As you may know I live in Calgary and here in Calgary we have two real problems with the affects of the sun. In the Summer we have very strong sun and lots of it with long days this far noth of the equator. In the Winter time there is also lots of sun and very low humidity leading to dry skin – and lots of skiers in the mountains.

Samara Felesky-Hunt is a registered dietitian in Calgary at The Downtown Sports Clinics. Her website is at dietitian-online.com and she wrote the following article for the Calgary Herald newspaper.

Although summer is a time to get outside, the sun can leave skin looking and feeling dry and worn out. You tan it, shave it, scrub it and exfoliate it; it gets scratched, scraped and burned. It endures pimples, bites, freckles and moles, while wear and tear may show up as lines, wrinkles, blotches, spots and sags, rashes or even adult acne.

So, this summer, care and nourish your skin. Sunscreens can protect against sun damage, but a healthy, nutritious diet plays a role, too. Fill your grocery basket with foods that are good for your complexion and feed your skin from the inside out. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: acne, anti-aging skin care products, borage seed oil, calgary, Calgary Herald, dermatitis, eczema, freckles, primrose oil, Q, registered dietitian, Samara Felesky-Hunt, the Calgary Herald, vitamin a

I am not too sure how good a 10 day miracle diet is but thought I would post this diet that seems to be making it’s rounds on the internet. What do you think? Has this or anything like it worked for you in the past?

Just a note from me is that I think that this is a very short term diet, very high in veggie type vitamins and high water foods and very low calories. As they say in the end this is more like fasting more often then not and one more thing, I am not sure about so much coffee. Coffee screws with your metabolism.

The 10 Day Miracle Diet

Here, is the swiftest safe slimming program that is scientifically sound-a diet that wages lightning warfare against fat in true blitzkrieg fashion. It is a low-calorie, high-protein diet with sufficient carbohydrate to burn up fat but it contains an absolute minimum of foods furnishing fat calories since your object is to consume these from your ample corporeal reserve. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: acidosis, caloric diet, carbohydrate, coffee, dried brewer, food intake, haliver oil, haliver oil capsule, high protein diet, less food, maximum weight loss, metabolism, Mineral oil, miracle diet, oil dressings, reducing diets, snack, vitamin a

The concept of losing weight by consuming negative calorie foods might stump you, but trust me, it is not as complicated as you think. As a matter of fact, with any food your body needs to expend its stored energy to digest it before it can give back some energy to the body. Compared to ordinary foods, the so-called ‘negative calorie foods’ consume more energy from your body to digest themselves than what they supply to the body.

As a result, a calorie deficit occurs which in turn forces your body to burn your existing fat deposits so as to make up for this deficit, thereby helping you lose weight. It is really a simple concept, but the tough part is identifying the negative calorie foods.

Fortunately, you won’t have to import negative calorie foods from Mars; in fact, you may already be eating negative calorie foods without being aware of it. In order to help you select the best negative calorie foods for fast weight loss, I would offer you a free list of the negative calorie foods I highly recommend to all my readers. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: buffalo, energy, food, food suggestions, negative calorie food, stored energy, vitamin a

acai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) has been a real sensation this year with many new products on the market promising everything from weight loss, antivirus properties and even help for people with Leukemia. Earlier this year Oprah put the acai berry on the top of a list of superfoods and you know how things go when Oprah talks about them, the little Acai berry has not been safe since. To me the real story of the Acai Berry is that it is a fruit berry that has strong antioxidant abilities but lets see what we can find out about Acai Berry and your health.

What is the Acai Berry

The acai Berry fruit, a small, round, black-purple fruit is about 1 inch in diameter, kind of like a grape and grows on a very tall tree. Two crops of fruit are pare grown per year. The Acai berry fruit has a single large seed that takes up a lot of the berry. The skin of a ripe berry is a deep purple color, or green, depending on the kind of acai that it is.

The berries are harvested as food in the Amazon region of Brazil, acai palm (the tree it grows on) is incredibly important as it makes up a lot of the diet for the people in the area and is the biggest cash crop for it’s area of Brazil. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Acai Berry, amazon, Amazon jungle, Brazil, cholesterol controller, common infection, Concord, energy food, fight infection, food, food kind, Leukemia, natural remedies, north America, oil compartments, process food, Staph infections, vitamin a

Theoretically, you could get adequate protein from a strictly vegetarian diet, but practically it would be extremely difficult. For one thing, it would require the eating of huge amounts of food. Most vegetarian diets make excellent use of eggs, milk, and cheese, and to that extent are only partly vegetarian.

Animal proteins are stressed in your reducing diet for another reason. Recent knowledge indicates that Vitamin A is not always well absorbed in the form in which it occurs in green plants. Such plants, normally rated as excellent sources of the vitamin, contain it in yellow pigments of which the chief is carotene.

This does not become the vitamin until it is altered in your liver. It has been found that some persons absorb as little as 5% of available carotene; hence, though their food contains plenty of Vitamin A units, they derive no benefit from it.
Animal foods, however—eggs, butter, liver, milk, cheese —contain the true vitamin. The animal has done all the work of converting the carotene into Vitamin A, saving you the trouble. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: animal foods, animal products, cheese, Dairy product, dairy products, food, green plants, health, itchiness, milk, Mineral oil, mineral oil dressings, nutrients, nutrition, protein, reducing diets, vegetarian diet, vegetarian diets, Vitamin, vitamin a, Vitamin D

Vitamins during pregnancy are very important.

If you have ever attempted to go on any kind of diet that involved reading the information on the nutritional labels of your food you are all too familiar with the fact that those little words and symbols can start to look like Greek after a while. If you’re not a doctor or a nutritionist you probably have no idea of what Vitamin B or Folic Acid are, much less why they’re important. The first step to conquering pregnancy nutrition is understanding what you’re eating, how much you should eat, why you’re eating it and how it’s going to help your baby.

A quick note. In the following section you are going to see several mentions made about the negative consequences of overdosing on specific vitamins. You must understand that this overdose very rarely occurs because of the foods you eat. More often it is because mothers have chosen to consume extra supplements in an attempt to “help” their baby or they have forgotten to tell their physician about other vitamins and supplements they take on a regular basis.

Be sure when you go in for your prenatal appointments that your physician knows exactly what vitamins, medications and supplements (including herbal) you take, regardless of how insignificant you may believe them to be. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: anemia, anencephaly, B12 deficiency, B6, beriberi, birth defects, bread products, C, calcium deficiency, center for disease control, cough, dairy products, encephalocele, energy, folic acid, Folic Acid deficiency, food, high blood pressure, morning sickness, neural tube defects, nutritionist, osteoporosis, pernicious anemia, physician, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy nutrition, pregnancy vitamins, pregnant women, Riboflavin deficiency, spina bifida, vegetable oil, vitamin a, Vitamin A deficiency, vitamin a during pregnancy, Vitamin D, Vitamin D deficiency, vitamins and supplements

Many of us, me included have eyesite problems. I have no bad problems like glaucoma or cataracts but I have worn glasses or contacts since I was eight years old. Readers Digest has a great article of vision tips here that will allow you to imrove your vision or at least make it degrade at a much slower rate.

The good news: The most common diseases — age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), cataracts, glaucoma, and dry eye disease — are all preventable to some extent. Read on to see (pun intended) how you can get Stealth Healthy protection for your peepers. Before we go any further, we have to tell you that the first step, if you smoke, is to stop. Smoking increases your risk of cataracts, glaucoma, dry eyes, and age-related macular degeneration.

1. Mix a cup of blueberries with a cup of yogurt for breakfast this morning. Blueberries are one of the richest fruit forms of antioxidants, and a study published in The Archives of Ophthalmology found that women and men who ate the greatest amount of fruit were the least likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the leading cause of blindness in older people. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Association for Research, bilberry, blindness, car vents, cataracts, dry eye syndrome, dry eyes, Eastern Virginia Medical School, eye disease, fish-oil supplements, glaucoma, Harvard, John Sheppard, leading cause of blindness, macular degeneration, Norfolk, olive oil, Ophthalmology, potato chips, readers digest, the Readers Digest, The Archives of Ophthalmology, Virginia, vitamin a

Treatment of severe acne is something that some of us need to deal with at one time or another. Severe acne is when you have lumpy acne that does not go away and is very red. When I was younger I took Accutane to get rid of my severe acne as well as injections and drainage to get rid of my severe acne.

Drainage and Surgical Excision
Some large cysts do not respond to medication and may require drainage and extraction. Drainage and extraction, or acne surgery as it is also called, should not be performed by patients. Dermatologists are trained in the proper technique and perform acne surgery under sterile conditions. Patient attempts to drain and extract comedones by squeezing or picking, can lead to infection, worsening of the acne and scarring.

Severe acne requires an aggressive treatment
regimen and should be treated by a dermatologist.

Acne Injections
When an acne cyst becomes severely inflamed, there is a good chance it will rupture and scarring may result. To treat these severely inflamed cysts and prevent scarring, dermatologists may inject such cysts with a much-diluted corticosteroid. This lessens the inflammation
and promotes healing. An interlesional corticosteroid injection works by “melting” the cyst over a period of 3 to 5 days. As painful as this may sound I never found it to be bad at all, the needle is this and it is really good to get rid of the lumpy red zits.

Accutane
Accutane is a potent drug reserved for treating severe cystic acne and acne that has proven itself resistant to other medications. Accutane is a synthetic (man-made) retinoid (form of vitamin A) that comes in pill form. It is usually taken once or twice a day for 16 to 20 weeks.

Today, it is the most effective acne treatment available because it is the only acne treatment that works on all four factors that predispose a person to acne – excess oil production, clogged skin pores, P. acnes and inflammation. The remissions achieved with Accutane usually last for many months to many years. For many patients, only one course of Accutane therapy is needed.

While Accutane is the most effective acne treatment available, it cannot be prescribed to everyone due to a number of potential side effects, some serious. One of the most serious side effects is the potential to cause severe birth defects in a developing fetus. For this reason, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that women not be (or become) pregnant while taking Accutane. FDA regulations require women of childbearing age to take 2 pregnancy tests prior to beginning Accutane therapy and use 2 forms of birth control for 1 month before therapy begins, while taking the drug and for 1 full month after therapy. It is also important that women not breast feed during this time. Women who wish to become pregnant after taking Accutane should talk to their dermatologist and gynecologist about when it is safe to get pregnant after receiving Accutane therapy.

Other possible severe side effects that may occur while taking Accutane include:

* Severe pain in the chest or abdomen
* Trouble swallowing or painful swallowing
* Severe headache, blurred vision or dizziness
* Bone and joint pain
* Nausea or vomiting
* Diarrhea or rectal bleeding
* Depresion
* Dryness of the skin, eyes and nose
* Thinning hair

If any side effect occurs, the patient’s dermatologist or other healthcare practitioner should be contacted immediately because some of these side effects can lead to serious health problems.

While taking Accutane, patients are regularly monitored for side effects through follow-up visits. For most people, these side effects are tolerable and not a reason to discontinue therapy before remission is achieved. However, it is important to keep appointments for follow-up visits because monitoring can reveal conditions that a patient might not notice. For example, a patient may not realize a rapid increase in bad cholesterol that is detected through a blood test.

The decision to use Accutane should be made jointly by patient and dermatologist. When used with all due caution under close medical supervision, Accutane can resolve severe acne that has not responded to other therapy. It has proven especially effective in resolving cystic acne, a severe form of acne that usually does not respond to other therapies.

For a substantial number of patients, one course of Accutane therapy is all they will ever need. A small number of patients require more than one course of Accutane therapy to control severe acne.

It is important to take Accutane as prescribed even if the skin clears before all of the pills have been taken to prevent relapse. At the end of an effective course of Accutane therapy, all or most of the acne lesion will have cleared. Patients may notice residual erythematous (reddish) macules (flat spots) where acne lesions were present. These macules are not scars, and they will fade in 6 to 8 weeks.

After therapy, patients should continue to follow the Skin Care Guidelines for People with Acne.

Antibiotic pills
Oral antibiotics have been a mainstay of therapy for severe acne for many years. Like topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics work to reduce the P. acnes population (a contributing factor in acne), which, in turn, decreases inflammation. Treatment with oral antibiotics usually begins with a high dosage, which is reduced as the acne resolves. Over time, the P. acnes bacteria can become resistant to the antibiotic being used to treat it. When this happens, another antibiotic can be prescribed. Numerous studies support the effectiveness of the following broad-spectrum oral antibiotics that are used to treat acne in the United States: doxycline, erythromycin, minocycline and tetracycline. For information about each of these oral antibiotics, see Prescription Acne Medications.

Birth Control pills
Birth Control pills have been shown to effectively clear acne in women by suppressing the overactive sebaceous glands. Oral contraceptives can be used as long-term acne therapy; however, this medication should not be prescribed to women who smoke, have a blood-clotting disorder, are older than 35 or have a history of migraine headaches without the advice of a gynecologist.

Spironolactone, a synthetic steroid, may be used in combination with birth control pills to treat acne in adult females. Spironolactone inhibits androgen production. Side effects include irregular menstruation, breast tenderness, headache and fatigue

Are these tips all you need to prevent acne? If not you should be interested in a proven method to rid you of your acne. Then read my review of a best acne cure. Another great product I have reviewed is Acnezine.

Tags: accutane, acne, Acne Treatment, acne_cures, antibiotics, birth control, birth defects, blood-clotting disorder, cyst, cysts, diarrhea, dizziness, drainage, excess oil production, gynecologist, headache, healthcare practitioner, inflammation, joint pain, migraine headaches, nausea, Oral, Oral contraceptives, pain, scars, surgery, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, United States, vitamin a, vomiting

Acne is a disorder that causes outbreaks of skin lesions commonly called pimples. It is caused by the skins oil glands making too much sebum, an oily substance, which leads to plugged pores. It also can be caused by the rapid production of a bacteria P. acnes.

Acne lesions occur mostly on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. It is the most common skin disease. Although acne is not a serious health threat, severe acne can lead to disfiguring and permanent scarring.

How does acne affect women?
Most young women and men will have at least a few pimples over the course of their lives. But acne seems to affect men and women in different ways. Young men are more likely to have a more serious form of acne. Acne in young women tends to be more random and linked to hormone changes, such as the menstrual cycle.

As women get older, acne often gets better. But some women have acne for many years. Some women even get acne for the first time at age 30 or 40.

For many women, acne can be an upsetting illness. Women may have feelings of depression, poor body image, or low self-esteem. But you don’t have to wait to outgrow acne or to let it run its course. Today, almost every case of acne can be resolved. Acne also can, sometimes, be prevented. Talk with your doctor or dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in treating skin problems) about how you can help prevent acne and if treatment would help you.

To find out about the the best acne treatment read my review.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: accutane, acne, Acne Treatment, acne_cures, acne_no_more, acne_treatments, active disease, antibiotics, best_acne_treatment, birth control, birth defects, cysts, depression, Dermabrasion, email marketing software, epilepsy, excess oil, fatigue, hair care products, headache, irritation, itching, laser, laser surgery, oil, Oral contraceptives, overactive oil glands, Photodynamic therapy, pus, rosacea, scars, skin cancer, skin disease, skins oil glands, spironolactone, sports equipment, sunburn, surgery, upsetting illness, vitamin a

A new way of losing those extra pounds is not by starving but rather by eating certain special foods which help a person burn fat by boosting his metabolism. Such foods are also known as ‘weight loss super foods’. One such super food is the acai berry. It is being cultivated in the forest of Amazon for centuries and the natives have been using it for thousands of years to cure digestive problems, insomnia as well as to take care of their skin.

Very recently however, it was discovered that acai berry also enhances a person’s metabolism, thereby helping him burn fat. In this article I will go into more detail regarding this. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: amazon, Berry Do, Berry Indeed Help, cancer, energy levels, food, insomnia, vitamin a