4 Exercises for tight and pretty legs

A lot of people live in a  delusion that doing thousands of squats will result in lean and pretty legs!

Although these type of exercises are great for your  muscles, they won’t help you get rid of layers of fat on your legs, hips and backside.

Do These following 4 types of exercises  at least 2 times a week. Do them in series one following the other, 15 for each leg. If you want a greater resistance you can buy weights for ankles.

1. Side leg lifting

Lie on your left side, bend your head on your left arm, and use your right hand to keep balance on the ground. Keep your legs straight up and stretch your feet so that your toes face up the head. Without moving any part of your body, lift your right leg keep it in the air for a few seconds, and then pull it down. It is very important to keep your muscles tight the whole time. This particular exercise affects the muscles of the inner side of your hips.

2. Shell

While lying on your left side, bend your hips and knees in an angle of 45 degrees. Keep your heels close to each other and start lifting your right leg as high as you can. The most important thing to do is not to part your heels and your muscles must be tightened all the time. Keep your right leg in the air for one second and then return in the basic position. This exercise affects your backside and hips muscles.

3. Bridge

Lie on your back, bend your knees and put your feet straight on the floor at shoulder length . Start lifting up, so that you bring your hips and stomach in a flat position. Be in this position for a few seconds and then pull down your backside. It’s very important not to lower your backside next to the ground. This exercise affects the muscles in your torso, backside, hips and lower part of your back.

4. Running in place

Start in a position for doing press ups. The body needs to be straight from head to toes and all the muscles tightened. Be careful to keep your back flat and your stomach muscles tightened. Lift your right knee towards your left shoulder and then get back to the basic position. Then do the same with the other leg. This exercise affects your chest, the back side of your hips, the lower part of your back, torso, stomach muscles, shoulders and the upper part of tour back.

From fashionmg-style.com

5 Exercises for Tightening Different Muscles in Your Stomach

Excessive weight in the stomach area is the first thing people notice in those who have recently gained on weight. Perhaps your stomach’s volume or the stomach fat on your sides has increased because you spend too much time on your computer and lead a sedentary life? Don’t worry, because the illustrations below will help you to burn unwanted fats easily. These targeted exercises are practiced and developed by the actor and fitness model Adrian James.

1st exercise:

Lie down on a fitness mattress, put your hands under your butt and lift the upper part of your back. Straighten your legs and start criss-crossing them over one another.

2nd exercise:

While lying on a fitness mattress, shift your right foot onto your left knee, raise your back and bring your left elbow and right knee together. Switch the position of your legs and elbows and repeat the exercise.

3rd exercise:

While lying on a fitness mattress put your hands up by your temples, bend your knees and start lifting your upper back.

4th exercise:

Lie down on a fitness mattress with your upper back raised and your legs straight out in front of you. Start alternately lifting your legs up and down.

5th exercise:

Lie down on a fitness mattress, bend your knees, raise your head and your back, place your arms on your sides and start touching your feet with your fingertips (left hand-left leg, right hand-right leg).

From fashionmg-style.com

Top 10 Health Benefits of Broccoli

Broccoli is a tasty cruciferous vegetable that is growing in demand. According to USDA’s Economic Research Service, over the last 30 years, per person consumption of fresh broccoli has increased from 1.4 pounds in 1980 to 5.6 pounds in 2010.

The rise in consumption could be due to its flexible nature as broccoli works well in salads, stir fries, curries and soups. Plus, it is marketed as either a fresh or processed product and is available year-round in the market. The flowers and stalks are edible, whereas the bitter-tasting leaves are discarded.

Cruciferous vegetables offer a wide range of health benefits, and broccoli is no exception. It contains a substantial amount of nutrients including vitamins A and C, folic acid, fiber, calcium, potassium and magnesium that are extremely good for your health. It is also rich in sulfur and several powerful antioxidants. Plus, this vegetable is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Here are the top 10 health benefits of broccoli.

1. Prevents Cancer

Several studies have proven that broccoli helps prevent cancer. According to researchers in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, the ‘sulforaphane’ compound found in broccoli helps prevent cancer through the complex mechanism of epigenetics.

Another study done at Johns Hopkins University shows that broccoli can prevent the development of tumors by 60 percent and help reduce the size of tumors by 75 percent.

Broccoli may particularly hinder the growth of breast, uterus, cervical, prostate and skin cancer.

Everyone should eat at least one and one-half cups of broccoli two or three times per week. Men should eat four servings per week to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. One seving of broccoli equals two florets.

2. Regulates Blood Pressure

Researchers at the OHSU School of Medicine found that broccoli helps regulate blood pressure. Sulforaphane, an organic sulfur compound in broccoli, plays a key role in improved DNA methylation, which is crucial for normal cellular function and proper gene expression. This is turn helps regulate blood pressure level.

Plus, the magnesium, calcium and potassium in broccoli also help regulate blood pressure.

Broccoli along with other cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish and arugula must be included in your diet to normalize your blood pressure levels.

3. Maintains Heart Health

Researchers at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London have proven that certain chemicals in broccoli boost a natural defense mechanism that protects arteries from clogging and causing heart attacks.

Containing loads of potassium, vitamin C and antioxidants, broccoli improves the blood-pumping ability of arteries, reduces heart damage due to oxygen deprivation and provides higher levels of heart-healthy chemicals during oxygen deprivation.

Some evidence also proves that eating broccoli on a regular basis can reverse the damage caused by diabetes to heart blood vessels.

Include this heart-healthy vegetable in your diet to reduce your risk of atherosclerosis, heart disease, attacks and strokes.

4. Supports Detoxification

Broccoli also helps your body in the detoxification process due to the presence of phytonutrients like glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiin and glucobrassicin.

These phytonutrients have a strong impact on the overall detoxification process, including activation, neutralization and elimination of unwanted contaminants. Plus, isothiocyanates in broccoli help control the detox process at a genetic level.

Eliminating toxins and waste products from the body is good for your overall health. It will help boost your energy level, increase immunity, improve metabolism, stimulate circulation and improve digestion.

5. Boosts Brain Power

Broccoli is a great source of vitamin K, which is known to enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower. It also has several B vitamins that play a key role in improving mental stamina and memory. Broccoli can also relieve the effects of mental exhaustion and depression.

The high amount of choline in broccoli is important in the growth of new brain cells as well as neural connections, which are essential for cognitive function and good memory. Choline can even prevent neural tube defects in newborns.

Eating one cup of broccoli three times a week can reduce your chance of suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s in old age.

6. Aids Weight Loss

By including broccoli in your diet, you can lose weight more quickly. It is a low-fat and low-calorie vegetable that helps fill you up quickly. Plus, its high fiber and water content add volume to your meal without adding empty calories.

Also, it contains protein along with minerals like potassium, magnesium and manganese that are necessary for a healthy immune system and healthy body.

A single cup of steamed broccoli is considered a healthy snack in any weight-loss diet plan.

7. Stops Premature Aging

Broccoli can help maintain your youth as it can significantly slow down the aging process. The antioxidant vitamin C in broccoli fights free radicals and prevents premature aging signs like fine lines, wrinkles and skin spots.

Additionally, it contains beta-carotene and vitamins E and B-complex that impart natural glow and keep your skin young.

Also, broccoli works as a natural sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

Eat fresh broccoli to give your complexion a beautiful natural glow and delay the signs of aging.

8. Supports Eye Health

The unique combination of nutrients in broccoli makes it extremely beneficial for your eyes. The two carotenoids, namely lutein and zeaxanthin, found in significant concentrations in broccoli are important for healthy eyes.

Plus, broccoli is a good source of vitamin A that plays a key role in forming retinal, the light-absorbing molecule required for both low-light and color vision.

Eating broccoli regularly will improve your vision and reduce your risk of eye problems like macular degeneration and cataracts.

9. Promotes Healthy Bones

Every serving of broccoli improves your bone health. Being rich in calcium and vitamin K, broccoli promotes bone health and helps prevent osteoporosis.

Also, a diet rich in vitamin K has been linked to a lower risk of fractures. Plus, broccoli is high in fiber and low in calories and can help you manage your weight, which is important for bone health.

So, eat broccoli regularly to prevent calcium deficiency and its effects.

10. Promotes Hair Health

If you wish to have healthy and strong hair, include more broccoli in your diet. Broccoli has hair-nourishing vitamins like C, A and B6 that can make your hair strong and smooth.

These vitamins stimulate the production of sebum, an oily substance secreted by hair follicles. Sebum acts as a natural moisturizer and conditioner for your scalp and hair, which in turn will prevent dry and frizzy hair.

Plus, the calcium in broccoli strengthens the hair follicles and can reduce hair loss and thinning.

For good hair growth and health, eat raw broccoli heads three or four times a week.

Tips to maximize broccoli’s benefits

To take advantage of all the amazing health benefits of broccoli, be sure to prepare it in a way that retains the most nutritional value.

• Avoid overcooking broccoli as it will destroy its nutritional value.
• Avoid microwaving broccoli as the process can remove valuable nutrients from it.
• Lightly steam the broccoli for just a couple of minutes. This is the best way to eat broccoli.
• You can add broccoli to soups and stews.
• You can also eat raw broccoli with dip or light dressing.

From Top 10 Home Remedies

3 Simple Tricks for a Younger "Fitness Age"

Altering your fitness habits now can take years off your fitness age.

Every birthday, you turn a year older. Your age changes. But your youthfulness isn’t just based on the calendar hanging on your wall. That’s why we developed RealAge, to give you a better understanding of your body’s true age considering all your habits — the healthy ones and the not-so-great ones. And to help you choose to make your RealAge younger (you can calculate your RealAge for free at RealAge.com). Now, there’s another age-marker that is really embedded in RealAge but some want to know about it separately so you’d be smart to consider: your fitness age.

A concept developed by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, your fitness age is essentially a measure of your cardiovascular health based on your maximal oxygen uptake. The higher your fitness level, the higher your uptake. The higher your uptake, the stronger your heart’s ability to transport oxygen through your system. The more optimal your system functions, the lower your risk is of dying prematurely from cardiac disease.

The researchers created a tool for you to calculate your fitness age. If you find yours is higher than your actual age, don’t worry—altering your fitness habits now can take years off your fitness age.

Now, this doesn’t mean we all need to invest in some high-tech running shoes and start training for a marathon (the stress of that on your body and its cells actually makes you older than doing less physical activity). But it does mean you should start incorporating some more physical activity into your routine. And a little bit goes much further than you may think.

Here are three tips to stealthily sneak fitness into your life:

Travel by foot every chance you get. When it comes to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, simply walking regularly can make a big difference. You’ll also cut your risk for diabetes and cardiovascular heart disease by clocking 10,000 steps each day. And who knows, maybe once you start walking regularly, you’ll feel inspired to kick it up and go for a jog every now and then. Which brings us to…

You only need to commit to five minutes. When it comes to running, that is. Yes, you read that right. In the amount of time it takes you to floss and brush your teeth, you can boost your health and extend your life. A recent study found that running for just five minutes each day is all it takes to significantly reduce your risk of death from cardiovascular disease. We can all grin and bear it for five minutes, right?

Stop trying to lose weight. Weight management is the number one motivation for women to work out. But research has shown that this is actually one of the least successful ways to encourage yourself to break a sweat. Instead, focus on the mood-boosting and life-extending benefits of exercise, and making it part of your lifestyle will be much easier to do.

Written by By Dr. Oz & Dr. Roizen

Strength Training Can Boost Your Long-Term Memory and Lower Your Risk of Dementia

Story at-a-glance

• A healthy lifestyle will support your brain health, and can even encourage your brain to grow new neurons—a process known as neurogenesis or neuroplasticity
• Diet, sleep, and exercise are three lifestyle factors that can significantly influence your brain health and memory
• Exercise prompts nerve cells to release brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which triggers other chemicals that promote neural health, and directly benefits cognitive functions, including learning
• Recent research found that a 20-minute weight training session could improve memory in the participants
• A number of previous studies show that exercise can promote growth of new brain cells, enlarge your memory center, improve IQ scores, and help prevent brain deterioration associated with aging

The fear of losing cognitive ability tends to overshadow the fear of physical disability; 60 percent of American adults say they are “very worried” or “somewhat worried” about memory loss.

Chances are, you’re among this majority. The good news is that your brain is a dynamic organ, constantly adapting and changing, for better or for worse.

While some activities, such as lack of sleep, can have a detrimental effect on your memory and brain function, a healthy lifestyle will support your brain health over the long haul, and can even encourage your brain to grow new neurons—a process known as neurogenesis or neuroplasticity.

This phenomenon was not known when I was in medical school. Back then, we were taught that the loss of brain cells was an irreversible condition and there was nothing you could do to change it.

It’s Never Too Late for Your Brain to Regenerate Brain Cells

Your brain's hippocampus, i.e. your memory center, is particularly adaptable and capable of growing new cells throughout your entire lifetime, even into your 90s, provided you give it the tools to do so!

For example, one year-long study found that adults who exercised were actually enlarging their brain's memory center by one to two percent per year, where typically that center declines in size with age.

According to John J. Ratey, a psychiatrist who wrote the book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, there's overwhelming evidence that exercise produces large cognitive gains and helps fight dementia. Indeed, research has shown that exercise helps protect your brain by:

• Improving and increasing blood flow to your brain
• Increasing production of nerve-protecting compounds
• Improving development and survival of neurons
• Altering the way damaging proteins reside inside your brain, which appears to slow the development of Alzheimer's disease.

In animal studies, significantly fewer damaging plaques and fewer beta-amyloid peptides, associated with Alzheimer's, were found in mice that exercised. Diet, sleep, and exercise are three lifestyle factors that can significantly influence your brain health and memory. Here, we’ll discuss the influence of exercise, as recent research has again confirmed its ability to improve memory.

One way by which exercise benefits your memory is by prompting nerve cells to release proteins known as neurotrophic factors. These growth factors signal brain stem cells and muscle satellite cells to convert into new neurons and new muscle cells respectively.

This in part explains how exercise benefits both your muscles and your brain at the same time. One growth factor in particular, called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), triggers numerous other chemicals that promote neural health, and directly benefits cognitive functions, including learning. Fasting also triggers BDNF, and in combination (i.e. exercising while fasting) can go a long way toward keeping your brain, neuromotors, and muscle fibers biologically young.

Lifting Weights Improves Memory, Study Shows

A 2010 study on primates revealed that regular exercise helped the monkeys learn new tasks twice as quickly as non-exercising monkeys. This is a benefit the researchers believed would hold true for people as well. More recently, researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta found that a mere 20 minute weight training session could improve long-term memory in the participants. 

According to lead researcher Lisa Weinberg: “Our study indicates that people don't have to dedicate large amounts of time to give their brain a boost.” In this experiment, 46 volunteers were randomly assigned to one of two groups—one active, and one passive. Initially, all of the participants viewed a series of 90 images, classified as either positive, neutral, or negative. Afterward, they were asked to recall as many images as they could.

Next, the active group was told to do 50 leg extensions at personal maximum effort using a resistance exercise machine. The passive participants were asked to simply sit and let the machine move their leg for them. Two days later, the participants were again shown a series of images, including ones they’d not seen previously. Interestingly, even though it was two days since they performed the leg extensions, those in the active group had markedly improved image recall. As reported by Medical News Today:

“The researchers found about 50 percent of the original photos were recalled by the passive group, while the active group remembered about 60 percent of the images. All of the participants were better at recalling the positive and negative images than the neutral images, but this was even more true for the active participants. The researchers suggest that this is because people are more likely to remember emotional experiences following short-term stress.

The team believes their results are consistent with previous research in a rodent model that found stress responses result in releases of norepinephrine - a hormone that may improve memory... The Georgia Tech study looked at weight exercises, but... other forms of resistance exercise – such as squats or knee bends – would most likely produce similar results.”

Exercise Builds New Brain Cells and Boosts Brain Performance

The hippocampus belongs to the more ancient part of your brain known as the limbic system, and plays an important role in the consolidation of information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory, as well as spatial navigation. Previous animal research has found that not only does exercise activate hippocampal neurons, it actually promotes their growth. In one study, exercising mice grew an average of 6,000 new brain cells in every cubic millimeter of tissue sampled. The growth occurred in the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain, and the mice showed significant improvements in the ability to recall memories without any confusion. A number of other studies have investigated the impact of exercise on brain performance and IQ. Some of the research highlights include:

• Among elementary school students, 40 minutes of daily exercise increased IQ by an average of nearly four points
• Among 6th graders, the fittest students scored 30 percent higher than average students, and the less fit students scored 20 percent lower
• Among older students, those who play vigorous sports have a 20 percent improvement in Math, Science, English, and Social Studies
• Students who exercised before class improved test scores 17 percent, and those who worked out for 40 minutes improved an entire letter grade
• Employees who exercise regularly are 15 percent more efficient than those who do not, which means a fit employee only needs to work 42.5 hours in a week to do the same work as an average employee does in 50

Exercising After Studying Boosts Retention

In a Danish study, published in 2012, men were asked to learn a tracking skill on a computer, which required them to use a joystick to trace a red line as it squiggled across the screen. Some of the men exercised before learning the new task, some did no physical exercise at all, and some exercised just after learning the new skill. At follow-up testing an hour later, the men’s performance remained about the same, but as the experiment went on, those who exercised gained a clear advantage. Those who fared the best belonged to the group who exercised just after learning the task.

At testing sessions one day, and then one week, later, they traced the line more accurately and with greater agility. The group that exercised prior to learning the new skill also performed better than those who didn't exercise (though not as well as the group that exercised after). It appears, then, that if you want to help strengthen your memory, the new information you're receiving can be more successfully imprinted into your brain for later recall if you work out immediately following your study session.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Strength Training Routine

The type of exercise program that will benefit your brain is identical to the one that will benefit the rest of your body. Ideally, you’d want to strive for a comprehensive routine that includes high-intensity interval exercise (HIIT), strength training, core work, and regular intermittent movement to avoid the hazards associated with prolonged sitting. If you’ve been sitting for an hour, you’ve sat too long. Stretching is also important, especially if you’re doing sprints.

High intensity exercises form the core of my Peak Fitness program and can be done using a number of different machines, such as a recumbent bike or an elliptical, or you can do sprints. HIIT maximizes your secretion of human growth hormone (HGH), optimizes your metabolism, and helps regulate your insulin and blood sugar. And nothing beats it in terms of efficiency. You can complete an entire Peak Fitness workout in 20 minutes or less. 

You can also turn your strength training routine into a high intensity exercise by slowing it down. This technique offers the same benefits as other high intensity exercises, and may actually be even more beneficial in some ways. It’s a particularly well-suited form of high intensity exercise for older individuals. Super-slow weight training is safer than conventional weight lifting as it actively prevents you from accidentally harming your joints or suffering repetitive use injury.

Your Brain Craves Regular Activity

If you work out religiously for three months, then suddenly stop for an extended period, your muscle tone isn’t the only thing that will suffer. Your brain will too. Two studies presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience revealed just how quickly the brain benefits of exercise fade if your exercise program stops.

In the first study, active rats that had a week of inactivity were pitted against completely inactive rats while performing memory tests. The previously active rats completed the tests much faster and had at least twice as many new neurons in the hippocampus region of their brains. But remember, this was after just one week of inactivity. At three weeks of inactivity, their new neurons began to decrease, as did their performance on the memory test. After six weeks of inactivity, the neurons declined even more, as did their memory test scores, leading the study authors to suggest the "exercise-induced benefits may be transient."

In the second study, rats that were active for 10 weeks, followed by three weeks of inactivity, had brains that were nearly identical to those of rats that had been completely inactive. The bottom line is that your brain needs regular, ongoing physical activity, not just a brief stint here and there. The same can be said for your body, as mounting research now shows that bouts of exercise, even when done regularly, cannot counteract the ill effects of many hours’ worth of sitting. So another key for overall health is to avoid sitting as much as possible. At minimum, strive to move about or stand up for 5-10 minutes for every hour of sitting. 

Written by Dr. Mercola

Here Is What Your Acne Reveals About Your Health

In Chinese Medicine, it’s believed that acne that flares up on different parts of your face represents health problems on different parts of your body. For example acne on your upper cheeks is a response to stress in your lungs or respiratory system. Smoking is but one of these causes. Therefore a good indication of which organs need attention and care is to simply look where your acne is.

Upper Forehead

Digestive System and Bladder

Drink plenty of water to flush, keep an eye on your diet, eliminate greasy foods and refined sugars. If you’re craving deep fried fatty foods, eat avocado or add a tablespoon of coconut oil to your dish. Make sure you consume plenty of fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Some of the best antioxidant rich foods or drinks include green tea, warm lemon water, and fresh berries. If your diet is not rich in naturally fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, or kefir, consider supplementing with a probiotic capsule daily. Most health food stores carry probiotic capsules.

Lower Forehead

Heart

Your heart is a massive organ that pumps blood through your entire body. It has a tough job and can become easily stressed due to poor diet, inactivity, and various mental and physical stresses. If you have pimples on your lower forehead make it a point to do regular cardiovascular exercises. Eating pomegranate and coconut oil will also keep your heart healthy and help clear this up.

Ears

Kidneys

When kidneys are not taken care of, you may find large, painful pimples on your ears that just won’t go away. Kidney troubles are often caused by not drinking enough water and eating too much sodium.

Some other kidney destroying habits include:

-frequently delaying the call of nature

-drinking too much coffee or alcohol

-mineral deficiencies such as magnesium

-eating too much animal protein

-sleep deprivation

-excessive refined sugar

This is as good of a time as any to point out that vendors such as Subway, who tout their products as being “healthy” have an excessive amount of sodium added to almost everything on the menu. The next time that you take a look at their nutrition claims with highlighted low-fat content, take a minute to focus on the sodium column. In addition Subway adds genetically modified soy to nearly all of their foods. If you want healthy kidneys it’s best to avoid fast food in general, even the “healthy” restaurants, drink more water, and eat more parsley which is an excellent detoxifier.

Eyes, orbital area and between the Eyebrows

Liver

Oiliness, redness, flakiness and pimples between the eyebrows can indicate that your liver may have been overworked and in dire need of a cleansing. Cut back on greasy foods loaded with vegetable, soy, and canola oil, alcohol and pasteurized dairy (or dairy altogether). Avoid eating late at night as well. If you’re craving a late snack take a spoonful of raw honey. This will let your liver rest while you’re sleeping. Eat more of these during the daytime to cleanse the liver (always choose organic root vegetables):

-garlic

-grapefruit

-green tea

-carrots

-beets

-leafy green vegetables

-lemons and limes.

Upper Cheeks

Lungs and Respiratory System

Stresses to the lungs are likely to cause flare ups in the upper cheeks and even break your capillaries. Even if you’re not a smoker you may have noticed an upper cheek breakout due to:

-asthma

-allergies

-lung infections

-living in a polluted area.

The best thing to do is to avoid smoking and second hand smoke.

Lower Cheeks

Gum or Teeth Problems

Gum or teeth problems may contribute to acne in the lower cheek area. Be sure to avoid eating refined sugar and soft drinks. Oil pulling is a great habit to take up if you’re experiencing any type of gum or teeth problems. It’s also a good idea to eat plenty of fresh fiber rich fruits and vegetables to strengthen your teeth and gums from chewing honest natural foods.

Sides of the Chin

Hormones and Genitals

This especially affects women. Flare ups on the sides of the chin are a good indication of hormonal imbalance. This can be due to menstruation, birth control, or a diet high in soy. Sometimes, even emotional or physical stress can cause hormonal imbalances. Get plenty of sleep and make a habit of meditating or doing yoga to keep the mind focused and stress-free. Be sure to take lots of essential fatty acids such as Omega 3s. 

Some herbs that can help balance hormones include:

-licorice

-schisandra

-holy basil

-maca

-burdock

-red raspberry leaves

-rhodiola

-milk thisle.

-Green tea is also a brilliant anti-androgen.

Center of the Chin

Small intestine and stomach

This is typically caused by a poor diet and food allergies. If your diet is adequate you simply may not be digesting the nutrients you put into it. We were always told that we are what we eat, which is true to an extent. More accurately however, we are what we can digest. If your gut is lacking probiotics and completely out of balance from not eating naturally fermented foods or taking probiotic capsules, it won’t matter how much good wholesome food you’re eating. The nutrients will simply pass right through you. 

Additionally stress, lack of sleep, and dehydration can wreak havoc on your stomach and small intestine. Getting a good nights sleep, drinking plenty of water, and addressing your stress by making lifestyle changes and practicing yoga/meditation are great non-dietary ways to address your chin acne.

From Family Health Freedom Network

3 Tricks to Break Your Junk Food Addiction

Not long ago we saw a headline that perked up our spirits. It read, "Doughnut chain’s next-year forecast falls short." Healthier days ahead, right? Wrong. Further reading revealed the fried-dough seller’s profits actually grew by 34%. It was just that financial forecasters thought they would do even better! People, wake up! This stuff is killing you!

"But, Doc," you say, "I have to have it. Just one!" We know how hard it is to go cold turkey and we want to help you get over your junk food addiction as fast as you can. Try these three tricks.

Trick #1: Schedule snacks two to three hours after each meal. Then you won't get blindsided by fat and sugar cravings -- that’s what a fast food addiction is, after all. You can block those urges by eating (instead of a doughnut) plain, lowfat Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit (no sugar added) or some lean protein, such as sliced turkey. This keeps blood sugar levels steady -- easing cravings -- and helps you lose weight!

Trick #2: Become a label reader. Stay clear of anything with added sugars or syrups, trans or saturated fats. And beware of power/energy/nutrition bars and energy drinks: they may contain taurine, sugar, excess fats (even good fats have 9 calories/gram), and sometimes alcohol.

Trick #3: Choose smart sweets. Dried (prunes) or fresh fruit (cherries) give you the sugar boost you're looking for and benefit your bones and cardiovascular system. Nuts (walnuts, almonds) are loaded with protein and healthy, appetite-satisfying fats. Eating nuts can improve your vision, too.

Written By Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD

How To Do Reflexology Treating Common Ailments At Home

The concept of reflexology can be traced back to ancient Egyptian and Chinese civilizations. It was popularized in the United States in the early 1900s when various doctors and physiotherapists began to study the extent of nerve cells in the hands and feet.  Reflexology is a safe and completely natural way for you to enhance the quality of your life. It uses massage therapy techniques to stimulate nerves, mostly in the palm of your hand and bottom of your foot. Each of these nerves branches off to different organs and glands in your body.

There are a surprising amount of ways reflexology can help you live a healthier and happier life. It can help alleviate headaches, cold symptoms, stress, and many other daily inconveniences (more detailed listing below) all through a simple massage.

How Does Reflexology Work?

For optimal results in reflexology you have to find out which nerves need stimulating. You do this by matching your ailment up with the right zones on your hands and feet. Once you’ve found the corresponding zone you can either have someone else apply pressure or simply do it yourself.

The pressure is spread among the many nerve endings, there are more than 7000 on one foot alone, and opens up pathways of energy that may have been congested. Oils and lotion can be used for sensational value but are said to interfere with the direct nerve stimulation.

Researchers in the medical field have found that the circulation techniques used in reflexology can help in the following ways:

• Reduction of anxiety and stress build-up
• Increasing relaxation and clarity
• Encouraging efficient distribution of nutrients and oxygen through the body
• Relaxing sore and tired muscles

What is Reflexology Best For?

If you are intimidated by the mystery looming over modern medical techniques, you may find comfort in the simplistic safety reflexology has to offer. The overall relaxation and peace of mind is the most common application of reflexology and usually the first reason anybody tries it. There are however many more significant ailments that reflexology can target and relieve. Different types of muscle pain – neck, shoulders, back, legs, etc… – can be targeted with the use of this therapy. If you have sore muscles, just find the nerve section that corresponds with the affected area. Reflexology can also help reproductive matters, digestion problems, stress and anxiety, sleep disorders, and a generally awesome relaxant. There are many certified reflexologists out there but the methods can be taught and easily done at home.

Specific Ailment Areas

Because there are so many different nerve zones on your hands and feet it helps to have diagrams handy to determine the correct areas. Here are a few common ailments and their corresponding nerve zones.

Headache

For headaches you’ll focus mainly on nerve zones on the foot. Begin with circular rubbing on the big toes to relax your neck a bit. Then focus with more pressure on the upper halves of each toe to pinpoint nerves connecting to the head. You can also massage the upper halves of your fingers on both sides. 

Sleep Disorders

Targeting the pituitary gland is the ideal method of alleviating sleep disorders. In the direct middle of your fingerprint you’ll find the nerve linking your endocrine system. Apply direct pressure with the side of your nail. On the foot you should target the middle of your big toe on the bottom side. 

Stress

For anxiety a stress you can start with the neck and head areas in the toes. Another technique called the wrist twist requires you to form a circle around your wrist with your thumb and index finger and twist the opposing hand back and forth about twenty times.  

Colds and the Flu

For colds and the flu you can pinpoint the areas that correspond with your sinuses, nose, throat, and lungs. On the feet you should concentrate on the side of your big toe, the middle of each toe, and an inch below your toes. On the hands massage from the tip of your finger to just above the knuckle and back up again.  

Digestion

One of the most popular methods for digestion relief requires a small sphere like a golf ball or tennis ball. Lock your fingers together with the ball inside and rub it around the bottom of your palm for around 60 seconds. You can also gently rub the lower third of your foot on the bottom side. 

Asthma and Bronchitis

This ailment requires you to target the nerve zones associated with the lungs. On the top of your foot massage the width of your foot about an inch below the toes. On the bottom focus on the middle of the foot an inch below the toes. On your hands, massage just below the knuckles on top and where your palm meets the fingers on the bottom.  

Back Pain

When you target the spine reflexes you can quickly alleviate the terror of back pains. On the hands you should focus on the side of the thumb to the bottom of your wrist. Rub the bottom half of your foot on the bottom and the width where your leg meets the foot on top. 

Tips For Beginners

• Search the web and check with the ARCB to find a certified reflexologist for your first session. They can show you exactly how to apply pressure and how long you should do it for great results.

• Find someone to help. If you don’t have to be the one applying pressure then you can focus more on relaxing and opening the clogged gateways.

• For the best results try reflexology several times throughout the day. It may not magically work the first time but it will gradually work its magic.

From Family Health Freedom Network