Skin Calling: PurePlant and Vitamin Topical Solutions for Youthful Skin

In today's busy, stressful and at times rat race world, women and men are aging before their years. The next time you reach for that cigar or ette, try reaching for your skin care regimine instead. It not only satisfies your hand to face auto-reflexes but it satisfies your oral fixations as well. You'll be smiling alot more and probably kissing more face!

Antioxidants:
Scientists believe we all can prevent disease and aging by attacking the issues (or tissues) at the cellular level. Serial, these guys know what they are talking about. They truely know more than anyone else on this planet. This is their life... scientific research. Day-in and day-out. Many hours, months and years are spent in their laboratories. What they find most and report in their findings are the need to focus on health, wellness and the preventative measures (avoiding all costs)and are winning the battle on degenerative diseases. Simply, they know the answers to fighting and detroying the free radicals (harmful cellular by-products) we face on a day-to-day basis.

No matter what you do or don't do, they get ya. Those damn freebies! Scientific research has proven that antioxidants provide a very effective and powerful tool to our on-going beauty system. As we age our metabolism's slow down and so do our renewal of healthy cells. Old and dead cells slowly build up. Vitamins and nutrients become vital necessities. You will see Vitamin-C in many skin and beauty products on the market today. ie: Lancome'Paris. The Make-Up of France are one of the first to add Vitamin-C to their product lines and famous brandings. True product knowledge.

Enriched Pure-Plant Extracts:
Everyone would like a life full of enrichment. Start enriching your life, today. Really, Who faces your life every day? Your face. So take care of it. Now. Or at whatever age you are. It's never too late. The natural flower botanicals, leaves and olive oils of pure-plant extracts when combined with the above antioxidants is purely perfected skin.

Exfolliating Loofah Gloves:
Imagine embarrassing acne most of your teen years and it's still hanging around in adulthood? Yikes! You have to try these gloves out. They are softer on your skin then the spa's (rough and ready) versions and you can do it at home every night. Loofah Gloves are designed with a special mesh material that grooves and gets under all your different facial cells and fine lines removing dead cells and rejuvenates your skin like new. Kiss acne good-bye, forever.

Hydrating Toners & Perfecting Cremes:
1+1=2. Daily vitamins and nutrients inside you, plus vitamins and nutrients outside you equals total beauty in and out. Revolutionary dermal products can both soothe and hydrate plus moisturize, soften and combat harsh environmental effects.

Gina Bucci has finally found success in beautiful skin. Living at the beach for 30 years she has learned there is way more to do for your face then sunscreen! Gina highly recommends: Sense'~ Beautiful Science! All natural products. Order Sense' Today and Look Hella Good Tommorow! http://www.olivegrapes.usana.com

7 Safe Suntanning Tips Tan Without Burning

Sunburn prevention is critical even if you?ve already been burned. Maybe it?s too late to take back the damage you?ve done, but you can at least avoiding doing it again or making the burn you currently have worse.

7 Safe Sun-Tanning Tips

Keep tabs on the daily UV index. It ranges from 1; the weakest ? to 11; the strongest which gives you some idea of how intense the sun will be and how much you should limit your exposure to the sun. Check your weather forecast before you go out.

Even if you use a high-SPF sunscreen, you can still get burned. Start slow with a short time in the sun and see how it goes from there. Consider first building a base tan by going to the tanning salon.

Some medications will make you sensitive to the sun, so check with your doctor if you are on any prescriptions. You may need to stay out of the sun or have your script changed. Also keep in mind that children under six months of age should never be exposed to extended sun or have sunscreen applied to them.

The SPF (sun protection factor) of your sunscreen should be no less than 8, but higher is better. Don?t forget to put sunscreen on evenly and apply it with extra care to places that are not normally exposed to sun.

Re-apply your sunscreen if you go in the water or begin to sweat. Follow the directions on the bottle carefully and reapply every few hours.

If you wear sunglasses, choose lenses with UV protection as the sun can damage your eyes. If you don?t like the tan lines they leave, protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat or sit under an umbrella.

Tanning will dry your skin making moisturizing very important. Aloe works well and also cools the skin. Cocoa butter is said to also work well while preserving a tan. Gently exfoliating with a sugar scrub or a loofah can help keep your skin looking smooth and feeling silky.

If you get burned, stay out of the sun. Even with sunscreen on, more exposure can aggravate the burn. Today there are many remedies to help sooth a burn and a little experimenting can help find the one that works best for you.

Mark Gebbia explains many sunburn treatments at the web's best place for getting rid of stuff: HowToGetRidOfStuff.com

The Biggest Muscle Mass Gain Myths Exposed

Performing low repetition/heavy weight workouts will enable you to build muscle mass, however they will only do so for a very short period of time. The reason is that your body is always striving to maintain homeostasis, other wise know as the status quo, or to remain the same. Your body is not interested in building muscle mass, and in getting bigger and stronger, your body is interested in survival and in avoiding change. In order to do this your body has developed many mechanisms that allow you to quickly adapt to a host of possible stimuli?s and stresses. So by repeatedly performing low repetition/heavy weight workouts, your body will quickly adapt to this form of stress, and as a result stay the same.

Therefore, in order for you to prevent your body from adapting to the weight training you are performing, and in order to keep yourself growing and getting stronger, you must provide an ample amount of variety to your training. However, you can?t just go to the gym and do anything as long as it is different from what you did the last time you where in the gym, the variety must be cycled into your training while adhering to a system. Your system of training should incorporate such training concepts as cycling of repetitions, percentage training, your individual workload capacity, exercise selection, total number of sets, intensity techniques, body part split, and recuperation. And remember above all MAXIMUM VARIETY BUILDS MAXIMUM MUSCLE MASS.

Muscle Mass Myth # 2: Basic exercises only

Yes the basic exercises, like the bench press, squat, dead lift, military press, barbell curl and close grip bench press, etc will definitely help you to pack on muscle mass, but that doesn?t mean that they are the only exercises that you should perform to gain mass. You need a complete and balanced training program in order to really do the job and make you grow. What makes you grow is applying stress in the form of weight training at the proper work load capacity for your body. This requires more than just a bunch of basic exercises constantly repeated over and over again. What I suggest is a more balanced approach for getting big. Structure your training around the basic exercises. For example bench, however don?t stop there, follow that up with 1 or 2 more exercises that work you?re chest, just that they do so in a different manner. And rotate these other exercises, chose a different exercise to perform for your chest after you bench press for each chest workout. Therefore, by keeping the bench press first in your program you will ensure that your training is structured around a basic exercise, and by following it up with 1 or 2 other exercises that you will rotate each workout, you will be providing the variety that is necessary to continuously stimulate your muscles and make you grow.

Muscle Mass Myth # 3: Protein, protein, protein

Just upping your protein intake so that you are consuming massive amounts of protein is yet another muscle mass gaining myth, and I?ve heard other so called expert?s state things like ?only protein can build muscle, carbohydrates and fats can?t?, well I?ve got news for you buddy, your dead wrong and here?s why: As stated in the Merck Manual which is a physician?s reference, ?carbohydrates and fat spare tissue protein. Unless sufficient nonprotein calories are available from dietary sources or tissue stores (particularly of fat), protein cannot be used efficiently for tissue maintenance, replacement, or growth. What this means is that if you just go and up the amount of protein that you are consuming each day without paying attention to the amount of carbohydrates and fats that you are consuming each day that your body may not use that protein for muscle growth. In addition, Water intake is also vital for protein absorption and muscle growth. Protein will retain 9 parts of water to form tissues, and build muscle. So if you are going to increase your protein intake, you had better make sure that you also increase your water intake so that all of that extra protein will be properly digested and absorbed in order to build muscle.

Muscle Mass Myth # 4: Eating 8-10 times per day

Unless you really are that hungry, that often, eating 8-10 times per day is just one step shy of lunacy. I say this because unless your appetite really is that big, your body couldn?t possibly need or use that much food. And as a result of consuming so much food, you are either going to get fat or even worse sick. So what?s the best way to eat to build mass? Quite simply you need to increase the total amount of calories that you consume each day. This can most easily be accomplished by choosing to eat foods/drink liquids that are denser than the foods/liquids that you are currently eating/drinking. In this way, you can eat/drink the same serving size of food/liquid that you are currently eating/drinking, but now you can get more calories. For example if you typically drink a can of soda like Coke or Pepsi with your lunch this will provide you with approximately 150 calories. Now if you switch and drink a can of Sunkist, the same serving size is approximately 220 calories, that?s 70 calories more for the same amount of liquid. If you apply this principal to the rest of what you eat and drink each day, you can easily find ways of increasing your caloric intake by at least 400-500 calories per day, while still consuming the same serving sizes of food/liquids. This addition in the total amount of calories you consume each day will enable you to keep gaining muscle mass without getting fat or getting sick.

If you would like to read more articles by this author and view his workout programs please visit: http://www.questformuscle.com

Joseph Krachenfels is an ACE certified fitness expert with over 20 years of bodybuilding experience. He holds a B.S. degree in Exercise Science and Nutrition and is now working towards an M.D. degree. He has competed in numerous natural bodybuilding competitions over his career. Currently, he trains models and athletes who are able to attain world class results using his customized training protocol. He is also one of the founders of a personal fitness website http://www.questformuscle.com

Serious Skincare

Serious skin care vs. winter weather, cleansers, and stress. Serious skin care fights the moisture stolen from skin. The latest intensive creams are like dryness police, working night and day to protect and replenish.

When it comes to moisturizers, they can be too rich or too thick. Serious skin care goes well beyond cold cream and petroleum jelly, today's skin care products are remedies for dry skin and are packed with sophisticated ingredients. Now, natural skin care companies think they have fixed the final frontier, the ten-ply cashmere of hydration: super rich, long-lasting, and ultra-healing.

Dry skin is a probably the most common complaint. In a recent survey, 60% of a sample of women cited it as their top serious skin care concern, even ahead of wrinkles. Over 70% said their body was dry in winter and 40% said it was their face (vs. 34% and 15%, respectively, in the summer).

Since the 1970s, scientists have reported a global rise in the frequency of dry skin. Nobody knows why for sure. Part of the answer is linked to the increase in people's exposure to chemicals, pollution, and acid rain. Our hydration expectations have shifted from flawlessly powdered, matte skin to more realistic dewy complexions.

Serious skin care experts also state dry skin is a topic that is commonly discussed. There is no standard definition for the condition. Even if you recognize it only by its symptoms: scaling, tightness, lines, irritation, and itchiness. The immediate cause is a disturbance in the skins outermost layer, which is made up of skin cells and lipids, fatty substances that help maintain moisture in the skin. When the balance of lipids get upset, the skin loses water, and skin cells, normally shed unnoticed, accumulate as white flakes.

Serious skin care experts say many dry-skin sufferers inherit the condition, but stress can also be a trigger. In a recent study, researchers found when people reported high anxiety levels, their skin's permeability barrier (which retains moisture and repels irritants) was slower to recover after tape was applied to their skin and ripped off. The sale of specialty skin care products exploded when the study was understood.

Age is another cause of dry skin, since lipid levels decline over the years, especially when levels of estrogen drop during menopause. While teenage girls need to moisturize infrequently, the skin's need for lubrication asserts itself a decade later. A client of a skin care products company says, My roommate in college would moisturize after every shower, and I remember thinking she was like an exotic dancer, always having to oil herself.

The environment, including harsh winds, sunlight, and central heating also removes moisture from the skin. But the real harm comes from Americans' increasing indulgence in their favorite daily ritual. Younger women often shower two or three times a day, using harsh cleansers (and not moisturizing). The body just can't take it. Soap strips away lipids, and if lotion is not applied after a shower, evaporating water causes a rapid loss of moisture from within the skin. Not only is dry skin unappealing and itchy, but as its condition deteriorates, the skin become more vulnerable to bacteria, allergens, and chemicals. These, in turn, worsen the problem, causing the skin to relinquish more water and repair itself less and less effectively. IHD brings you Also with calming botanicals, DNA restorative enzymes, and age-fighting Gen III ingredients from advanced bio-technology. Also blended are the latest free-radical fighting vitamins and botanicals (vitamins A, D. B, and C, Japanese green tea extract, ginko biloba extract, and echinecea purpura).

This article is brought to you by IH Distribution, LLC.

Bringing you health, anti-aging and skin care products from around the world. Shop online: www.ihdistribution.com & www.ihd.myarbonne.com or contact us: sales@ihdistribution.com

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Coping With Autism Support For Families

Based on the U.S. Department of Education?s 2002 report to Congress on IDEA the number of students with autism in U.S. schools has increased by 1354% in an eight-year period from 1991-1992 to 2000-2001 (as cited by the Autism Society of America, 2003). This increase is almost fifty times higher than all disabilities (excluding autism), which has increased in the U.S. by 28.4%. From 1991-1992 to 2000-2001 school years, the number of students with autism that are being served under IDEA has increased from 5,415 to 78,749 respectively (as cited by Autism Society of America, 2003).

According to the Center for Disease Control in 2001, autism affects an estimated 2 to 6 per 1,000 individuals and it is the most common of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (as cited by the Autism Society of America, n.d.). Based on these statistics, it is estimated that 1.5 million Americans are believed to have some form of autism (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Autism has been found to affect all races, cultures, socioeconomic statuses, and educational backgrounds (Autism Society of America, n.d.). This rate of growth in autism not only signifies a need for more professionals to be trained to teach individuals with autism, but the need for increased training and support for families of children with autism. Parents of children with autism are coping with a considerable amount of stress and an overwhelming amount of information about the disability. Families of children with autism can benefit from support from professionals, other family members, and society, in order to manage the stress effectively.

Parents of children with autism take on many roles in their child?s education. They must first recognize and pursue a diagnosis for their child. Once an accurate diagnosis is made, they must find a suitable program and services for their child. Parents need to also act as teachers in the home so that their children learn to generalize skills in the home that they are taught at school. In order for parents to be effective teachers, they need to have specialized knowledge, skills, and information about the efficacy of different treatment programs (Educating Children with Autism, 2001). Because parents are also advocates for their child, they need to have knowledge of special education law and the available services. Due to the stress level of raising a child with autism, parents need coping skills (National Academy Press, 2001). According to a study by Gallagher, (as cited by National Academy Press, 2001), the multiple roles of the parent as teacher, advocate, loving parent, and family member can be extremely demanding for parents.

In 2000 Nissenbaum, Tollefson, and Reese (as cited by The National Autistic Society, n.d.), studied the impact of an autism diagnosis on families. They found that parents actually felt relieved at having an explanation for their child?s unusual behaviors (National Autistic Society, n.d.). The diagnosis alleviated concerns that they were doing something wrong (National Autistic Society, 2000). As with other parents of children with disabilities, many parents or children with autism go through a grieving process after receiving the diagnosis of autism.

Based on research, the education of children with autism is a source of a great deal of stress for many families. Research conducted by Holroyd and McArthur in 1976 and by Donovan in 1988 (as cited by the Autism Society of America, n.d.) found that parents of children with autism experience greater stress than parents of children with mental retardation and Down Syndrome. This stress may be a result of the maladaptive and antisocial behaviors a child with autism may exhibit (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Because individuals with autism often have difficulty expressing even basic wants or needs, parents may feel frustrated when they are unable to determine the child?s needs (Autism Society of America, n.d.). The child with autism may exhibit frustration through self-injurious behaviors, aggression, or tantrums that threaten the safety of others (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Parents may feel that the stereotypic or self-stimulatory behaviors (ie: hand-flapping, tapping, lining things up, perseveration on an object), of their child with autism are strange and interfering with functioning (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Because children with autism usually have severe deficits in social skills, such as playing appropriately with peers, parents may find themselves stressed with finding appropriate leisure activities for the child at home (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Some children with autism have difficulties sleeping and may only eat limited food items, which causes another source of struggle for parents (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Family dinners may be disrupted or shortened and bedtimes may be interrupted. Sleep deprivation is common in both the child with autism and the parents of the child. Society reactions can also have a major impact on family stress and may cause the family to avoid community outings or family events (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Families may not go to family get-togethers because the child has difficulty interacting with others (Autism Society of America, n.d.). Families are sometimes embarrassed around extended family members and may have difficulty relating to other family members.

Another stress for parents is learning about all of the methods and strategies to teach children with autism. They must learn about these methods so that they can help to determine an appropriate educational placement for their child with autism and so that they can be active members in the IEP process. There are currently many treatment approaches and strategies to teach children with autism. Current methods include Applied Behavior Analysis, Discrete Trial instruction, Picture Exchange Communication System, TEACCH, Floortime, RDI, Social Stories, and Sensory Integration. Once strategies are determined, using some of these methods has potential to reduce family stress and enhance the family?s quality of life. Because many children with autism have difficulty generalizing skills, it is extremely important for parents to carry over the child?s skill training from school to the home. Parents can also be effective teachers.

Families that are taught effective behavioral intervention strategies to manage challenging behaviors, are taught and involved in the functional assessment process, are trained in facilitating functional communication (both verbal and non-verbal), have been found to have greater success at home with the child with autism (Moes & Frea, 2002). When determining behavior plans, professionals need to take into consideration family routines when analyzing challenging behaviors (Moes & Frea, 2002). Behavioral interventions are more successful and meaningful to families when their beliefs, values and goals are taken into consideration (Moes & Free, 2002).

A family centered educational approach may be the most beneficial to a child with autism and their families (National Academy Press, 2001). Formal support may come from teachers, IEP team members, doctors, the local education agency representative, and other professionals that treat the child. Informal support may come through parent networking, parent support groups, families, and neighbors. According to Bristol in 1987, ?parents found a positive relationship between adequacy of social support, the use of active coping behaviors, and family adaptation for parents of children enrolled in the TEACCH program? (National Academy Press, 2001, p.34).

Coping with a child with autism is difficult and stressful for many families. As with the impact of socioeconomic status and ethnicity of the parents, there is not yet a lot of research on the stress levels of parents based on the child?s cognitive level and communication level. Based on current research, in order to cope with the stress of having a child with autism and to experience gains in their education at school and at home, parents need to learn specialized skills and teaching methods that can be implemented at home. Successful collaboration and training with professionals working with the child with autism has the capability of reducing family stress and an increase in the child with autism?s communication, socialization, cognitive, adaptive skills and a reduction in maladaptive behaviors in the home environment. Professionals working with students with autism must include the parents as advocates in the IEP process, functional behavior assessments, and behavior intervention plans.

Professionals must provide opportunities for parents to be trained in teaching methodologies used at the school. Professionals must also consider themselves a source of support for families of children with autism and be knowledgeable about special education law, treatment methods and scientific research. As a teacher of young children with autism, I have witnessed first hand the benefits of conducting parent trainings and support groups, whether they are on a group basis or an individual basis. Based on parent feedback, parent trainings and support groups are extremely beneficial to those that attend, and most parents express that there is never enough time to talk with the teachers and other parents--there is always a desire to learn more and for more opportunities to collaborate.

About The Author
Christine Dugan works in the special education field and is a contributing author to the health information site http://health.divinfo.com as well as the article submission site http://www.articlemotron.com.

Home Remedies for Itch Indigestion and Insomnia

Indigestion, insomnia and itching are very common ailments in everyday life. So common in fact that we don't even take them seriously and they tend to be left untreated. The problem is, when left untreated, they often blow up into something far more serious. So when one is feeling a little down and out due to these conditions and not up to getting dressed and going to the pharmacy to load up on medicine, there are a lot of home remedies that are easy and simple to make.

Itching

Itching can be caused by a lot of things. It may be due to allergies from food or plants, insect bites, stings, or even poor hygiene. You can either scratch away and leave scratch marks and wounds on your skin or you can try this. An old and trusted home remedy is using a weak carbolic acid lotion or mixing up a solution of bicarbonate of soda (commonly known as baking soda) and applying it over the itchy part.

Indigestion

Common home remedies for indigestion are peppermint and ginger. These are also popular in treating other digestion problems. Apple and tea are also used, as are Epsom salts. Another effective way to relieve indigestion is drinking the juice of a raw potato or an egg white. Cloves are also considered treatment for indigestion. Other herbs that help relieve the discomfort that comes with indigestion are meadowsweet and lavender. In traditional medicine, the use of feverfew, fennel and dill as cures for indigestion is common, as well as thyme and speedwell.

Insomnia

Insomnia, or the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, is very common from working individuals with hectic schedules to people in their old age. It is a nagging problem and can cause severe health and work-related side effects. Sleeping pills can be very scary and dangerous to take. So before popping the pill, here are a few tricks you can try.

A good and well-known cure for insomnia is very simple - honey. This can be taken in a lot of ways. One teaspoon of honey a night is actually enough to treat insomnia but this can also be taken in a lot of ways too. You can take it with cider vinegar. A popular mix is adding honey to milk with a little cinnamon or nutmeg and drinking this before going to bed. A strange but effective treatment is eating onions during bedtime. This is known to induce sleep. Using either stewed Spanish onions or the garden variety of onions will do. Two or three of them are taken. If you cannot stomach this, turning them into onion soup or onion jelly is a recommended alternative. Onion soup is simple. Onion jelly on the other hand is made by shredding onions and simmering them in a little stock until tender. And then the onions are added into a pot of boiling water with a squeeze of lemon. These are all cooked together.

Other sleep-inducing herbs were used in folk medicine. In the Middle Ages, hops were commonly used. In the earlier days, poppy and valerian were used, as well as woodruff and skullcap. Popular also were dill, peppermint and dandelion. Hawthorn and rosemary induce sleep and are old folk treatments for sleeplessness. Chamomile, lavender and lemon balm are famous for their relaxing effect and were regular cures for insomnia then and now.

Michael Russell

Your Independent Herbal guide.

What Is Ringworm Anyway?

When you hear the term "ringworm", what do you immediately think of? Some kind of worm right? While this is the most common thought that people have, it really has nothing to do with worms. So, what is ringworm then anyway?

What Is Ringworm?

Ringworm got its name from the reddish colored flat rings that it can cause to break out on your body. It is a highly contagious fungus that can break out on your body, feet, head, and your nails. That covers just about everywhere. The medical term for ringworm is Tinea, and each area of the body that has ringworm has a specific name. For example; on the scalp, the medical term is called Tinea Capitis. On the body it is Tinea Cororis, and on the feet it is Tinea Pedis.

What Does Ringworm Look Like?

You can usually tell if you have it by doing a self examination. On the scalp it will look like a crusty type of bump, sort of like a pimple. It may even cause you to lose your hair around the area infected.

What Is Ringworm On The Body?

This is where it can really spread. On your body it will appear as a round patch that is reddish in color. It is kind of like a flat ring that may have a clear center. It will also be scaly to the touch, and will most certainly itch like crazy. If you've had it before you know what I am talking about. It is also why it is so easy to spread. In more severe cases you can get several different areas on the body with ringworm on them. They can even overlap one another. The most common area for it is in the groin area.

What Is Ringworm On The Feet?

On the feet it is also referred to as athletes foot. This causes the cracking of your skin between your toes. Athletes foot is all too common in locker rooms everywhere. It can cause severe itching, and can be quite painful.

If you have ringworm in the nails you can easily tell by the discoloration. They will also thicken and become brittle.

Ringworm can take anywhere from 10-14 days to appear once you have been exposed. It will usually last for approximately 14 days. It seems that children between 4-14 years of age are the most likely to get it. We don't exactly know why that is, but most likely because they are more susceptible to exposure in schools, gyms, and swimming pools. Adults certainly get it as well, but not as frequently.

Now, when you get asked "What is ringworm", you know more about it to discuss with them.

You can find much more information on Ringworm as well as get FREE tips and information on Ringworm at http://www.ringworm.infofroma-z.com.