Dealing With Food Addiction

Modern society�s image of the beautiful woman is someone who fits a certain size, usually size 6 or smaller, someone with a certain kind of bone structure, someone with a certain kind of face. This image is glorified in many, many fashion magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle and Vogue. This image is, unfortunately, not true for the average woman, who has to struggle with size 8 or bigger, who does not have the same delicate bone structure, who does not have the particular kind of face that one would see on a model. Not all of us are born to fit such an image of what is considered the beautiful woman. In fact, very, very few fit that given image at all. And yet, there are so many women out there who try desperately to fit that image, who will try all means available to them and that which they can afford just to be able to fit that image. Sadly, despite whatever measure we might take, some of us are just that: fat. If we are not genetically predisposed to being overweight, there are other reasons why we are carrying around extra flesh on our bodies. It could be because we are addicted to food. And while this is not a general or a blanket statement on why women are fat, it could be because we basically have issues with ourselves that we cannot face, and we hide behind the comfort that food brings us whenever we had to deal with something that we find truly stressful. Examine yourself. Are you fat because your genes have dictated that your body should be formed that way? Are you fat because you are lazy? Or are you fat because you cannot stop eating? That character from the Austin Powers series of movies, the one they have named Fat Bastard, captured it so poignantly with this line: �I eat because I am unhappy, and I am unhappy because I eat.� Is it that case for you too? If you are one of us, one of those women who are afflicted with food addiction, the first step towards recovery always involves recognition. Recognize and admit to yourself that you have an issue that you need to deal with and that you are using food to cover up for the fear, the anxiety and the sadness that you feel whenever you are forced to face something you do not want to handle. Once you have gotten a handle of the situation, the next step would be to determine what gives you so much stress and anxiety, enough to turn to the comfort of food. More often than not, it has something to do with self-image. If it is indeed the case, that your food addiction has something to do with self-image, then the next step would be to embrace what you are and accept that you cannot be what you are not. Most importantly, do not take this journey of ridding yourself with food addiction alone. It is so very easy to fall back into the old pattern of bingeing after being upset with something if you are dealing with it alone. Seek help with a counselor or a support group. There are others like us, like you; you need not go through this all alone.

Source: http://www.she.com.pk/health/dealing-with-food-addiction.php

Read more...

Bedroom Decoration

What makes one room so different and special from another? The atmosphere and ambiance created can really set a room apart from the rest. Whether it is the color scheme or the manner in which the available space has been utilized, decorating a room with care can go a long way towards creating a special and pleasing area. This article takes you through the essentials of room decoration with special emphasis on bedroom decoration.

Bedroom Decoration

The bedroom is a place where people relax and unwind and can be described as ‘their own personal space’. It is necessary that bedrooms be airy and not claustrophobic with too many items in an enclosed area. Choice of colors in the bedroom depends on the persons living in them. Mature colors include shades of brown, gray and green. People with an effervescent zest for life could choose from orange, red and yellow. Those young at heart could choose from pink, sky blue and shades of white. Furniture in the bedroom is also largely dependent on the people occupying it. Adults would prefer, for example, more exquisitely carved furniture made of teak or maple wood. This could translate into intricately designed beds, bedside tables, dressing tables, cupboards, closets and so on. Above all the furniture should be well spaced, not appearing too crowded.

It is important that beds with their design and cushioning be comfortable. When selecting a bed, it is advisable not to compromise comfort for quality. A very sophisticated bed with poor quality bedding can lead to backaches and insomnia. You need to choose a bed design that offers comfort, quality and elegance. The bedding, while ensuring comfort to the spine should not be too soft or with bad quality padding. Accessories with a bed could include a side table. This would come in handy if reading or paper work is required to be done in the bedroom. A bedside table ensures space for storing important documents or for a telephone.

A dressing table could be elaborate or simple depending on the people residing in the bedroom. Women fond of using makeup and other beauty accessories would prefer a dressing table with more storage facilities. There are endless possibilities here - bedside tables being attached to cupboards and with more than one mirror, to name a few.

Cupboards in the bedroom are generally used to store clothes and other related items. They should be well spaced and made of wood or other materials not prone to termites or obsolescence. These cupboards come equipped with drawers to store accessories and other items.

Lighting in the bedroom is another important aspect. Is it important for the person to have the lighting centrally located or near the bedside for reading purposes, or perhaps a combination of both?
Bedrooms for children could ideally consist of a bunk bed and a study table. It is particularly important that children's bedrooms have adequate space for them to run about and play indoor games. Televisions or telephones in bedrooms are a personal preference. Paintings, photos or other memorabilia can be cleverly used to add to the overall personality of your bedroom.

Bedroom basics

Bed : The size of the bed depends on the size of the room. A standard single size bed is about 1.05 meters in width and 1.95 meters in length. Old-fashioned beds are comparatively higher than modern day ones. Queen sized bed is the smallest double bed that is about 1.50 meters wide whereas king sized double beds are almost square shaped.

Mattress :Kapok filling mattresses are ideal for persons who prefer to sleep on hard mattresses. But a mattress of this kind tends to get lumpy soon and some people tend to develop allergies to dust and mites in kapok. Coconut fiber or coir is another option that can be considered. Sponge mattresses are soft and comfortable. Rubber or foam rubber mattresses can make you sweat in hot summers. Spring mattresses filed with either sponge, polyester and kapok filled with latex can provide you many years of comfort when used with good quality springs. Lighting : Ideally, lighting in a bedroom should be gentle and relaxing and gentle on the eyes. Valence lighting is ideal for lighting up bedrooms, as the reflected light from the light source does not cast a harsh glow. Installing light bulbs in specific spots so as to let the light reflect off the wall is one way to achieve a gentle glow. Color too plays an important role here. A red light can make you feel hot and violent. Soft subdued lighting under the control of remote control can induce a romantic atmosphere here. Personal lighting with focused beams of shafts of light can allow one partner to indulge in some reading whilst the other may sleep undisturbed away from the pool of light. The noise levels in the bedroom must be the least when compared to the rest of the house. Annoyingly loud decibel levels can keep you awake for hours. Ensure that the bedroom is well ventilated and sweet smelling. Have a few plants or dried flower arrangement if you are keen on them. Damp and stale-smelling bedrooms are not conducive to restful sleep. Source:http://www.clearleadinc.com/site/bedroom-decor.html

Read more...

To prepare a smooth canvas for your makeup, always start off with clean, moisturizedskin. You’ll find that yourmakeupglides on and blends more easily.

1. Keep your skin free of buildup by using a gentle cleanser in the morning and at night. When cleansing your face, do so gently in upward motion stokes - do not tug, pull or scrub too hard to prevent irritation.

2. Freshen up your skin with a toner containing ingredients that suit your skin type.

3. Indulge your skin and keep it hydrated with a moisturizer that is compatable with your skin type. Make sure your daytime moisturizer contains SPF to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

4. Treat yourself to an at-home-facial 2 to 3 times a week. Use a mild cleanser, then exfoliate with a gentle scrub that contains exfoliants that are round and non-abrasive.

5. Apply a facial mask after exfoliating. Rinse off thoroughly and get a good night’s sleep!

Tip: Even when you’re steering clear of the sun, or it appears to be a cloudy day, always be sure yourmakeup foundation or moisturizer contains SPF 15 or higher.

Source: http://www.she.com.pk/makeup/master-the-basics.php

Read more...

Eating well - Healthy life

Cooking smart - For healthy life it is is important to have a wholesome diet. A wholesome diet consists of grain products, vegetables, fruits, milk products, meats and many more things. Good food is the best medicine to fight against any disease.

Source: http://she.com.pk

Food as Medicine - It act as supplement, energy boosters, that helps to keep you lively and energetic for the whole day. Right food at right time, detoxifies the body without affecting the whole metabolism.

Various activities require different amount of calories and depending on the nature of work one should have food.

Time of consuming food : A person should take meal only when he feels hungry. Lunch should be taken early between 12 and 1P.M. this coincides with the peak Pitta period, Pitta is responsible for the digestion. Ayurveda recommends that the lunch should be the largest meal of the day. The supper should be lesser and lighter than lunch

Quantity of food : Generally half of the capacity of stomach should be filled with solids, ¼ th with liquids and rest kept empty for the free movements of body humors.

Sequence of consuming food :Madhur (sweet) rasa food like fruits are advisable to take in the bigining of meal, food with Amla and Lavana (sour and salty) rasa in the middle and Katu,Tikta,Kashay (bitter ,astringent and pungent) foods should be taken at the end of meal

Eating Well When You’re Expecting provides mums-to-be with a realistic approach to navigating healthily and deliciously through the nine months of pregnancy - at home, in the office, at Christmas, in restaurants.

Thorough chapters are devoted to nutrition, weight gain, food safety, the postpartum diet, and how to eat when trying to conceive again.

And the book comes with 150 contemporary, tasty, and healthy recipes that feed mum and baby well, take little time to prepare, and are gentle on queasy tummies.

At the heart of the book are hundreds of pressing questions every mother-to-be has: Is it true I shouldn’t eat any food cooked with alcohol? Will the caffeine in coffee cross into my baby’s bloodstream?

I’m entering my second trimester, and I’m losing weight, not gaining - help! Is all sushi off limits? How do I get enough calcium if I’m lactose intolerant? I keep dreaming about a hot fudge sundae - can I indulge? The answer is yes!

What’s Inside

Cooking Smart Food as Medicine Nutritional Information

Special Diets Meat & Fish Soy

Vitamins & supplements:

Food as Medicine - Ideally, it is suggested to have the rich fibre diet with proportionate amount of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, sodium, calcium, sugar, salt, vitamins and minerals. Here is our simple guide to balanced food that can be cooked instantly. These are some of the simple and natural ways that would help in detoxifying your body and rejuvenate the lost energy. Various health supplements and nutritional information is available here.

Read more...

Skin Beauty Tips For Girls

Did you know that your diet contributes greatly to the clarity and condition of your skin? It�s true. Pay attention next time you eat an entire candy bar by yourself, or take notice of your skin�s tone and textureif you opt for a better diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, healthier foods, and lots of water. Natural skin care at its best…

Nutritional consultant and author Elaine Wilkes, N.C., M.A. offers a delicious tip to getting radiant, glowing skin. In her book

Food Choices Made Easy! Finally A Summary of What All The Health Experts Say!

, Wilkes provides helpful tips compiled from hundreds of health advisors on how to get skin that looks and feels healthy and young. Tips she delves into include advice on weight loss, great foods to eat and those to avoid, and money saving tips, to name a few.

So what is the secret to smooth, healthy, youthful skin?

Wilkes points to a fabulous beverage recipe as the answer.

�Believe me, I have tried everything,� Elaine Wilkes says. �But, doing this tip, I have had strangers come up to me and ask me why my skin looked so healthy. Say goodbye to weary skin with juicing.�

Elaine Wilkes is also a Certified Practitioner of Metabolic Typing, which means she matches people�s nutrition to their metabolism, taking into account their genetics, personality, blood type, etc. She recommends creating a juicy cocktail for a vivacious skin tone and healthier complexion, and to help anyone achieve glowing skin.

�Combine fresh green vegetable juices such as cucumber, celery, kale, parsley, spinach, and a little bit of apple for a delicious taste, into a juicer,� she instructs.

Wilkes also suggests also adding lemon and ginger for a yummy zing.

�Soon, you will notice a glow to your new, plumped-up, radiant skin,� she details. �For more added benefits, drink half your weight in ounces of water each day. Beautiful skin is about what is going on inside your body. Nourish your inside with these tasty, healthy juices and your skin cannot help but look terrific. Oh, and you’ll feel great, too.�

For healthy skin that looks and feels great, make a conscious effort to improve your diet. Also take the time to practice a regular cleansing routine, and engage in a realistic exercise program. These commitments to yourself will give your body and skin the boost they�ve needed to get on and stay on the right track.

Source:http://www.she.com.pk/beauty-tips/skin-beauty-tips-for-girls.php

Read more...

Lip Augmentation

As we age, our lips lose collagen and fat just like the rest of our skin, and environmental factors such as sun exposure, repeated sipping, pursing and smoking make matters worse. A smoother set of lips is within your reach and a plump pout isn’t far behind thanks to doctor-performed procedures.

Lip Augmentation Surgery

As some women age, they may find their top lip grows longer and thinner than the bottom, resulting in a bothersome and unattractive overhang. These patients can benefit from a nostril sill excision procedure, which actually raises the thin top lip by removing skin under the nose and exposing more of the lip’s pink vermillion. Expect swelling and about 10 days of downtime. Though there’s a risk of scarring, results are excellent for appropriate patients. Injectables

Injectables are a great way to achieve more lush-looking lips. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Hylaform and Restylane boost youthful volume with the main side effect being swelling. Injecting fat taken from the patient’s own abdomen or hips not only enhances the lips, but corrects asymmetry as well without the risk of an allergic reaction.

Doctors have come to rely on the collagen-based injectable CosmoDerm for restoring the lip border on patients who have lost definition due to age and environmental factors. CosmoDerm’s biggest upside is the fact that no skin test is required before use, so you can go into the doctor’s office and come out with younger-looking lips in just one visit.

Source:http://www.she.com.pk/beauty-tips/lip-augmentation.php

Read more...