Staying Healthy and Looking Gorgeous

Whoever you are, I’m sure you take at least some concern for your health. You’ve probably had a few brushes with various diets and classes. Women throughout America are constantly taking steps to improve their personal health. Of course, you want to have a long and happy life. The other big reason you should be taking care of yourself is simply to look great! In this feature, we’ll be focussing on the aesthetic side of your health. The following tips will ensure that you maintain a healthy, radiant glow long into middle age.

Skin

Let’s start off with your skin. This is probably one of the most important factors to your overall beauty. Unless you’re exceptionally lucky, your skin is going to have some kind of imbalance. A dermatologist would most likely class your skin as either dry, oily or normal.

As you can imagine, the “dry” category means that your skin doesn’t get enough natural hydration. This is due to a lack of natural oil. One of the upsides to having dry skin is a much lower risk of breakouts. If you’ve never had much of a problem with spots, then your skin probably falls within the “dry” category. If your skin is especially dry, then you might notice an extreme sensitivity to heat and cold. There’s a simple and effective treatment for dry skin. Simply wash your face twice a day with warm water and a creamy moisturiser. You should also make sure to avoid any makeup containing alcohol, as this can dry the skin out and set you back.

The next category, oily skin, is characterised by a lot of shine and slightly enlarged pores. This kind of skin can be a little harder to take care of. Still, with the right treatment, you’ll notice your skin looking so much healthier. Oily skin tends to attract a lot more dirt than the other skin types. Your base routine should be washing your face twice a day, using a non-foaming cleanser with warm water. You can follow this up with a hydrating toner, which will clear away any clinging residue. Oil blotting sheets are another treatment which could help you a lot with problems related to oily skin. You might have gone a long time thinking that you don’t have the time for these kinds of treatments. However, a once-over with oil blotting sheets only takes a few minutes, which can easily be squeezed into your lunch break.

Normal skin requires far less maintenance. Simply wash your face twice a day with cleansers designed for your skin type. There may be other things which could be hurting the look of your skin though. Too much alcohol intake, for example, can dilate the blood vessels, and cause too much blood to flow right under the surface of your skin. The other big sin, smoking, has a similar harmful effect on the blood vessels. If you don’t quit or at least cut down on the smokes, your skin could be deprived of oxygen and a number of important nutrients. This can lead to premature aging; everyone’s worst nightmare!

Dental

You’ve probably noticed how big of an impact smiles have on a person’s overall looks. I can remember a couple of times when I’ve been totally captivated by someone’s beauty. Then, I turned away in horror the moment they opened their mouths! This is just one of the reasons you should pay attention to your dental health.

DentalMy first tip in this category is to use enough fluoride. You’ve probably heard about this before, but may be unsure about what fluoride actually does. Fluoride is used in dentistry to strengthen enamel, and reduce the risk of it decaying. Harnessing this nutrient has been one of the most significant advances in dental hygiene. Many areas already receive fluoridated water from their water supply, but don’t just take this as a given. Ask about it the next time you see your dentist. They might recommend a fluoride application for your teeth. Almost every mouthwash and toothpaste you come across will contain fluoride, so you won’t need to worry about it too much. Don’t go too crazy with upping the fluoride in your home though. Too much of it in children can cause permanent white spots on the surface of the teeth.

A lot of the work involved with preserving your smile is preventative measures. You probably can’t get away from all the adverts telling you to cut down on sugary foods. These didn’t just appear out of the blue, you know! When the bacteria in your mouth breaks down sugars, it produces natural acids which can break down enamel, and allow tooth decay to run rampant. Any kind of candy which is sticky, and lingers on the teeth, should be a particularly big no-no. As you cut down on your own sugar intake, it might be a good idea to focus on what your kids are eating too. When you try and cut out the sugar in your home, you’ll probably be met with a lot of resistance. Keep at it though. When your kids make it into adulthood with a healthy set of pearly whites, they’ll be certain to thank you!

Removing as much sugar as possible from your diet can work wonders. However, there are a number of other precautions you could take against issues with your dental health. Regular, vigorous exercise is important for your health in general, but can often pose a threat to that smile you’re going for. If you take part in any martial arts or similar contact sports, then make sure you have a mouth guard. If your kids are into activities such as skateboarding or BMXing, make sure they take the same precaution. This serves the obvious function of protecting those straight smiles. It can also stop you from having to break the bank paying for expensive dental procedures. Speaking of the financial front, be sure to get your entire family on a dental insurance plan. You can find some detailed dental insurance info here.

Weight

How many women do you know who have never complained about wanting to lose weight? I bet you can count them on one hand! Having a healthy weight is a big part of your outer beauty. Seen as it’s much more common for people to want to lose weight than gain it, that’s what we’ll be focussing on here.

weight

One of the worst things you can do for controlling your weight is skipping breakfast. This might sound like a step backwards, but that’s a common misconception. Having too much wasted fat and protein can make us gain weight, true. However, missing out on our regular three meals will only mean that you’re not getting enough nutrients. With high quality protein and great flavor, meal replacement diets are effective for anyone looking to lose weight quickly and easily. If you struggle with portion control and unhealthy snacking, this is certainly a viable option for you to explore. As long as you consult your doctor before changing your diet or exercise regime, there’s no reason why this couldn’t work for you. Further to this, leaving yourself unfed at the start of the day can make you more prone to snacking. This can be one of the biggest hindrances to people trying to lose weight. Your day should have a few regular, nutritious meals. Eating at regular times has been shown to help burn calories. When you’re in a routine of having breakfast, lunch and dinner, you’ll also find it much easier to plan out healthy meals.

We all know the other big factor in losing weight. There are a number of different health benefits to exercise, but it’s particularly good at burning calories. It may be time for you to adopt a more active lifestyle. By putting yourself through at least an hour of exercise a day, you’ll stand a much better chance of getting rid of your weight and keeping it off. If you’ve never really been that active, it might simply be because you’ve never taken to any sports. I urge you to try again. There are a wide variety of activities which are fantastic for burning fat. You’ll be drawing a lot more benefits from the whole experience if you find an activity you can look forward to. Another simple change you might consider is to drink more water. Six to eight glasses a day is the recommended amount.

Finally, cut down on any harmful foods in your home, but don’t completely ban them. If you’re anything like the average parent, your kitchen may be bursting with chocolate, biscuits, and other rubbish. The best way to avoid the temptation of these things is to purge most of it, and make a point not to buy so much in the future. You’ll never get to a point where it’s necessary to ban a type of food though. If you feel like you have to wave goodbye to a certain treat forever, it can make you crave it even more. Let yourself go now and then, but be sure to stay within your calorie intake goals.

Follow the tips in this guide, and you’ll be well on your way towards a beautiful, healthy body. My final tip is to forgive yourself for your failures, and focus on keeping a good attitude. A healthy lifestyle is much easier to maintain than it is to seize in the first place.

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