Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Choosing a Perfume That Works For You
First of all, it's important to remember that many of these fragrances are very delicate in nature and in composition. It's very important that you keep your perfumes in a cool, dark location once you take it home and you open the bottle. Fragrances can be easily affected by extreme temperatures or by sunlight. Sunlight and high temperature can easily upset the chemical balance of your perfume and change or even ruin the original smell, without you realizing it.
Secondly, it's important to realize that perfumes will actually smell differently on the skin of different people. Perfumes mix with the natural oils and acids on your skin and, since each person is unique, the way the perfume reacts on the skin will be unique for each person. And each fragrance you try on in the store will react differently to your own unique body chemistry. This is an important point to keep in mind as you try out each new perfume. Always give yourself about 10 minutes to let the scent react with your skin. Don't rush it. Let the perfume and your body work together to give you a true reading on how the scent will work for you.
Sometimes women also find that a perfume that seemed to work well for them at one point has started to smell differently after a period of time. You need to realize that there are other body chemistry factors that can come in to play that can actually change how a perfume reacts on your skin. Diet,for example, can play a large role in the differences you detect in a fragrance you wear. Eating too much garlic or too many onions can create a problem for people who have a tendency to have these foods come through their pores. Having onion or garlic mix with your perfume can definitely change the smell. A diet that is high in fat, or a spicy diet, can actually increase the intensity of a perfume due to the change in body chemistry that shows up in the essential oils of your skin that mixes with the perfume. A return to a previous diet may return your previous favorite scent.
You also have to realize that hormonal changes in your body will show up in your skin chemistry as well. Going through puberty, menopause or even pregnancy can easily change how a perfume reacts on your skin. Health problems like diabetes can create skin problems and changes in your natural oils that will affect your favorite scent as well. Even the variations and changes in blood sugar levels that a diabetic goes through will in turn effect a perfumes scent. Even a small change such as having dryer skin then you normally have can easily effect the scent you wear as the essential oils in the perfume will be absorbed into your skin and change the composition of the fragrance left behind.
There is really nothing to be worried about health wise in any of these cases, but it's good to know why your favorite perfume doesn't seem to smell the same as it once did. Or why a certain fragrance that everyone else enjoys doesn't seem to work on you. Each and every one of us is a unique individual, with differences in the natural oils and acid composition that we have on our skin. Body chemistry and health may also play an integral role in how a particular perfume reacts on a woman's body. Just take your time. Find a fragrance that works for you and your body chemistry and you will have a unique scent that is all your own.
Top 20 Women's Self Defense Tips
1. Get a self-defense program in place.
2. Get a self-defensive attitude. This will enhance your self-confidence and power to fight back. Building confidence in your ability to defend your self shows thru.
3. Use common sense and restraint. Everyone has choices on where they go and how they get there. Keep to well lit areas, go with a buddy, avoid dangerous areas.
4. Learn how to avoid a fight. It takes two to tangle. Take the high road and walk away when given the opportunity.
5. Keep practicing. The self-defense skills you learn should become second nature.
6. Be aware of where you are.
7. Hitchhiking is dangerous-use buses or taxis.
8. Never act or appear to be an easy target. Don't look like victim. Most guys who assault women are not all that smart but they are not stupid either. Someone who is walking with their head down and an uncertain gait presents an easy target.
9. Have body language that exudes self-confidence.
10. Start screaming your head off. Then try biting, scratching eyes-anything you can do to defend your self.
11. Trust your instincts. Women especially are blessed with an uncanny knack for sensing things. They should use and trust that instinct. When you get a shiver down your spine be ready to react.
12. Get a survivor mentality. This starts with developing an awareness of your surroundings and aware of the fact that women are potential targets all their lives.
13. Don't become paranoid. Just be aware!!
14. Your priorities are survival and escape. You don't get style points. Fight dirty.
15. React quickly. An assault situation demands a speedy response not where's my pepper spray.
16. Use anything you can get your hands on as a self defense weapon. A pen in your purse, keys, your fingernails-anything that might cause some damage.
17. Don't be a provocative target. Getting drunk or high on drugs is akin to asking for trouble-even when with friends.
18. Learn some basic points on the body that yield the results you want. Eye gouges, groin kicks, the heal of the hand to the base of the nose, a hard punch to the ear all will get you a release.
19. Having a stun gun is not enough. Learn and know how to use them and practice using them. They will give you from 3-15 minutes to escape to get help or just escape and survive.
20. Your life is at stake here. I can't stress this enough practice different scenarios so when (not if) the time comes you instinctively know what to do and it just happens reflexively.
Following these tips may end up saving your life. Remember the old saying "walk softly and carry a nasty pepper spray."
How to Become Muscular Fast and Look Great
- You have to eat a lot. People usually tell me that they are stuck at a weight. For example, "I eat 3,000 calories per day, and I lift weights 4 times a week. Why don't I gain any weight?" If you do the same things over and over, your progress is going to stall. Increase 300-500 calories every 2 weeks to ensure that you are gaining lean quality mass.
- Only do compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups. Stop wasting your time with billion sets of bicep curls and tricep kickbacks. They provide very little results to help you gain weight and build muscles. Heavy compound exercises such as deadlift and squats help boost your testosterone naturally.
- Spend less time at the gym. Your muscles grow outside of the gym. You can keep your gym time a lot shorter when you focus on exercises that target multiple muscle groups. The faster you get out, then the faster you can eat your post-workout meal.
- You need to get more sleep. Are you only sleeping about 3-4 hours per night? Your muscles will recover better to grow when you get more sleep. Lack of sleep will also make your immune system weaker so you will get sick a lot. When you get sick, you will lose weight and muscles.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
How to Find a Good cosmetic Surgery Center
Firstly, try to ask around. Ask friends, family, or colleagues. Ask them whether they have ever had any sort of cosmetic surgery done, or if they know anyone who has. If so, they can possibly forward you to the name of the surgery center where the operation(s) took place. Aside from asking where they had surgery done, you should ask more specific questions. Ask questions such as, what type of cosmetic surgery was done exactly, how long it took, how much it cost, how long was the wait before the surgery, and anything else that could come to mind.
Secondly, you can read reviews on the web. This should be a second option (if you cannot find people who have actually had cosmetic surgery done). Why? Because reviews on the web could be biased, fake, and so on. Though the web is a great resource these days, it should never be fully trusted. In other words, do not make your decision of going forward with surgery or not based on what you read on website. If you are going to use the web to read reviews, read several. If you only read one, the chances are it may not be accurate. If you read lots of reviews about a specific surgery center, and all of them say it is great, chances are, the reviews are legit. If you end up only finding one review about a specific cosmetic surgery center, you should probably not go with it.
Finding a good cosmetic surgery center is not hard. It will just take a fair amount of research and questioning on your part. The hardest part of cosmetic surgery is finding the right place to have it done. Once you have completed that part, the rest is in the hands of the surgeons and doctors, thus you need not worry from that point on.
Find Your Best Plastic Surgeon in Three Easy Steps
1. First and foremost (did I mention this is important), narrow your search by only looking at board certified plastic surgeons. It is unfortunate, but there are individuals whom are misleading and you need to ask two questions. First, "Are you board certified?", followed by "Which board are you certified by?". The second answer should only be the American Board of Plastic Surgery. To verify a physicians board status contact the American Board of Plastic Surgery at (215) 587-9322 or their website. You may also contact the American Board of Medical Specialties at 1 (800) 776-2378 or their website
2. Get on a few plastic surgeons websites. Get a feeling for the practice philosophy and the plastic surgeon as a person. Does it feel "business" or "personal"? Is the name of the practice the name of the physician or is it something else. Ask yourself do you want a relationship with a company or a person?
3. Look at before and after photos
4. Ask around. There are a number of venues for this including online forums and blogs. Find patients whom have seen plastic surgeons in your area and ask about their experience.
The next step is the consultation
1. None of us are ever offended if a patient has scheduled a couple of consultations. Limit this number to 3 well chosen plastic surgeons and you will have better focus. You need to find the plastic surgeon who you like and trust.
2. Trust your instincts, look out for salesmen. Don't get up-sold for something you didn't come in to discuss.
3. Ask about the process of fixing a complication (unfortunately we all have them). Is there an additional charge?
4. Did you spend the majority of the time with the plastic surgeon or an assistant? A personalized consultation leads to personalized results!
5. Was there any pressure from the office staff?
Watch out for the "red flags" of a surgeon who is not best for you
1. Salesmen
2. Pressure
3. Statements such as "I am the best plastic surgeon in ..."
4. A hurried consultation. This surgery is very important to you and should be very important to the person you are entrusting yourself with.
5. Aggressive advertising. Billboards, TV ads, newspaper ads ... Some of these practices have few word of mouth referrals and NEED to advertise heavily to keep a patient flow. "a sucker is born every day"
6. The term "cosmetic surgeon". Many of these are not plastic surgeons at all.
7. Uncomfortable consultation - the relationship will be long lasting and should be enjoyable.
In conclusion do your homework. Find a board certified plastic surgeon whom you like and trust. Board certification does not guarantee a favorable outcome but does guarantee adequate training and adherence to strict ethical and safety standards.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
10 Proven Weight Loss Strategies
Workout Nutrition
Sugar During Your Workout Doesn't Stop Fat Loss
A 2006 study published by Dr. Stephen Bird gave us some really great information regarding the effect of eating around your workout on fat loss. What the researchers found was that it didn't matter if a person ate nothing or had a top notch workout shake containing carbohydrates and protein – they lost the same amount of weight. But the people that had the carbohydrate and protein shake gained more muscle over the 12 week study so their body fat percentages decreased more than the group that had nothing during their workouts.
Take Home Point: When you workout have a shake containing both protein and carbohydrates, it will not hinder your fat loss.
Cutting Your Carbs Changes The Game
A 2006 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition set out to look at the effects of carbohydrate restriction on different cardiovascular disease risk factors but what they found is valuble information for those looking to lose weight (as well as fight cardiovascular disease). These researchers found that when the people in the study cut their carbs, their body's starting metabolizing fats differently. They were actual able to detect changes at the genetic level as well. The 'rules' of weight loss change when you start cutting your carbs. You can eat more fat (even saturated fat) without negatively impacting your health. You will also lose more weight faster and easier (more on that later)
Take Home Point: Cut your carbs and your body's biochemistry changes – for the good!
Interval Training
Lose More Fat While Exercising Less
One of the biggest mistakes people make in regards to fat loss training is that they assume that they will only burn calories WHILE working out. This is far from the truth (if you structure your training correctly). In fact, the biggest fat loss secret is the ability to harness your body's fat burning power when you aren't working out. The power of post workout fat burning was revealed in 1994 by Tremblay and colleagues in their study published in Metabolism. In this study the researchers compared the effect of 20 weeks of endurance exercise vs. 15 weeks of interval training. In the end the endurance exercise burned more calories overall but the interval training group burn 900% more body fat. This increased fat burning is most likely due to the elevation of metabolism that occurs following interval training.
Take Home Point: Interval training takes less time and it allows for you to burn 9x more body fat that traditional cardio.
Eat More and Lose Weight With Low Carb Diets
In 2006, a review was published examining several long term weight loss studies. In these studies the participants either followed a low fat diet or a low carb diet. The findings were surprising to many. After being on the diets for 6 months the low carb diet groups lost more weight than the low fat diet groups. At the 12 month mark, both groups had lost the same about of weight, but what is really interesting is that the low carb diet group did not focus on cutting calories while the low fat group had to in order to lose the same amount of weight.
Take Home Point: When you go on a low carb diet you can eat more calories and still lose just as much weight compared to if you were to go on a low fat diet.
The Real Secret Behind Protecting Your Muscle and Metabolism While Dieting
A major concern that people have while dieting is losing muscle. This is because when you lose fat and muscle, you'll end up looking soft and skinny fat when you are done dieting instead of lean and toned. Many people think that in order to prevent muscle loss and metabolism damage you must keep your calories up. This is true in some cases but a 1999 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition proved just the opposite! These researchers put two groups of people on an 800 CALORIE liquid diet. One group did aerobic exercise while the other group did resistance training. The group that did resistance training lost more fat, didn't lose any muscle, and their resting metabolic rate actually increased! Eating only 800 calories per day.
Take Home Point: Resistance training is an essential component to any diet as it will allow you to maintain a healthy metabolism, keep your hard earned muscle, and allow you to burn more fat.
Low Fat Diets Are Just Too Hard
The Women's Health Study lasted 8 years and contained 49,000 women. One of the goals of the study was to examine the effects of a low fat diet (20% of Calories from Fat) on different aspects of health. The problem was that women in the study weren't able to stick to the intake of 20% calories from fat. Instead the average was closer to 30%.
Take Home Point: Low Fat Diets are hard for people to stick to over the long term. The good news is that you don't need a low fat diet to lose weight. Instead focus on adopting a low carb approach.
Non-Diet Factors That Accelerate Weight Loss
Diet is the main driving forces behind your weight loss success but there are several important factors aside from diet that you must consider. The importance of these factors is highlighted in the diet studies related to the Ornish Diet. Between 1977-1980, a group of people were put on the Ornish Diet as part of the Lifestyle Heart Trial. These during this time the participants experienced phenomenal results such as regression of heart attack causing plaques in their arteries. Ever since this original study, similar results using the Ornish Diet have never been replicated. Why? Because the people in the study were implementing more than just a diet; they also did regular exercise (3 hours per week), meditation and relaxation (1 hour per day), and participated in 2 group support sessions each week. The addition of the other factors made the diet so much more effective.
Take Home Point: Adding exercise, stress management techniques, and finding a support system will greatly enhance your weight loss results.
Your Body Type Determines Your Fat Loss Diet
As our knowledge of the human body and nutrition progresses you are going to see more and more diets being designed based on a person's body type, hormonal profile, and even their DNA. While we are not to that point yet, researchers are slowly uncovering clues to diet individualization. In 2007, a study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that did just that. In this study overweight individuals were put on either a low fat or low glycemic load diet (glycemic load is a rating of type and amount of carbohydrates – low glycemic diets contain little grains and starches and lots of vegetables and fruits). The researchers found that the participants whom were insulin resistant (generally the more body fat you have the more insulin resistant you are) lost more weight and had a greater decrease in body fat percentage when they were put on the low glycemic load diet.
Take Home Point – In order to maximize your weight loss, if you have more weight to lose then you need to eat less starches and more fruits and vegetables.
Fish Oil – You're Secret Fat Loss Supplement
There are so many fat loss supplements backed by empty claims and unwarranted hype. However, fish oil is slowing gathering a solid scientific foundation in regards to its effects on fat loss. A recent study completed in Australia looked at the impact of exercise and fish oil on weight loss. The researchers found that the combination of exercise and fish oil supplementation led to a reduction in fat mass. How this happens is actually pretty cool. In this study the participants were given an exercise goal of 75% of their maximum heart rate. But the fish oil actually lowered the resting heart rates of the people in the study and thus they had to work harder to reach the 75% maximum heart rate bench mark. This most likely caused them to burn more calories and thus more fat.
Take Home Message: Take fish oil each day not only to improve your health but also to enhance your fat loss.
Weight Gaining Behavior Revealed
A 2004 study by eating behavior expert, David Levitsky, revealed several characteristics that explain the weight gain of new college freshman. The researchers found that the student's weight gain as associated with several behaviors.
- "All You Can Eat" Dining
- Snacking On High Fat Junk Foods
- Increased Frequency of Snacking on Junk Foods
We (humans) don't snack well. We don't regulate our caloric intake over time such that if we eat an extra 300 calories as a snack mid morning then we won't eat 300 calories less at lunch. In regards to "All You Can Eat" Dining – this is just a bad idea. Control your environment. We are very sensitive to visual cues such as plate size, amount of food, glass size/style, etc. "All You Can Eat" Dining is setting yourself up for dieting failure – avoid it at all costs so you can control your calorie intake with ease.
Monday, February 2, 2009
How To Enlarge Breasts Naturally
2/ Proper Bra Sizing – proper measurement of bra size is key in getting the support, lift, and comfort that can add size to your breasts. The time spent on being sized properly is well worth it.
3/ Make-Up – for enhancing your cleavage, consider applying a touch of shimmer or bronzer in between your cleavage to draw the eye to that area and visually add depth.
4/ Cup Enhancers or Silicone Bra Inserts – these cup enhancers can be purchased and applied with double-sided tape to fit snugly in your bra, undetected. Look for ones that are hypoallergenic if you have sensitive skin and are also sweat and waterproof.
5/ Push-Up Padded Bra – consider purchasing a push up bra with padding to achieve a larger appearing cup size and increased cleavage.
breast enlargement
6/ Proper fitting shirts – tight fitting clothes do not enhance your bust line or breast appearance. Choose clothes that fit properly and don’t show too much cleavage.
7/ Tape or Moleskin - apply tape or moleskin across the lateral and bottom aspect of the breast to push them together and give them a lift.
8/ Hydration – any skin regimen has to include hydration. The recommended water intake for those with no restrictions includes six to eight glasses a day. This will help keep the skin over your breasts looking and feeling healthy and moisturized.

