Winter skin makeover tips

Radiate beauty, glow and look youthful this winter. Don't let your skin get susceptible to a horde of dry skin diseases, or let it turn chap, scaly, flaky or even cracked.

To bring in the new season with hydrated and healthy skin, Dr Seema Malik of Eleganza Rejuvenation Clinic, Delhi, brings forth quick winter and party skin makeovers for you.

Get the glow in one day
Microderm Abrasion or skin polishing for revealing a new brighter layer of skin. This painless procedure involves sloughing off the outermost layer of dead skin cells which make your skin look pale and dull.

Glow in one week
Photo facials: Infra red light is passed over the dermis to increase the blood circulation and reduce pigmentation. It's a half-an-hour procedure with no side effects. You can see the results in 3 days' time. Instant glow and blush.

AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) facials: Such facials improve the action of the capillaries, skin texture and tighten pores inducing relaxation and calming the mind. Fruits are chosen according to the skin type, banana for dry skin and orange for oily skin, formulated with AHAs, which help the skin look smoother and healthier are used.

Oxy-facials: Detoxifying facials for those in the field job, facing dust and grime, or working on computers. This facial in essence gives oxygen to the skin.

Photo facial: Photo facial can be effectively applied, in order to improve jumbo follicles, and to eliminate dullness, skin infection and allergies, wrinkles, flaccid skin, hyper-pigmentation spots etc. It can also be used to treat sun damage and weathered areas on the neck, arms etc.

Anti-oxidant facials: This facial uses creams and masks enriched with free-radical fighting agents like vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin E. Pollutants are first detached, and the skin is then deep cleansed This is recommended for people who travel a lot or have a field job.

Light peel facial: Mild chemical solution is used to peel off the topmost layer of the skin revealing younger-looking, brighter skin.

11 reasons to control your TV watching habit

What can be your favorite pastime when you think of unwinding? What do you do when you are alone at home? You spend hours in front of your television set. Right? And you think that the TV shows are giving you quality time and a healthy company!
In reality, television viewing is always considered to be bad for your health. You cannot accept this fact readily, but watching TV for a long time can put your health at risk. It is accepted that you can gain a lot of knowledge from a few television shows, but still the disadvantages outweigh these benefits with a big margin! TV serves as a medium of entertainment and education for all, but it is associated with a number of physical and mental health problems such as:

1.             Increase in the Risk of Heart Diseases: Based on the analysis of the data collected over a period of six years from 8,800 Australian men and women (over age 25 with no history of heart disease), researchers found that every hour of TV watching increased a person's risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 18%, and increased the risk of death from cancer by 9%. This means that people who watched more than four hours of TV had an 80% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease over the 6-year time period as compared to people who watched 2 hours or less each day. The problem normally crops up from a sedentary lifestyle which television offers to you. According to researchers, the human body evolved to move, not sit still for extended periods of time. So sitting in front of a TV or a computer screen for too long poses serious risks to health, and to life.

2.     Disruption of Sleep: The light emitted from the television can prove to be too stimulating to our systems. This can reduce the levels of the brain hormone melatonin, which usually increase in the evening as light levels fall. This may effect the body's natural rhythm, keeping you awake longer and results in irregular sleep and extreme fatigue. Reduced levels of melatonin have also been linked to early puberty in girls.

3.     Increase in the Risk of Diabetes: When it comes to controlling diabetes, TV watching habit can be included as the risk factor. A 2003 study of women published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that the risk of diabetes increases by 14% for every 2 hours of television viewing in a day. Another study conducted in the same year and published in the journal Lipids found that men who watched more than 40 hours of TV per week were 3 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than men who watched TV less than 1 hour weekly. According to researchers, all this increased risk cannot be explained by the increased snacking and reduced activity linked with sitting in front of the television.

4.     Increase in the Risk of Obesity: Prolonged watching of television relates to an absence of muscle movement. If your muscles stay inactive for too long, it can disrupt your metabolism leading to weight gain. Additionally, when you are watching TV, you tend to eat more and eat unhealthy foods due to advertising and other food cues on TV. A study compared the television viewing habits of more than 50,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study from 1992 to 1998, and found that weight gain increased as TV watching increased. For each two-hour increase in television watching per day, there was a 23% rise in obesity.

5.     Development of Attention Deficit Disorder: In the 1970s, a Professor named Werner Halperin suggested that the rapid changes of sounds and images on TV may affect the neurological system of a young child and can cause attention problems. Also, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington Child Health Institute found that 3-year-old child who watches two hours of TV per day is 20% more likely to have attention problems at age 7 than a child who watches no television.

6.     Increase in the Risk of Asthma: In the UK, a research studied the TV viewing habits of more than 3,000 children ranging in age from infants to 11 years. The results of the study established that children who spent 2 hours or more watching television per day had twice the risk of suffering from asthma.

7.     Greater Chances of Mindless Eating: Studies conducted by the Stanford University of Medicine prove that TV viewing is directly linked with mindless eating. You have more chances of eating junk foods while watching TV than in any other activity! It really feels very nice to enjoy burgers, pizzas and French Fries while watching your favorite shows.

8.     Negative Effect on the Mental Development: Watching TV for a prolonged period of time has a negative effect on the intellectual development of children. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages TV viewing for kids under 2 and recommends no more than two hours a day for older kids. Prolonged watching of TV can also lead to a deterioration of the mental processing power in case of older people.

9.     Increase in the Eye Strain: Watching too much television is bad for your eyes, especially when watching television in a dark room. Focusing your eyes too long on any one object can strain your eyes.

10.  Portrayal of Aggressive Behavior: Young children are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior after viewing violent TV shows or movies. As part of a study, researchers examined the data on more than 3,000 3-year-olds and found that children exposed to more television, directly and indirectly (exposed to the television while other people in the home are watching), are at increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior.

11.  Reduction of Social Interaction: Watching television may replace social interaction with friends and family, depriving children of sharing ideas and feelings with others. This may result various social phobias.

It would be quite difficult for you to control your TV viewing habit. But once you are able to do it, you won't have any repentance. You would want to spend the weekend by relaxing and this might mean sitting on a sofa and watching TV for long hours. Instead, you can go out and spend quality time with your family - a long drive and a family picnic are great options!

Effective Living Clinic

B-3/19, 0:1, Sector 3, Vashi

Navi Mumbai 400703

Tel: 9987223811 / 9969105310

www.effectivelivingclinic.com

How can you feel sexier as you get older?

Ageing is something you can't avoid, so it's better you embrace and use it to your advantage to feel sexy and young, says an expert.

"The 20s are a time that's idealized. I think it is such a time women are struggling to find their identity and figure out who they are and establish themselves in their careers but the 30s tend to be a real time of security for that very reason because we have a much better sense who have we are and that is sexy," CBS News quoted psychotherapist Jenn Berman, as saying.

"You know, one thing that's important to keep in mind if you don't start out feeling confident and sexy, you fake it until you make it. The behaviours - behaving as if you feel sexy and behaving as if you feel confident - leads women to feel confident," she said.

Jarvis agreed, saying more women in Hollywood - from Diane Keaton to Demi Moore - have been embracing their sexy side. She added, "Do you think our sense of age is changing in this country? Do you think we're taking a new approach to aging?"

Berman also said more women in Hollywood embracing ageing have revolutionized the way we think about aging.

"And it's given the rest of us some hope, even though they have the advantages of plastic surgery and make-up artists and all of that, when we see someone our age or older looking great, it can be really inspiring," she said.

She also said that it is important to keep the spark alive with your partner.

Berman advised, "Make a point to make time for one another, turn off the TV, the BlackBerry ... turn off your computer, have face-to-face time with each other. And take care of yourself, make sure you are eating healthy, listening to your body, exercising and dressing in a way that makes you feel good and also have some sex, even if you don't feel like it. Sometimes, having sex can make you feel sexy and, also, sex begets sex, the more you have, the more you want."

She added communication with your partner is one of the keys to feeling sexy.

"The more communication you have, the more connected and the more intimate you feel, the more confident you're likely to feel, which makes you file more sexy," she said.

Effective Living Clinic

B-3/19, 0:1, Sector 3, Vashi

Navi Mumbai 400703

Tel: 9987223811 / 9969105310

www.effectivelivingclinic.com

 

Are you eating too much sugar?

Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrate – which can be natural such as from milk (lactose) and fruits (fructose) or can be refined such as table sugar (sucrose). Studies have indicated that we are consuming much more added or refined sugar than our grandparents did 40 or 50 years ago. Unfortunately, when it comes to Sugar, the mantra should be "Less is More". It is high in calories and almost devoid of nutrients.

Why is excess of Sugar a bad thing? The Answer is quite simple. When you eat a food, the sugar (in whatever form) is absorbed into the blood stream. The body detects this, and releases insulin. This not only helps the body to process the sugars, but also triggers the production and storage of fat leading to weight gain. Extra weight isn't the only possible consequence of an overload of sugar. Some studies have found that diets high in sugar can quickly boosttriglycerides, fats in the blood that can clog the arteries. Also, sugary drinks and snacks can set the stage for cavities, especially in children, if good oral hygiene is not maintained.

Finding the Hidden Sugar

There is hidden sugar found in so many foods that we are not aware off. These even include baby foods and foods marketed specifically to children. Here is a list of products where you can find hidden sugar:

• Breakfast Cereals: Watch out for the breakfast cereals as they contain a lot of sugar. Even plain cornflakes also contain sugar. Try to always buy the one which has 'sugar free' written on it.
• Fruit Juices: There are lots of drinks out there masquerading as healthy juices when in fact they have spoonfuls of hidden sugar added to sweeten them up. Here too, try to buy the sugar free or 100% natural one.
• Low Fat: We are witnessing a rise of food labels that say that the product is 'Low Fat'. Most brands now offer a reduced-fat version of their product. The problem is anything that has low fat is bland and tasteless. So in order to patch things up, they replace it with Sugar. So make sure you read the food labels correctly before purchasing.
• Soft drinks: You will be surprised to know the amount of sugar added to soft drinks. A 300 ml can of soft drink can contain upto 33 gm of sugar. Studies show that soft drinks account for as much as 33% of all added sugars consumed. Switch to water and save yourself hundreds of calories a day!
• Energy Bars: Same is the story with energy bars because the primary source of energy is glucose which is nothing but sugar. Always use energy bars only after a heavy exercise. This helps the body to absorb better.
• Ketchup: Ketchup can add 20 percent more sugar than you actually need. Not to mention that you'll get excess of your daily sodium allowance in one tablespoon. Look for low-salt, no-sugar brands, or make your own.
• Canned food: Canned vegetables contain sugar. And everyone knows canned fruit has a tremendous amount of sugar added to it as a preservative. Choosing fresh vegetables is the best because it has nothing added to it.
• Bread: Most processed breads, especially buns, can contain a good bit of sugar or corn syrup. That's what gives them the golden-brown crust.

How much sugar do we need on a daily basis?

According to World Health Organization guidelines, no more than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from added sweeteners. This doesn't include naturally occurring sugars like the ones found in milk and fruit. So, in a diet composed of 2,000 calories, sugar would amount to 200 calories (50 grams or 12 teaspoons of sugar).

Tips to Avoid Sugar

Here are a few tips that will help you lead a sugar free life:

• Read the ingredients list and learn to identify terms that mean added sugars. Ingredients are listed in order of predominance, by weight and usually the first five ingredients listed make up the majority of the product. If any of these are among the first four or five ingredients, the food is sugar rich: sucrose, glucose, corn syrup, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, lactose, honey, molasses, maltose, brown sugar, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, fruit juice concentrates.
• Always check on how many servings per container there are. People don't realize that a big container has more than 2-3 servings, but the number of sugar listed in only per serving.
• Do not sprinkle sugar on your breakfast cereal, use chopped fruit or nuts instead.
• If you have sugar in your tea or coffee, try and wean yourself off it until you can manage without.
• Added sugars are primarily in processed foods. So learn to enjoy foods that are naturally sweet, without added sugar. Natural sugars in foods are part of a complex carbohydrate package that provides fuel and energy for your body.
• Use spices and herbs such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger to enhance the flavor of foods naturally.
• Read labels and Choose foods labeled low-sugar, sugar-free, or sugar-reduced.

With a little knowledge, and a bit of self-control, you can remove some of the hidden sources of sugar in your diet. The suggestion mentioned above help you identify the hidden sugar and help you eliminate it from your diet.

Care for mature skin

Source: Healthandbeautytips

As we age, our skin changes. With the right care, however, mature skin can look more youthful. Also, much of the damage weassociate with aging-skin roughness, blotchiness, pigmentation, brown spots and wrinkling-is caused not by the passing of the years but by unprotected exposure to the sun. This means a lot of age-related skin damage is preventable.

As you approach mid-life, your skin care routine should centre on preventing further sun damage and replenishing moisture, which young skin has naturally. But it's also wise to rethink skin carehabits you've been following for years: you may need to replace a routine for oily skin with one for dry skin or intensify the dry skin routine you already follow.

Mature skin needs to be cleansed gently. If your formerly oily skin now feels a little dry, switch from a soap which can be harsh to a gentle soap- free cleanser formulated for dry skin. Try superfatted bars or soap-free liquid cleansers for dry skin.

Nourish mature skin with moisture. Skin produces less oil as we get older. Since oil keeps skin soft and supple, locking in your skin's moisture may be your biggest skin care challenge.

Uncover fresh skin by exfoliating, or sloughing off, dull, dead cellsfrom the surface of your skin to reveal new, fresh skin beneath. Neverexfoliate with abrasive pads or grainy cleansers. Using these products can dilate the blood vesselsin your face. Over time, these vesselswill stay dilated, giving rise to red, irritated, blotchy skin.

The best way to exfoliate mature skin is with tretinoin. However, tretinoin has to be used under the supervision of a dermatologist. This cream-based derivative of vitamin A is applied nightly for six months or more, then cut to about twice or thrice a week to maintain the cream's benefits. Many women start seeing results in aslittle as a month. If you so desire, a dermatologist can offer more rejuvenating skin treatments.

  Effective Living Clinic
                   Bringing Positivism in Life

We welcome you to Effective Living Clinic at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, India, an unique clinic that caters to psychological as well as physical cure in most scientific and natural way. Effective Living Clinic gives a professional touch to your issues and would bring positivism in your Life. 

We all need right guidance and moral support to excel in life sometimes....real good professional touch to cater to exact needs that you currently face. At Effective Living Clinic, we provide scientific guidance and therapeutic care for relief from pain and suffering, instill confidence and mental peace, mend relationships and help you take right decisions at the right time both in your personal and professional life.

A complete rejuvenating experience awaits a tourist coming to India for wellness tourism as they surrender to the expert services of wellness therapist and age old Ayurvedic therapy.  At Effective Living Clinic we have the unique blend of goodness of age old ayurveda with modern techniques that are believed to counter the effects of stress and pollution from urban lifestyle environment.

Today in India,  Effective Living Clinic is seen as a preferred Wellness destination with Yoga, K Yoga, Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Therapeutic and Wellness Massage, etc. together with medication which alleviates stress, removes toxins, tones skin with anti-aging properties, removes unwanted fats in the body, reduces weight, adds vigor along with providing nourishment and pampering the body and mind.

The potential of Wellness tourism is being further explored by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.  Over the years, Medical Tourism has gained momentum and today India is medical tourism hub. More and more tourist are coming to India to avail State-of-the-Art health care services at an affordable cost.

Effective Living Clinic has the advantage of having highly qualified and experienced doctor and medical professionals with world class infrastructure in terms of Clinic and if need be take guidance and treatment from the best hospitals around to take care all of your medical needs. Effective Living Clinic also provides counselling and psychotherapy sessions to those needed during your visit to the Clinic to channelize your mind and relationship that brings positivism in your life.

Visit Effective Living Clinic to enjoy the unique experience of your journey from illness to wellness.