Wellness Archives - Page 2 of 37

HOW TO GET CLEAR AND HEALTHY SKIN

April 22, 2020 by Mandy

These days, clear skin is like a dream come true. Every woman craves a skin that is free from wrinkles, dark circles, acne, pimples, and freckles, but our skin is fragile and complicated. Sometimes, you notice pimples making their way on your cheeks, while at times, your skin is glowing with oil. All these problems are too ordinary to bug a dermatologist. So, what can you do about it?

Firstly, get over all the ‘skin goals’ created by celebs. It is nothing but a mere deception covered with hundreds of filters and skin treatments. You have to take care of your skin but without any extraordinary expectations. If you are wondering how? Look below to see the ways to get clear and healthy skin.

Moisturize your Skin

Honestly, people with dry skin can’t even think about living without a moisturizer. Those dry patches on the face need a high-end moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated and fresh. On the other hand, people with oily skin keep themselves away from a moisturizer. They believe their skin is already oily, eliminating the need for moisturizer while welcoming numerous skin problems. Remember, all skin types need moisturization to close doors for dull skin. Hence, rather than opting for traditional moisturizers, people should opt for water-gel ones to hydrate their oily skin.

Use a Facial Toner

Sometimes, your skin starts acting weird because of open ‘pores.’ You might be taking care of your skin by cleansing and exfoliating, but you can’t leave your skin like that once you are done. It opens the pores of your skin to remove all the dirt from inside. Hence, it is important to close them too. For this, you have to use a facial toner. The majority of acne happens due to open pores. So, it can also work as acne skincare, rescuing you from the bad skin days.

Switch to Healthy Diet

All those high-end products are of no use if your skin lacks nourishment from the inside. Yes, you have to provide your skin with all the nutrients and vitamins it needs, which is only possible through a healthy diet. Hence, you need to replace your snacks with nuts and cereal, burgers with vegetables, and start having fruits for breakfast.

Also, omega fatty acids work like magic for skin, reducing inflammation, and helping you get clear skin. Believe it or not, but eating highly processed foods can worsen your skin condition. It results in a lot of oil on your face, leading to pimples and acne.

Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen

The ultraviolet rays of the sun are more dangerous than you can imagine. Alongside giving birth to dark spots, it weakens the elasticity of your skin, resulting in skin aging. Thus, it is essential to protect your skin with a reliable sunscreen. You have to apply it all over your face at least 15 minutes before stepping out in the sun and after every 2 hours when in the sun. It is available in different SPF levels; you need to consult your dermatologist to see how much amount is right for your skin. So, next time you step out in the sun without sunscreen, think twice!

Wash Your Face Properly

Although coming back from a party late night is tiring, you can’t just sleep with all your makeup on. Most of the cosmetic products have a lot of chemicals, and if it stays overnight on your face, it can deeply damage your skin. Thus, you need to use a makeup remover, and then a face wash to make sure there is nothing left behind. Don’t rush over it, massage your face gently for about 30 seconds to deeply cleanse the pores. There are so many brands offering facewashes with different ingredients. However, rather than going after what is trending, use something that makes your skin better.

Get Enough Sleep

Those dark circles are not going anywhere if you continue sleeping 3 to 4 hours a day. After all, the lack of sleep results in more skin breakouts because your body feels tired all the time. However, if you face difficulties in sleeping, then stop drinking alcohol or coffee after 4 in the afternoon. Since caffeine is a significant cause of insomnia.

Keep Your Skin Hydrated

Is your skin looking dull even after applying moisturizers? It happens when your skin is dehydrated from the inside due to the lack of water intake. Hence, drinking eight glasses of water a day is important for your skin too. Alongside flushing out all the toxins from your body, it pushes out the bacteria by hydrating it from the inside. Hence, reducing the risk of acne and pimples. If you don’t believe us, continue this practice for a couple of days, and you would automatically feel the change in your skin.

Wrapping Up

Skin problems are real, but you don’t have to let them stress you. After all, a little effort can change everything. So, consider adopting a skincare routine for better and clear skin. If you are wondering how the routine should be like, look above to snap up clear and healthy skin.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO A FLAWLESS AND HEALTHY SKIN

April 22, 2020 by Mandy

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Only certain people are blessed with beautiful and flawless skin, unlike others who have to make some efforts from time to time. Achieving healthy skin can be a difficult task for some people, but where there is a will, there is a way. There is nothing wrong in expecting to have a healthy and flawless skin. People who think wishing for healthy skin is more like asking to become perfect have got it all wrong.

Dreaming of being in good physical shape should be everyone’s goal in this fast-paced world. No matter which type of skin tone you have, it should look and feel healthy 24/7. Which shows the level of love and care people have for themselves and something like this should be encouraged. When people have healthier and supple skin, they tend to be more comfortable in their surroundings. Such people also have a higher confidence level because of their appearance.

Skin is the largest organ of the body and needs proper nourishment daily. Now, it does not necessarily mean that you go out and buy all the expensive skincare products. Feeling beautiful inside out does not relate to wasting time and money on worthless things. Instead, it is about finding organic and healthy ways to treat something from the core.

To help you out, we have created the ultimate guide to have flawless and healthy-looking skin. Without further ado, let us have a look at this amazing guide and learn more about different tips and tricks.

1. Pick up a good moisturizer

With so many changes happening in our daily routine, it becomes absolutely important to keep your skin moisturized. Be it summers or winters; a good moisturizer will help in hydrating your skin in the best way. Usually, some skin treatments like laser hair removal and wax can leave skin looking dry and patchy. In such situations, moisturizers help in adding that radiant glow to your skin. One of the best moisturizers is made up of Shea butter and coconut oil, which aids in skin lightening and blemish removal.

2. Eat all the right foods

Well, what you eat impacts your skin’s health a lot. Instead of avoiding the condition of your skin, try to take some responsibility. Try to cleanse your body from inside out, so your skin starts feeling better. Most of the skin-related issues take birth from having an unhealthy diet. As soon as you start eating the right food items, your skin will start improving automatically. Eat nutritious foods with fewer carbohydrates and some juicy fruits with lots of calcium and vitamins. Moreover, stay hydrated as much as possible and avoid sweets to get that glow.

3. Find a holy grail cleanser

Well, you need to take care of all that dirt that keeps landing on your skin. The best way to do so is by using an exceptionally amazing daily cleanser with organic ingredients. A daily cleanser works like a fairy godmother who is always trying her best to make you happy. It removes the unwanted bacteria and the dirt build-up from your skin. There are different facial cleansers available for different types of skin, so get the one that suits your skin type.

4. A facial toner is a must

If you have sensitive and oily skin, then a facial toner is a must-have skincare product for you. Toners are extremely beneficial in getting rid of the excess oil from your face, making you look even more beautiful. Moreover, it helps in restoring the PH balance of your skin, which then rejuvenates the skin. Pores also shrink at an alarming rate after using a good facial toner. Most people like to use rosewater infused toners almost every day after taking a shower as it works like magic.

5. Show some love, use sunscreen

Medical professionals will always ask you to wear sunscreen before going out. Honestly, they advise you to use it for your benefit. So take their advice seriously and prevent your skin from getting damaged. To appear young and healthy, it is important to use sunscreen and block those dangerous UV rays. Also, if you want to know a secret to a wrinkle-free glow, then start using your sunscreen religiously.

Conclusion:

Your skin will always need your love and support, no matter what happens. So try to be a little gentler and invest in some good skincare habits. Change your overall lifestyle and start putting your health first. Soon, you will notice a major difference in the way your skin looks and feels. The tips mentioned above are for your guidance, so follow them with more of a positive mindset. If you think positive, then you will get to see amazing results within no time. Not just that, but your flawless and healthy skin-to-be will always remain grateful for your endless efforts.

What You Need to Know About Medicare if You’re Turning 65

April 17, 2020 by Mandy

While turning 65 means you’ll be eligible for a number of senior discounts, for most, it also means you’re finally eligible for Medicare. If you’re going to be turning 65 this year, it helps to familiarize yourself with Medicare so that when the time comes to apply, you know just what kind of coverage you need. The information below can help you decide what type of Medicare you need based on whether you already have insurance through a spouse or your employer and other factors.

What Does Medicare Cover?

Depending on which type of Medicare you have (Part A, B, C, or D), you’ll be covered for a number of services.

Traditional Medicare (Parts A & B) covers inpatient and outpatient care, including hospital stays and at-home care, as well as medical tests, doctor’s visits, medical supplies, long-term preventative care, and X-rays. Parts A and B are often referred to as Original Medicare and are typically offered by the Social Security Administration.

Medicare Parts C and D are offered through private, Medicare-approved insurance companies. Part C is a combination of Parts A, B and typically D. Part C is often called a Medicare Advantage Plan and usually provides added benefits like transportation, fitness programs, hearing aids, and vision, and dental. Part D covers prescription drugs. If you take prescription medications regularly for a condition like high blood pressure, you’ll want to strongly consider getting Part C or Part D.

When Should You Apply

You can only apply for Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), which is a seven-month window during the following time periods:

The month you turn 65
Three months before you turn 65
Three months after you turn 65

How to Apply for Medicare Parts A and B

In order to apply for Medicare, you’ll need the following:

A copy of your W-2 from your employer
Your birth certificate (original)
Your Social Security card
Proof of citizenship or legal citizenship documentation

If you’re already getting Social Security benefits four months before you turn 65, you’ll be automatically enrolled in Parts A and B. Before your 65th birthday, the Social Security Administration usually sends you Medicare information and a Medicare card.

However, if you’re still working and you haven’t started receiving Social Security benefits, you can sign up for Medicare online or at your local Social Security office. If you’re doing it online, you can apply in as little as 10 minutes.

How to Apply for Parts C or D

If you decide you want to go ahead and get parts C or D, make sure you’ve already signed up for Parts A and B. But remember, Parts C and D are optional. You only need them if you want additional services like vision and dental, hearing aids, and prescription drugs.

To sign up for Parts C or D, you’ll have to sign up through a private insurance company. Before purchasing Parts C or D, compare plans for coverage and calculate your monthly and yearly costs so that you know exactly what you’re covered for and how much you can reasonably afford to spend (factoring in things like premiums, deductibles, and copays and coinsurance).

Finding the Right Coverage for You

Turning 65 means knowing your options when it comes to affordable medical care and researching your coverage options with trusted providers. If you need help, it doesn’t hurt to ask questions when you’re not sure about something. Getting all of the information you need ahead of time can help you feel more prepared and less anxious about making the right decision when the time comes. So, start early and you’ll be well on your way to getting the coverage you need to make taking care of your health during retirement as simple as possible.

How to Go Vegan on a Budget: Your Complete Guide

March 25, 2020 by Mandy

If you’ve scrolled through social media posts for vegan recipes or diets, it may seem like a massive and expensive undertaking. It doesn’t have to be. You can achieve a healthy vegan lifestyle without breaking the bank.

Keep reading for tips on how to go vegan on a budget!

Reasons to Go Vegan

If you’ve spent your life as an omnivore you may wonder why people go vegan. The answer varies from person to person. Someone may live a vegan lifestyle:

To reduce their carbon footprint and produce less waste contributing to climate change
To adopt healthier eating habits
To help control or reduce your risk for a chronic disease
For personal or spiritual reasons
In opposition to animal cruelty and industrial farming

Cutting consumption of animal products may help you lower your risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and lower your cholesterol. Plant-based diets come with a lot of benefits and changes.

What Happens to Your Body When You Go Vegan

You may find going from omnivore to vegan to be a difficult process. You’ll likely feel the effect of the lifestyle change after a few weeks. You may experience:

Changes in weight (either loss or gain)
Different food cravings
GI discomfort
Boosted energy levels
Clearer skin

It is important to monitor your nutritional intake and consult your doctor before any drastic dietary changes, as you may need to take supplements (such as B-12 or Iron) when giving up certain foods.

How to Go Vegan on a Budget

According to the USDA, the average American can meet the daily nutritional requirements of fruits and vegetables for less than $3 a day. You can easily save money and meet all of your dietary needs with healthy vegan foods.

Fresh v. Frozen

Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as healthy as fresh ones. The vegetables in the freezer aisle were picked at peak ripeness, unlike the fresh produce. Fresh produce is picked a few days shy of ripe in order to extend its shelf-life.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are often cheaper and are good additions to meals like stir-fry, soup, and smoothies.

Buy in Bulk

Many vegan staples can be bought in bulk. This is often cheaper than buying in smaller quantities. Here are some common vegan staples:

Legumes (dried beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.)
Tofu
Rice and/or quinoa
Pasta
Nuts
Oats
Nutritional Yeast
Nut Butter

You can use these foods in recipes or eat them on their own. All of these listed also have a long shelf-life, so you can stock up without worrying about expiration dates for a while.

Cook Your Own Food

Plant-based products, such as burgers, have been added to many fast food and quick service restaurant menus, but this is not the most cost-effective option for a vegan lifestyle (nor a healthy one). Making your own vegan dishes at home will save you money.

Maintaining a Vegan Lifestyle

Now that you have a better idea of how to go vegan on a budget, you can start incorporating these tips into your life.

Adopting a vegan lifestyle is affordable, sustainable, and one of the best choices you can make for your health!

5 Ways to Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy

March 19, 2020 by Mandy

Whether it’s your first or second child, preparing to start or continue a family is a beautiful step to take. It will likely change your life in ways you would never imagine and also add a new dynamic to your family. Housing a baby in your body for nine months isn’t an easy thing to do, so it’s important that you’re as prepared as possible. This means being mentally prepared by having as much information and knowledge as possible as well as being physically prepared. There are several ways that you can get physically prepared and most include making modifications to your lifestyle. This article is going to help you get started by giving you 5 ways that you can begin to prepare your body for pregnancy.

Get a Check-up

Before doing anything, one of the first things you should try when preparing your body for pregnancy is to go and get a full pre-pregnancy checkup. If you’ve never had one before, ideally the appointment will begin with the doctor going through yourself and your partners’ medical history. They may then go on to run a blood test as well as a pap smear in order to check for any conditions that could affect your likeliness of getting pregnant. Some other diseases they may be likely to check for are hepatitis B, HIV, Herpes, or other STDs. Depending on your ethnicity, they may also check for genetic diseases such as sickle cell, Thalassemia, or Tay-Sachs disease as they could affect your baby in the long-run. When going for a checkup, it is also important that you discuss any existing medical conditions that you may have with your doctor too. If, for instance, you have high blood pressure, epilepsy, diabetes, or asthma, keeping these illnesses under control is crucial. If it is discovered that you’re unable to carry a child for any reason, then you could also explore options such as adoption or a surrogate pregnancy in which another woman helps you carry your baby but uses your eggs.

Find Out When You’re Most Fertile

Tracking your cycle is another way that you can prepare for pregnancy. Everyone has a time of the month where they happen to be most fertile. You should, therefore, try and figure out when your most fertile period is as this will likely help you get pregnant faster. If you’re wondering how you can do this, you can begin by recording the beginning and end of your cycle every month. You should also look out for any irregularities such as abnormal bleeding and spotting. It is said that you’re likely to ovulate halfway through your cycle which is day 14. Your fertile window should begin at about day 10, so you’re more likely to get pregnant if you have sex between day 10 and 14 of a 28-day cycle. There are apps available that can help you identify your fertile days such as Fertility Friend, Glow, Clue, Ovia, Period Tracker and Conceivable. Aside from these, there are several others that you can look for in your app store. Also, if you’ve been on birth control, it’s a good idea to stop so that you can get back into the swing of a regular cycle again.

Avoid smoking and Drinking

If you happen to be a smoker or heavy drinker, then while preparing for pregnancy you should think about dropping those habits. This is because they can make it difficult for you to get pregnant as well as cause complications in your pregnancy too. Research shows that it’s likely that drinking more than five alcoholic beverages on a weekly basis could cause lower fertility. This could be because alcohol is said to depress the adrenal glands and slow the release of hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands which could directly impair your egg health and libido. You shouldn’t worry too much if you consume alcohol moderately, however, as this shouldn’t affect your ability to conceive. In terms of smoking, apparently, 10 or more cigarettes a day could affect your ability to get pregnant. More specifically, smoking can cause blockages in the fallopian tube, increase chances of an ectopic pregnancy, damage your eggs as they develop in your ovaries, cause cervical changes and increase your risk of miscarriage. For these reasons, it may be best to just avoid these things altogether.

Stress Less

When you’re under a lot of stress, it can make getting pregnant more of a challenge. Some ways that stress can affect fertility is by affecting the functioning of the hypothalamus which is the gland in the brain that regulates your appetite, emotions, and most significantly the hormones that tell your ovaries to release eggs. When you’re stressed, this could mean that you ovulate later in your cycle or you don’t ovulate at all. This then obviously has a direct impact on your ability to get pregnant. You should also note that it is sudden stress, both positive and negative, that could have an effect on your cycle. Some ways to manage your stress levels to speed up the process include taking time out to relax, not overburdening yourself. and engaging in relaxing activities on a regular basis.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is an important step you should take when preparing your body for a baby. Being physically active prepares your body for the many changes that are going to happen during and after pregnancy. It should give you the energy that you need, ease constipation, help lift your spirit and reduce the chances of high blood pressure. Working out could also help prepare your body for labor which can be a stressful and challenging time for both you and your baby. For these reasons, it’s best to get into an exercise routine before getting pregnant.

Certain studies link exercise with fertility, and you can confirm with your doctor any recommended or restricted activities as you prepare to get pregnant. You may have also heard of wearing compression clothing when exercising. These garments are designed to help boost blood circulation and provide relief from muscle soreness.

For pregnant women who may be experiencing swelling in the ankles and lower leg, wearing compression socks may help in that area. On your to-buy list, consider having a pair of compression socks for exercising, walking, and traveling before and during pregnancy. They can come in a wide-calf option to get the right fit.

When preparing for pregnancy, it is likely that you feel many different emotions in addition to a little anxiety. It can be nail biting waiting for a positive pregnancy test every month as well as challenging trying to make lifestyle changes. You should remember, however, that everything happens in its own time, so the best thing may be to relax, look after your body and think positively in the interim.