Dark Neck Problems

I recently wrote an article on dark underarms and have been getting feedback from those wanting more information on the conditions that create dark necks as well. As stated in my previous post, it could be a sign of a medical condition known as acanthosis nigricans. Acanthosis can begin at any age with sign, symptom or warning. It is characterized by dark neck, underarms, and groin areas. The dark areas will have a velvety, deeply creased, brown to black coloring. Most of the times those who suffer from this condition are overweight. If it develops in those who are not overweight, you should seek medical attention immediately because it could be a sign of a more serious problem such as tumors in the stomach.

It is believed that Acanthosis Nigricans is an insulin related condition and those with it usually have elevated insulin levels. Too much starches and sugars can further negatively impact this condition by causing insulin resistance. With proper diet and medical guidance, skin improvement can be seen. Many people have this condition and may not even know why or how they got it. So, if you suffer from this, don’t despair. Get to your doctor and learn all the facts and what you can do to help this condition and ensure it won’t get worse.

 

Exercise with a Beat

Do you wonder why you see many men and women working out in the gym or jogging in the streets with an iPod or another music player stuck to their ears? More than incorporating listening enjoyment to getting fit, studies have shown that listening to music during exercise is actually very beneficial to the health.

Mood Uplifter. For one, we all know how music tends to affect our mood. Listening to music that you like evokes a positive mood that makes you happier with what you are doing, such as exercising. You don’t feel the fatigue as easily because something enjoyable distracts you and makes it alright to go on. Thus, you exercise more with passion every day, allowing you to reach your weight goals faster.

Improved Cognitive Function and Brain Power. There has long been evidence that exercise improves cognitive function in coronary artery disease patients and that music enhances brain power. So the researchers at the Ohio State University put the two together and tested 33 male and female heart patients. Results showed that participants felt better emotionally and mentally after working out, whether or not they listened to music. However, there was a significant improvement in verbal fluency test from those who listened to music. Researchers believe that “the combination of music and exercise may stimulate and increase cognitive arousal while helping to organize cognitive output”.

Performance Enhancer. Music can aid you in achieving the best performance, whatever your purpose of exercise is. If you need a lot of energy, fast tempo music can inject a lot of vigor to your workout. If your exercise needs you to slow down and relax, soft and mellow music can help you achieve that calming state.

Concentration Booster. Listening to music allows you to shut out the external world and focus on the exercise at hand. It boosts your concentration and doesn’t allow you to get easily distracted by what you see or what you can hear.

Better Flow of Movement. Did you know that selecting the right tempo of music for your exercise can actually enhance its flow? For instance, during strength training, choosing songs with a beat per minute (BPM) of about 120 allows you to keep your speed at the right rate. Meanwhile, choosing a higher BPM when running allows you to move at the best comfortable pace.

 

How To Stop Pigging Out

Ever had trouble controlling your appetite as soon as you set your eyes on the table feast? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many women continue to encounter this problem. Here are some tips you can apply to lessen overeating and pigging out.

1. Eat before going to a party or gathering.

Parties usually mean lots of food spread out in scrumptious buffets. If you want to lose some weight and control your intake, eat a healthy snack before going to the party. It may be a bowl of cereal, some fruits, or yogurt. Anything that is healthy and fills up your stomach halfway, that way you don’t attend the party eager to attack.

2. Drink a large glass of sparkling water before every meal.

Drinking water is another way to fill up the stomach without putting on the calories. Having a large glass of water before eating lessens the hunger and appetite for a bit, giving you the feeling of fullness. Do this regularly and you may see the long term benefits of every slight dampening in appetite before every meal.

3. Start with a lot of salad and seafood.

If you are in a party or event and there are lots of foods to choose from, start with the salads or seafood. Salads or seafood could fill you up the way carbohydrates can but with much less of the fats and calories. If you want to have a taste of the yummy-looking pastas and chicken or the scrumptious desserts, do it at the last part of your meal, that way you’ll be full enough to gorge in such calorific treats.

4. Eat slowly.

Eating slowly will give your stomach much more time to tell your brain how much you’ve eaten. On the other hand, eating in haste can result to overeating because you don’t realize how full you are until you’ve fully stuffed your stomach and maximized its capacity. Chew slowly and make sure you crush all the food before swallowing.

5. Eat on the table.

Eating in front of the television or while reading a book can divert your attention and distract you from realizing that you’ve been eating a lot. When you’re eating while doing something you enjoy like watching a favorite show, you unconsciously transfer that enjoyment to your eating, making you consume a lot more than you intended.

Care to share a tip?

 

A sad story with a happy ending!

A friend of mine fell in love with her high school boyfriend back in the day and they ended up getting married. They lived an amazing life, traveling together, buying a great house, having 2 beautiful, healthy children, 2 cars, the dog. They seemed to be living the American Dream that so many people always dream about. Every time a bunch of us would get together they would always be golding hands and seemed to be very in love. Her husband changed jobs and began traveling more often. He would tell his family he would phone them at a specific time and the time would come and go and he would call, but hours later. Things started changing for them. (I bet you know where this is going).

On one business trip, she found a babysitter and left the kids home and decided to surprise her husband by following him on his trip and planned on making the most of their night together. They lived in a suburb of Illinois and his trip had been in Chicago where he was staying overnight. She was excited about going and told me about her plan. In the back of my mind I was thinking that she should not go for fear of what she would find out. I always had an inkling in the back of my head about this guy. Although I really liked him as a person and thought they were great together when their life began changing, it showed. My opinion began changing as well. My friend stuck by her husband and always reassured us that they loved each other and his job was too stressful and thats why things changed.

Well she followed him to Chicago and figured she would do a bit of shopping until she figured he would be at the hotel and she would pop in on him. At about 6 pm that evening she went to his hotel and tapped on the door. She covered the peep hole that hotel room doors have on them so it would be a surprise and tapped again. He came to the door and asked who it was, to which she replied room service. Upon opening the door she noticed a look on his face that she would never forget. He did not know what to say and began stuttering. She knew something was terribly wrong and pushed open the door to find a half naked woman on his bed. She freaked out, not knowing what to do she ran out of the room and slammed the door.

My friend went back home with the plan to throw him out and toss his things out on the lawn before he got back. She cried all the way home as she drove the 3 hours not sure how she would get there trying to see through her tears. When she arrived she ran through the house without any direction. She called me and began blaming herself. If she was only more attentive to his needs, if she was a better wife, etc etc. I assured her it was not her fault and this was all about him.

Her husband was to be home the next day and never showed up, instead she received a letter stating that he was not happy and wanted to split. He had stopped her credit cards, took the money out of their bank account and would not return her calls. She was very distraught so I went to go stay with her for a week to figure things out with her. The first thing we needed to do was contact an attorney to see what her rights were. She had no money, no bank account, 2 kids and desperation. We discussed selling her house and getting something smaller that she could afford. Being that she had not worked since she had gotten married she really did not have much, her husband made sure of it. She moved her kids and herself into her mothers house on Long Island in NY. She got a job answering phones in a doctors office making $10 per hour. She needed to go back to school to learn a trade, but that would cost her more money which she did not have. She also did not want to be away from her kids for long periods of time having to work a full time corporate job or going to school. She felt the effects of her divorce would be a problem for the kids and she wanted to be around them to make sure they felt reassured and loved.

After the embers of this situation died down, I told her about making money with Arbonne. Her mother had a party at her house and I gave my friend 35% of the retail price of everything to get her on her feet. We did a few parties from the party her mother had originally, my friend was now making a few hundred extra dollars from every party. When she realized the potential of this business, she joined the business and is now making more money then she dreamed of.

Her ex-husband had kept his relationship somewhat with his children, seeing them once a month, as per his request. When he read an article on his wifes success, he tried to reach out to her to re-establish their relationship vowing that things would be different. My friend made it very clear (with words I will not share) that she was no way interested in his offer.

She has since met a wonderful man, her children love this guy. She has a trusting relationship with him, and her own bank account with her own money that she earned herself! She will never again be in the situation she had once been in. Her children are grown and have a wonderful relationship with her. Mt friend smiles all the time and has found the true meaning of happiness! There is life after divorce, and it may even be a better life!

 

Coffee is healthy!

I hardly believed this when I read the article on coffee actually being good for you. Having been on a variety of diets throughout my life, each and every one mention staying clear of coffee and other caffeine products. Now people are talking about coffee actually benefiting your health!

The idea is that coffee helps to eliminate the risk of every developing type 2 diabetes. Having 1 to 3 cups per day can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by single digits. Having 6 cups per day or more, has proven, according to a study, reduced men’s risk of type 2 diabetes by 54% and womens risk by 34%. Hard to believe.

Studies have also shown that:

• People who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinsons disease.
• People who drink 2 cups per day or more can reduce their risk of colon cancer by 25%
• People who drink at least 2 cups per day reduce their risk of liver cirrhosis by 80%
• People who drink at least 2 cups per day avoid getting gall stones by 50%
• People who smoke or are heavy drinkers lower their chance of heart disease and liver damage as compared to those that do not.
• Coffee drinkers may lower the risk of developing asthma

Coffee has shown to be able to lift your mood, get rid of a headache and prevent cavities (I guess that depends on how much sugar you take).

What effect does coffee on your skin?

Coffee and caffeine are finding their way into skin lotions and creams because of antioxidant properties and tightening and firming qualities. Caffeine applied to the skin operates in three ways - as an antioxidant, a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor.

For years, caffeine has been used in products sold to reduce cellulite. The caffeine supposedly dehydrates fat cells by somehow energizing them which in turn causes the sodium/potassium component of the cells to be eliminated, so the skin on buttocks and thighs becomes smoother.

Caffeine’s vaso-constricting characteristic also makes it a favorite ingredient in eye creams for reducing puffiness and dark circles as well as tightening skin around the eyes. This I have to say I have seen with my own eyes. Having used NutriminC RE9 Eye Cream I am speaking from experience. This product contains caffeine, and has reduced puffiness and dark circles under my eyes. The caffeine combined with a variety of other botanicals, minerals, and of course rich with vitamin C has made it very effective in taking care of this problem. Of course, nothing eliminates cellulite or troubled skin around the eyes completely. The best you can hope for is noticeable improvement, perhaps only for a few hours.

With the explosion in coffee based skin products, it now is seen in body scrubs, face creams and fragrances. A number of products even smell like coffee and contain ground coffee intended as an exfoliate. Some purveyors have even gone so far as to suggest that the absorption of caffeine through the skin will give you the sort of alertness you can expect from drinking coffee. I have a tough time swallowing that one! Coffee has a slower absorption rate then if you were to drink a cup of coffee. Drinking coffee actually puts it directly into your body, whereas the skin absorption rate is much slower and less effective

Being a latte drinker, my question is what about the stained teeth? It may prevent cavities but it increases staining. As far as having a headache, I know that if I do not have coffee one day I will get a headache, I tough it was caffeine withdrawal, so maybe thats why the headaches disappears? As for mood enhancer, isn’t that what caffeine does, gives you more energy. But when the caffeine wears off we need more coffee to get rid of the headache, and not feel lethargic anymore. I guess I would not mind having stained teeth if I can avoid parkinsons disease, heart disease, liver cirrhosis, gall stones or colon cancer!

What do you think?

 

No fun in the sun

Recently I went to visit my dermatologist for a body check. This is when the dermatologist looks all over your body to make sure you do not have form of cancer on the skins surface. The idea of making the appointment came after speaking with a friend of mine to find out that her first husband had died of untreated skin cancer that affected his major organs. From the time they discovered it to the time he died was 3 months! He was 38 when this happened.
When I was younger, I was one of those teenagers that would apply baby oil liberally all over my body and lay on one of those foil mats and sun bathe. I did all those things they warn us about now a days. Visibly I have many freckles on my upper back and some dark sun spots on my face, under my eyes of all places. I am one of those people that rely on my Arbonne RE9 Face Serum with kojic acid in it (a natural skin lightener) to lighten those spots up. I was a bit scared of what the doctor may have found so stupidly I kept putting off making the appointment.

It was not until he put me in a dark room after handing me a mirror and putting on a special black light that I freaked out. Looking at the monster in the mirror really scared me. Most of my sun damage was not visible to the naked eye! A person I hardly recognized was looking back at me in that mirror. If my face were a Halloween costume under that black light, I would scare everyone! The sun damage was enormous. The doctor told me it was not so bad for someone of my age, he had seen worse. I assure you, that did not make me any better! He did suggest me covering up well with a minimum of spf 30 when in the sun directly or even indirectly to avoid any further damage, or worse yet skin cancer.

Laying in the sun, sun bathing causes us to lose our elasticity in our skin faster. We are prone to getting more wrinkles at even earlier ages with prolonged sun exposure. The sun burns our skin when tanning. If you have ever toasted a marshmallow, what happens first is the marshmallow starts to turn a golden brown, and then darker and darker until it catches fire. Well, while we will probably not catch fire, our skin is burning even while tanning. If a tanned look is what you are trying to achieve, try using a powdered bronzer or even a self tanner that requires no sun at all.

Having three children under the age of 13 and a brand new in ground pool in our yard, I am very concerned about the effects of the sun on my kids virgin skin. With the damage we are doing daily to the ozone, the sun is only getting stronger. The atmosphere is providing us less and less protection from damaging rays. I have started using a stronger sunscreen on my children. I tell them how important it is for them to protect their skin from the hazards of the sun. It may take us longer to get out of the house during summer months because of the sunscreen lathering up on everyone, but in the long run, it sure beats getting skin cancer or sun damage!

My friends and I used to have so much fun during the summer months, running around with no cares in the world, loving the sun. Now my kids are concerned about sun damage and staying in the shade, not wanting to go to the beach unless we have an umbrella (dare I tell them about the oceans reflection on beach goers). Although they now have to think about protecting their skin in the sun, they are growing up more mindful then we did as kids. Hopefully by some miracle there will be a cure for skin cancer (and all other cancers). But until then, lather that lotion on your kids, and yourself. Be wary of the effects the sun has on your skin, and most importantly…GO FOR A BODY CHECK at a dermatologists office!

 

Eat your way to Healthier Hair!

 How many times have you been lurking through the hair aisles looking for a miracle shampoo or conditioner to make your hair healthy and beautiful. A lot, for me. You are slowly chanting the hair mantra “Wash, Rinse, Repeat”, in an effort to somehow magically have this time you step out the shower your hair will flow beautifully as you toss your head. Only to reveal the same old breakage, damage, and no life hair. Maybe it’s not what you put on hair but what you put in your body. Interesting, I know….I HAD to know more.

Surprisingly enough, there are 10 foods you can eat to gain healthy beautiful hair.

• Salmon
• Beans
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Oysters - they have loads of zinc in them
• Whole Grains
• Low-Fat Dairy
• Nuts - brazil nuts and walnuts are the best for hair
• Carrots - vitamin A promotes a healthy scalp
• Dark Green Veggies- helps produce sebum, the oily substance secreted by your hair follicles

Now don’t expect to eat correctly and turn your thin fine hair into locks equaling Angelina Joliet. It ain’ happening. But you can get them looking the best they ever have. A healthier diet for healthier hair and a hair you, should have been common sense. Why didn’t I know this?

 

Making dreams become reality

There have been a ton of books and videos on making your dreams come true and living the life you want. While some of the things I have read are rubbish, they do contain some valid points. After hearing all about the book and movie The Secret, I decided to get the dvd version and watch it. I had some friends come over and we made it into an event after the kids left for school one morning. I was really excited about seeing it and discovering what the secret to having the life you want was. After the movie, I maintained my excitement and began creating my own dream board. I placed it in an area in my home where I would see it everyday.

Now being in my business, it is sometimes hard to maintain the excitement I need to maintain to have a good day. Things happen in real life, like my kids fighting with one another, my washer not working and having to drag my clothes to the laundromat, my freezer freezing up on my with ice covering every morsel of food in there. When everyone is off to school and I am in my home office trying to start my day, believe it or not all I have to do is really sit and look at my “dream board” for a couple seconds. If I want those things on my dream board to become reality it is up to me to make that happen. I get on the phone and start doing my business keeping myself motivated. Does that motivation come from only the dream board and from the Secret dvd I had watched the other day? Maybe. The drive to make things happen that I want in my life comes from within me. If there is something that you really want, if you really focus on it, you can and will make it happen.

Did you ever have one of those days that starts off bad and just keeps getting worse? Well it is quite possible that you stay focused on that bad thing that happened to you and for some strange reason other things that are less then desirable continue happening to you throughout the day. This is what they talk about in the dvd The Secret.

Whatever the reason from my own personal experience, when I motivate myself and feel good about things during the day, more good comes from it. When I start the day off by saying, I got out of the bed on the wrong side, the day is reflected in that sentiment. My point is, we all have the ability to manifest the things we want in our lives. Nothing falls into our lap, we have to make those things happen for ourselves.

Try being positive throughout the day and see what happens. I know that every minute of everyday we cannot focus on always being positive, but try this trick. Get an elastic band and put it around your wrist, when you find yourself in a negative thought, pull that elastic band and let it snap on your wrist. Use that snap as a reminder to change your thought pattern and make it more positive. Studies have shown that by by doing this, within 30 days of using this method, your thought pattern can will change.

If you try this method, please let us know how it works for you.

 

Possible Detox Side Effects

I had recently written about a detox diet I was on. It actually was not really a diet, but a way to cleanse the toxins out of my system. Since our skin is the largest organ of our bodies, yes I said organ, it comes into contact with so many toxins throughout the day, let alone our lives. The air we breath, the food we eat, the water we drink, the things we touch, all contain some form of bacteria as well as toxins whether we realize it or not. While some bacteria is a good thing for us, there are many that are not. Same goes for the toxins.

Being in my mid forties now, realizing I had never detoxed, I felt I had wanted to try. I had read so much about a variety of detox modalities, liking this one the best, I chose the Arbonne detox. The thing about this detox as opposed to others is you are able to eat on this detox. You are never food deprived, however if you eat foods that are “bad” for you, for example fried foods, or heavy, rich, fat laden foods, you may experience some cramping from any drinkable detox. The reason being that you intestines are working overtime trying to get the poisons out of your body and here we are adding more into it…hence the cramping.

What people also tend to forget about detox is that you are removing all essential vitamins and minerals from your system. These vitamins and minerals MUST be replenished in the form of healthy foods and/or a vitamin mineral supplement. If you forgo the supplement, you may initially feel like you have more energy, but after a weeks time you may being to feel lethargic and fatigued once again.

Another point about detox is the need for rest. While your body is working overtime cleansing itself, it needs additional rest in order to recuperate and become more energized. Sleep is essential during a detox period. A few people who had done a variety of detox products along with me during the week of my detox treatment had mentioned that they were now feeling more fatigued. After speaking with them about their experiences it came to light that indeed they were not getting enough rest and they were not taking a supplement of any type to replenish their systems.

Another thing to avoid during detox is caffeine, chocolate, alcohol and meats. These tend to alter the effect of the detox and may also induce more cramping and slight abdominal pain.

Following the suggestions listed above, your detox should go smoothly. Feel free to add comments and tell us your favorite detox therapy.

 

Dark underarms

Many people suffer from this condition, not ever knowing why they have it or where it came from. It seems that it usually just starts appearing out of nowhere, and never goes away. There are 5 basic causes of this condition and there are few things that may help alleviate the embarrassment dark underarms cause for so many people.

• Hair Removal Creams
• Shaving
• Deodorant and Anti-perspirant
• Dead Cell Buildup
• Medical Condition - acanthosis nigricans, hyper-pigmentation

There are some things that can get rid of or lessen the appearance. First, if you are a shaver, Stop! This causes hair to be caught under the surface of the skin and if your skin is lighter than the hair, it show through. Start waxing or plucking the skin. You may see an almost immediate change after the 1st waxing. To combat dead cell build-up, exfoliate with a product containing lactic acid and try using a pumice stone after you clean. If you suffer from a medical condition, watch your diet. I would recommend going to a dermatologist to get prescription strength lightener.

Some more things you can try to ease the darkness is OTC bleaching, applying lemon juice to the area, steer clear of polyester in those areas, and keep the areas clean and dry and only wax for hair removal. Avoid using anti-perspirants!

If you suffer from this, you know how embarrassing and self consciences it makes you. With a little research you may be able to help yourself with this problem.