Tips to protect skin from the sun

The following are simple and doable practices and tips to help you prevent sun-induced skin damage even in the summer.

Use and slather on a sunscreen even if it is cloudy

Apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to prevent sun damage to the skin. You should also choose one that has a broad-spectrum coverage to protect it from both UVA and UVB rays.

For the best results, you should reapply it every two hours or more often if you’re swimming or exercising outdoors, or engaging in any activity that makes you sweat.

Limit the amount of time you expose your skin to the sun

Experts agree that between 10 am and 4 pm are the times when the sun is at its strongest. If you cannot help it, make sure that you are wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirt.

You should also wear a wide-brimmed hat. Alternatively, you might also want to look for clothes that have sun-protective materials, such as dark colored and with tightly woven fabric.

Are you taking medications that make your skin extra sensitive?

You should review your medications and check with your doctor if they’re making your skin more prone to sun damage. Some of them include high blood pressure medications and anti-inflammatory medications.

Cover your eyes with sunglasses

Eye skin is said to be the most delicate as it is also the thinnest of all. You must shield it with sunglasses. They can protect your eyelid and skin around it from sun damage. They can also block UVA light that can eventually damage your retina.

Sunglasses may also be able to lower your risk of cataracts caused by UVB light.

Avoid tanning

It is one of the causes of skin cancer and skin color change. Know that a suntan isn’t healthy, but it may be a sign of damaged skin. Due to exposure to UV light, the melanin pigment is produced by your skin. Melanin aims at protecting your DNA from long-term sun damage that could lead to skin cancer.

You should also avoid tanning beds, as they’re not safe, too. They produce and release UVA light to fire at your skin, increasing your risk of skin cancer and speeding up premature skin aging.

See a doctor

Are you noticing unusual changes about your skin? Consult your doctor immediately. If you’re noticing blemishes, which become raised or spread out, you should go and consult your doctor.

Drink more water

Dehydration, in case you don’t know yet, is one of the signs of sun damage. Skip the caffeine and alcohol, but aim for two liters of water daily.

There you have simple and quick tips on how to protect skin from the sun and prevent its damage. Follow them and achieve healthy, young-looking skin today!

Simple ways to prevent breakouts

There are some things to do if you want to prevent acne and pimples from forming and causing unsightly breakouts on your skin.

Cleanse twice daily

Wash your face consistently every morning and before bed. This habit will help you improve skin appearance and prevent pimples from popping. You should wash regularly so that you can remove dirt and excess oil.
If you have a sensitive skin, you can choose mild cleanser for your face before applying an oil-free moisturizer to prevent skin from dryness. However, avoid over-washing your face or it will lead to dry skin to worsen pimples.

Do not over scrub

You should refrain from over scrubbing because such will lead to irritation and inflammation. If you already have acne, over scrubbing can make it worse. Instead, use a gentle cleanser or a soft brush for the face if you want to prevent pimples.

Don’t let your hair become dirty

You should keep hair clean because it comes into contact to your skin. Otherwise, oily and dirty hair strands can irritate and worsen pimples. Keep your hair clean especially those areas close to your hairline. You should also avoid pore clogging by ensuring hair spray and other hair care products aren’t getting on your face.

Stress reduction

Remember that stress leads to inflammation that also makes acne worse. Keep stress in check and learn how to practice stress reduction techniques. Some of these include exercising and meditating. You can also spend more time in nature or do yoga.

Do not prick or pop pimples

Avoid picking at picking at pimples because it can lead to scarring and inflammation. To reduce blemishes on your face, you might want to use a topical treatment that can also prevent new pimples from surfacing.
Speaking of topical treatments, you must consult with your doctor especially if you have sensitive skin that is more prone to irritation and inflammation. He or she might recommend a topical treatment with benzoyl peroxide, which can reduce breakout and prevent mild acne.

Avoid too much exfoliation

While exfoliation can help in removing dead skin cells from building up on the face, too much of it can worsen acne and lead to skin irritation. It happens because this process removes natural oil and too much also activates the skin cells to produce more oil. It leads to clogged pores, which is one of the causes of pimples.

These are only some ways on how to prevent pimples that you can follow now if you want to improve skin appearance and to get rid of those unsightly breakouts on your face.

1. Avoid using alcohol-based skincare products if you have an oily and sensitive skin. Alternatively, you can use natural ingredient based products with willow bark, tea tree oil and green tea are some good options. These are also natural ingredients possessing anti-inflammatory properties.
2. Avoid using products that can leave a matte effect because they’re more likely than not to contain silicone. In addition to silicone, you might also want to avoid skincare creams and products containing artificial colors.
3. Do not use soap on your face or rub it hard while washing. Instead, you should pat skin to dry and avoid rubbing it hardly with a towel.
4. If you have dry and sensitive skin combination, you should use a cleansing lotion that you can simply rinse with warm water.
5. When choosing a toner, you should choose one that has safe and mild exfoliating components, including glycolic acid and lactic acid.
6. Ditch the scented skincare products. Artificial fragrances are one of the most common causes of irritation for those with sensitive skin. Thus, you must avoid scented products; instead, go for fragrance-free ones. In addition, find products that do not contain ethyl alcohol and parabens, which can cause skin irritation. For oily skin, you should avoid skincare products that contain pore-clogging ingredients.
7. Wash gently. Choose a gentle cleanser for your face. As much as possible, choose a gel type of cleanser that works by removing makeup and dirt. It also soothes skin and reestablishes your skin chemistry.
8. Use a moisturizer twice daily to keep skin hydrated and moisturized. What you can do it to apply cream for sensitive skin every morning and before going to bed after cleansing and applying a toner.
9. Follow the five-dot formula when applying night cream or sunscreen. Spread it gently in a circular motion. Never rub it on skin.
10. Choose hypoallergenic skincare products. Read the label and perform a skin patch test of the product behind your ears before using a product for the first time.
11. Sleep on silk because it can help soak up oil and perspiration while sleeping. Avoid non-breathable fabric that can just trap the sweat and oil against your skin, leading to pore clogging. If possible, you should also avoid using dryer sheets and fabric softener because these items can leave residue that can cause skin irritation. Also, change the sheets once a week.
12. Use a serum. Adding a serum into your daily skincare routine is one of the best ways to look after sensitive skin. You must apply it under your moisturizer. A serum is lightweight that it can penetrate skin quickly and easily.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right skincare products and using an ideal skincare routine are keys to keep sensitive skin free from blemishes, acne and other skin problems. While it is not that easy versus taking care of other skin care types, it is worth the time and effort to keep it healthy.

Do you think we missed an important tip on how to take care of sensitive skin? Tell us in the comments.

What are the healthy foods to include in your diet?

With healthy eating, you can achieve and keep a healthy weight and reduce your risk of certain chronic diseases, including some cancers, diabetes type 2 and heart disease.

Foods, including lean meats, wholegrain breads, fruits, fish and vegetables should all be included in your healthy eating plan. Other foods to include are legumes and vegetables, such as lentils, chickpeas and beans as well as low salt foods.

What else can make your healthy eating plan better?

Moderate fat intake

Your diet should include healthy food sources as mentioned earlier, but it must be low in saturated fat found in fried foods, animal products, biscuits and chocolates.  These foods can be easily converted into cholesterol, increasing its level in the bloodstream.

Instead of saturated fats, try monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The first one is in olive oil, nuts and avocados. They can help in lowering bad cholesterol levels in the body. On the other hand are polyunsaturated fats that can lower the body’s blood cholesterol levels.

Some sources include omega-3 fatty acids to find in seeds, nuts and fish.  These foods are also considered to have anti-blood clotting properties, which can reduce your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

Exercise

While proper food intake is important, you also need physical activities in your daily routine. It can improve your weight and muscle strength. Try adding at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercises, such as walking, to improve your health.

High iron and calcium foods

Consume iron and calcium rich foods.  For one, calcium plays an important role in bone health especially among women and babies, while iron is responsible for transporting oxygen around the body.

Limit high kilo joule foods and drink

Aside from limiting your fat intake, you should also eat less of high-energy food sources in order to reduce its density in your diet.   In addition, you must get rid of high-energy drinks, such as soft drinks and sports drinks.

For healthy eating, you should instead increase your plant food source intake, including fruits, vegetables and wholegrain cereals and breads. They can provide your body with its needed nutrients while leaving you with a satiated feeling.

Breakfast

Did you know people who normally skip it have poor nutrition, not to mention their diets containing low levels of iron, calcium and dietary fiber?

Some breakfast ideas for healthy eating are,

• Wholegrain cereal topped with fresh fruits
• Orange juice and toast with baked beans.
• Toast with tomato and cheese; cold or hot low fat milk

Make your healthy eating plan better by considering the tips above. Remember to eat breakfast, exercise, limit fat intake, and add more fruits and vegetables in your diet.   You should also include fish and lean meats in your meal plan. Nevertheless, you can make a healthy eating plan work better by keeping an equally healthy lifestyle.

How healthy eating improves your mood

Eating right can help you maintain a good body weight and reduce your risk of chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart attack and type 2 diabetes. But aside from such benefit to get from a balanced diet composed of fat, protein and carbohydrates, to name a few,  it also helps in improving wellbeing and mood.

Otherwise, you might be one of those to develop mental health diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and ADHD, due to an unhealthy diet.

To prevent it from happening, cook meals at home, include more fruits and vegetables in your meal plan and limit refined carbohydrates, sugar and fat intake. By doing so, you can prevent developing mental health disorders. On the other hand, you can manage your symptoms if you have already been diagnosed with one.

How to create a healthy eating plan

To create one, you should remember of achieving a balance in carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber for a healthy body. You should not get rid of certain food categories from your diet, but see to it that you’re adding all the foods from those categories in your diet.

Fat

For the longest time, fat has been demonized to be bad for our health.  It works the other way around, provided you’re choosing good fat. Remember that not all fat is the same.

Good fat can protect both your heart and brain while bad ones can increase your risk of certain diseases, including high blood pressure and heart attack.

Choose healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acid sources found in tuna, salmon and other oily fish. They are great both for emotional and physical health. By understanding of ways to add more healthy fat in your eating plan, you can improve your sense of wellbeing and mood. You might also be able to narrow your waistline.

Protein

It supplies the body with the energy to move and keep moving! It also helps in improving our cognitive function and mood.  As we age, we need more of it in your daily eating plan to slow down the effects of aging, including muscle density loss.

Calcium

It is essential for bone and teeth health and prevention of depression, anxiety and sleep difficulties.   You must also consider adding vitamins D and K in your diet to aid calcium in doing its job.

Carbohydrates

Opt for complex and unrefined carbs, such as fruits, whole grains and vegetables, but avoid refined carbs and sugars, which have been stripped off nutrients and fiber.

Fiber

Include high fiber foods, such as grains, nuts and vegetables, in your diet to lower your risk of diabetes and stroke.  They might also help you lose weight.

What makes a healthy eating plan or diet?

You don’t have to make it complicated.  What to remember is just to replace processed with real food as much as possible.  It is what makes a healthy diet pattern. Make sure that you will get all these nutrients when planning your meals and selecting the foods to eat. By following this cornerstone to eating healthy, you can make a huge difference on how you feel, look and think.

How to Eat Healthy

In the following are simple and practical ways on how to improve your eating habits so that you can achieve optimal health and improve your mood.

Prepare and cook your meals.  In this way, you can take charge and control what goes into your food, including the salt and sugar.  With that, you will also be able to reduce your caloric intake daily.   Preparing your meals, you will also be able to avoid the additives and chemicals usually in processed and fast foods. These can make and leave you feeling bloated and tired. They can also make you irritable and increases anxiety and stress.

Drink more water

Drinking at least eight glasses of water or more if you are more active, you can flush toxins out of your system. You will also be able to improve skin health and stay younger with fewer wrinkles and fine lines on your face.

Otherwise, you will have low energy levels and experience more headaches.   Stay hydrated, improve your health and make healthy food choices.

Do not count calories

What to do instead is to think and consider about a diet composed of different food types in terms of freshness, variety and color. You should also get rid of processed and packaged food, but instead add more fresh foods.

When shopping, check and read the label

It is done to make you aware of what the food you’re buying contains.  Most makers use preservatives and additives, such as salt and sugar in the food they’re selling. Many of them might also be hiding much unhealthy fat in the foods that they’re claiming to be healthy.

How do you feel after eating?

You should focus on the way you’re feeling after eating so that you can make changes and improve your eating habits. Take note that you will feel better if you will load your diet with healthy food choices versus eating fast food.  You must also remember that more junk foods can also make you feel uncomfortable and leave you with drained energy.

Do changes slowly but surely

When trying to cut back on the unhealthy foods in your diet, you should make the right changes by replacing these foods with their healthy alternatives. For example, you should try eliminating Trans fat from your diet in order to start making a positive change in your eating habits.  You should eat a wide variety of foods coming from all the groups including protein, fat and carbohydrates, among others.

Take note of these easy and simple tips to make use of to improve your eating habits and achieve your fitness goals safely and quickly. Did you like this post on healthy eating tips? Tell us in the comment. Finally, spread the word and share it on social media today!

What is the key to a healthy diet?  Here are some tips.

Creating a healthy meal plan should not be complicated. You just have to remember eliminating refined foods and adding more natural and unprocessed foods in your diet. To make your diet more effective, you might also want to take note of the following tips.

Have a right calorie amount in your diet based on your activity level. As they say, do not bite more than you can chew, meaning you should be able to eat only the amount that your body can make use of as energy.  If not, you will put on weight if you eat and drink too much, for instance.

Choose foods from a wide range of food groups to achieve a balanced diet.  It is also to ensure your body will get the nutrients it requires daily. For example, men typically should consume 2500 calories daily and 2000 calories daily for women.

Pick starchy carbohydrates, which should make up more than 33% of the food you’re eating.  You must choose wholegrain types, such as potatoes but without peeling them. To make it work, see to it that you’re adding at least one type of starchy food in every meal.

Watch out on the type of fats you’re using when serving or cooking food because they are what increases the calorie content of your meal.

Eat fruits and vegetables

You must eat five servings of fruits and veggies daily.  While it might sound impossible for many, it is what your body needs for optimal nutrition especially on vitamins, fiber and mineral requirements.

Add fish to your diet especially oily varieties

Loaded with vitamins, minerals and proteins, fish, such as herring, salmon and sardines, are also great sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Other sources include trout, mackerel and fresh tuna. For the non-oily sources, they include coley, canned tuna, hake and skate. It will be good to eat fish on a daily basis but will be better to select as much variety as you can. You might also want to choose frozen, canned or fresh fish; however, smoked or canned varieties have much salt.

Limit your sugar and saturated fat intake

Everyone needs fat in his or her diet, but the problem begins when you do not pay attention to the type and amount of fat you’re eating. Take note of the two types of fat, the unsaturated and the saturated one.

What to limit in your diet is the saturated type because such can increase your bad cholesterol level, putting you at risk of stroke and heart attack. For example, experts suggest men to consume at most 30 grams of saturated fat daily and at most 20 grams for women.

What are the sources of saturated fat?  Some of these include cream, biscuits, hard cheese, pies, butter, lard, sausages and cakes. You should cut them down on your diet.

Final Thoughts

Consider the above healthy eating tips and start noticing improvements in your weight, mood and overall wellbeing.   Do you think we missed a tip here? Tell us in the comment section and share this post on Facebook today!

Add omega-3 rich foods in your meal plan

These foods can help in reducing inflammation that can increase your risk of heart disease, arthritis and cancer.  You can find omega-3 fatty acids on foods, such as walnuts, flaxseed oil, oily fish (salmon, tuna, herring and mackerel) and walnuts. Alternatively, you might want to ask your doctor about omega-3 fatty acid supplements.

You need more calcium, as you age

The main reasons for it are to keep bone health and lower blood pressure. Those who are at least 50 years old should consume at least 1200mg per day, according to the World Health Organization.  This amount is equal to four cups of dairy milk or fortified orange juice. Also, foods like turnip greens and kale are great sources of this nutrient. If you’re finding it hard to sustain your diet with daily calcium,   you should talk to your doctor about supplementation.

What is the role of sodium for seniors?

One of the most essential tips for those with high blood pressure is to limit their sodium intake. Processed and frozen foods are surprisingly high in sodium content. They should be avoided or be limited in a senior’s diet. For low sodium foods, opt for oats, brown rice and nut butters.

Stay hydrated

You might not be thirsty very often as you’re aging even if your body still needs the same amount of it in the same manner when you were young.  If you’re a caregiver or a loved one of a senior, you should give him or her enough water.

You might also want to have his or her urine checked.   It is one of the first signs of proper hydration. Give him more liquids if you notice dark or cloudy urine.

Making gradual changes

Many older people are doubtful about changes, but it is not an excuse to make healthy lifestyle changes. For the best results, you need to make small changes in your diet until you were able to add new foods into your diet.

For example, if you’re diabetic and you need to control your carb intake, you can add oatmeal for your breakfast twice a week.  As you’re getting used to it, you may want to serve it four times.

In addition, if you’re eating white bread, you can have wheat bread instead. You can start with it once a week until you can gradually increase its frequency until you completely cut out white bread from your diet.

There you have the senior healthy eating tips that you can make use of and apply when making necessary diet changes.   With healthy eating habits, you can stick to a holistic lifestyle and achieve a longer life.

Comparing Foods’ Calorie Content

Healthy eating helps you lose weight as you include healthy foods in your meal. The healthier the source of foods are, the lesser the calories, thus, help you lose weight in the process. Focus on including healthier foods on smaller quantities per meal. For example, the amount of protein you’ll get in broccoli is greater and even healthier than the amount you’ll get from steak. Steak even contains trans fat, which are harder to consume and break into energy. Beef has 6.4 grams of protein per 100 calories while broccoli has 11.1 grams – plus the additional antioxidants, fiber, and Vitamin K.

Skipping Sugary Drinks

High amount of sugar in the body requires the pancreas to release more insulin to control glucose level in the bloodstream. Too much glucose needs more insulin to control and if you don’t consume it right away, it will be converted into fats, which can lead to obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
Instead of sipping soda or powdered juices, try healthy freshly squeezed fruit juice. This may take a little longer to prepare but the effect is unmistaken on the size of your belly. Simplify your drinks into water and stop milk shakes with artificial flavorings and added sugar.

Avoiding Processed Foods

Processed foods are the unhealthiest kinds of foods that you can put inside your body. You can find them in frozen foods in the supermarket, fast foods, pizzas, bacon, sausages, and canned meat. Shifting to raw, fresh, and healthier foods will help you lose weight as you also skip processed carbohydrates, artificial preservatives, sugar, trans and saturated fats, which are main ingredients of processed foods.

Healthy foods, which include fresh, green leafy vegetables, contain fiber, which smoothens digestion and regulate bowel movement. When you have regular bowel movement, it means your metabolism is working properly. Good metabolism is needed to break down foods and energy in the body, which help you lose weight. Processed foods contain artificial ingredients that are unknown to your body, making it hard for the metabolism process.

Healthy foods are more nutritious

Healthier foods give your body the essential nutrients in natural form. The sugar, carbohydrates, protein, and other nutrients you get from these foods are far better than those you get from canned, processed and ready-to-eat meals. Another technique to lose weight is to prepare your own meals with the healthy foods of your choice. By doing so, you have to control the amount of fat, carbs, and other nutrients your body need for your particular body built and activity. Losing weight does not happen overnight. It takes a combination of healthy diet, eating habits, and exercise to achieve the ideal and healthy body. Start with your diet today.