Useful Sleep Help Tips

Inadequate sleep as well as bad sleeping habits create constrains to keep your body and mind healthy. With the changing lifestyle the number of people suffering from sleepless nights is increasing day by day. There are many reasons that contribute to sleeplessness like depression, fatigue, obesity and the list goes on and on. Given below are some sleep help tips to help you get back your sleep.

• Regular exercising will help you to get good sleep. No need to strain yourself, just about thirty minutes of physical activity every day is more than enough. Again, these thirty minutes can be divided into three ten minute sessions. Exercises can include brisk walking, jogging or even cycling.

• Avoid short napping during the day. Some people have the habit of taking a short nap in the afternoons, but still they enjoy a good night sleep. If you are suffering from insomnia, then the best thing to do is to avoid taking short naps. If you are very sleepy in the afternoon and cannot resist it, then try having a cup of tea, this will help in keeping you awake. Even if tea does not help you from feeling drowsy then take a nap in the early afternoon, but ensure that you do not take rest for more than 30 minutes. This is one of the most common sleep help tip.

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and smoking, as all these three are major culprits to reduce the quality of sleep. Most of them are under the misconception that alcohol puts them to sleep, this is not true. Alcohol actually makes you sleep faster, but diminishes the quality of sleep, so it is better to avoid alcohol hours before bedtime. Even caffeine will keep you active for several hours a day, so after lunch avoid intake caffeine. Same thing goes with smoking, the nicotine that is present in the cigarettes actually disrupt your sleep.

The above are some of the sleep help tips that are really effective. There are many more sleep help tips and home remedies of lack of sleep that are available to help you in getting adequate and quality sleep. These sleep help tips have to be followed for some time to see the results, one day of exercising or avoiding naps will not get you good sleep. Even after trying these sleep help methods if you are still facing insomnia, then it is advised to consult a doctor, who would be in a better position to help you fight out sleeplessness.

 

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Types and Causes of Aging

What is the cause of aging, how does one slow it down? Modern days also lead to quick treatment for so many diseases. But how about the aging processes, what is the excellent cure for this?

Aging has 2 types. It can be due to extrinsic or the external type of aging, it's influenced by environment and intrinsic or internal type which is genetically acquired.

The internal type of aging is popularly known as the natural, it starts during 20-30 years of age. The individual's skin collagen is slowly produced. The Elastin, which is a substance allowing our skin to return to its place is losing spring. The dead skin cell doesn't shed quickly like before and the turnover of a newer skin decreased slightly.

The external type of aging is due to another packaging of extrinsic factor, among them are:

1. Sun – even for a few moments in a daily basis with no protection from the sun causes premature type of aging. Aging spots, freckles, leathery and rough type of skin, spider vein in your face and fine wrinkles which disappears when the skin is loosed, stretchy, it can also cause skin cancer and blotchy type of complexion. The photo aging amounts, the dermatologist's term used for extrinsic aging type, which is dependent on:

i. Color the skin
ii. The history of a person's exposure to the sun. A mestiza having a fair skin and got history of sun's exposure will develop photoaging. For those with morena type of skin, signs of photoaging will commonly be limited to finer wrinkles.

2. Exercises for the Face – are you performing exercises for your face, always reminded that it helps in maintaining younger looks? It won't. A lot of facial exercises lead to a wrinkle and fine line. When the skin ages, it also loses elasticity. It also stops returning to a non-line free states and becoming totally etched on your face as a wrinkle.

3. The Gravity – it constantly pull down your bodies. Gravity causes tips of nose to sag, elongated ears, fall down of eyelids, disappear of your upper lip and pronounced lower lips.

4. Position as we sleep – when we sleep and its on a similar position in every night for a year, it will lead to a sagging of your skins surface. Try to sleep with your head relaxed.

5. Quit Smoking – it's really bad for one's health, it's the main cause of creases or aging. An individual who keeps on smoking ten plus per day will more likely develop a deep wrinkled skin. A person who smokes a lot tends to acquire unhealthy skin complexion.

Steps for younger looking skin

a. Prevention – you can't slow down or stop the internal type of aging, however taking good care of our skin slows down the premature type of aging.
i. Avoid too much tanning
ii. Do not expose yourself on the sun when the ray of the sun is very strong.
iii. Make use of umbrella or wide brimmed hat when you go out.

 

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What are They Hiding Calif. Assembly Won't Reveal Budgets

A veil of secrecy hangs over the California Assembly as far as its members' budgets are concerned. Assembly leaders will not reveal those numbers to the public, and one Assemblyman says he knows why -- leaders don't want the public to know they punish disobedient members by slashing their budgets.

According to a report in The Sacramento Bee, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino said leaders from his own party cut his budget after he was the only Democrat to vote against this year's state budget.

Portantino was joined by several media outlets in filing Legislative Open Records Act requests in an effort to see the budgets of every member to see if those budgets had changed based on votes.

On Monday leaders rejected the requests, saying the records are protected by law, writing:

Therefore, records relating to budgets and changes to budgets of the members of the Assembly and Assembly Committees are not subject to mandatory production.

Portantino said he will propose legislation that would "force the books to be opened."

"I'm going to challenge my colleagues," Portantino said. "Do they stand for transparency or behind secrecy?"

The Bee reports that Assembly documents obtained from a "confidential source" show that Portantino was budgeted for $518,000 and was projected to spend $585,179 this year.

Portantino said the numbers are meaningless because the Assembly Rules Committee can change them whenever it wants, creating the illusion of overspending.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the punishment was because I didn't vote the way (Assembly Speaker John Pérez) wanted," Portantino said.

However Assembly officials tell a very different story, saying Portantino was repeatedly warned of overspending but did nothing about it. 

"It was about Anthony Portantino being incapable or unwilling to balance his own office budget," Pérez's spokeswoman Robin Swanson said. "He's been reckless with his spending, so that's what this is about."

 

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Try These 8 Healthy Snack Swaps

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Ditch it: Nacho Cheese Flavored Corn Chips 1 small bag, 150 calories, 8g fat Dish it: Nacho Cheese Rice Snacks 1 servong, 70 calories, 2.5g fat

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Yesterday was National Junk Food Day. In all fairness, a lot of people don't need a national holiday for an excuse to indulge in their favorite junk food snacks – I'm just not one of them. Even if I have an excuse to pig out on empty calories today, I'd still rather not wake up with that dreaded feeling of guilt tomorrow. And I know I'm not along. Luckily, we don't have to miss out on the treats all together.

You can still have those french fries, chocolate bars and burgers you've been craving all summer long. But if you want to save on calories and guilt, then there are some easy and healthy swaps you need to make first. Calorie Count's Director of Nutrition, Mary Hartley, has provided some of her favorite guilt-free alternatives to satisfy your junk food cravings. Click through the slideshow above to see which snacks you should dish or ditch for National Junk Food Day (or any day).

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10 foods that promote brain health

By Brandi, selected from Diets in Review 

(Photo: Getty Images)

More from Care2 Green Living blog

Who doesn't want to become smarter? Who wants to look better or feel healthier? Many recent studies have shown how certain nutrients can positively affect the brain, specifically in areas of the brain related to cognitive processing or feelings and emotions.

Generally speaking, you want to follow a healthy diet for your brain that will lead to strong blood flow, maintenance of mental sharpness, and reduction of the risk of heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia.

We know that foods play a great role in our brain, as concluded in several studies led by a phenomenal neuroscientist at UCLA, Gomez Pinilla.

According to one study, the super-fats your brain needs most are omega-3 fatty acids. Your brain converts them into DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which enhances neuronal communication and promotes neuronal growth.

Food and nutrients represent fuel to our bodies the same way that when we use our car we need to fill the gas tank. Unfortunately, we generally take better care of our cars than our bodies. Why is that? We are hearing frequently that consuming the right nutrients can help our health, aging process, and more efficient brain-body functioning.

With that said, I want to share with you 10 foods you must keep in your diet to maintain brain health:

1. Apples: Eating an apple a day protects the brain from oxidative damage that causes neurodegenerative diseases such Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. This magical nutrient that acts as protection is quercetin, which is a phytonutrient.

2. Asparagus: Asparagus is rich in folic acid, which is essential for the metabolism of the long chain fatty acids in your brain.

3. Lean Beef: Lean beef is rich in vitamin B12, iron and zinc. These vitamins and minerals have been shown to maintain a healthy neural tissue.

4. Blueberries and strawberries: Studies show that people who eat berries improve their memory and their motor skills. In addition, their antioxidant properties can protect your brain from the oxidative process.

5. Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate offers incredible concentration powers. It is a very powerful antioxidant containing natural stimulants that increase the production of feel-good endorphins. Trick: You need to find dark chocolate with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving for optimal benefits.

6. Salmon: Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown to be essential for brain function.

7. Dried oregano: Certain spices have powerful antioxidant properties. In several studies, oregano was shown to have 40 times more antioxidant properties than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges, and 4 times more than that of blueberries or strawberries.

8. Walnuts: Walnuts are rich in protein and contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins E and B6, which all promote healthy neural tissue.

9. Whole grains: Whole grains deliver fiber and vitamin E that help promote cardiovascular health, which helps improve the circulation to the brain.

10. Yogurt: Yogurt and other dairy foods are filled with protein and vitamin B that are essential to improve the communication between nerve cells.

Make sure that from now on you select and plan a great menu that include these brain foods. Life is about choices and selecting the right nutrients can play a key role in your health.

Written by Michael Gonzalez-Wallace, who is the author of "Super Body, Super Brain." You can read more from him at www.superbodysuperbrain.com or pick up his book "Super Body, Super Brain."

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Paleo Diet: Smart eating or latest fad?

(Photo: Getty Images)

By Michael d'Estries, Mother Nature Network
More from Guest Bloggers blog

In the quest for optimum health and weight, should humans consider looking back at what their ancestors consumed? That's the theory proposed by the "Paleo Diet" (aka, Caveman Diet), which recommends taking cues from the age of hunters and gatherers and leaving some of our modern food groups behind.

The idea is simple: You eat a diet that's gluten-free, but rich in lean, organic meats, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, fruit and nuts. As much as possible should be sourced locally. You exclude grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar and processed oils.

All of this measures up to a eating regimen that,according to Loren Cordain, professor of health and exercise at Colorado State University, is a "powerful way to normalize health and well-being."

Cordain is joined by thousands of others who have found similar success on the Paleo — with the site Whole9providing perhaps the best description of the benefits saying:

"Eating like this is good for maintaining a healthy metabolism, and reducing inflammation within the body. It's been doing great things for my energy levels, body composition and performance in the gym. It also helps to minimize my risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, likediabetes, heart attack and stroke."

WebMD, which always does a decent job of uncovering the truth behind these diets, quizzed a bunch of health specialists who agreed that better health can be achieved on the Paleo, but still believe moderation is the key to overall well-being.

"People who eat diets high in whole grains, beans, and low-fat dairy tend to be healthier because these foods are nutrient-rich and there are mountains of research about the health benefits of diets that include, not exclude, these foods," Keith Ayoob, EDd, RD, and assistant professor at New York's Albert Einstien School of Medicine told the site.

That "mountains of research" bit touched upon by Ayoob is one of the problems facing the Paleo from gaining more scientific backing. There just haven't been enough large studies to satisfy experts; which is one of the main reasons why U.S. News & World Reports ranked the diet nearly dead last in every category for its first ever "Best Diets" report.

"For the Paleo Diet, additional evidence is needed to show conclusively whether or not it is as effective as some people hypothesize," Ben Harder, general manager of Health and Science at the magazine told ABC News. "The most relevant studies have been small, as our published review of the Paleo Diet indicates. We hope researchers will publish more — and larger — studies on the Paleo Diet so that health experts, including our expert panel, have more evidence to consider in the future."

Still interested in giving the Paleo a shot? Wikipedia has some great background information on the diet — while the official site can get you started on meal plans and other advice.

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