Eye Care

Fundamental rule:

Listen to your eyes. Whether they are sore, tearing, itchy or tired, they are sending you a message. Listen to them. If your eyes hurt when you have been working at the computer for too long, stop and take a break. Be receptive to your eyes.

Palming :

A simple technique called palming can refresh your eyes when they are feeling tired( Remember the first rule! ).

The term 'palming' was coined by William Bates, the author of 2 books on vision improvement (The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses/With Eye Chart) and (The Cure of Imperfect Sight by Treatment Without Glasses).

You just close your eyes and cover them with your palms, resting them on your cheek bones. Make sure you do not put pressure on your eyeballs. Relax and think of pleasant images. A variation is to imagine the 'blackest' black that you can. But the important thing is to keep your mind relaxed. There are more eye exercises available on the Vision Improvement Site.

Computer work:

Nowadays, people spend a lot of time in front of the computer screen. Thus it is even more crucial to give your eyes adequate rest. Here are some things you can do:

If possible, do computer work without wearing your glasses. I know this is difficult for most people but this is enormously beneficial. I can only see the screen about 8-10 inches away, so I move the monitor nearer and shift my chair forward. Now my eyes don't feel as tried as before.
Look up across the room or out of the window every few minutes. Take a few deep breathes before continuing your work.

Stop work after every 40 minutes or so. Get up from your seat and take a walk around the place. Palm for a few minutes before going back to face the computer screen again.
Whenever possible, make use of your distant vision. Extended periods of time spent at the computer can really spoil one's eyesight, as you may have noticed. Seek out opportunities to see things that are far away.

Reading:

When you are reading, do try to read without wearing your prescription glasses. Most people will find they can do so at a comfortable distance. Put the material you are reading far away just so that the letters can be seen clearly. Gradually, the distance at which you can read will increase.

Homemade Facial Mask

For oily-normal skin

Red and brown exotic facial2-3 large carrots
4 1/2 tablespoons honey

Cook carrots till soft. Mash and mix with honey. Apply gently to the skin, wait 10 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.


Did You Know? Carrots are very high in vitamin A and a source of vitamin C, folacin and potassium. A good fortifier of skin cells.

For dry skin

Banana Facial Mask
2 medium bananas
Honey optional

Mash bananas with a spoon. Let is not be too smooth. Let the mashed mixture be lumpy. Add honey if need be. Apply and keep on for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Did You Know? Bananas are a good source of ascorbic acid (Vit. C), Vitamin B 6 , and potassium and honey is primarily composed of fructose, glucose and water. It also contains other sugars as well trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. They make excellent moisturizers.



Pearl Peach Mask (for renewal skin)

1 medium peach
1 tablespoons honey
1 tbs oatmeal

Cook peach and mash in the soft insides into the honey and oatmeal mixture. Apply and keep on for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Did You Know? Peaches are great exfoliates and remove dead skin cells. Peaches speed up cell renewal, leading to healthier skin tone. The AHAs in these fruits help soften wrinkles, sun spots, age spots, blemishes and can even unclog pores.

For oily skin that is acne prone

1 medium size apple (grated)
5 tablespoons of honey

Mix the grated apple and mix with honey to make a mask. Smooth over skin and rinse off with cool water after ten minutes.

Did You Know? Apples - One medium 2-1/2 inch apple, fresh, raw, with skin has 81 Calories, 21 grams Carbohydrate, 4 grams Dietary Fiber, Soluble Fiber, Insoluble fiber, 10 mg Calcium, 10mg Phosphorus, .25mg Iron, 0.00mg Sodium, 159mg Potassium, 8 mg Vitamin C, 73 IU Vitamin A, 4mcg Folate. Source USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory

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Homemade facial cleanser

Here are some easy-to-make facial cleansers. All you need to do is raid your kitchen and follow the recipe for some very effective cleansing effect!

1. Oat-yogurt combo You will need:
1/2 cup oatmeal or cornmeal
Plain yogurt
Mix the two to form a paste. Spread it over your entire face and scrub gently. Wash with warm water and enjoy bright sparkling skin. Ideal for daily use.

Did You Know?
Oat grains and straw appear in shampoos, dusting powders, moisturizers, and cleansing bars? Oatmeal is highly absorptive, hypoallergenic, and aids in softening skin. Oats have the best amino acid balance of all the cereal grains and have been clinically proved to help heal dry, itchy skin. Source: Oatmeal: Not just for breakfast anymore2.

Yogurt Walnut Scrub You will need:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup very finely grounded walnuts
Mix ingredients together. Wet your face then gently work the scrub into your skin. Rinse off with warm water.

Did You Know?
Walnuts - During Medieval times, walnuts were considered a medicine. A potion containing walnut leaves was used to treat muscular aches and pains and walnuts were believed to soothe the digestive system.

How to find your skin type

1. Cleanse your face with cleansing milk.

2. After an hour, take a clean tissue and wipe your forehead, nose, chin and cheeks. If you find oily residue from all of the above mentioned areas, then you have oily skin.

3. If you find oily residue on the tissue only from forehead, nose and chin then you have combination skin.

4. If the tissue picks up dry, flaky skin then you have dry skin.

5. Those lucky few Scooty girls who pick up neither oil nor dry flakes can be said to have normal skin.

6. There are others who have very sensitive skin which reacts quickly and often adversely to hot and cold temperatures, common place chemicals found in soaps, detergents and cosmetics. Those with sensitive skin have to be careful before choosing any product.

Do's and Don'ts for hair care

1. Do you really know how to shampoo your hair? When washing your hair, work the lather from roots to ends. Always massage scalp well with your fingertips — never with fingernails.

2. Don't condition your roots. No matter what type of hair you have, you do not need conditioner there. Roots are close to the oil glands and that's plenty of lubrication. Besides, roots don't get damaged like the rest of the tresses. Apply conditioner at the nape of your neck and work up and through hair, concentrating on the ends.

3. DO make sure you completely coat your ends with conditioner.

4. DO rinse with cool water to help seal the cuticle and lock in more shine.

5. DO dry your hair without damaging it. Pressing your dryer directly on your hair will not dry it faster or make it straighter. This technique causes the hair shaft to expand and the outer layer to curl up, which produces a fuzzy look. Wrap your hair in a towel until it is about halfway dry. Then, hold your dryer five inches away from your hair aiming from roots to ends.

6. When straightening your curly hair with a flat iron, always have a leave-in conditioner spray on your side. The direct heat from flat irons can cause damage to your hair. To combat this damage, spritz a leave-in conditioner on each hair "chunk" before putting the flat iron on it.

7. When adding curl to your straight hair with a curling iron, always have a leave-in conditioner spray on your side.The direct heat from curling irons can cause damage to your hair. To combat this damage, spritz a leave-in conditioner on each hair "chunk" before applying the curling iron.

All hair types need to use a conditioning treatment at least monthly. From blow-drying to coloring, and from flat-irons to swimming, we all do things that are damaging and dulling to our hair. Pamper your stressed hair at least once a month with hot oils and other deep conditioners that will restore it to its best condition.

Protein in diet

Definition
Proteins are complex organic compounds. The basic structure of protein is a chain of amino acids.

Alternative Names
Diet - protein; Complete protein; Incomplete protein

Function
Protein is the main component of muscles, organs, and glands. Every living cell and all body fluids, except bile and urine, contain protein. The cells of muscles, tendons, and ligaments are maintained with protein. Children and adolescents require protein for growth and development.

Food Sources
Proteins are described as essential and nonessential proteins or amino acids. The human body requires approximately 20 amino acids for the synthesis of its proteins.
The body can make only 13 of the amino acids -- these are known as the nonessential amino acids. They are called non-essential because the body can make them and does not need to get them from the diet. There are 9 essential amino acids that are obtained only from food, and not made in the body.
If the protein in a food supplies enough of the essential amino acids, it is called a complete protein. If the protein of a food does not supply all the essential amino acids, it is called an incomplete protein.
All meat and other animal products are sources of complete proteins. These include beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, and milk products.

Protein in foods (such as grains, fruits, and vegetables) are either low, incomplete protein or lack one of the essential amino acids. These food sources are considered incomplete proteins.
Plant proteins can be combined to include all of the essential amino acids and form a complete protein. Examples of combined, complete plant proteins are rice and beans, milk and wheat cereal, and corn and beans.

Side Effects
A diet high in meat could lead to high cholesterol or other diseases, such as gout. Another potential problem is that a high-protein diet may put a strain on the kidneys. Extra waste matter, which is the end product of protein metabolism, is excreted in the urine.

Recommendations
A nutritionally balanced diet provides adequate protein. Vegetarians are able to get enough protein if they eat the proper combination of plant proteins.
The amount of recommended daily protein depends upon age, medical conditions, and the type of diet one is following. Two to three servings of protein-rich food will meet the daily needs of most adults.

The following are the recommended serving sizes for protein:
For recommended serving sizes of protein for children and adolescents, see age appropriate diet for children
2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, and fish (a portion about the size of a deck of playing cards)
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, lentils, or legumes
1 egg or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, which count as 1 ounce of lean meat
Select lean meat, poultry without skin, fish, and dry beans, lentils, and legumes often. These are the protein choices that are the lowest in fat. For more information, see the food guide pyramid.