Laser Pro Cosmetic

Build a Kit

After a major disaster the usual services we take for granted, such as running water, refrigeration, and telephones, may be unavailable. Experts recommend that you should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days. Store your household disaster kit in an easily accessible location.  Put contents in a large, watertight container (e.g. a large plastic garbage can with a lid and wheels) that you can move easily. 

Your basic emergency kit should include:

• Water – one gallon per person per day
• Food – ready to eat or requiring minimal water
• Manual can opener and other cooking supplies
• Plates, utensils and other feeding supplies
• First Aid kit & instructions
• A copy of important documents & phone numbers
• Warm clothes and rain gear for each family member.
• Heavy work gloves
• Disposable camera
• Unscented liquid household bleach and an eyedropper for water purification 
• Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap
• Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows
• Tools such as a crowbar, hammer & nails, staple gun, adjustable wrench and bungee cords.
• Blanket or sleeping bag
• Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation
• Any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget water and supplies for your pets.

A component of your disaster kit is your Go-bag. Put the following items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly.  Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag. You may not be at home when an emergency strikes so keep some additional supplies in your car and at work, considering what you would need for your immediate safety.

Pick up healthy eating and exercise habits for an effective weight-loss program.

If you’re looking into weight-loss programs, the best one is both the easiest and the hardest: Change your lifestyle.

The Best Weight-Loss Programs

It all comes down to calories. If you eat 100 more food calories than you burn each day, you’ll gain about a pound a month. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you slowly but surely will lose weight.

Figure out how many calories you should be taking in to maintain your current weight. The number can range from 1,600 calories a day for a sedentary older woman to 3,000 calories a day for an active young man.

Next, increase your physical activity to match or outburn the calories you take in every day. Also, plan your diet carefully to maximize nutrition while minimizing calories.

Lifestyle Obstacles to Weight Loss
Finally, begin your weight-loss program by carefully re-examining your life and recognizing some of the habits that can block weight loss. These include:

Make Smart Food Choices
Your food choices can also help determine the success of your weight-loss programs. Healthy and nutritious eating will include:

Last but not least, remember that lifestyle-based weight loss will occur more slowly than with fad diets, melting off only one or two pounds a month. But because you’ve changed the way you eat, you’ll be glad to hear that those pounds are far more likely to stay off.

Do you wake up looking more tired than when you went to bed? Do people tell you it’s time for a vacation the day you get back? If so, it’s a safe bet you’ve got some under eye “baggage” — puffy eyes, eye bags, dark circles, and shadows. It’s also a safe bet they’re making you look more tired and older than you really are.

It’s not unusual to see women and men in their 20s and 30s who have this problem as  it only gets worse as time goes on.

Although cosmetic surgery is certainly an option — and we’ll tell you more about that below — there are other ways to treat under-eye bags and sags, dark circles, and puffiness.

Before looking at the remedies, though, it’s important to know a little something about how and why these eye problems occur — and how you might avoid them to begin with.

Puffiness and under-eye bags: Why they occur and what you can do

The problems with eye bags usually start small. You may notice a barely visible “pillow” of puffiness just below the lower lid. If you leave it untreated, it can billow out further. Then, over time, it gives way to a full-blown bag.

But how and why does the puffiness start? One cause, experts say, is the natural aging process. There is a certain amount of fat naturally in the under-eye area and it’s held in place by ligaments. As you age, the ligaments get weaker, allowing the fat to push forward, forming that little puffy pillow under your eye.

As time goes on, the puff gets bigger. Then skin loses elasticity, allowing the formation of those loose wads of skin we call “bags”.  How soon that happens, however, depends a lot on how many bags Mom and Dad had — and when their problems began.

A lot of it has to do with heredity.  It can be a structural, anatomic, genetic issue that simply causes some people to develop this problem sooner than others. But it’s not just heredity. Lifestyle factors matter too. Do you consistently cheat yourself of sleep? Do you eat a lot of salty food snacks and retain a lot of water? Are you getting enough exercise? All these things can cause bags to form a lot sooner.

Tips for rejuvenating your libido and boosting your sex drive.

It is normal for a woman’s sex drive to change over the years. Emotional and physical changes can make it so your sex drive seems to be in high gear sometimes, and barely there at other times. If you have been noticing that your sex drive just isn’t what it used to be, there are many ways you can do something about it.

Reasons for Loss of Sex Drive
A woman’s sex drive is complex. It is affected by physical and hormonal changes in the body, and as well as by the flood of different emotions that hormones can elicit. As women get older and hormones start to dwindle, many can find themselves “not in the mood” for sex in the way they may have been in the past. And even when they are in the mood, changes in their body can result in vaginal dryness and pain during sex, which can make the thought of sex unappealing.  The libido response in women is such a complex problem. If women are unhappy in a relationship, it can affect libido. If it hurts, it can affect libido. If she doesn’t feel good about herself, it can affect libido. It’s hard to tease all of those factors out.  And with the hormonal changes that occur around the time of menopause, women tend to have less vaginal lubrication as they get older. This change can make having sex more uncomfortable, having the additional side effect of a reduced sex drive. 

How to Energize Your Sex Drive
So while there might be many causes of a reduced sex drive, there are techniques you can call on that can help boost your sex drive. These include:

Perhaps you’ve noticed that your skin is dry and tight, or that your hands are starting to look thin-skinned and wrinkled. If so, don’t just resign yourself to prematurely aged skin:  Take steps to halt the damage!

1. Get a good night’s sleep

The most important thing you can do to improve your skin is to get more sleep. Aim for eight hours of rest a night.  The reason: Chronic lack of sleep — and to a lesser extent, the occasional sleepless night — sets off the body’s fight-or-flight response because fatigue creates a mild state of physiological emergency. In turn, this triggers the production of the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline), which prompt the body to divert a disproportionate amount of blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients away from the skin to major internal organs, including the heart, brain, and kidneys. When skin is deprived of the optimal amount of fuel in this way, it can become dull, pale, and lifeless.

2. Eat a healthy, balanced diet

When the arteries become clogged from an excess of fat in our diets, all of the tissues of the body, including the skin, receive less blood, oxygen, and nutrients.   As a result, skin can appear dull, have less elasticity, and be unable to readily repair itself.  Try eating foods that are high in vitamins C and E and lycopene, such as citrus fruits, chard, sunflower seeds, and tomatoes. These antioxidant-rich foods destroy free radicals, which can harm skin’s collagen and elastin, and they are beneficial for overall health.  Dermatologists recommend regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish, flaxseeds, and fortified eggs, as well as in supplement form. These essential fatty acids are crucial for bolstering the skin barrier, which holds in moisture.

3. Exercise regularly

Exercise improves circulation, ensuring the optimal flow of blood and nutrients to the skin, which imparts a radiant glow. And sweating helps release any water that your body may be unnecessarily retaining. Just be sure to go without makeup while exercising, and wash your face immediately after a workout to remove oil, sweat, and grime, which can clog pores and cause irritation.

4. Modify your daily skin care routine

There are many easy tweaks you can make in your daily habits to benefit your skin. Here are a few suggestions:

Carbohydrates – food composed of some combination of starches, sugar and fiber – provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity by breaking down into glucose, a type of sugar our cells use as a universal energy source.

• Bad carbs are foods that have been “stripped” of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. They have been processed in order to make cooking fast and easy. Examples are white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. They digest so quickly that they cause dramatic elevations in blood sugar, which over time can lead to weight gain, hypoglycemia or even diabetes.
• Good carbs are digested more slowly. This keeps your blood sugar and insulin levels from rising and falling too quickly, helping you get full quicker and feel fuller longer. Good sources of carbs include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables, which also offer lots of additional health benefits, including heart disease and cancer prevention.

Whole Grains for long-lasting, healthy carbohydrate energy

In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart. Make whole grains an important part of every meal.

Make sure you’re really getting whole grains.  Focus on including grains that are in their whole form, such as whole grain brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley in your meals. When you want to eat healthy grains in the form of breads or cereals be aware that the words stone-ground, multi-grain, 100% wheat, or bran, don’t necessarily mean that a product is whole grain. Look for the new Whole Grain Stamp from the Whole Grains Council. If there is no stamp look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat,” and check the ingredients to make sure each grain listed is specified as whole grain. Some good sources are dark breads and toasted wheat cereals.

Avoid: Refined grains such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

Aging Man

Is this the look you’re after?

When we think of anti-aging products we typically think of woman.  But recently an interesting trend is emerging – men are increasingly purchasing products that help them delay the signs of aging on their face.

That’s because men are starting to realize that the way they treat their skin in their twenties and thirties will significantly impact how they look in their forties, fifties and sixties.  And now more than ever, guys understand that the benefits of looking young, be they amorous or professional, don’t end when you turn forty.

Just as it makes sense to manage fitness and heart health – guys are starting to realize that unless they act to protect their skin, they may end up covered with wrinkles, discoloration and bags under their eyes, and sooner than they think.

The problem is that regardless of the science, when it comes to skin care, men generally don’t do what it takes unless it’s exceedingly easy and it works.

So what’s changed?

Men’s skin is much more difficult to maintain than women’s. It’s thicker, oilier, and constantly subjected to the trauma of shaving. On top of that, daily exposure to sunlight and pollution actually causes the skin to age faster.

Fortunately anti-aging technology has finally reached a point where it can not only help protect against future wrinkles and age spots, but it can actually partially undo the visible effects of aging that have already occurred.  

In addition, new products are now simpler than ever. So, unlike what women have go through, guys can now easily get their daily dose of skin protection and anti-aging.

Doesn’t the orange smell bring up associations with the Holiday season? Winter is the season of the citrus fruits and you can enjoy their abundance during the cold months and holiday days. Which fruits are citric?

Citrus fruits are slightly sour and juicy.  These include oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, limes, satsuma, clementine and all hybrids of these. The kiwi is often mistaken for a citric fruit due to its high content of Vitamin C and the fact that is a more exotic fruit; however it does not classify as a citric fruit.
 

Citrus fruits are, without a doubt, one of the healthiest foods. Their thick peel reduces the amount of pesticides and nitrates, which can otherwise penetrate it easily and are found in higher amounts in any other fruit. Citrus fruits are most commonly thought of a good source of vitamins and antioxidants, containing a particularly high amount of Vitamin C, which makes them the best defense for the immune system.

Consuming several citrus fruits a day prevents flu and colds during the winter months.  Besides these substances, citrus fruits also contain an impressive list of other essential nutrients, including glycaemic and non-glycaemic carbohydrate (sugars and fibre), potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and a variety of phytochemicals.  The specific citric acids have been valued as part of a nutritious and healthy diets as they help dissolve fats and reduce the weight. Nutrients contained in citrus fruits are easier to absorb by the organism than any other fruits due to the specific tastiness.

Get rid of your dry skin this season

There’s nothing worse than dry, itchy skin. Dry skin can happen any time during the year, but is most prevalent in winter.  Find out why your skin tends to be dry in winter and how to solve dry hands, feet, body, face and lips year-round.

In winter, low temperatures, low humidity and strong, harsh winds deplete skin of its natural lipid layer, which keeps the skin from drying out. The dry air from furnaces and other heating sources also suck the moisture out of skin.

To keep your skin feeling dewy and moist all year-round, follow these dry skin fix-it tips.

Dry Skin Tip: Moisturize After Showers or Hand Washing

Moisturizer is the key to soft, supple skin. Apply product when skin is slightly damp. For best effect, pat skin dry instead of rubbing with your towel before application.

The skin on my legs can drive me crazy with itchiness all year round. I find I prefer oils to lotions on for the body.  Simply massage the coconut oil all over the body. Trust me, this will get rid of dry, itchy skin and the oil isn’t sticky like lotion tends to be.

Antibacterial soap in public places can be harsh on hands, so I like to keep hand salve in my purse. To keep cuticles soft, massage in olive oil.

Dry Skin Tip: Exfoliate on a Weekly or Semi-Weekly Basis

Moisturizer is much more effective on properly exfoliated skin. Use a scrub in the shower and exfoliate facial skin with a mild scrub made for the face.

It’s best to scrub skin when it’s dry.  Apply scrub to dry skin before you turn on the water (mix with lotion if it’s not moist enough). Massage the scrub into skin for a few minutes for best results.

Extra tip: Dry brush skin before a shower with a body brush to remove flaky skin (it’s more effective than brushing wet skin).

Dry Skin Tip: Baby Your Hands & Feet

Hands and feet can suffer terribly from dry, itchy skin. Put on moisturizer and gloves BEFORE you head outdoors in the winter, and consider lathering up your feet in thick moisturizer and sleeping in cotton socks at night.

Extra tip: Cover feet in a thick moisturizer, wrap feet in Saran Wrap, then pull on a pair of socks for a couple hours. Try to sit or lie down while the moisturizer soaks in or risk sliding into a full split and pulling your groin muscles. The same treatment can be done on hands, except try plastic bags and keep hands in a pair of socks. A half-hour should do you.

Dry Skin Tip: Protect Your Face, Too

If you have super, duper sensitive skin, consider avoiding rinsing your face with tap water, which can contain harsh minerals that are especially drying to the skin