Get Rid Of That Orange Peel!

In other words, get rid of the cellulite on your body, which normally shows up most clearly on the backs of your thighs. So if you want to wear cute hot pants, follow these steps so that you don't have to flash dimpled skin (and not in a flattering way) to the world.

1. Hydrate Up!
Drink around 2.5 litres of water every day. Water is truly a miracle drink - and it costs much less than all those sugared or carbonated drinks!

2. Reduce Caffeine.
Avoid drinks like tea, coffee and high sugar or caffeinated drinks like colas that will lead to more dehydration in the long run.

3. Increase Fibre.
Eat a high fibre diet. This helps to maintain a healthy bowel. Plus it rids the body of toxins and cholesterol.

4. Don't Smoke!
Smoking causes your skin to age and lose elasticity.

5. Exfoliate.
Exfoliate and massage your legs every day to increase blood ciculation and remove toxins. It also helps to put your legs up.

Improve Your Hair's Health!

In modern times, our hair goes through a lot of wear and tear. Frequent hairstyling, gels, hairsprays, the dirty environment... lots of factors impact the health of our hair. Try these simple steps to get your hair back to being shiny without having to go to a hair spa.


1. Try natural remedies.
Some experts advocated going all natural with non-fabricated ingredients. Try washing your hair with vinegar, some recommend apple cider vinegar. Put 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water and apply to your hair. Leave on for a minute then rinse out with cool water. You can try alternating this between shampoo sessions and move completely to this remedy if you become a believer!

2. Avoid heat on hair.
Try to protect your hair from unnecessary heat - that includes washing your hair with hot water which will open the hair cuticle and cause breakage. Try to minimise using heated hair-dryers and hot irons (to curl or straighten hair). Avoid the sun if possible, hair is also damaged by long term exposure to the sun's rays.
3. Minimise breakage.
Avoid combing your hair while it is wet to reduce hair breakage. Also, plaiting your hair or placing it within a protective covering while sleeping will help to minimise breakage during sleep.

4. Skip the shampoo.
Once a while, skip using shampoo and just wash your hair with water. Alternatively, you can use conditioner to soften the hair. Overwashing the hair will strip it of its natural oil and cause the scalp to produce more oil.

5. Use a brush.
Using a round ended brush will help to trigger essential oils and move those oil along the hair to the tips where it is most useful for preventing split ends. If you're not a brush person (brushes tend to catch the hair more and pull it out), try putting some oil to the tips of your hair. A couple of drops of oil would do, else your hair will end up being weighed down.

Green Tea - 5 Great Health Benefits

In the past few decades, a lot of studies have been conducted on green tea and the effects on the body and health by consuming it. Here are 5 great health benefits (among others) that are associated with green tea. Have a cuppa!


Health Benefit #1 : Prevents Cancer
Drinking green tea helps to prevent cancer. Green tea contains polyphenols, which block the growth of cancer cells. According to research, women with breast cancer who drink at least five cups a day, have tumors that spread slower and these women are less likely to have the cancer return. Green tea also reduces the risks for esophageal, gastric and skin cancer.

Health Benefit #2 : Protects Brain Cells
The previously mentioned antioxidant, polyphenol, when fed to mice induced with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, helped to protect brain cells from dying, as well as 'rescuing' already damaged neurons in the brain, a phenomenon called neurorescue or neurorestoration.

Health Benefit #3 : Burns More Calories
Use green tea properties to help you shed extra pounds. Studies show that people who drink green tea with caffeine burn calories faster. Studies showed that average fat oxidation rates were 17% higher after ingestion of Green Tea Extract than after ingestion of a placebo.

Health Benefit #4 : Lowers Cholesterol
Lower your cholesterol with green tea. It lowers the bad cholesterol and supports the good cholesterol. It also prevents blood clots from forming. This is important since blood clots are the major cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Health Benefit #5 : Protects Teeth
Protect your teeth with green tea. It destroys the bacteria that produces plaque.

Now aren't these benefits enough to get you smiling?

Bananas, The New Health Fruit!

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

These are just some of the benefits a banana gives. So why not give them a try and see the changes in your health?

Food To Go For...

5 Common Sickness And The Food To Prevent Them

Eating certain types of foods will help reduce the risk of developing certain diseases. Here's a quick guide to help you to eating the right food at the right time.


1. Got a cough?
Eat red peppers. A substance similar to that found in cough syrup is found in hot red pepper.

2. Reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Eating wheat bran and cabbage helps to maintain your estrogen at healthy levels.

3. Get rid of that headache!
Eatings lots of fish will provide you with protein and the fish oil helps to prevent headaches. So does ginger which will help to reduce inflammation and pain.

4. Can't sleep at night?
Drink honey - it helps to work as a tranquilizer and sedative.

5. High blood pressure.
Cook your food with olive oil, it has been proven to reduce blood pressure. Celery also contains a chemical that helps to lower your blood pressure.

5 Great Skin-Care Tips

Great skin doesn't need you to spend mega-bucks on exotic skin packs and facials. Great skin start from good habits. And they're simple to do as well!


1. Use a mild cleanser.
Cleansers that produce a lot of foam gives the psychological effect that it will clean the skin more. However, what most people do not know is that the suds are usually a sign that the cleanser contains a harsh detergent that is more harmful on the skin than beneficial. Look for cleansers that do not foam so much, brands that are hypo-allergenic is usually a good bet. Dove and Simple are two such brands that produce great products. If you have dry skin, this is even more important as normal cleansers will remove even more of your natural skin oil that protects it.

2. Look for retinoid creams.
Retinol, a form of vitamin A, is the only topical ingredient proven not only to prevent lines and wrinkles but to minimize the ones you already have. For those in their 20's, start using these creams for best skin results.

3. Avoid exotic facials.
Studies show that as many as 80% of people break out after a facial and show that there is no long-term benefit to facials. Untrained beauticians may not be able to provide the best care for your skin and sometimes do more harm than good. Products that are used in the shops may not be suitable for the skintype as well, and certain ingredients may actually produce adverse effects on the skin.

4. Wash your face last.
It is recommended that the face is the last area that receives cleansing. Also, it is best to wash the face area twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. If the skin is sensitive or dry, consider washing it once with cleanser (at night) to remove the day's impurities from the skin and just a quick splash of water in the morning.

5. Sunscreen is vital.
The sun's effects can produce pre-aging and wrinkles to the skin. This applies not only to the face but the entire body as well. Take care to cover up the exposed areas with higher SPF sunblock of at least SPF15.

Surviving the post-Christmas coma..

It's a couple of days after Christmas and you're still reeling from all the food that you've been scarfing and chowing down on. Piles of potato salad and turkeys and various bits of foods that you've been nibbling on are dancing through your dreams nightly. In fact, you feel like a turkey yourself. How do you get back in shape to celebrate the New Year in your new and sparkly clothes? Here's how :

1. Water! Water! Water!
We can't emphasize how important it is to continue drinking water (even though every bit of your stomach feels like it will explode if another milligram of water was added to it). And by water, we don't mean those carbonated drinks. Just plain water is vital to keeping your body processes working properly - yup, getting all those barbequed and fried toxins out of your body.

2. Eat less, but eat more often.
Holiday seasons are when most tables will be overloaded with food. Variety is fine as long as there's moderation. Control that desire to overeat and space it out with more frequent meals. Your body will thank you for it.

3. Sip, don't glug.
What Christmas holiday will be complete without all that alcoholic drinks floating around? Eggnogs, beers, wines... those top the list of most popular drinks. Alcoholic haze aside, try to space out the drinks with some sips of water (can't emphasize how important it is...). It helps to keep you sober and keeps you from dehydrating more quickly.

4. Get up, get down, get around.
Visiting friends and loved ones are the best way to get some exercise. And we don't mean just exercising the mouth. Take a walk around the park with your family. Play some games with your group of friends. Go jogging with your normal exercise pals.

These tips will help you for your post-New Year daze as well. Good luck and Happy New Year!