Health Food Store Directory - October 28th, 2009


The cliché that says health is wealth maybe overstated but it’s what reality speaks of. If you don’t find yourself functioning healthily, you won’t be able to deliver office tasks, finish household chores and accomplish your daily itineraries. Getting sick is simply a big no-no when you want to give the best for your family and kids in terms of daily needs and luxuries they deserve to acquire. Health and wealth are like sisters, so to say. If you are on the verge of finding the healthiest choice of food diet to follow, you can browse the worldwide web for the health food store directory. By then, you are aware as to where to buy the healthy recipes for you and your family.

There are hundreds of sources to explore on basing on the health food store directory that you may find online. Some of them are efoodpantry.com, wildoats.com, wholefoods.com, aviva.ca, primefavorites.com, gardencoveproduce.com, naturalgrocers.com and a lot more. In these online shops, you’ll spot various raw foods, organic recipes, vegetable recipes and other healthy ingredients you need to purchase for your “healthy food of the day” kind of plan for everyone in the family to follow. Once you have find the list, you can zoom into the specific foods you want to obtain so that you can practically zero down your options.

If you are up for some vegetable options, you can perhaps check what Planet Veggie has to offer. Soy products may be browsed on Prime Favorites and so on. In shopping, you don’t want to be wasting time deciding on which ones to get and which ones not to. This means you have to jot down the important ingredients you need to purchase before you hit the store nearby or on the web. Base your list on your allocated budget and the dishes you aim to cook. It would be strategic and practical to do weekly or monthly shopping, not a daily. The health food store directory serves as your guide in getting your cooking agenda and fitness quest done.

The health food store directory practically contains the list of land-based and web-present stores where you can purchase natural and organic ingredients. The listing provides information on the name, location and primary offers of the shops, and how they can be purchased. Some shops also provide coupons and special privileges for shoppers during the holidays like Halloween, Christmas and Thanksgiving when shopping is on its peak. In order for you not to get into the hassle of panic buying of all the healthy ingredients you need, you must observe a diet calendar and schedule of shopping. It would make it quicker for you to gather and add to your shopping cart the most needed foods according to your listing.

Huang Chang Wang

How to Start a Cosmetics Business - October 27th, 2009


Industry analysis indicates that the sales of cosmetics and toiletries in the U.S. are expected to sustain a steady increase of 5-6% until at least 2010, when annual sales will top $7.6 billion. That forecast makes for optimal conditions for starting up a cosmetic business that can be run from your home.

At present, just over 50% of cosmetic and toiletry items are sold by major retailers or chains. The rest are divided amongst various beauty product specific companies as well as many independent businesses.

The very size of the market, allows for either concentrating on a particular area, or selecting several target consumers such as make-up for teens, women, those who have specific conditions, products for men, as well as natural beauty products for the health-conscious.

In operating a home business, you will need to first study the market and potential clientele in your area, and whether you want to supplement those sales with an Internet presence. You can find information not only in your local area but also by doing research online. The next choice is whether to run a business entirely on your own, including investing your own funds in stocks and sales tools, or becoming part of an established company of good reputation for their products and how they treat both customers and sales consultants.

Investigate these companies thoroughly and ensure you are happy with the products, requirements, services and have checked out their background. They may have a sales quota requirement that must be met regardless of the time of year, when by its nature, cosmetics tend to be high sellers for major gift-giving occasions so be sure to check those as well.

The cosmetics business is not one that waxes and wanes with trends, although it can be cyclical in nature as to what products, i.e. perfume, soaps, lotions, are the biggest current sellers.

Celebrity Oops

Look Great With Natural Beauty Treatments - October 27th, 2009


Women in the United States spend an estimated 50 billion dollars every year on beauty treatments and related products. Unfortunately many of these products do not do the slightest bit of good, and some of them could actually be unhealthy for your body. But think of the amount of time — and money — that could be saved by simply using natural beauty treatments that are readily available.

Using natural beauty treatments ensures that you are not contributing to animal testing, or risking the application of dangerous chemicals to your skin. In this article we will discuss a few of the best natural beauty treatments that are both economical and effective to help you look your best at all times. Now let’s get started.

The humble banana is one of the best natural beauty treatments available. Bananas are rich in potassium as well as other minerals and vitamins, and make a wonderful moisturizer for both the hair and skin. The most common way to use bananas as natural beauty treatments is to begin by mashing the banana thoroughly, and then gently massaging it into your face and hair. Some experts also recommend adding some natural oatmeal to the banana mash to make a wonderful mask for skin ex-foliation.

Next on our list of natural beauty treatments are avocados. Avocados are wonderfully healthy and contain generous amounts of essential oils that are perfect to moisturize the skin. You can also simply rub the peel of the avocado gently around the face and neck as a great skin cleanser and moisturizer. For puffy eyes, sliced avocado can be placed underneath the eyes for five to 10 minutes at a time to reduce swelling.

The third most popular and natural beauty treatment is a timeless classic: olive oil. Olive oil is one of the most versatile natural beauty treatments. It is a wonderful hand moisturizer and can be used under gloves at nighttime to keep the hands soft and fresh while you sleep. It’s also perfect to moisturize the lips, or to soak cuticles or nails.

Olive oil also excels in repairing damaged hair or split ends. When used as a hair conditioner, olive oil can control dandruff, while adding a thick, luxurious shine to dull or color-damaged hair. Another great tip is to add several drops of olive oil into the bathtub. This will help moisturize this skin, and if you prefer, you can also add a few drops of essential oils to mask the olive oil smell.

These three are just of few of the many great natural beauty treatments that are both inexpensive and highly effective. Some of these — such as olive oil — have been used as beauty treatments for millennia, and are proven to work. But one thing you can be sure of is, all of these natural beauty treatments are just that — natural. In other words, you will not have to worry about damaging your skin, hair or fingernails with harmful chemicals when using these treatments. Additionally, allergies to these in natural ingredients are very rare, and this is unfortunately not the case with many commercial, laboratory produced beauty treatments.

If you’ve grown accustomed to buying commercial beauty treatments, it may take some time to adjust to doing things the natural way. But try the three effective natural beauty treatments in this article and you are sure to see a difference in both your appearance, and your pocketbook, very soon.

Best Buy Items

Health Food Hoaxes – Is Chocolate Really Good For You? - October 27th, 2009


Is Chocolate really good for you? I think this is one of the biggest health food hoaxes out there. First of all we shouldn’t confuse chocolate with cocoa. Pure cocoa is what’s good for you, not chocolate. Chocolate is a sweet, tasty concoction that is made from the cocoa bean.
 
The amount of cocoa in a chocolate candy bar is very scant, which if you look at the list of ingredients in a popular candy bar the first ingredient is usually sugar and then wheat flour and then hydrogenated oil! Cocoa powder comes in somewhere between sixth and tenth place in the ingredients list.
 
Hydrogenated oil is in almost all popular candy bars. Hydrogenated oil is refined (cooked) oil and it cakes up in your veins and causes high cholesterol, high blood pressure and disease. It is one of the worse foods you can eat. It is found in many of your processed snack foods.
 
Since the amount of cocoa in a candy bar is so scant you would have to eat quite a lot of chocolate candy bars to receive any antioxidant effect from the cocoa. But by then imagine what all of those other ingredients are doing to your body? When the ingredients sugar, cocoa butter, hydrogenated oil, and milk are added with cocoa it is then called chocolate.
 
Eating a chocolate candy bar now and again certainly won’t hurt you if you already eat a healthy daily diet. But I wouldn’t start gorging out on candy bars every day just because there are rumors circulating that chocolate is good for you.
 
If you have a craving for chocolate it is always best for your health to eat the chocolate bars that have the most percentage of cocoa in them. You can now find them in most grocery stores. The nutritional value of pure organic cocoa shows to have high levels of antioxidants, which are the flavonoids found in the nonfat portions of the cocoa bean.
 
This is interesting since the ingredient that does come in first before cocoa is cocoa butter, which comes from the fatty part of the cocoa bean. So there is more cocoa butter from the fatty part of the bean in a chocolate bar than cocoa found in the non-fat portion of the cocoa bean. Interesting indeed.
 
Pure cocoa powder that comes from the cocoa plant carries a generous amount of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese. But chocolate candy bars have only scant amounts of these minerals because chocolate is only a concoction made from small amounts of cocoa.
 
It would be far better for your health to drink a cup of hot cocoa, sweetened with a little raw honey, than to eat a candy bar. Bottom line: Don’t fall for the “chocolate is good for you” advertisements. Buy some cocoa powder where the ingredient lists only “cocoa powder” and have a cup of hot cocoa with raw honey.

Weight Loss

Beauty Tips & Secrets for Summer - October 27th, 2009


Beauty is a part of the women. Beauty is defined as a prominent practice of optimistic expression associated to one’s own survival. Eye liner is a makeup that is used to better define the eyes. Eyes are not just a part of your face but they are very important feature as well. Eyeliner can make even the smallest eyes appear larger. The eyeliner is there to help you out in this regard. Eyebrows play an important role in heightening the beauty of eyes. Perfect eyebrows almost transcend the beauty of the face and make an immediate visible impact in a makeover session. Eyebrows are shaped and colored all the time. Today, there are a variety of pencils for the eyebrows, in different colors and brands. Your hair reflects your general health. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is important for healthy hair. There are certain specific foods that are important for healthy hair. Don’t use hair removing lotion on your eyebrows. Also, it is perfectly normal for hair to grow quickly on your eyebrows.

Summer, like winter, requires it’s own special beauty tips. During the summer your skin can change quite a bit. It’s usually a few shades darker (hopefully from self-tanner only, of course), oilier due to heat and humidity or a bit parched in dry heat climates which can upset your tried-and-true makeup and skin care routine.A good water-resistant sunscreen, with an SPF of 15 or higher, should be applied to dry skin at least 15 minutes before going outdoors. It should be reapplied after swimming or spending any length of time in the sun. Certain foods and beverages, such as herbal teas, avocados, and fruit, help in purifying and nourishing the skin in summer. Spicy or hot foods should be avoided if you plan on spending any length of time outdoors, as these may cause skin irritations or inflammations. Drinking lots of water is absolutely essential to replenish moisture lost to the drying effects of the sun.

Summer Beauty Tips

1. Skin tends to get oilier in summer.

2. Use lighter facial skin care products to avoid clogging your pores.

3. Rehydrate your skin after exposure to the sun, sand and salt at the beach.

4. Protect your skin from the sun. The sun’s UV rays can cause skin cancer, so be wise and use sunblocks.

5. Apply a bit of conditioner to hair before shampooing, concentrating on ends.

6. Be sure to get a trim every 4-6 weeks to keep ends healthy.

7. Apply 3 tablespoons of olive oil to dry hair. Let sit for up to an hour, wash thoroughly.

8. Hair needs protection from the sun just like the skin. Use a shampoo and conditioner that contains sunscreen.

9. Never Underestimate the Power of Moisturizer.

Huang Chang Wang

Cosmetics For Beauty - October 26th, 2009


Some people are so obsessed with beauty that they spend their last penny on creams or put on make- up to achieve different looks at different times. These days, it’s not surprising to see beauty – conscious women doing those tried and tested tips like putting mayonnaise on the hair, cucumbers on the eyes and even milk or eggs on the face. All these for the sake of beauty.

Undoubtedly, cosmetics has played an important role in women’s lives. Superficial or not, most spend endless hours being scrubbed, massaged, exfoliated and made up like a butterfly. You have beauty products for having lovely eyes, sweet fragrances, oil-free foundations, dyes, anti-ageing creams, moisturizers, powders, lipsticks, among others.

“But one should be careful,” explains dermatologist Glibenette Tapang – Panlaqui. “Contact dermatitis to cosmetics is common nowadays due to the wide range of products available in the market. The leading cause of skin reactions due to cosmetics is fragrances. Other causes are preservatives such as Bronopol, lanolin, and woolwax alcohols.”

The severity of the skin reactions, she says, vary from person to person or from time to time for the same person, due to the conditions of the skin at the time of exposure to a given concentration of the irritant.

“It is therefore advisable to buy products which are labeled hypo-allergenic or non-comedogenic and do a patch test before using the products on the skin to make sure one is not allergic to it, ” Dr. Panlaqui adds.

Cosmetic ingredients vary. They come from aloe vera, wheat grain products, essential oils and extracts derived from plants. One of the newest are florabeads which are ideal for facial scrub.

Evidence of mechanical exfoliation dates back as 3,000 BC when honey and salt constituted the main cleansing ingredients of the Egyptian religious community. According to data, exfoliation acids have a long history of use like the baths taken by Cleopatra and Marie Antoinette.

Aside from the scrubs, cosmetics and treatment are reputed to beautify and minimize ageing effects. Hair cosmetics strengthen the hair and scalp as well as color it; lipstick makes one look more attractive; powder makes the skin glow and rosy; and fragrance leaves an enchanting scent. Indeed, the growing complexity of today’s market combine make-up and treatment using cosmetics that don’t harm the skin.

What are the precautions to take? Don’t forget the patch test. Keep away from the sun, use an umbrella or a sunblock lotion. Throw away old make-up. Read labels just like you would food and medicine labels.

Dr. Panlaqui also warned about the following cosmetics and its harmful ingredients:

In axilliary deodorants and antiperspirants, aluminum salts like aluminum chloride or zinc slats (e.g. zinc chloride act as a primary irritant. In roll-ons, the quaternary ammonium compounds may produce allergic contact dermatitis.

In hair dyes, those containing PPDA or paraphenylenediamine may act as sensitizer. Hair bleaches peroxide ad ammonia.

In lipsticks, the perfumes used and di- and tetrabomo -fluorescein in the dyes may cause sensitization reactions.

In eye make-up, be wary of preservatives and perfumes.

In sunscreens, keep away from paraaminobenzoicacid and its esters.

In depigmenting creams, beware of those containing hydroquinone.

Well, while cosmetics really makes a whole lot of difference in enhancing a woman’s beauty, there’s still no substitute for a radiant and sincere smile.

People Mine

Raw Food Health - October 26th, 2009


The interest in raw food health is growing. What do I mean by “raw food health?” Simply that amazing positive changes in health can often be achieved when one turns to a diet that consists mostly of raw vegetables and fruits.

Is there any evidence of this? There sure is.

Disease happens inside the human body for various reasons. There are causes for disease. And the cause just may be with the foods we’re eating.

I’ve been privileged to discover the human body can often rid itself of much disease … in an almost miraculous way. If you know anyone who is now battling disease then there is hope … in the same way there was hope for tens of thousands of individuals who found out the same thing I did.

Somewhere back in the mid-1990s, my mother-in-law came to our house for a visit. She set a magazine in front of me about health and nutrition and said she was amazed by its contents, especially the testimonials.

Apparently, individuals in the magazine claimed they were totally healed from all types of diseases, including things like cancer, diabetes, lupus and severe arthritis … after simply changing their diet.

“Uh Huh,” I thought to myself. “Sure they were. It’s nothing more than quackery, except this form of delusion was coming under the guise of nutrition instead of some ‘magic potion’ sold inside a bottle.”

Since I’d always thought myself to be a healthy eater I perused the reading material out of curiosity … especially the stories. What I read almost seemed fictional, especially considering the severity of the diseases, depth of sicknesses and reported miraculous healings.

There were some things within the material, however, that seemed plausible. For instance, the notion a person’s immune system could be suppressed because of poor nutrition, which could then lead to sickness.

Accepting that idea, however, opened the door for more questions: Could a proper diet cause a person’s immune system to begin functioning at an optimal level? Could the diseased condition then be reversed if it were brought about by poor nutrition or a suppressed immune system?

My initial skepticism about the material was taken over by thoughts of theoretical plausibility. The stories in the magazine certainly conveyed a hint of truthfulness in them. There did seem to be some evidence (at least on the surface) that there may be more of a connection between diet and disease than most people — myself included – ever considered.

At the very least, this magazine offered some interesting ideas to consider. I couldn’t help but think to myself how great it would be if there was some degree of genuineness within its pages.

How wonderful it would be if tens of thousands of individuals now sick with terrible diseases could get well … simply by changing from their present diet to one that consisted primarily of raw “living” foods!

My interest in raw food health has continued to grow in recent years. Eventually I was moved to interview people who had experienced the type of jaw-dropping health change that often comes with the adoption of a raw diet. While there is no uniformity of agreement among health professionals on this, or any other, subject. It’s hard to argue with the testimonies of individuals who have experienced the truth of raw food health in their own lives.

Animenewsnetwork

Skin Care Tips Specifically For African Americans - October 26th, 2009


Skin care is most effective and successful when armed with knowledge. This is the same for all skin colors and skin types. A skin care program for those of African American descent is just as any skin care program, you have to understand what makes your skin unique and different. This knowledge and understanding gives you the power to decide exactly what products are best for your skin. Ultimately regardless of type or color, all skin has certain requirements that must be met to achieve a healthy natural glow.

One of the most notable differences that can be seen in the skin makeup of African Americans is the amount of melanin which is produced by the skin cells called melanocytes. All individuals have the same number of melanocytes dispersed throughout the epidermis layer of their skin, however your skin tone is determined by the amount of melanin produced. Simply put, the more melanin the darker your skin tone and this is the reason why no two individuals regardless of race have exactly the same skin tone.

There is of course advantages and disadvantages to having larger amounts of melanin in your skin. The greatest benefit is protection from the sun’s damaging effect which causes everything from sunburns to the premature aging of the skin. African Americans tend to look years if not decades younger than their fair skinned counterparts of the same age. More importantly African Americans are less susceptible to developing skin cancer. In essence the naturally occurring melanin in the skin acts as a partial sunscreen. The important thing to remember is that this doesn’t completely negate the effects of the sun and a sunscreen of SPF 15 is still recommended for complete protection.

As mentioned above there is also challenges to having larger amounts of melanin present. For instance the skin tends to be more reactive meaning that many sorts of trauma or irritation to skin may cause the melanocytes to produce more melanin. This excess production may result in darkened areas or a scarring effect which is called post inflammatory hyper pigmentation and can last months or even years. Therefore special care is needed to avoid these situations and repair any already damaged skin.

To minimize the occurrence of unnecessary damage to the skin, here are few simple tips. First of all, be gentle. Although cleansing and exfoliating are necessary, scrubbing your skin excessively or with to much pressure can cause bruising and microscopic tears. Darker pigmented skin tends to be more delicate and often hides the resulting damage. Clay based exfoliates are recommended because they tend to be gentler on the skin. It is also best to avoid the use of soap on your face, it tends to be harsh and drying. Try to stay away from products with a lot of perfumes as they can cause irritations and rashes. If you have oily skin a purifying cleanser would be a good choice.

Black or dark pigmented skin tends to have larger pores, therefore toning is essential. A gentle toner helps to prevent blackheads and to help keep the pores healthy. Moisturizing is a topic which seems to be controversial especially for those individuals that are affected by oily complexions. A large majority of persons with dark skin do indeed struggle with oily skin however that does not necessarily mean that can not moisturize. There is a vast selection of moistures available that quickly penetrate the skin without leaving a heavy greasy layer to contend with, these are preferred.

For the most part, skin is skin, and it is all different regardless of tone or color. Every individual is different therefore no one product fits all. Use products that fit your individual needs and that give you the results you are looking to achieve.

Photos Union

Skin Tags Treatment and Symptoms - October 26th, 2009


To begin with, it is important to know that the symptoms of skin tag are not the same for all. This means that what the symptoms are for one person may not be the same for another. And this is precisely where the problem begins from making it difficult to properly diagnose the disease. Skin tags are a medical problem – a skin disease that can appear almost anywhere on the skin of an affected individual. But the problem is these tags (that are actually growths or small bumps on the skin) look a lot like other skin disorders and are thus sometimes wrongly interpreted as other diseases and not skin tags or Acrochordons.

Yes that is right. As mentioned previously, the symptoms of skin tag are not the same for all. While in some they are brown colored, fleshy in appearance and smooth; in others the tags might be irregular in shape and look a lot more pigmented. They may also differ in size from anywhere between 1 mm to 5 cm’s.

So how to know if someone has skin tags or not? A good way to understand the symptoms is by noticing them at the very beginning – just when the growths are beginning to appear on the skin. Because at the start, the tags look almost the same for all. They appear as small and soft bumps that seem to hang from the skin. And if they can be twisted with relative ease, then they are probably skin tags. These tags almost always come with no pain – so this is another symptom.

Now that is a big question. Because many believe that since skin tags naturally occur with age and because of the fact that they are painless and are otherwise harmless – no treatment is thus necessary. But the symptoms of skin tag can still be quite bother and a social embarrassment, particularly when they appear in the visible portions of the skin like arms, face etc. Also when the tags are twisted too much, they can lead to blood clots and when this happens it becomes painful.

So it is best to seek treatment when there are symptoms of skin tag and not neglect the condition. But sadly that is not the case, as a huge section of the population tends to do just this. And considering the fact that a big percentage of the adult population (some even say that as many as 50% or more seniors) is affected with the symptoms of skin tag, the problem suddenly assumes a big proportion.

Luckily, there are good solutions that can heal the symptoms of skin tag within just 2 to 6 weeks. Many of them are natural products that are completely safe to use as well. They can be used by pregnant women and children (though mostly aged people have the tags). And once the product has been used to cure the symptoms of skin tag, the tags never come back again.

E Law Blog

How To Lighten Skin Effectively - October 26th, 2009


The dilemma of individuals affected by hyperpigmentation problems lies not only in choosing a good product, but the proper way to lighten skin. A successful skin lightening or whitening regimen does not rely on the products alone. Let me tell you why.

Skin lightening products have grown in demand as the answer for uneven pigmentation such as melasma, age spots, freckles, dark underarms, knees, elbows or inner thighs. Regardless of race or skin color, it concerns a lot of people caused by the skin’s melanin content. Melanin, in its simplest definition, defines the color of our skin.

Here are four vital factors to lighten skin effectively:

A good skin lightening product should be safe and potent. Ingredients such as hydroquinone, mercury and steroids are harmful substances, and banned for use in Europe and Asia. Studies showed that hydroquinone is carcinogenic and can cause skin cancer. Although some contain an approved 2% content, cautious people choose not to buy. Mercury, on the other hand, poisons the bloodstream, while steroids cause skin thinning and produces stretch marks. The safer ingredients are natural plant extracts known to deliver good skin lightening results, such as kojic acid (from mushroom), licorice (plant extract), and papain (papaya fruit). Potency is another issue because most commercial products show little or no results, ineffective or just a waste of money. Choose a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, because not all sunscreens block both rays. The UVA rays are responsible for skin cancer, aging and tanning of our skin. The UVB rays burn out skin. Good ingredients are Parsol1789 (at least 3%), Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide or Mexoryl-Sx. The higher the SPF, the better. Wearing sunscreen is a must, whether you’re using skin lightening products or not. Avoid overexposure to the sun particularly between 10am-3pm. Remember, sunscreen does not block all UVA or UVB rays. Even in the shade, the sun’s rays can penetrate, so it’s best to protect your skin physically through hats/sunglasses and long sleeved shirts for extended sun exposure. Take 500mg Vitamin C supplement daily. A daily dose of at least 500mg ascorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant helps promote healthy skin and inhibits the production of melanin. Others take it with whitening pills, but will take months to see results. Your best bet is an intake of this supplement plus the use of good skin lightening products. Use your favorite moisturizers with skin lighteners. Exfoliated skin that is resurfaced as a result of the skin lightening procedure needs hydration to give a rosy, whiter effect. Simply use your moisturizers 5-10 minutes after the application of the skin lightening products.

Another alternative to treat dark skin spots is laser treatment but the price tag can cost over a thousand dollars. And expensive skin products don’t necessarily imply more effective than the more economical ones. There are safer, cheaper and better ways to do it as described above.

In most Asian, African and Latin American countries, fair skin radiates an aura of sophistication. On the contrary, skin tanning is the opposite trend in the United States. Although skin lightening or bleaching is more criticized in the US, both skin lightening and skin tanning are inclined on the same solutions – even skin tone, higher self esteem, or just aesthetic preferences. Fair women would still stand out than bronzed whites visiting Asian countries. The only real difference lies in one’s cultural identity and tradition.

The Last Eden
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