Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The secret of beauty - Altered Apearances!!

Before talking about anything else, let us know first, what is beauty in actual sense???

Well, Everybody has different perspective and different thoughts about beauty. But keeping in mind, what I feel about beauty is very simple and straight i.e. Beauty is an idea and everybody's idea of beauty is unique.

It's been thousands years ago, for as long as we have been civilised, the secret of beauty and attractiveness has been a quest of humans. Many women and also the men spend up to one-third of their income on looking good. Why? This is what we are going to come up with. Well, the answer is very clear. Every body wants to be beautiful to have beautiful impression on other people.

Well, one's beauty is not a true beauty until you don't get to know what is a real beauty means? While we instinctively know what appeals to our own sense of beauty -- we know it when we see it -- defining what determines attractiveness is not always easy. In frustration, we often give up and claim that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." But is beauty really a personal phenomenon? This is what one should understand. There are many questions rolling in my mind now. Like do beauty and happiness go together? What is the relation between beauty and the sublime? And my answer would be very simple that the sublime is our reaction in the face of something so overpowering that it consumes or obliterates us. There is a saying that truth is beauty and beauty is truth, but is that correct? But I think it is false. Why does beauty matter? Beauty standards and practices have changed over time.

Today's beauty is an altered appearances. Its mean the world of cosmetics, tanning, body piercing, botulinum toxin, etc.

These days the cosmetics industry is one of the largest industry in the world, since cosmetics are often advertised as symbols of women's rights and independence, just slightly larger than the amount needed each year to provide reproductive health care for all women in developing countries like India. Cosmetic companies are essentially free to make exaggerated claims regarding their products, and those producing anti-aging creams frequently do, using celebrity and/or physician spokespersons and scientific-sounding names.

And tanning is the process in which skin pigmentation darkens as a result of exposure to ultraviolet light. It represents the skin's response to ultraviolet light injury; thus, there is no such thing as a "safe tan." Also, tattooing is an aesthetic choice, for others an initiation rite, and for some disabled individuals, a time-saving way to overcome difficulties in applying regular temporary makeup. Some obtain tattoos as an adjunct to reconstructive surgery, particularly of the face and breast, to simulate natural pigmentation; others to camouflage vitiligo.

Well, body piercing is very common. It has been practised since ancient times, as seen in art and antiquities. The prevalence of body piercing among undergraduates is as high as 50%. Body piercing include the earlobe, ear cartilage, eyebrow, tongue, lips, nose, umbilicus, nipples, and external genitalia.

Botulinum toxin can temporarily reduce or erase wrinkles due to normal aging; it does not work well on sun- or smoking-induced wrinkles. Its more conventional medical uses include treatment of blepharospasm, spasmodic torticollis, axillary hyperhidrosis, and achalasia.

Some grooming tips for women:

1. Make the most of the 'windows on your soul' by adding eyeliner, highlighter and mascara to emphasise and open up the area, and go easy on blusher and lipstick so the immediate focus is on your eyes. That should give them plenty to gaze into longingly…

2. Men like long hair for a reason - it feels soft and silky in contact with their hands and skin. To get hair they're aching to touch, make sure your hair's clean, use an intensive moisturising conditioner once a week to maintain body and don't use any product except a squirt of shine spray.

3. Wear knee-length boots with tights, though - bare legs and sticky leather don't go. These are a winner on both fronts - women love them because they look stylish with everything from short skirts to jeans, while men adore the suggestive naughtiness of a long boot.

4. The one thing all of people's favourite style icons have in common is their ability to project an image of being entirely comfortable in their own skin. So be confident in whatever you wear and whatever you do.

5. Shave those parts of the body that are normally associated with smooth skin. Under your armpits, on your legs at least from the knees down and around your bikini line if you're going to be prancing around in a bathing suit. Unwanted hair is a huge turn off for both men and women.

6. When you use makeup it is to enhance your appearance and not hide it. Accessories should compliment the clothing and body, they should not have you as a walking display case because excess can be a mess.

7. Most people who wear too much fragrance don't even realize they have that much on since we quit smelling our own scent quickly but it's a turn off for lots of other people, so the naked skin wins when it comes to wearing fragrance. Therefore, the only good way to use fragrance is on the naked skin because it wins!

8. Lastly, being clean is very important. Wash your whole body including inside your ears, between your toes and any other part of your anatomy that has flesh close to flesh that tends to be un-fresh! What a way to say wash everywhere! That goes for both women and men. So if you don't shower each day then at least do a sponge bath on any areas that perspire.

I hope this grooming tips will help you a lot. Some body has well-said and so true that a beautiful woman is a diamond but truthful, honest, trustworthy woman is a treasure.

And finally I would just like to add that beautiful person is that who does beautiful, who says beautiful and who feels beautiful and helps other people to do the same!

So, feel like beauty and you will be a beauty queen and enjoy altered appearance which is the secret of today's beauty!!!

Happy reading!!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Benefits of Oat Meal in our diet.

Oatmeal has a pretty bland taste, which makes it hard for the average person to consume every morning. The benefits of oatmeal are due to the fact that it's made from oats and oats are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

1. Insoluble fiber's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.

2. Soluble fiber may reduce LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol. LDL is bad; HDL is good.

3. Soluble fiber slows down the digestion of starch. This may be beneficial to diabetics because, when you slow down the digestion of starch, you avoid the sharp rises in your blood sugar level that usually occur following a meal.

4. It has been found that those who eat more oats are less likely to develop heart disease, a disease that is currently widespread in the United States.

5. The phytochemicals in oat may also have cancer-fighting properties.

6. Oats are a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oats are also a good source of protein.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Benefits of Spinach in our diet


Spinach is a delicious green leafy vegetable which has been crowned as the ‘Powerhouse Of Nutrients’.

What Are The Nutrient Contents Of Spinach?

Vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, calcium, phosphorus manganese, iron, selenium, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acid.

Some of the health benefits of spinach are as follows:

- Diabetic patients benefit from spinach as they help to stabilize the blood sugar levels. Just boil some spinach leaves, extract the water, add a dash of salt and drink a cup of spinach juice daily.

- Spinach protects against ‘hardening of arteries’ as it contains substances such as inositol and choline.

- Spinach has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. The flavonoids and carotenoids present in them fights against cancer such as colon, breast and prostrate cancer.

- Spinach helps in the formation of blood and prevents blood clotting. This is due to the presence of Vitamin K.

- Spinach increases longevity.

- Spinach contains calcium, proteins, minerals and folic acid which protect against anemia, insomnia, obesity, blood pressure, osteoporosis, nerve inflammation, tumors and many more.

- Spinach helps to retain memory.

- Spinach contains lutein which helps to prevent cataract formation in the eyes. It also helps against the onset of blindness by preventing macular degeneration which normally takes place in the adults. Thus, spinach helps elderly people to retain their eyesight and protect from night blindness and Celtic disease too.

- Spinach has a lower count of calories- 23 calories per 100 gram thereby making it a good food for obese people.

- Spinach helps in kidney and liver problems.

- Women during post-menopause period should increase the intake of spinach as it contains Vitamin k which will help in maintaining the bone health; otherwise, there are chances of getting osteoporosis (bone degeneration) and Crohn’s Disease.

Ways to have spinach- salads, raw, juices, soups, noodles, frozen, sandwiches etc.

Remedial Treatment at Home for Blackheads


A combination of 4 drops of iodine, one teaspoon of Epsom salt in quarter of a cup of hot water should be left to cool. Then use a cotton ball to apply some on the skin areas. It can be taken off after it has dried.

Regular application of a paste made of fresh fenugreek leaves [methi] and water, kept on the affected places for about 15 minutes each time is another good method. Use warm water to remove.

Using steam to open out the blocked pores of the skin, the affected areas could be rubbed for a minute or two using a towel. Use cold water to close up the pores again.

One tablespoon of lime juice added to a glassful of boiled milk could be used as an effective face wash. Regular use is a good home remedy.

Grind some radish seeds and make a paste with water. This could be applied on the affected skin and later washed away with water when dry.

Another paste blended using some milk, together with 5 grams of turmeric and 5 grams of red sandalwood should be applied for awhile and rinsed off later.

Almond powder and rose water together also makes a good remedial paste for application on the affected skin. This needs to be washed off using warm water.

You could make a skin scrub with a mixture of yoghurt, and equal quantities of lemon, salt and honey. Massage this blend for five to ten minutes into the skin.

After rinsing it off you must pat the area dry. Again warm honey applied to the skin is a beneficial method.

It has to be removed with water when dry. Equal quantities of fresh lime and groundnut oil mixed together, is an effective treatment when applied on the skin.

It should also be washed with warm water. Well beaten egg white should be applied on the affected skin, washed off with water, and scrubbed gently with a towel while wiping dry.

Three tablespoons of honey combined with a teaspoon of cinnamon powder should be well mixed and applied on the skin and kept on overnight. Lukewarm water must be used to wash it off in the morning.

How to Get Rid Of Circles under the Eyes

Eyes are windows to the world and your soul. It’s the skin around them that adds to or mars their beauty. If acne is the number one skin problem, those dark circles under the eyes are the number two problem.

There are many causes for this ailment. As usual, unbalanced or improper food is the cause, in addition to a not-so-healthy lifestyle. Consider the food first. Green vegetables rich in vitamin K and E, contribute to healthy skin. Eat a variety of fruits.

Among youngsters, smoking is a major cause for causing this imperfection. Inadequate sleep coupled with or caused by present-day stressful life aggravates the problem. Even natural sunlight, wind and cold affect your eyes.

However, a few precautionary measures and better, healthier food can be protective. Protect your eyes from the harsh sun. Develop a habit of wearing sunglasses before venturing out in the sun and give up smoking.

Give up consumption of food to which artificial flavors have been added. Depending on your age, six to eight hours of undisturbed sleep is a must.

Practice some of the traditional home remedies to get better-colored skin around the eyes. For keeping your eyes cool, dab the areas under them with rosewater or juice of a cucumber.

A paste of pineapple juice a bit of turmeric is helpful, as is a mixture of tomato and lemon juice in equal volumes.

Nevertheless, the most preferred and accepted products for improving the pigment around eyes are milk, almonds and potatoes. Potatoes have natural bleaching agents and that’s what is needed for overcoming this malady.

Raw grated potatoes or potato juice, when applied to the affected area, is very useful. Let the application remain there for 15-20 minutes and then wash thoroughly with cold water.

For better effects, use a mixture of potato juice and cucumber juice. Apply the mixed juice around the affected area with a cotton swab, let it remain there for twenty minutes and then wash it with cold water.

Or you may replace the mixture of juices with plain milk. Before going to sleep, apply it regularly and wash it off after fifteen minutes. You may add an extract of rose petals to milk and follow the same treatment.

Application of almond oil through massage under the eyes yields very satisfactory results as well.

Taking care of eyes when on computer.

A very significant contribution of electronics engineering has been towards the application of computers in the daily life of an ordinary person. Irrespective of age, sex, profession or any field of activity you just can’t think of doing things at the speed that this small machine offers.

For a while, leaving apart the professionals or a worker in any commercial organization, consider students. Be it a school going child or a postgraduate student, everybody is required to use a computer.

Internet is essentially becoming a source of research for almost any kind of study.

It’s being used as a source of entertainment too, though it’ll be difficult to say to what extent has it been successful in replacing a T.V for the purpose of entertainment.

Both these devices are already beginning to show the ill affects of continuous use.

Eyes are the first victims. Continuously operating of either of the two devices tires your eyes. Gradually it tires the rest of the body too, though one may not realize it.

The posture that one typically adopts while using a computer is not a relaxed one. The shoulders, arms, and neck are inclined to be somewhat tense in that position, and the back gets strained. To continue to remain in a good health for long, follow these practices.

Ensure to have a proper posture. It should be upright but not stiff. Sit straight, keeping elbows close to your sides, and your forearms roughly parallel to the floor.

Adjust the height of your chair to enable your feet to rest on the floor. Your eyes should be level to the top edge of the monitor. Maintain an ideal distance of about a foot and a half from the screen.

You must take small breaks as frequently as you can, but once in an hour is the least. This helps to relieve your eyes and body too.

The duration of a break of even two minutes is o.k. Get up from your seat. Walk around your table, if you have no other space to go.

Engage your eyes in simple exercises by covering them with the cups of your hand for 10-15 seconds and by focusing them on distant objects.

Ways to Protect Eyesight

Today in the technological advanced times everybody is working on computers. Even if you are not in IT business you tend to hamper your eye sight to various environmental and other odd reasons. Children working on computers at home or school as well as the working people in different field need to protect their eyes from any possible problem. Sight is the most important of all the senses as per a recent survey which concludes that a huge percentage of what we perceive through all our senses come from our vision.

There are various eye related diseases and problems which can impair your sight. So, you should take into account all the possible ways to protect your precious eye from any disease or problem.

It can be done by following preventive methods as:

1. Intake of vitamins and nutrient rich diet:

Having balanced and nutritious diet full of nutrients and vitamins will solve the purpose and you can have healthy eyes forever. You should eat berries, pomegranates and cherries in plenty. Include DHA in your daily dietary plan by consuming cod liver oil.

2. Beware of unhealthy foods:

Fats and oils including trans fatty acids are harmful for your eyes. These can damage blood vessels that supply eyes and brain. See the labels of the food items for harmful hydrogenated oil additions. If present quit the food item. It can be in any form of oil - soy, sunflower, corn, palm etc.

3. Quit all harmful things:

You should give away with all the bad habits as consuming unhealthy food, extra straining of eyes. Practice good habits and prevent your eyes from various eye related problems.

4. Give rest to your eyes:

Short breaks are very essential in-between the vigorous sight work. Close your eyes for a while to preserve them and to get relaxed. Do not strain your eyes with stretched long hours sittings.

5. Using flat computer monitor:

If you sit infront of the computer for a very long time you should have a flat panel LCD monitor. This would cause less strain to your eyes hence protecting them from various eye problems.

6. Eye Exercises:

The eye exercises tone up the eye muscles to keep their elasticity intact. With continuous exercising you'll notice a considerable difference in the quality of vision. These will also help in reducing eye strain, headaches and make your eyes feel relaxed and refreshed to resume work.

7. Physical Protection:

You should wear sunglasses whenever you move outside in sun to protect your eyes from sun glare, harmful rays, dust and wind. A good pair of sunglasses with UV protection is greatly helpful for your vision.

8. Protection from unhealthy surroundings:

There aren't any ways to fight against air pollution and dust in big cities. But keeping the homes clean can do a lot to save your sight.

9. Computer Glasses:

A good and reliable pair of computer glasses may also relieve you from strained eyes. It may help you see well. But it may be bought after the proper eyesight checkup by a doctor.

10. Posture:

Sitting at a right distance from the screen is also a good preventive measure against strained eyes. To lessen the strain, keep the screen 18 or 28 inches from your eyes and at your eye level.

So, keep your eyes healthy by imparting these easy and helpful methods.