness by the age of 50, while some other races in Asia such as the Japanese are not affected as much. Scientific research has shown that the gene for hair loss comes from either or both sides of the family, and contrary to popular belief, is not linked only to your mother's side. If your immediate family have experienced hair loss it is more than probable that you will also suffer this condition in your lifetime.

There is normally a consistent pattern in male hair loss with generally a gradual loss of hair at the temples / crown of the head and then eventually over time this leads to complete loss of hair on top of the head or in some cases all over.

DHT
Scientists believe that the male hormone testosterone or more importantly dihydrotesterone is the cause behind hair loss. DHT is produced when the enzyme 5 alpha reductase combines with testosterone. This overabundance of DHT leads to follicles that produce weaker, shorter and thinner hair and eventually over time this will cause it to stop producing hair. This DHT imbalance leads to baldness (androgenetic alopecia).
Since all of us all have DHT that is made by our bodies and only some people suffer from hair loss and others don't there must be something else at work here. This other factor is having hair follicles that have a bigger percentage of Androgen receptors for the DHT to attach to and this is the component that is passed on through the genes of your parents. Male hormones start activating when a man is sexually mature so it is rare that a male will experience hair loss before puberty.

Stress

In my own personal view and many others, stress can be a contributing factor behind hair loss, this can also be said for other many other illness we face in our lifetimes. Stress appears to be a product of modern day life, however it did exist in the past, but it would of never of had the same kind of coverage it does today due to the media age we now live in. Today's society especially in the west is so fast it is sometime hard to keep up and maybe thats why Caucasians suffer from hair loss more than other races. Our lifestyles seem to run at a furious and hectic pace and this even comes down to the way we eat food as more and more of us consume rubbish fast food at an alarming rate. Have any of you considered taking your full lunch time at work? I can tell you now that myself and the people I work with don't take there full lunch breaks and most of the time you have consumed your food within 20 minutes and you are straight back to your desk staring at your PC monitor!
Of course this is just a small factor of possible stress but work stress is definitely a big player in the overall stress you face in your life, however if this leads to your hair falling out no one can be certain, but it certainly can't help.
Among other hair loss causes there are also other factors in hair loss, these are listed below:

Injury or serious trauma
Poor diet
Environmental
Toxic substances
Medicines
Radiation (chemotherapy)
Hormonal imbalance

Possible cures
I don't believe there is a complete cure for hair loss but there are most certainly some products out there which help slow down or prevent further hair loss, some of these products even promote that they can regrow some of your hair. These products either come in the form of a pill or just a liquid such as a shampoo and some of them are claiming big successes.
First off I recommend you get diagnosed first and to make sure your hair loss is not due to any other factor other than androgenetic alopecia. If your hair loss is a natural process than I would start looking into the many products available on the net today and do some serious research about the issue.
Of course there are easier options such as wigs or if your have the money hair replacement surgery, however I believe most people don't want to or ever consider wearing a wig as its just to embarrassing or too much hassle or just doesn't work. Hair replacement treatment is also a no no for most people as it's either too expensive or they are just scared of the whole idea of taking hair from one part of your head and attaching it to another part.

STEPS TO CONTROL HYPERTENSION

2008-07-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

1. Visit your Doctor
Make the doc your first port of call. Your high blood pressure may be 'secondary hypertension', brought about by kidney problems, so going for a check up is vital.
2. Quit Smoking
As if it needed saying quit smoking asap. Smoking narrows the arteries and makes it harder for the blood to circulate, thereby upping blood pressure. It;s simple physics - narrow a tube, and it' harder for liquid to pass through.
3. Lower your salt but increase your potassium intake
Too much sodium - taken in via salt in the diet - causes fluid retention, which puts an increased burden on the heart and circulation. However, potassium - found in celery, bananas, fish, watercress, tomatoes and multimineral supplements - is sodium's worst nightmare, causing it to be excreted from the body.
4. Think calcium and magnesium
The two master minerals when it comes to keeping your heart healthy, calcium and magnesium are vital when it comes to blood clotting, regulating heart rhythm and the nervous system. Magnesium is required to metabolise calcium, hence the tendency to think of them as working together. Find them in milk, cheese, oily fish, nuts, dried apricots and supplements.
5. Go green
Too much caffeine, via coffee and soft drinks, has been linked with heightened blood pressure. If a gentle pick-me-up beverage is desired, opt for Green Tea, which is lower in caffeine, and has a whole heap of antioxidant properties to aid general health too.
6. Have hawthorn
Primitive societies used hawthorn berries for heart troubles, which is no surprise since it acts as a vasodilator, opening up the veins and arteries and thus helping the blood flow as it should rather than being under too much pressure. Long-since used by herbalists, you can also seek hawthorn out in supplement form.
7. Smell to get well
Aromatherapy has plenty of weapons in the battle against high blood pressure. Take your pick from the following: Ylang-ylang, lavender, and Clary Sage. Follow the instructions, whether it involves burning, sprinkling in baths, and feel the tension flow away.
8. Fish oils
Essential Fatty Acids, of which omega-3 is the hardest hitter, have been strongly linked to preventing heart disease and keeping circulation on an even keel. Find them in oily fish such as mackerel, herring and sardines; fish oil supplements; and flaxseed oil, which was formerly known as linseed oil and used too soften cricket bats.
9. Rutin
Rutin is a flavonoid that's extracted from various plants and trees from the Fava D'Anta tree in Brazil to Green Buckwheat in Kent. As well as functioning brilliantly as an antioxidant, neutralising cell-damaging free radicals, it's also a good anticoagulant with an ability to thin the blood, thus enabling it to flow more freely. You'll find Rutin in supplements.
10. Ginger
Rather like the impressive Ginkgo Biloba, ginger functions as a vasodilator, widening the veins in the body's extremities. It not only warms you up, but also improves the circulation and stimulates the heartbeat, making it beat more strongly. Indeed, a Japanese study involving ginger recently found that while the blood pressure was lowered, the heartbeat was slowed down...Ginger also has an anticoagulant effect. Look out for it in tea and supplements.
Remember, if you are unsure about anything mentioned above, seek appropriate advice or talk to you doctor!

HYPERTENSION

2008-07-26T00:47:00.000-07:00

One out of every four adult has high blood pressure or hypertension. Most of the time the person who has it is unaware of it. When symptoms finally do finally begin to appear, often it's too late to do anything significant about it. Of the people that are aware that they have high blood pressure, only a third of them are actively taking steps to control it. The remainder are either receiving inadequate treatment or no treatment at all.
High blood pressure is mainly a lifestyle disease. Yes, in some cases, such as pregnancy or medication, you can develop it through external means. But in the great majority of cases, you have direct control over whether you will develop hypertension or not.
It's not like Americans are not aware of the dangers of hypertension. For at least a couple of decades there have been consistent headlines in newspapers, magazines, and TV shows about its dangers. And, for a while it seemed to be doing some good. We started exercising more, taking better care of our health, and even eating less fattening foods. So, what went wrong along the way?
Well, one major thing that went wrong is that parents begin spending less time with their kids. Not intentionally, but pushed by society and circumstances.
It used to be that a family could be supported with just one person bringing home a paycheck. Maybe the other partner would work a part time job to bring in a little extra income, but the necessities of life could generally be covered by one paycheck. Then inflation took hold and all of a sudden, one paycheck was not enough and both parents had to work. Almost simultaneously, it suddenly got easier to attain credit. So you could "afford" things beyond your means. This generally meant living beyond your means and having to work still more hours to support the family.
Both of these factors equate to less time at home for the parents. What does this mean for the kids. It means that, in most cases, they no longer have a parent preparing their meals and making sure that they're eating right. It means that instead of nourishing meals, most kids grow up eating convenience foods or fast foods and TV dinners. The result? A historic increase in the number of kids with diabetes and high blood pressure problems.
Unfortunately, the main characteristic of convenience food, aside from being convenient is that they're generally unhealthy. Until fairly recently, it was hard to find convenience foods without trans fat. Fast foods also tend to be loaded with salt and other saturated fats. Convenience snacks, in particular, tend to be heavy on fats, salt, preservatives, and everything except nutrients.
In fact, one recent study estimated that nutrient challenged "junk foods" accounted for more than 25% of the Consumed diet. Many of the problems that people have with high blood pressure and hypertension today can be traced back directly to the junk foods that they ate growing up and continue to eat today.

HEALTHIER EATING

2008-07-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

GENERAL GUIDELINES
Knowing what, when, and how much to eat plays a vital role in establishing, healthy eating habits. Following these simple guidelines and maintaining an eating discipline will optimize your energy level and ability to burn calories. One of the most powerful ways to successfully change your eating habits is to keep a journal. By keeping track of your food intake and your exercise, it takes the guess work out of knowing what worked for you and what didn't. So you can easily adjust and fine tune your diet plan to your personal experiences and needs.
WHY DIET MATTERS
It shows that diet and exercise go hand and hand to promote fitness and physical performance. One reason for this relationship is that when you expend more calories that you consume, you burn body fat and built lean muscle. But since you need energy to exercise, or to do anything for that matter, you must insure everything you eat is of the highest quality to provide you with the fuel you need. Another reason that diet matters is metabolism. A nutrient rich well intervened diet program keeps your metabolism rate high to burn the maximum amount of calories, even when you not working out. A healthy diet regulates blood sugar to balance hormonal secretions, promoting optimal fat burn and a steady energy supply to the body.
WHEN TO EAT
It is important to follow a regular eating schedule. First, it keeps your blood sugar stable instead of peaking and crashing, which can lead to overheating during exercise and a generally poor feeling. Second, regular meals will speed up your metabolism by challenging it to keep burning calories, instead of storing them in a game of "feast or famine."
TOSS THE JUNK
Any time is always a good time to get rid of all the junk food you currently possess. Food high in saturated and trans fat, sodium, and sugar should be the first to be thrown out ( i.e., processed meats, cookies, candy, pastries, chips, soda, high-sodium frozen foods, canned soups etc.). You know them. You think you love them. They are the problem. Throw them away and don't get that stuff anymore. If you taking a diet plan seriously remember if you think its junk food, it probably is.
"Don'ts" that can throw you off your diet plan ¨
Skipping meals and eating off schedule. ¨ Following fads and trends, such as overemphasizing certain food groups and completely excluding others. ¨ Not planning your food choices ahead. ¨ Skimping on fruits and vegetables, your natural supply of anti aging nutrients.

CARDIO

2008-07-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Cardio training involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. It elevates the heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of the fastest heart rate you could get. Some of the usual cardio training activities are walking, jogging, running, aerobics, cycling, tae bo, swimming and rowing. Cardio training is considered an aerobic exercise as one is required to move from one exercise to another.What Are the Benefits of Training?1. Gives Energy to the BodyYou can expect more energy and higher endurance after some time of regular cardio training. 2. Prevents DiseasesOne could prevent heart diseases with regular cardio training. It is also helpful in preventing other variety of diseases like diabetes, obesity and even high cholesterol. The cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and the lungs. The low to moderated type of cardio exercises are required for people seeking to prevent diseases. Examples of these are walking, brisk walking or jogging.3. Control Your WeightWith cardio training, you are able to burn more calories. This will help one who needs to lose weight. While those who already achieved their ideal body mass, the training will make it easier to control the weight. Cardio training helps burn calories. However this generally depends on your current weight and the kind of cardio training you are undergoing. Better consult this matter with your physician or trainer, to know the proper type of training for your needs. 4. Lose Body FatsSome people do not have problem with their weights. However, there may be some excess fats that keep bothering. Cardio training will help in getting rid of those. The activities involve the movements of large muscle groups. Regularly doing the training will make you leaner.5. Get Rid of BoredomCardio training is fun. It pumps up your system. You will definitely feel more energized and on the go.Recommendations to Better Enjoy the Benefits of Cardio TrainingCardio training is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is best to do the 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are aiming for weight loss, the training must be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid going beyond 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done in a regular basis. Start now. Walk or ride the bike around the neighborhood now. Follow that aerobics video you purchased. Set a goal and follow that goal. At the same time, modify your diet too. Eat healthy food. As you increase in the fitness level, the intensity of the training must also increase. This is to have an area of variation and there should always be room for improvement. Implement this by intensifying some parts of the training. If you are into jogging or running, increase speed every 5 minutes for at least a minute or two. It is important that you challenge yourself, so as not to be stuck in a stump.Avoid doing the cardio exercises before bedtime. You will have a difficult time sleeping if you do so as the energy level of the body will stay high for sometime.If you are undergoing weight training too, do the cardio exercises right after, not before.It is best to take a snack 30 minutes before doing the cardio exercises. Do not start with training in an empty stomach. This will not help in achieving the proper momentum when you train. At the same time, avoid indulging in large meals too before exercise. Just give your body the proper supply it will need to sustain exhausting movements.It is good to do the cardio exercises outdoors. This way you can easily interact with nature and breathe fresh air. You can also simply enjoy going around the neighborhood as you get your system healthier by the minute. It is possible to make some friends among the people who also do their exercises.Be consistent and stick with the training once you have started it. This is the only way that cardio training will benefit your body and your health in the long run.

WEIGHT LOSS

2008-07-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Exercise is the best because it builds the person's endurance. As this develops, it also increases ones metabolism prompting one to burn more calories than before which results in weight loss.Studies show that there are no known side effects when one decides to exercise. The worse that can happen to a person is straining a muscle for failing to stretch or by not giving the body enough time to recuperate before engaging in another session.Teens don’t have to spend much in order to lose weight. This is because there are some exercises that can be done at home. For instance, after stretching, the person can go for a walking or jogging early in the morning thus burning a few calories. Afterwards, the teen can do some push ups and sit ups to work on the upper body and the abs.The other way that will cost a little will be by enrolling in a gym. Here, a fitness trainer can help the individual lose weight by coming up with a program that involves cardio-vascular and aerobic activity.Warm up will be running for a few miles on the treadmill followed by some weight training using the various machines.Teens who find it difficult to hire a trainer can make a workout after being taught how to use the equipment while those who have fun with many people around can join one of the classes being offered at the gym.Some of the more popular group classes are aerobics, tae bo, Pilates and yoga. The person should just check what time the classes are held since this may be scheduled at different times of the day.Those who are shy about being with other people but would still like to participate in a class can get the DVD version instead. There are a lot of these being sold in the video store or online which is just like being there and attending the real session.One of the most important things to remember while exercising is to drink lots of water. People who fail to do this may suffer from heatstroke or dehydration which is also not good for someone who wants to lose weight. Before engaging in any exercise, it is advisable to see a doctor. The mind may feel like it can do anything but if the body may say differently. The teen should just do things gradually at first and then pick up the pace with other exercises as time progresses.Engaging in a sport is another form of exercise. Running down the court in a game of basketball or football may not seem like much but it still increases one's heart rate and burns those calories.These examples just show that there are many ways how a teen can lose weight. There are people out there who sometimes need a little push to get started.

MUSCLE MASS

2008-07-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show you some muscle building weightlifting exercises that can really improve the amount of muscles that you will build. When it comes to the body, there is a lot of misinformation about properly training it. Most people don't have the slightest clue because they've heard the same generic advice that probably originated from an infomercial. I've dedicated almost a decade to training and it has been over the recent years where I've actually learned what it takes to put on muscle. I'll share a little about what I've learned with you.The first point I want to make is about your diet. The diet you have for your body sets the standards of muscle growth. If your diet is of poor quality, than you're going to have poor results. It doesn't matter how good your workout is, as long as your diet is of poor quality, your muscles just won't grow. I think the most important thing you can do for your diet is cut out all the processed foods and preservatives. There are tons of chemicals in the food you eat and I believe they slow down and hamper the process of building muscle.

When it comes to the gym, you don't need a long workout. You need intensity. Intensity causes stress to the muscles forcing them to adapt and grow. Start doing compound exercises like deadlifts, squats and bench press. I have short 7 minute workouts that are intense and I just do a few exercises. I'm drenched in sweat, but that forces my muscles to grow.

EXERCISE EQUIPMENTS

2008-07-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently changed job positions. At his previous job he belonged to a health club within a mile of his office. Now with the new position the closest one is about 5 miles away and in the opposite direction. With the high cost of gas these days he tries to avoid any extra driving if at all possible.So, because of this, he wanted to turn a portion of his basement into his own home gym. His big decision came was to decide to go with free weights using a bar to perform exercises like the bench press, shoulder press and so on, go with some nautilus equipment or just buy some dumbbells.

Since he would be working out from home in the early morning, meaning he would not have a spotter around, I told him to go with the dumbbells. I have been there where I have gone to the gym, felt really great, stronger than normal and attempt bench pressing weight I had no business trying in the first place. I think it’s a right of passage for all guys to do this, but you suddenly find yourself with a bar loaded with heavy weights stuck to your chest hoping someone will walk by to help you as opposed to make fun of you.At a fitness center or health club you can get away with this as somebody will eventually go by and help. At home, however you may not be as lucky. For this reason and a couple of others I choose dumbbells. If I ever find myself “stuck” in a movement I can just drop or lower each dumbbell individually without risk of crush my chest or other body parts.Along with safety reasons dumbbells offer a means to workout each individual arm such as doing alternating dumbbell curls or one arm bent over rows. Dumbbells give you more flexibility.Many people say that after you start increasing your weights you find yourself with a basement full of dumbbells, and that may be true. If space is a factor in your decision then look towards some incremental dumbbells such as the pro trainers or even Bowflex now offers them (although they only go up to 80 pounds per dumbbell for your stronger people).Also with dumbbells a flat bench is all your need to perform every exercise for every body part that you can think of. Dumbbells are easy to maneuver since they are so small so switching from one exercise routine to the next is a cinch.If you are looking into starting or creating your own home gym and unsure as to what kind of weights you should add, consider dumbbells. They are a good way to get started and versatile enough for you to perform any and almost every exercise that you need.

EXERCISE

2008-07-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it; there is not one person in this country that at some point hasn’t said to themselves, “I need to lose a couple of pounds.” I have seen some of the “best in shape” people even say that and of course I am thinking, “where are you going to lose it from?”

Even if you have no knowledge what so ever of working out, weight loss, exercise, fitness or nutrition, you probably know that a good exercise program will help you lose weight and that it, the exercise program, is a good thing for you.
Beyond just the normal losing weight reason to motivate yourself to get off the couch and start exercising and performing weight routines along with cardiovascular activities can benefit you in many other ways as well.

Most people look at doing cardiovascular activities as a means of torture. To think about going for a jog is like asking some people to spend an entire week with their mother-in-law. For those of you who are not married yet, that joke will make more sense when you get there.

A good committed cardiovascular exercise routine brings more to the table then just losing weight, or fitting into those pair of jeans you haven’t worn since high school. A good cardiovascular exercise routine helps build a strong heart.

Think of the heart as nothing more than a muscle in your body, albeit a very important muscle. If that muscle is weak, you will feel and be weak. If you make that muscle strong you will feel and be strong. Cardiovascular exercises help strengthen your heart. Let’s say for instance your normal resting heart rate is 60bpm (beats per minute). When you do a cardiovascular exercise you are raising your heart rate above that resting rate which means your heart is pumping faster and harder to get your blood to flow throughout your body.

Over time as you continue to exercise your heart it will get stronger and reduce your resting heart rate. This means your heart has to work even less to move your blood throughout your body. This in turn can lengthen the life span of your heart.

Just like other muscles in your body when you exercise them, they will get stronger. A strong heart has been proven to reduce various types of heart related diseases such as strokes, heart attacks, blood clots and the list goes on and on.

Even if you do not lose a pound, just look at the benefits cardiovascular exercise brings to your body specifically the heart. Here is the best part. You do not need to work yourself to near death on a treadmill to receive these benefits. You should perform an exercise that you find fun and that you will stick to.

For instance I like to ride the bike. I maintain a good pace that my heart is working harder then it would be a rest. I listen to some music while I ride to keep me going and that is my routine. I will ride the bike three times each week at twenty minutes a clip. I feel better for it and I know it is doing my heart good.

Choose an exercise that will keep you motivated and that you will have fun with. If you like to walk, go ahead and walk, just pick up the pace a bit. Find what you like and as Nike says, “Just do it!”