How to Be Beautiful in 7 Simple Steps

source: http://skincare.about.com/od/skin101/a/How-To-Be-Beautiful-In-7-Simple-Steps.htm

Beauty is not a one-size-fits-all description. We all have different skin types, hair types, body types, likes and dislikes. Some are tall, some are short, some are thin and some are naturally heavy. We truly believe that every single person can be beautiful each day with a tiny bit of effort and a little confidence.

Cheese! How Do Your Teeth Look?

If you're a heavy coffee drinker or red wine is your drink of choice, chances are good you could use a little whitening action on your teeth. (Guilty!) You don't have to go all out with in-office whitening if you don't want to. Simply use a whitening toothpaste or whitening strips.

Beauty Tip: When it comes to getting your picture taken, smile with your teeth! You may not like your teeth, they may be a little crooked or not as white as you'd like, but you will always look more natural and beautiful if you smile for your pictures with a genuine teeth-showing smile even if your teeth aren't perfect.

When It Comes to Makeup, Think Classic, Not Trendy

Sometimes when you're looking at fashion magazines or beauty blogs  (or heaven forbid, fashion week!) you come away thinking you need to stock up on the latest trends - be it green eye liner or shiny wet looking lipstick. Stick with the classics for a truly beautiful look because so often the trends leave you looking older .

Beauty Tip: One sure way to look back at a photo and cringe is by overdoing your eyes and your lips. Pick one and do it right. Then, leave the other more natural. If you're going for the hot cat-eye look, play down the lips with a sheer or nude. Do you love red lipstick ? Play down the eyes with simply some mascara and sheer shadow.

Skip Tanning

You might think that a tan makes you look more beautiful than your pale bff, but if you keep tanning, you'll watch yourself get older in the mirror while your bff looks like she didn't age a day. Don't believe me? Check out the girls at your next high school. The ones who spent too much time in the sun are the ones with the crows feet. Sun exposure is the #1 cause of aging skin .

Beauty Tip: Self-tanners are totally safe, as long as you are remembering to protect your skin from the sun  with daily sunscreen applied multiple times. They are so great these days that once you get your application method down (practice in the spring before you bare all) you won't even be able to tell the difference.

How Does Your Skin Look?

All it takes is a pimple, wrinkle, large pores or ashy skin to bring down your confidence level. That's why taking care of your skin daily is important. Cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize and protect against the sun on a regular basis - head to toe. You'll get rid of ashy skin, your pores will stay unclogged and your skin will stay younger looking with moisturizer and SPF.

Beauty Tip: If you don't wear sunglasses every time you're outside, start today. Wearing sunglasses will help reduce your likely hood of getting crows feet. (More tips on avoiding crows feet.)

Dress in Clothes That Make You (Not the Mannequin) Look Good

This is huge, friends. It is so hard to pull off a trend if you don't have the perfect body for the trend. Ask the people who jumped at jeggings when they first came out and soon realized they were never ever meant to wear jeggings. (I may have been one of them.)

When it comes to fashion trends, pick the ones that suite your body and sprinkle the things that can fall in without making you look ridiculous. Accessorize with trendy items of the season and stick with the clothes that make your body look good. Not everyone should be wearing low-cut jeans (Hello muffin top), neon 80's re-runs or animal prints. Ask a real friend for her opinion and don't be offended by what she has to say.

Beauty Tip: Pintrest is a great place for clothing inspiration. People pin wardrobes all of the time. I typically find a wardrobe, scoff at the price and then have fun trying to recreate it in a price point that fits my budget. Sometimes all that is needed is what I have in my closet already paired with a killer belt .

Take Care of Your Nails

You could be doing everything right, the right wardrobe, the right hair color, the perfect shoes, but if your nails are jagged and chipped, you've lost it. I don't mean you have to polish your nails every other day, but simply keeping your nails filed, at uniform shape and clear of chipped polish will be worth it. Keeping your nails short and slightly squared is what's hot right now.

Beauty Tip: Your hands are your biggest age-teller. Have you ever seen a woman with the face of a 30 year old but the hands of a 40 year old? Use your excess skin care products on your hands to help slow down their aging. Also, sunscreen them daily, as well. (More tips for younger looking hands.)

Find a Good Stylist and Visit on a Regular Basis

Two things that will kill your look is going to a new stylist each time you need a haircut and not going until it's a dire emergency. Look at your co-workers or friends hair and if you see someone who always has good hair, ask for her stylist's info. It's always good to give a stylist a few visits to see how he or she does once you've shared your long-term goal. (How to find a new hairstylist ) Don't wait for split ends  to take over your hair, either. This will only lead to desperation to pick the first stylist who can get you in and more taken off than you really wanted.

Beauty Tip: Sick of your long hair? Considering cutting it short? Before you decide to cut your hair short, there are some things you should consider. Are you going take the time in the morning to do your hair? What about ponytails? Are you going to miss them? Anyone can pull off short hair, but be sure cutting it off is not a desperate plea for a change. Sometimes all that is needed is a color boost or bangs. (How to get short hair you won't hate .)

Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress

source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950

Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.

Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills.

Understanding positive thinking and self-talk

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

The health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Identifying negative thinking

Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common forms of negative self-talk:
• Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your plan to do even more tasks and forget about the compliments you received.
• Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
• Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.
• Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or you're a total failure.

Focusing on positive thinking

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:
• Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way.
• Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
• Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn techniques to manage stress.
• Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
• Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.
Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them:
Putting positive thinking into practice

Negative self-talk	Positive thinking
I've never done it before.	It's an opportunity to learn something new.
It's too complicated.	I'll tackle it from a different angle.
I don't have the resources.	Necessity is the mother of invention.
I'm too lazy to get this done.	I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule, but I can re-examine some priorities.
There's no way it will work.	I can try to make it work.
It's too radical a change.	Let's take a chance.
No one bothers to communicate with me.	I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
I'm not going to get any better at this.	I'll give it another try.

Practicing positive thinking every day

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you.
When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're better able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.

9 Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep

source: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/9-reasons-to-sleep-more

9 Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep

image from cancercenter.com

By R. Morgan Griffin

WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

WebMD Archive

What difference could an extra hour of sleep make in your life? Maybe quite a lot, experts say. Studies show that the gap between getting just enough sleep and getting too little sleep may affect your health, your mood, your weight, and even your sex life.

If you're getting less than the recommended seven or eight hours of sleep a night, here are nine reasons that you should shut down your computer, turn off the lights, and go to bed an hour early tonight.

1. Better health. Getting a good night's sleep won't grant you immunity from disease. But study after study has found a link between insufficient sleep and some serious health problems, such as heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity.

In most cases, the health risks from sleep loss only become serious after years. That might not always be true, however. One study simulated the effects of the disturbed sleep patterns of shift workers on 10 young healthy adults. After a mere four days, three of them had blood glucose levels that qualified as pre-diabetic.

2. Better sex life. According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, up to 26% of people say that their sex lives tend to suffer because they're just too tired. There's evidence that in men, impaired sleep can be associated with lower testosterone levels -- although the exact nature of the link isn't clear.

Of course, not getting enough sleep can affect your love life in less direct ways too. "If you're a 28-year-old who's so exhausted you're falling asleep during a date at the movies, that's not good," says Ronald Kramer, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a specialist at the Colorado Sleep Disorders Center in Englewood, Colo.

3. Less pain. If you have chronic pain -- or acute pain from a recent injury -- getting enough sleep may actually make you hurt less.  Many studies have shown a link between sleep loss and lower pain threshold. Unfortunately, being in pain can make it hard to sleep.

Researchers have found that getting good sleep can supplement medication for pain. If pain is keeping you up at night, there are also medications available that combine a pain reliever with a sleep aid.

4. Lower risk of injury. Sleeping enough might actually keep you safer. Sleep deprivation has been linked with many notorious disasters, like the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger and the grounding of the Exxon Valdez. The Institute of Medicine estimates that one out of five auto accidents in the U.S. results from drowsy driving -- that's about 1 million crashes a year.

Of course, any kind of accident is more likely when you're exhausted, says Jodi A. Mindell, PhD, a professor of psychology at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia and author of Sleep Deprived No More."When you're overtired, you're more likely to trip, or fall off a ladder, or cut yourself while chopping vegetables," she says. "Household accidents like that can have serious consequences."

5. Better mood. Getting enough sleep won't guarantee a sunny disposition. But you have probably noticed that when you're exhausted, you're more likely to be cranky. That's not all. "Not getting enough sleep affects your emotional regulation," says Mindell. "When you're overtired, you're more likely to snap at your boss, or burst into tears, or start laughing uncontrollably."

6. Better weight control. Getting enough sleep could help you maintain your weight -- and conversely, sleep loss goes along with an increased risk of weight gain. Why? Part of the problem is behavioral. If you're overtired, you might be less likely to have the energy to go for that jog or cook a healthy dinner after work.

The other part is physiological. The hormone leptin plays a key role in making you feel full. When you don't get enough sleep, leptin levels drop. Result: people who are tired are just plain hungrier -- and they seem to crave high-fat and high-calorie foods specifically.

7. Clearer thinking. Have you ever woken up after a bad night's sleep, feeling fuzzy and easily confused, like your brain can't get out of first gear?

"Sleep loss affects how you think," Mindell tells WebMD. "It impairs your cognition, your attention, and your decision-making." Studies have found that people who are sleep-deprived are substantially worse at solving logic or math problems than when they're well-rested. "They're also more likely to make odd mistakes, like leaving their keys in the fridge by accident," she tells WebMD.

8. Better memory. Feeling forgetful? Sleep loss could be to blame. Studies have shown that while we sleep, our brains process and consolidate our memories from the day. If you don't get enough sleep, it seems like those memories might not get stored correctly -- and can be lost.

What's more, some research suggests that sleep decreases the chances of developing false memories. In several experiments, people were asked to look over a series of words. Later they were tested on what they remembered. People who didn't sleep in between were much more likely to "remember" a word that they hadn't actually seen before.

9. Stronger immunity. Could getting enough sleep prevent the common cold? One preliminary study put the idea to the test. Researchers tracked over 150 people and monitored their sleep habits for two weeks. Then they exposed them to a cold virus.

People who got seven hours of sleep a night or less were almost three times as likely to get sick as the people who got at least eight hours of sleep a night. More research is needed to establish a real link; this study was small and other factors may have influenced the results. Still, you can’t go wrong getting eight hours of sleep when possible.

Tips for the Best Sleep Ever

source:http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20407230,00.html

Rock-a-bye baby


by Leslie Barrie
From Health magazine


You’ve done all the obvious stuff—cut out late-night caffeine, made sure your bedroom is dark and cozy, avoided scary movies or struggling with your to-do list right before bed. So why are you still tossing and turning? “Certain habits you’re unaware of could be sabotaging your sleep,” says Kristen L. Knutson, PhD, assistant professor and sleep specialist at the University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine.


Say so long to sleep

And, as you may know, lack of shut-eye doesn’t just leave you foggy the next day: Chronic, long-term insufficient sleep ups your odds of diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, even weight gain. So what to do? Try these unexpected tweaks, and wake up feeling incredibly well-rested.


Halt your afternoon habit

It’s a no-brainer that drinking coffee or tea right before you hit the sack won’t do you any sleep favors. But you also need to watch your afternoon drinks, says Joan Salge Blake, RD, a clinical associate professor at Boston University. Love your 4 p.m. peach tea? It’s got caffeine, and so do some flavored waters and even orange sodas, Blake warns. Check the labels on your favorite midday drinks—any that boast energy-boosting benefits are likely culprits. Then, if possible, stop sipping them by 2 p.m., so there’s time for their effects to wear off. Naturally, coffee drinks pack a real wallop, so stay away from them after lunch.

Choose sleep superfoods

While it’s important to avoid a big, heavy meal right before bed (a full stomach will disturb your sleep), some foods may actually help you snooze, Blake says. If you’ve had a few nights of restless sleep, make a light whole-wheat-pasta dish with fresh vegetables, a little diced chicken breast, tomato sauce, and a sprinkle of Parmesan for dinner. This meal contains a snooze-friendly combination of protein and tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to sleep-promoting serotonin in the body.

If your stomach’s growling late at night, try a small bowl of cottage cheese with banana slices, another dish that serves up tryptophan. Other combos of healthy carbs and protein, such as milk and graham crackers or yogurt sprinkled with cereal, will also do the trick.


Sip wine sooner

Even though a nightcap may help you relax and fall asleep faster, it’ll make the second half of your sleep cycle restless and unsatisfying. Alcohol decreases deep sleep and increases arousals from sleep, says John E. Brown, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. If you like a glass of wine in the evening, have it with dinner—around 6 p.m. rather than 11—and drink in moderation, so it’ll wear off by the time you lie down.


Take an early soak

Like to unwind in the tub before you snooze? Surprisingly, a hot bath might make it harder for you to drift off: Doing anything that raises your body temperature too close to bedtime may actually hinder you from falling asleep, because your body needs to cool to a certain temperature in order to reach a sound slumber, says J. Todd Arnedt, PhD, director of the University of Michigan Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program. That doesn’t mean you can’t soak after a rough day—when you get home from work, not right before turning in.

Stretch for sleep

Getting in a little gentle, restorative yoga before you hit the sack can help put your mind at ease, steady your breath, and reduce muscle tension without revving up your heart.

Try this restful Reclined Butterfly pose from Tanya Boulton, managing teacher at Pure Yoga East in New York City:

Lie on your back with the soles of your feet together and your knees bent and dropping toward the floor. Place your arms, palms up, by your sides, keeping your shoulders back and your chest open. Close your eyes and inhale through your nose while slowly counting to four, then exhale while counting back down to one. Continue for 10 minutes, or as long as it takes you to feel fully relaxed.


Set the mood for slumber


Keeping your room dark while you sleep is a great start, but bringing the lights down before bed is also important. “Bright light too close to bedtime can make it hard to fall asleep,” Arnedt says. That’s because dimness signals the biological clock that it’s time to wind down, while bright light says “daytime!” Swap out überbright bedroom bulbs for low-watt ones, or install a dimmer switch and keep it low. Like to read in bed? Do it in the lowest light that’s still comfortable.

Ban your BlackBerry

Need to send out one last e-mail before you “officially” turn in? Not so fast. Typing in bed can wind you up, so when you do unplug, it will be harder to fall asleep, Knutson says. “It’s possible that even the vibration of a BlackBerry could disturb sleep if a person is cued to hear or respond to it,” she says.

For tech-free zzz’s, disconnect an hour before bed, turn your smartphone off, and put any gadgets on an out-of-reach dresser or in another room so you won’t be able to grab it if you get the late-night urge. Also, invest in a real alarm clock (using your cell will only give you another excuse to keep it close)—and get ready to wake up feeling so refreshed that you won’t even need to press snooze.


Turn Your Bedroom Into a Sleep Haven

It's the cardinal rule of sleep hygiene: Your bedroom should be a calming, comfortable haven—designated for sleep and sex only. The more clutter and distractions you're up against at night, the harder it will be to transition into sleep.

6 Secrets to Gorgeous Skin

source:http://www.webmd.com/beauty/face/tips-for-gorgeous-skin

By Shelley Levitt

Reviewed by Debra Jaliman, MD

More than a great wardrobe or a skilled hand with make-up, glowing skin turns heads.

Just ask Kelly Campbell, a Los Angeles public relations consultant and mom. She regularly gets stopped by strangers complimenting her on her seemingly poreless, lit-from-within complexion.

The key to that gorgeous skin? She was born with it.

"Honestly, I’ve always been lucky to have good skin," Campbell says. "Except when I was pregnant and I broke out from all the hormones, I’ve never had trouble with my skin."

Yes, some people win the hereditary lottery when it comes to good skin. "Not all skin is created equal," says Paula Bourelly, MD, a dermatology professor at Georgetown University. "You can’t underestimate the value of genetics."

But genes are just the starting point. Beautiful skin is also about good skin care habits practiced day in and day out.

Here are, from top dermatologists and Campbell herself, the secrets to stunning skin.

No. 1 and No. 2: Smoking No, Sunscreen Yes

Imagine two people starting out with the same exact DNA. One smoked and sunbathed, the other avoided both. Would that make a difference in the appearance of their skin?

Yes. 

A team of experts led by plastic surgeon Bahman Guyuron, MD, of Case Western Reserve University analyzed photographs of the faces of 186 pairs of identical twins taken at the Twins Day Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio. The twins had also filled out detailed questionnaires about their lives and daily habits.

Those who smoked and spent lots of time outdoors without wearing sunscreen looked years older than the brother or sister who shunned cigarettes and tanning. They had more fine lines, deeper and more plentifulwrinkles, and skin that was more mottled.

Bourelly isn’t surprised. "Many of the things that my patients complain about -- dull, rough skin and uneven skin tone -- are related to chronic sun exposure," she says. "And studies have shown that smoking is associated with premature wrinkling." Her advice:

• Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays with an SPF of 30 or higher, even on cloudy days.
• Reapply your sunscreen every two to three hours you’re outdoors.  
• Don't smoke -- for the sake of your overall health as well as your appearance.

No. 3: Consider Retinoids

Retinoids unplug pores, help clear up acne, reduce fine lines, boost collagen production, lighten brown spots and freckles, and improve skin texture. They can even help treat precancerous lesions.

Retinoids are sold by prescription only under names that include Renova, Retin-A, and the generic Tretinoin.

"A retinoid should be the foundation of any topical anti-aging regimen," says dermatologist Paul M. Friedman, MD, co-author of Beautiful Skin Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Better Skin.

He recommends that men and women make a retinoid part of their evening regimen beginning in their 20s.

The downside is that retinoids can cause dryness, flaking, and redness at first.

Starting out slowly by applying a pea-sized amount of retinoid every second or third night can help your skin adjust to the powerful ingredient.

Or consider an over-the-counter cream, gel, or serum containing retinol. This nonprescription version of a retinoid works more gradually and gently but is still effective in rejuvenating your skin.

No. 4: Keep Skincare Simple

Overuse of products is the biggest mistake people make in their skincare regimens, says Jeanie Leddon, MD, PhD, a dermatologist in Boulder, Colo.

"Some patients come in with a grocery bag full of products and wonder why their skin doesn’t look or feel great," Leddon says.

Using a lot of different ingredients can be irritating, and some ingredients cancel out each other's benefits.

For example, the acid in salicylic or glycolic acid breaks down ingredients like retinol, hydroquinone, or vitamin C. "More," Leddon says, "is not necessarily better."

Friedman agrees. He says the products needed for beautiful skin are "a simple cleanser, sunscreen, moisturizer, and a retinoid or retinol."

The simpler your skincare regimen, the more likely you are to stick with it.

No. 5: Give Products Time to Work

Changing your products every couple of weeks can also be counterproductive.

Give them a chance, Leddon says. Finish the entire tube or bottle of a skincare potion before you decide how well it works.

You might, though, want to adjust your beauty regimen seasonally, swapping, say, the oil-free moisturizer you use in the summer for one that’s more emollient during the winter when frigid temperatures and indoor heating can rob your skin of moisture.

The exception: If your skin reacts with swelling, redness, or burning to a new product you’ve tried, stop using it immediately.

If not, Leddon says, finish the entire tube or bottle of a skincare potion before you give up on it.

No. 6: A Balanced Life Leads to Your Best Skin

Campbell says about her traffic-stopping gorgeous skin, "I don’t have a secret."

But then she reveals a host of healthy daily habits:

• She’s a vegan who starts her day with a mango, blueberry, and spinach smoothie, shuns processed foods and buys organic fruits and vegetables at her local farmers market.
• She teaches yoga part-time and practices a vigorous form of yoga daily.
• She also gets seven or more hours of sleep a night.

All these markers of a healthy lifestyle undoubtedly help Campbell keep her skin looking its best.

Regular sleep, Friedman says, optimizes the natural secretion of human growth hormone, which promotes cell turnover and collagen production. And exercise increases circulation and the flow of nutrients to the skin.

Activities like yoga and meditation help keep stress in check, which in turn reduces the release of stress hormones that worsen conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea.

Meditating regularly may even make treatment more effective. In one study, people with psoriasis, a condition that causes itchy, scaly skin, listened to meditation tapes while they got ultraviolet light treatments. The results: They healed four times as fast as those who didn't meditate.

The bottom line: The key to gorgeous skin turns out to be a mix of science, common sense, overall good health habits, and a simple stick-to-it skincare regimen. 

source:http://www.webmd.com/beauty/face/tips-for-gorgeous-skin

4 Ways to Live a Happier Life

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kimanzi-constable/4-ways-to-live-a-happier-_b_5589073.html

Kimanzi Constable Become a fan 

Author, Coach, Marathoner, Blogger at KimanziConstable.com

In July of 2011 I hit the lowest point of my life. I was 170 pounds overweight, I was at a job I absolutely hated, and I lived in a place that made me worried about my family's safety.

One day that July, I was sitting on the couch crying as everything came crashing down on my head at the same time. The straw that broke the camel's back was my wife and I separating. Every day we fought about everything because of all the problems.

I sat there that day with the TV on not really thinking about what I was watching. A commercial came on showing this happy family playing on the beach. They were laughing and happy. I wondered why that couldn't be my family?

Today we are truly happy and it happened in ways that I would have never expected. I searched and searched for the answers to happiness. They were right under my nose. If you're struggling or you just want to live a happier life, I have four tips that can help you get there.

1. Sleep more

At the end of the day a lot of the reason we feel the way we do can be contributed to not getting enough sleep. When you don't have enough energy for the day it naturally affects how you feel and your attitude.

Sleep is something we know we need yet don't get enough of consistently. How much sleep should you get? That's specific to each of us but I can tell you that you can always use more.

If you look at some of successful people in our history you'll see they average around seven hours of sleep a night. Doctors have a lot to say about not getting enough sleep and all the health problems it leads to. This article really makes you think.

If you're feeling drained or a little down try getting an extra hour of sleep every night. Turn off the prime-time TV shows and go to bed a little earlier. You'll wake up refreshed and ready to tackle your day.

2. Exercise

We can all benefit from moving more. At my heaviest I was 370 pounds. I woke up and looked at myself in the mirror and hated life. My happiness could definitely be linked to my weight.

I started slowly by walking for 30 minutes a day. After I started to lose a few pounds and felt better I started running. Over the course of a year between exercise and eating right I was able to lose 160 pounds.

Running may not be your thing but find some sort of physical activity that you can do that will get your heart pumping. Start slow and if at all possible start your day with exercise. When you do you'll have the energy you need all day. It's an amazing and mind-refreshing way to start your day.

The stats are staggering as to what exercise can do for your body and state of mind. They're also staggering to the crisis we face with our health. This report  is eye opening from the President's Council on Fitness.

If exercise isn't a part of your life you should add it. You'll see amazing results and it will lead to a happier life.

3. Do work you love

Yeah, I know. Easier said than done. Right? There are many physical and mental issues that can arise from doing work you hate. This article clearly points them out.

Finding or creating a job you love is hard. It's also not one of those things you can change overnight. However if you start working on it today you can get closer.

As you're reading this realize that today 2.4 billion people will also be online with you. If you've ever wanted to start a business or help a current business there's never been a better place than the Internet. Every day people are experiencing true freedom by having online businesses.

In 2011 I started on the journey to create an online business. Now in 2014 I'm writing this post from my home in Maui, Hawaii, completely supported by my online business. It's not easy, but it is possible.

The point here is that you spend 40 to 60 hours of your week working. One way or another it will affect your life. If you're not happy with your work start the process today. Take the first step even if it's a baby step.

4. Stop comparing

It's natural to compare where you are or what's happening in your life to what someone else is going through. If someone is experiencing success we tend to want to compare where we're at to where they're at. Don't do it!

Your journey is YOUR journey and shouldn't be compared. Make changes at your pace. As long as you're moving forward you'll get there. If someone gets there before you congratulate him or her and then focus on your journey.

Getting caught up in the comparison game won't help you. If you want to live a happy life live your life. The article does a good job laying out how comparing yourself to other people takes away from your happiness.

You can live a happier life if you decide you want to and take action to back up that decision. I lost 160 pounds, left a job I hated to write and speak.

I moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Maui, Hawaii. I wake up every day happy and excited for what the future holds. It took three years of hard struggle but I can tell you after the storm there's always a rainbow.

You have the power. Life is too short to live and then die with regret. Do something about it. Start today. Work on these four areas and I guarantee you'll be living a happier life.

Which one of these are you working on? Which one do you need to work on?

Follow Kimanzi Constable on Twitter: www.twitter.com/KimanziC