Nail Fungus Infections: A General Overview –Part 2

Nail Fungus Infections: A General Overview –Part 2

Nail fungus infections are caused by various factors. It is easier for the nail to get infected when an individual is injured and when the shoes are so tight to the extent that the hoes pinch the person. It is very easy to get and contract nail fungus and it common among those who have sweaty feet, share bathrooms, swimming pools, showers and locker rooms. Also people who do a lot of standing and are on their feet frequently as in the case of runners, athletes and dancers. If an individual also has a history of athlete’s foot, has manicure and pedicure in places and salons where they do not take care of their nail files. It is also common among those who are about sixty five years old and above and people who have diabetes and other forms of circulatory diseases.It is easy to spot the incidence of nail fungus infection. This is noticeable in the color of the fingernail or toenail which becomes yellow, yellow –green or green.

Followed by the nails getting flaky, smelly nails particularly the toe nails. The nails may also collect debris under them. This is also backed by the thickening of the toenails making the shoes tight, painful, and difficult to walk or stand. Therefore, an individual who has all these symptoms would do well to see a doctor as soon as possible as it is possible that when the infection is not attended to and treated well, it will result in a worsened condition of the infection.If you’ve got all of these symptoms, then a diagnosis is in order and you need to see a doctor in the shortest time possible. If the doctor finds that you indeed have a nail fungus infection, then he’ll recommend what to do in the form of treatment options.

There are varied treatment methods that you can opt for. First on the list is oral prescription. These are oral suspensions taken by the patient to cure the infection. In cases where the toenail is infected, this form of treatment lasts just twelve weeks. Because it is an oral suspension, it works by absorption through the bloodstream only to be deposited under the nails where it attacks the fungus.

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Dry Skin Care

Dehydration is the loss of water in the body, sometimes severe enough to cause shock since the human body is composed of seventy five percent water. To address this problem you first need to know its main cause. Several factors like the environment, weather, health situation, or lifestyle is making the skin dry. Some of them are easily remedied and others will take more time and effort.

Unnatural air conditioning from home or office heating and cooling systems keeps the air dry by removes moisture from your skin. Room humidifiers can be employed to keep air moist. Humidifiers can also be installed on the home furnace to help retain moisture in the atmosphere of the home. Installing such can be a bit expensive but helpful in avoiding dry skin especially in places with dry climate such as the Midwest states. A helpful tip in keeping the house humid is to fill several pots with water and place it in strategic places in the house. They need to be refilled when the level of water becomes low.

Living in a dry climate, such as Colorado, Alaska, Utah, Arizona, and elsewhere. You can't make the air outside more humid, but you can use humidifiers indoors. Fill a pottery crock with water and place several around your house. Refill when the water has evaporated.

Excessive use of exfoliants can also dry out the skin, making it reddish and rough. Treatment is just to decrease the frequency of use of the exfoliant. Use scrub exfoliants with polyurethane beads or cornmeal since this does not dry out the skin. Also, the excessive use of topical medications prescribed for the skin like Retin-A and hydroquinone can also cause inflammation of the skin. Use should be cut down to every three days until the skin becomes normal.

Overuse of topical prescription medications for skin, such as Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide, or hydroquinone. They can make the skin dry, red, and inflamed. Cut back on use to every other day or every third day until your skin normalizes and redness is healed.

Before using any skin care product on yourself, you should try to consult a skin expert or a certified skin technician. Since there are a lot of skin care products in the market today, you should always test what will work best on your skin. If it feels too dry or flaking occurs, then it probably isn't the best product for you. Foundations used either powder or fluid, should nourish the skin, and not cause it to dry up. It will help to know the type of facial skin you have, if either oily or dry, to be able to choose the right foundation for your skin type.

Using foundation or powder that is too drying for your skin. If your skin feels tight at midday, consider switching your foundation or powder to one with more moisture and less oil absorption.

Salon treatments are a delight to indulge in. But too much of a good thing can lead to its destruction. Treatments at a salon should be done every six weeks, at the least, especially for skin peels. Consult your aesthetician for suggestions on the proper skin regimen for you. There are several medications that can lead to dehydration. If these medications are not really necessary for your body, like if it is just a supplement and not for the cure of an underlying illness, then stop using it. If this is not possible, then just try to avoid other causes of skin dehydration.

Some illnesses can also lead to skin dehydration like flu, and cancer. Flu discourages water retention thus leading to dehydration. Cancer treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation treatments can also dehydrate the skin. The best thing to do is to keep your skin hydrated even when sick by drinking lots of fluids.

Travel by plane can also cause your skin to get dehydrated. Since the cabin air is drier, especially at a height of thirty thousand feet, moisturizer should be applied before the plane takes off. Spritzing your face with a toner solution that contains humectant or much simpler, purified water, can help moisturize your skin during flights.

Pollution also plays a role in skin dehydration. You can either opt to stop pollution or just take care of your own skin by following the proper and prescribed skin regimen for you regularly.

Drinking alcohol also leads to dehydration since alcohol is a diuretic. Diuretics draw water from the body, and lower the water level in the body. A hang over is usually the result of dehydration of the body. If you are prone to dry skin, alcoholic drinks should be avoided. Smoking also produces the same effect on the body. Even if you are just the recipient of second hand smoke, it can still cause dehydration. Therefore to avoid dehydration, stop smoking.

Smoking. Smoking dries out the body both internally and externally. This affects both smokers and people subject to second hand smoke. The only solution is to stop smoking.

Drinking sodas, either the regular kind or the diet ones can result in dehydration. These types of drinks have sodium as their ingredient which causes acidity. Avoid sodas and increase your intake of purified water. Carbonated water has dissolved carbon dioxide in its composition, which is also highly acidic, so avoid other bubbly drinks as well.

A good sleep during the night helps greatly in maintaining moisture in the skin. At least six to eight hours of sleep is needed for the body to function at its peak. Avoid eating starches, white sugar, junk food, french fries, and potato chips since this may also lead to skin dehydration. There are still several causes that may lead to skin dehydration, all of them seen in our daily routine. If only people are aware of this, then complaints of dry skin can be avoided. Our modern and carefree lifestyle contributes to this skin condition. It is only by changing our regular habits that we can avoid having dry skin. After changing our lifestyle and environment, here are several tips on how to take care of your skin

The Most Effective Way For Women To Burn Body Fat

Most women at some point want to lose weight in their lives. If you fall in to this category right now, then you’ve made up your mind that you need to eat a little healthier, and you need to exercise a little more. Exercise is so broad though… what is your game plan? To walk, run, take an aerobics class? All of these are, of course, workouts but are they enough to help you lose your body fat? Unfortunately for most women, the answer is no.

The best exercise to burn body fat and keep your body trim and tight is all in weight training. Don’t let this be intimidating… women are completely different than men in our composition so you don’t have to worry about bulking up. In fact, weight lifting not only helps you lose fat during a workout by burning calories but your body works hard to recover afterwards by keeping your metabolism raised for up to 48 hours afterwards! Running and aerobic based workouts can’t claim this.

It gets better, for each pound of lean, sexy muscle you have your body will burn an extra 50 calories (roughly) daily, even if you’re sitting on the couch watching Dancing With The Stars. That is because it takes energy to keep muscle happy, it needs fuel and protein to keep it happy! Another great thing about lifting weights is that it’s never boring. The number one reason a woman quits her workout regiment isn’t because she’s not getting results, it’s because she loses motivation. Stay motivated with weight training by changing up your exercises regularly, learning new moves, and watching your strength and confidence increase from workout to workout.

If you have never picked up a dumbbell before don’t let that stop you. There are several options, of course you can ask a personal trainer at your gym for a tour and sign up for a few sessions or for a fraction of the price you can look into online personal training which is growing in popularity due to the great price.

No matter what you want to do, remember if what you’re doing now isn’t working don’t you think it’s worth giving it a go?

All weights aren’t created equal though. Just like you don’t burn as many calories walking as you do running, you get different results from different weight training techniques. Sure those weight machines span the floors of most gyms but these are small, isolated moves that create little calorie burn and little muscle toning. The best results come from total body workouts, and to get that from these machines you would have to spend a long time on all the machines available. That is why free weights are great. Not only can you work several big muscles at once, you can great large range of motion moves that will blast more body fat and give you better results faster.

If you’re ready to give it a go, here are a few of my favorite exercises:

Dumbbell squats
Split squats
Bench press
Curl to press
Single arm dumbbell clean and presses

These are just a few examples but all of them work several big muscles and will have you out of breath by the end of your set. Which takes us to the next question… how many sets and reps should you be doing? For fat burning results aim to do 2-3 sets of 13-15 reps. Use a weight that is challenging enough that you can’t go past 15 if you wanted. And that should get you great results!

7 Best tips for fast weight loss

 

There are numerous ways to lose weight fast and in this post we outline the 7 best fast weight loss tips.

1. Exercise is a must for fast weight loss
Everybody knows this; exercise is a must for a fast weight loss. With exercise you achieve a lot of things. First you burn more calories and lose weight faster, second you ensure that you will not gain the weight back and third you provide your health with many benefits. What is important is to exercise frequently and to increase the duration of exercise every couple of weeks. For starters you should aim for 30 minute sessions, 3 times per week. As you become more experienced with exercise you should aim for 45 minutes, 5 times per week.

2. Strength training is also required
Many people when we talk about exercise they think aerobics or cardio exercises. There is another form of exercise that is very beneficial for weight loss. This is strength training exercises like weight lifting and body building. These are also needed for a fast and safe weight loss and you should try and include them in your exercise schedule. Strength training exercises can help you build more muscles, can boost your metabolism and can help you achieve your weight loss goals faster.

3. Food journal
Being able to control what you eat can play a significant role in fast weight loss. To be able to do that you need to know how many calories you consume on a daily basis. It is a proven fact that people when asked about their daily diet, then tend to forget a number of things. One of the ways to make sure that everything you eat is counted in your daily diet calculations is by keeping a food journal. In this you should try anything you eat and drink during a day. Next to each item you can write the number of calories they contain and thus you can arrive at a daily total. By having this information you can then adjust the foods you eat and save the required amount of calories so that you lose weight.

4. Re – set your weight loss goals
Your weight loss goals should not simply be to lose weight. Weight loss is not an exercise you have to do once and then forget about it. A successful weight loss is when you manage to lose weight by changing your lifestyle and eating habits and not by just saving calories and making calculations. Eating healthy should become your second nature and exercising should become your daily friend. So, instead of just setting arithmetic goals concentrate on how to change your lifestyle to match a healthier living.

5. Separate eating from your other emotions
A lot of people have associated eating with their emotions. It is very common for people to eat because they are feeling stress, anxiety, depression, anger etc. This is a bad and very unhealthy habit. Usually the food you eat when in this state is unhealthy and full of fats and calories. You need to realize that food is not the medicine for your emotions. Food is a pleasure and a way to provide your body with the energy it needs to function properly. If you want to lose weight then you should seriously consider this situation and disassociate food with emotions.

6. Get all the support you can get
For long term weight loss results you need to get encouragement and support. The best way to get this support is from friends, family and from other people that are in the same situation. There will be times during the process that you will get bored and willing to quit, there will also be times that you won’t believe in yourself and you need someone to give you encouragement and motivation to continue. Do not underestimate the power and support you can get and do not be shy to share your weight loss dreams with your friends and family.

7. Start slow, plan big
All the weight loss tips explained above are valid and essential for a fast weight loss. It is necessary though to start by gradually making changes both to your lifestyle, eating and exercise habits. Do not rush and do not make too drastic changes from one day to the next. Start slowly and stay focus on your goals. As you become more experienced make more changes until you reach a point that your lifestyle, diet and exercise routine are in accordance with your weight loss goals.

Eating Out in Restaurants - Gluten Free Diet

 

Always phone the restaurant before you visit and ask to speak to the head chef or better still the manager. You will need to explain your situation to them and communicate the importance of having a Gluten Free experience. 

 

You may need to highlight to them the foods that contain Gluten and also list the foods you like that you know are Gluten Free. If you are a UK or other EU citizen, you can also inform the restaurant that any food or beverages they buy in will have the correct Gluten ingredients listed on the label, so they can look out for any to make certain. 

If a restaurant doesn’t have a Gluten Free dish you like or even doesn’t have any Gluten Free dishes at all, don’t be afraid to ask the chef to make you something off the menu. If you don’t ask you will never know, most reputable restaurants should be happy to accommodate your needs. 

Even when a meal is prepared for you, be weary of anything that may have been overlooked, for example most sauces and gravy will contain Gluten, so try avoid having any of these. 

Finally if you are uncertain about the competence and customer care offered by the restaurant then simply don’t go there…choose one you are comfortable with trusting.

Autism and Gluten Free Diet - Does It Really Work?

 

Autism is a disorder that affects children and leads to difficulties with communicating and interacting in social situations. In order to combat Autism, parents of children with this disorder often turn to alternative treatments for a solution. One alternative treatment is the gluten free, casein free diet, which some parents claim has helped to decrease the symptoms of autism in their child.

The gluten free, casein free diet, also known as GFCF, involves eliminating all sources of gluten and casein from the diet. The belief is that these two components, which are found in many foods, are causing an allergic reaction in the child with autism and exacerbating their symptoms. By eliminating gluten and casein from the diet, the parents hope to see an improvement in the symptoms of autism.

Though there is no conclusive evidence that following a GFCF diet will result in an improvement of autism symptoms, many parents still decide to try. The theory is that children with autism do not process the peptides and proteins found in foods with gluten and casein the same as everyone else. Because of this difference, it is believed that the body reacts by treating these proteins like “false opiate” chemicals, resulting in certain behaviors in the autistic child.

Eliminating gluten and casein from the diet can be difficult because they are present in so many different foods. Gluten is typically found in many grains such as wheat, barley and rye. Many baked goods also contain gluten because it works well as a binding agent. Casein on the other hand is typically found in dairy and soy products. While it may seem difficult to avoid all of these products, it is possible with careful planning and knowledge. Many supermarkets and specialty stores for example now have entire sections devoted to gluten free products.

It is important to remember that when children are put on a GFCF diet, they are going to be missing out on key nutrients and vitamins. However, these deficiencies can often be made up with the use of supplements so that the child remains healthy. Parents who are interested in placing their autistic child on a GFCF diet should always consult with their child’s physician and a licensed dietician in order to be sure the planned diet meets all of their child’s nutritional requirements, otherwise this can lead to additional health issues.

How to Quit Smoking without the Weight Gain

If you are smoking and want to make a healthy lifestyle you could start by deciding for yourself to strip off the habit from your system. But together with aiming to strip off the habit is weight gain because you will increase your appetite when you quit smoking. How can you fight this problem?Cigarettes stimulates metabolism according to smoking cessation therapist, 250 calories in the body get burned when you consumed a pack of cigarette a day. When you quit, the body metabolism slows down resulting for those calories to slowly burn and giving you extra weight. Some people gain 2 pounds once they quit for 2 weeks and with this occurrence they tend to resume smoking to prevent weight gain so quitting will then be unsuccessful. Sticking to the decision of quitting will not be that much of a burden because eventually the metabolism will normalize. Typically, smokers only gain 5-7 pounds throughout the process of quitting. And when you think about the advantages of having a healthy and smoke free living, you will feel great inside and out and not minding those gained extra pounds.You vital organs like the lungs, heart and arteries will be free of the toxins and will start to regenerate new cells after being intoxicated with nicotine.Gradually after quitting you will notice changes in your physical appearance. Your skin is free from stress and will appeal to be fairer and smoother, those yellow stains on your fingers and fingernails will disappear, you won’t have bad breath anymore, and your teeth will be free from stains and you will have healthier gums too. These are the good fallback of quitting. To lessen the cravings and weight gain, do drinks lots of water ideally 8oz glasses a day to keep you hydrated and to flush out toxins. Substitute healthy food with cigarette but not use junk foods because it won’t help you in becoming healthy. Don’t go for sugar rich and unhealthy foods. Do also have exercises so to keep you busy and increase metabolism. Join group therapy this will help you be encourage on the continuous quitting agenda, use also nicotine replacements. You have to have a focused mind to be able to fight challenging moments that will tempt you to go back to smoking.

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Quit Smoking Support – How Necessary It Is?

Quit Smoking Support – How Necessary It Is?

Smoking is highly addictive and once it becomes a habit it is very difficult to get rid of for a number of reasons. Quit smoking support usually acts as a back up system that ensures that the smokers have the most conducive atmosphere possible for getting rid of the habit. What Does Quit Smoking Support Do For You?Actually, the rate of success that smokers meet with when deciding to kick off the habit very much depends upon the quality of quit smoking support they receive.

1.    Family members – the first and the most intense quit smoking support comes from your immediate family such as your spouse, siblings, parents, etc. Once you make your decision known, they would rally to help you stay focused. Their support inside the home and outside is often critical to your success.

2.    Professional counseling – this is another very important quit smoking support that helps you understand the process and advises how to fight some of the worst withdrawal symptoms. Most people hate the withdrawal symptoms so much that they rather choose to continue smoking than to continue experiencing them. The counseling inputs would prepare you mentally for this and thus increase your ability to recognize and fight it.

3.    Quit smoking aids – it is possible to quit smoking cold turkey and many people do just that. However, for this method you need to have nerves of steel and an even stronger will power. Why not use some of the excellent quit smoking aids as your quit smoking support. This would help reduce the withdrawal symptoms, while at the same time prevent the craving for nicotine.

4.    Plan B - a good strategist would always have a stand-by plan – just in case the original plan fails. Here, you could take the example of the popular adage, ‘Use a thief to catch a thief’. Just so, you could have something else to substitute your addiction to smoking; something that is not harmful to your health – such as chewing gum, no-nicotine cigarettes, peppermint mouth fresheners, clove, cardamom, etc. This quit smoking support can reduce the urge to reach out for a cigarette and ensure your success in beating the habit.

5.    Medication – another very important quit smoking support is the medication you may need to ward off and/ or prevent some of the more unpleasant side effects of the exercise. Consult with your family doctor before you start the quit smoking process so you would have the prescribed medicines ready when you need them.

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5 Helpful Tips for Constipation Treatment

5 Helpful Tips for Constipation Treatment - Part 1

Got constipation? Well most of us do once in a while for some and frequently for others. In this article we'll look at how you can get all the constipation help you'd probably need. While this is not all inclusive in itself, you can consort other sources for all the constipation help you might need. Most people who suffer from constipation will tell that it is one of the most uncomfortable experiences they've had. There are various reasons and causes of constipation:   

1. Consumption of fast foods and foods that lack lots of fiber. This is the single major reason behind most occurrences of constipation. Because we live in an "instant" age, fast foods have become the order of the day. People just don't know what it is to eat healthily. As long as you can grab some sandwich, burger or fried chicken and the stomach feels full, everything's settled. As a result, foods are not readily digested. All the fiber necessary to stimulate bowel movement are almost non-existent.   

2. Inadequate fluid intake. People don't drink fluids these days -at least not enough to compensate for bodily needs. Hence, when the feces gets to the rectum, the little moisture remaining in it is absorbed by the rectum. Because stooling requires moisture to enable the easy passage, it becomes hard to freely pass stool. That's why there is a lot of straining to get eliminate the waste.   

3. Leading a sedentary life. People who don't take care of themselves physically, tend to easily develop constipation as a result of the fact they are not involved in any sort of exercise. One of the very first recommendations for those who need constipation help is exercise. The fact that you move around would improve your bowel movements and hasten the relief of constipation. 

4. Pregnant women also suffer from constipation as a result of a change in hormonal balance in the body and also because of the pressure of the now occupied uterus on the intestine. Since you have read some of the causes, it would be better if we moved so you can get all the constipation help you need:   

5. Eat lots of FiberDietary fiber which is also known as bulk forming laxatives is gotten from the consumption of fruits and vegetables. The easiest way to incorporate this into your lifestyle is by increasing the quantity of fruits and vegetables in your meals and cutting down on the excess of dairy and meat products. In some cases however, some individuals may find it hard to cope with the bulk of fruits needed. 

When this occurs, it is best that fiber supplements such as wheat bran, oat bran, psyllium seeds be added to the daily diet. To make this routine easier, when you have the itch to grab a snack, pick a fruit instead and you're on your way to relief. The only downside to this method is if the patient has strictures and adhesions. In this circumstance, it is advisable to consult a physician before getting on in the treatment. Also, some fibers have sugar; as a result, diabetic patients cannot take such. When this occurs, it is best that the patient gets sugar-free fibers. Fibers should not be taken in large quantities suddenly. Small quantities are best for starting. Then, it can gradually increase if the patient finds it necessary. A space of one week is adequate for each phase of increase in fiber content. Sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, Citrucel, Konsyl Fiber, Maltsupex et.c

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Muira puama for Increased Libido

This Brazilian herb Muira puama, also referred to as murapuama, is mostly known for its effective help with erectile dysfunction and increasing libido and as an aphrodisiac - but is also an excellent tonic for increasing general well-being and mental tiredness.

Muira puama is a bush / small tree up to 5 meters in height and produces pungent flowers with a jasmine like fragrance.

The indigenous tribes in Brazil have used the roots and bark internally in a tea as an aphrodisiac, for treating sexual debility and erectile dysfunction, nervous system disorders, neuralgia, baldness, impotency, gastrointestinal disorders, neuromuscular problems and rheumatism.

Murapuama has been used as a herb in Europe for some time and is listed in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, a source on herbal medicine from the British Herbal Medicine Association, and is recommended for the treatment of dysentery and impotence.

It is from the Olacaceae family, and the genus is Ptychopetalum (species olacoides) and is also known as Muira Puama, Marapuama, Marapama, Potency Wood and Potenzholz. The bark and roots are used in herbal treatments.

vAlthough many people are skeptical about sexual stimulants or "herbal viagra" as such, the muira puama herb has been shown by Dr. Jacques Waynberg, a world authority on sexual functioning, of the Institute of Sexology in Paris, France, that it is effective in assisting in increasing sexual desire as well as attaining and maintaining an erection.

The action of the muira puama herb is not fully understood but it seems to assist with both the psychological as well as the physical aspect of sexual function.

Muira puama contains: The active constituents are free long-chain fatty acids, sterols, coumarin, alkaloids and essential oils. Chemically, it contains .05% muirapuamine, .4% fat, .5% alkaloids, .6% pholbaphene, .6% alpha-resinic acid, .7% beta resinic acid, .5% of a mixture of esters including behenic acid, lupeol and beta-sitosterol, as well as tannin, volatile oils and fatty acids.

Muira puama is considered a safe herb, whereas another herbal sexual stimulant called yohimbine can induce anxiety, panic attacks, and hallucinations in some individuals, as well as elevated blood pressure, high heart rate, dizziness, headache, and skin flushing.

Although some people maintain that muira puama is just a general tonic, there are far more confirmations out there in the real world from satisfied users, to the fact that it is great for assisting with erectile dysfunction and increasing sexual enjoyment.

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