Recent Blog Posts

  Have You Ever Had Complex Complexion Issues? Acne and What You Should Know With Acne Makeup Tips   Acne vulgaris -- just the sound of the word conjures up unpleasant images and those teenagers and adults suffering from this condition usually end up enduring years of emotional distress and, in some cases, physical scarring of the skin. Acne affects nearly 85 percent of young adults, but even those in adulthood struggle with breakouts -- especially during times of stress. While this condition afflicts almost 85 percent of the young adult population aged 12 through 24, it doesn’t simply end there. Acne affects people of all ages. Considered one of the most common skin diseases, it ranges in severity from mild to moderate and tends to flare up in the following categories and life stages: Women going through hormonal changes such as during pregnancy, menstrual cycles and when starting or stopping birth control pills Teens reaching puberty Those facing stressful situations How Acne Forms on Your Skin Acne forms as a result of overactive sebaceous oil glands that cause the [...]

  Menopause Survival Guide: The Help You Need Before, During and After Menopause   Sometime between the ages of 45 and 55, most women begin their journey to menopause (although for some women it can start even in their 30s). For each woman, the journey is unique. Some will notice no symptoms whatsoever, other than the absence of their monthly period, but for many (upwards of 75 percent of women or more), symptoms ranging from hot flashes and weight gain to mood swings and depression surface. Leading a healthy lifestyle, including eating healthy, relieving stress, and regular exercise, is one of the best ways to breeze through menopause. Ironically, by definition menopause lasts only one day. The term refers to the day you haven’t had a period for 12 months in a row. The rest of the time you’ve been treading through night sweats, irritability and the myriad of other menopause symptoms is actually perimenopause, which refers to the time leading up to menopause along with the year after. What are the Signs of Perimenopause? In the time leading up [...]

  Stretching and Exercise: Is Stretching Before Exercise Dangerous? When Should You Stretch?   Most everyone who exercises (even those among us who may not have exercised since our high school gym class) has heard the advice to stretch. Doing so before, after and during your workout, we were told, would help to prevent injuries, reduce sore muscles and help us get a better overall workout. As it turns out, this advice is a bit outdated. It seems that the advice was being given before anyone really knew for sure if, and when, stretching was beneficial for exercisers. So here we've all been, stretching to our hearts' content, and possibly causing more harm than good. If, that is, you've been stretching incorrectly. Why it's Important to Stretch When You Exercise Stretching before you've warmed up is NOT recommended because your body hasn't had a chance to loosen up yet -- and stretching could actually lead to injury. The notion that stretching is important for anyone who does aerobic or strength-training exercise (or even for those who don't) still holds true. [...]

  Oral – Systemic Disease Connections Dental health may be a specialty on its own, but mounting evidence shows that oral health has a much stronger relation to your overall health than researchers previously thought. The chronic inflammation of periodontal disease has been linked to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, orthopedic implant failure, kidney disease, maternal difficulties and some types of cancer. If pathogenic bacteria from your mouth enters your bloodstream, it can trigger inflammatory processes that contribute to chronic disease. As the link between oral and systemic health has become better understood, researchers now believe the long-term inflammation of chronic periodontal disease triggers and intensifies many different systemic diseases. Periodontal disease is even thought to create problems with the management of some chronic diseases. With these new research findings, scientists are more convinced than ever that the first sign of systemic health problems are often seen in your mouth! Understanding the “Mouth-Body” Connection Your mouth is home to a countless number of bacteria. Most of the time, these bacteria are kept in a healthy balance by [...]

  Honoring Those Who Protected Our Children’s Future "Children Learn What They Live": A Memorial   As we memorialize and honor the men and women on Memorial Day who protected our nation for our children’s future, there is also the name of a woman and her work well worth adding to the list. Dorothy Law Nolte may not be a household name, but for parents across the nation her poem -- "Children Learn What They Live" - has long been a child-rearing mantra. You may even remember it pasted up on your own refrigerator or hanging in your kitchen while you were growing up. Children Learn What They Live By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D. If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive. If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves. If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy. If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy. If children live with shame, they [...]

  Why You Gain Weight by NOT Sleeping How to Sleep Away the Pounds   You know a sound night of sleep can do wonders for your energy levels, your appearance and even your outlook on life ... but did you know it might also be instrumental in keeping you trim? Accumulating research is showing that getting enough shut-eye is crucial for your waistline, and if you've been skimping on sleep -- even by just an hour or two -- it could be making you fat. Have you been packing on the pounds and you can't figure out why? Your sleep habits could be to blame ... Case in point, a study published in the journal Sleep confirmed that those who got five hours or less of sleep a night gained more abdominal fat than those averaging six or seven hours of sleep a night. The findings support the theory that when you skip out on sleep you risk weight gain and place yourself in a higher risk bracket for diabetes and heart disease, two health conditions that go up [...]