Archive for March, 2009

Lowering blood pressure in a natural way – eating dark chocolate

Of course this is not a joke, a study was made in the US by specialists and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association about eating dark chocolate to lower the blood pressure. One bar of chocolate is enough to lower the blood pressure in a natural and so enjoyable way. It is also helping to improve the insulin resistance.

It was already known that food rich in flavinols are lowering the blood pressure. Flavinols are also called in a medical scientific language as natural antioxidants, and the aliments that are containing these antioxidants are like tea and red wine, but from now on we will put on this list the dark chocolate, too.

The study was pretty simple. It took place at University of L’Aguila in Italy particular for lowering the blood pressure, so it wasn’t an accidental discover. At the study participate 20 persons, half men, half women, all suffering from high blood pressure. None of these persons took any medicaments or followed any treatment for lowering the blood pressure. But also they hadn’t been suffering from another disease and the won’t smoking. For the experiment to be perfect and for the results to be visible regarding lowering their blood pressure, the participants avoid chocolate for 2 weeks.

The experiments begin with dividing the group in two, one of them ate dark chocolate and the other white one. The amount was the same, a bar of 3.5oz daily for 15 days. Another week passed with no flavionoid foods and the groups swapped the type of chocolate. The white chocolate was the perfect control food for this lower blood pressure study as it containing all ingredients in the dark one but no flavinoids at all.

A very significant lowering of the blood pressure was found on the group that consumed the dark chocolate for 15 days, and not any blood pressure lowering in the group eating white chocolate. Another successful treatment, beside lowering blood pressure was the reduction in insulin resistance at the group eating dark chocolate. Also the bad cholesterol level decreased by 10 percent. At the group eating only white chocolate there was no changing regarding lowering blood pressure or cholesterol level; they were the same as the beginning of the experiment.

But the best natural ways to lower blood pressure still remains exercise and diet and a non-natural on medicaments prescriptions. All these can’t be replaced with the eating of chocolate. Also it’s very recommendable and occasional eating of small bar of dark chocolate rich in flavinoids to lower your blood pressure. It is also good for your taste buds and also it is helping your heart.

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More Than Skin Deep

Most women are naturally vain about their looks. As a matter of fact, the cosmetic industry has become a  billion-dollar business due to vanity or over-emphasized value attached to physical beauty.  This business is completely about how to enhance, modify, and improve a woman’s appearance.  Beauty products of completely shapes and sizes, to be used from head to toe, are sold to visit the demands of an aesthetically-conscious female market.

Of completely the body parts of a woman, it is perhaps the skin that receives the most attention — by the person and the companies that produce the products specifically to beautify that body part.   The skin is actually the largest organ of the human body.  Women pay particular attention to their skin, perhaps as much care as they put into their hair, because it is the most visible part of their body.

A unblemished complexion, made more attractive and alluring by fancy dresses, jewelry and make-up,  leads a woman to numerous doors and windows of opportunity.  In a world obsessed with beauty and fashion, an attractive woman is expected to go a very long, long way in terms of her relationships, career and social life.

But women’s obsession over skin beauty should not exclusively be for aesthetic purposes. The skin is the body’s outer covering and functions as a protection from heat, infection, injury, and harmful ultraviolet rays. The skin regulates body temperature and stores water, fat, and vitamin D.

The skin has two main layers, namely:

1.    Outer Epidermis -  the outer layer of the skin mostly made up of flat, scale-like cells called squamous cells.  The deepest part of the epidermis contains melanocytes and these cells produce
melanin that gives the skin its color.

2.    Inner Dermis – this inner layer of the skin contains blood and lymph vessels, hair follicles, and glands. The glands produce sweat as part of regulating body temperature.  It produces serum, which is an oily substance that keeps the skin from drying out. When the sweat and serum reach the skin’s surface through tiny openings called pores. When these pores are blocked, congested with dirt, or become infected, skin breakouts occur.  Skin breakouts might come in the form of acne, pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, congested pores, and cysts.

Preventing or controlling oily skin is a must for every woman, or person for that matter.  Excess oil able to block the skin pores and result in more breakouts.  Skin care experts might opt to order certain drugs like oral or injected steroids, iodides and bromides to control excessive oil production. Certain jobs, usually those that involve working in the field or in hot environments, contribute to skin problems.  The unsanitary work environment prevents a person from maintaining skin cleanliness.

SKIN CARE SOLUTIONS

Some of the more common skin care solutions include the use of the following products:

l    Cleanser
l    Exfoliator
l    Moisturizer
l    Sunblock
l    Toner

The use of these products help promote elasticity and good complexion.  Proper skin maintenance takes more than just having a face-washing regimen. The use of these products is necessary to have a blemish-free skin.

SKIN CARE TREATMENT

1.  Vitamin C Antioxidant Concentrate -  is proven to stimulate the synthesis of collagen,it helps keep a youthful glow and delays the aging process of the skin.

2.  2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Oil-Control Gel – is a mattifying gel base which dissolves excess surface oil. This treatment is highly recommend for oily skin types.

A thorough skin care routine is important to keep our largest organ in tip-top shape.  Other skin care tips that one should consider include having regular visits to a dermatologist;  drinking plenty of water;  eating a balanced diet; and getting enough sleep.  To preclude skin allergies, it is important to be aware about the ingredients of every skin care product you use.

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