Health & Beauty

beauty stores

2011-08-14T03:39:00.001-07:00

beauty stores

The latest Thai health and beauty craze in Bangkok, Thailand is to visit a Wellness Center. Wellness Centers are springing up all over Bangkok and they're ultra popular with young, urban professionals, housewives and those just looking for a place to feel rejuvenated. Unlike the U.S., Wellness Centers in Bangkok are pretty inexpensive places that deal with the mind, body and spirit. In fact, if you're feeling a bit rundown or tired, visiting a Wellness Center in Bangkok will perk you right up.

Life Center - Only in Bangkok, Thailand will you find an entire mall dedicated to Wellness Centers. The Life Center is on Sathorn Road in Bangkok and is four floors chock full of health, wellness and beauty salons and stores. Here, you'll find anything you could ever possibly want to make you feel healthier and more beautiful. Billed as a 'lifestyle mall', The Life Center offers dental clinics, a spine clinic and gym, fitness places, diet facilities, cosmetic stores, spas, a center for assisted reproduction (if you're having problems conceiving), and an enormous fitness zone. It's Asia's first mall providing nothing but health and beauty. Located at 1 Sathorn Road, it's easy to get to. Just take the BTS sky train to Sala Daeng station or the MRT to Lumphini and it's a 3-5 minute taxi ride from there.

Tria Integrative Wellness - Another unbelievably huge Wellness Center, Tria Integrative Wellness is an urban health center for those who want to improve their well being. You can go for individual treatments or for an assessment from a medical profession. After the assessment you'll be assigned a team of health specialists who will recommend certain treatments optimized for your health needs. These might include a nutritional program, colonics, detoxing, hydrotherapy, an exercise program, massage therapy, a seaweed wrap, facials or any number of other health and beauty treatments. Try one of the fruit wraps or an herbal massage. At between $40 and $60, they're a fraction of the cost of the US or Europe. Tria Integrative Wellness is located on Rimklongsamsen Road. Take the MRT underground to Huay Kwang and catch a taxi from there.

Rasayana Retreat - Detoxing is the name of the game at Rasayana Retreat in Bangkok. They provide colon hydrotherapy programs, detoxing by nutrition and raw foods, massages, aromatherapy and more. They have anti-cellulite skin rolling massages, Thai herbal massages, and even do a Jet Lag Recovery Package where, for around $95, you can spend 3 hours being lulled back into a calm world after the nightmare of a long air plane flight. Rasayana in Bangkok also has a Raw Food Café, where you can buy fresh juices and shakes, soups, salads and vegetarian dishes all made using gourmet recipes. Delicious. Rasayana Retreat is easy to get to. It's at Sukhumvit Soi 39, so just take the BTS sky train to Phrom Prong and it's a short walk from there.

Bangkok Wellness Spa - Brand new in Bangkok, this spa is on Pahonyothin Road in northern Bangkok, well out of the city center. Using a mixture of Chinese and Thai treatments, but based on Western medical standards, Bangkok Wellness Spa offers weight loss programs, diabetes treatment programs, detoxification, chronic pain management for men and women, a rejuvenation package and much more. Most of their packages require one or more nights stay in one of their beautiful boutique rooms, but you'll get three meals a day, health and wellness treatments, and many other beauty and health options included in the price. Bangkok Wellness Spa is part of the private hospital, B Care Medical Center and is located at 6 Pahonyothin Road.

Bangkok is home to many Wellness Centers. These four are well-known, offer many different types of health and beauty services, and at a price not possible in any western country.

beauty tips

2011-08-14T03:36:00.001-07:00

beauty tips

There are a lot of products on the market for all kinds of beauty routines. Most of these products are very expensive. Many of them contain ingredients that can cause allergic reactions for a large number of consumers. Here is a list of 10 effective natural beauty tips for you to try. They are extremely inexpensive and easy to use. And you don't have to try to decipher an ingredient label to see if there may be an ingredient that can be irritating to you.

1. Teeth whitener

Do you wish you could keep that fresh-from-the-dentist look all the way until your next cleaning? You really can with this inexpensive and easy natural solution. Forget all those strips, gels and goo. All you need is dental floss and baking soda. Only do this once a month. It's very hard on the enamel, but a very effective natural whitener. Here's what to do:

Brush and rinse as usual. Rub baking soda between your top teeth. Use the dental floss to create a mini sander between your teeth - be sure to get into the gum line a bit. Rub the baking soda on the flats of your teeth. Do the same on the bottom. Brush your teeth and rinse again. Shade your eyes and smile!

2. Face mask

If you are all dried out from the cold, dry heat of winter, try this incredible natural mask. It is formulated not to cause problems with any other current conventional face-wash products to help the dryness caused by these products.

1/2 cup powdered oats (powder in a blender)
2 tbsp honey
1 squished gel-cap of vitamin E
1 teaspoon sunflower, or any other liquid oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract DON'T use if your skin is irritated

Add water to make a paste. Warm skin and open pores with warm compresses. Apply mixture to skin and leave on for 10 minutes or more. Rinse. Rub a tiny bit of liquid vegetable oil on normally dry areas.

3. Pimple Relief

If you have a big pimple, or even a little one, and you want it gone quickly, try this natural approach to aiding your body and healing the pimple.

Hot compress, 10 minutes. Cool compress 10 minutes.
Do another hot compress. If the pimple came to a head, gently (KEYWORD: GENTLY) push it out. If you tried and it didn't come out, do one more hot compress, one more cold compress to take the swelling back down.

If the pimple is way down: do the hot/cold again the next night.

If the pimple is near the surface: before you go to bed, mix a bit of baking soda with a little water to make a paste. Put a dab of that mixture on the pimple and put a band-aid on it to hold the baking soda on the pimple. It should be a lot better in the morning. The baking soda does two things, it absorbs some of the oil from the pimple and kills bacteria. Do the hot/cold compresses again the next night and it should pop right out. If not, do the baking soda again.

4. Blackheads gone

The easiest, and least expensive, way to get rid of blackheads is naturally. Try this non-toxic and natural approach to solving your blackhead problems. It works!

Use warm compresses to open the pores and soften the blackhead. Gently pop them out - they won't scar. If they don't pop out easily, do more compresses.

Wash well with natural soap. Wipe with witch hazel or lemon juice. Apply a cool compress to reduce redness.

5. Proper moisturizer

For a deep and penetrating moisturizer, try this natural approach that helps feed your cells and the results will last for days and days.

Use warm compresses to soften skin tissue and open your pores. Apply a good coating of any natural vegetable oil such as extra-virgin olive oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil. Re-heat your compress and lay it over your oiled skin for about 10 minutes. Wash with a natural soap and rinse. You will definitely see and feel the difference that natural makes for your skin.

6. Cuticle health

1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
natural soap
toothpick

Remove nail polish. Wash hands in warm water with natural soap to clean and soften you cuticles. Dry hands. Rub a small amount of cooking oil on each fingernail. Be sure to get oil all around your fingernails. Use a toothpick to clean under your nails. Wash your hands again in warm water with a a natural soap. Use a toothpick to rub the cuticle all around each fingernail. Enjoy your perfect cuticles!

7. Exfoliant and Natural Dermabrasion

There are two methods for dermabrasion, chemical and mechanical. Chemical dermabrasion damage the top layers of skin, causing the skin to peel off with a course lubricant. Mechanical dermabrasion simply removes the dead layers of skin with a course lubricant. You should consider choosing only mechanical methods of dermabrasion which don't damage the skin but will bring out a natural healthy glow. You can add whatever you want to this basic recipe. Powdered flowers, oats, bananas, essential oils or herbs. Feel free to be creative and use what you enjoy.

Basic Dermabrasion -

1 tablespoon baking soda
warm water to moisten skin

Wet skin. Using hands or a wash cloth, rub baking soda gently on your skin. The baking soda kills germs and removes oils and dead skin cells. Rinse.

8. 'Girl area' bump reducer

Bumps in this area are caused by the hairs being cut off below the surface of the skin. Conventional body care products add irritation because these chemicals are too strong and can cause symptoms of contact dermatitis such as swelling the cells around the freshly shaved hair. Choose to use a new razor, a natural soap without ingredients you can't pronounce and follow with a witch hazel wipe to kill bacteria and reduce swelling of the tissue caused by irritation from shaving.

9. Pimple treatment

Use this quick fix only as needed. When you do get a pimple, you should let it heal on its own. However, there are times when you need the pimple gone now. This solution will help make it go away in a day or two.

Ingredients:
Baking soda
Honey (preferred)
Lemon juice

After you wash your face at night, apply a bit of baking soda wet with water, honey (preferred) or lemon juice to the pimple in a tiny paste, enough to cover the pimple. Pop a little band-aid on top. In the morning, it should be a lot less noticeable or even gone. If it swelled up worse, wash your face then use an ice cube to reduce the swelling. Do the treatment at night until the pimple is gone, only one or two nights. Keep that area clean with witch hazel.

10. Relaxing bath blend

I love long, hot, relaxing baths. Here are a few things you can throw in your tub to make a bath an experience that's a whole lot more relaxing than a tub of plain water.

1 cup powdered oats
2 cups Dead Sea salt
1 cup Epsom salt
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as extra-virgin olive oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil.

Add to your hot bath water. Climb in with a book or magazine and enjoy!

beauty supply

2011-08-14T03:31:00.001-07:00

beauty supply

We are just about at the conclusion of spring; and with summer being just around the corner, many women will be looking to change their look. If you too are looking to change your appearance for the better, yet your budget is calling for the worse; check out these simple, yet cost-effective ways to change your look for the summer.

Skin:
Always use upward motions when washing your face or applying moisturizer and makeup. Downward motions pull the skin down, causing it to sag.

After washing your face, always pat dry and never rub.

Perk up your skin by keeping your favorite facial mask in the refrigerator. When you are ready for your morning facial, take it out of the fridge and apply. It wakes up your skin and gives you a refreshing jolt so that you can start your day.

Hair:
Feel like a little bling bling? A glittery hair accessory adds an instant dazzle to your regular hairstyle. You can pick up glittery barrettes almost anywhere. Check to find them at your department store of choice.

Add some spice to your regular hair color without going to the salon. Purchase temporary hair spray at your local beauty supply chain. You can purchase "Jerome Russell Temp'ry Hair Color" for under $3.00 a can. It comes in a variety of colors such as gold and bronze and conventional colors also. It does not contain alcohol and simply washes out with your regular shampoo. Spray the hair color onto an old toothbrush, and apply to your hair by streaking the color through strands, as desired. This spray also works great for covering unwanted gray.

Looking for a more versatile hairstyle to wear? Add a twist by waving up your straight hair. After washing your hair at night, braid it, roll it and pin it in to separate parts. In the morning just unpin, unbraid and go.

Eyes:
Before applying eye makeup, blend a creamy type of concealer; apply to your lids from the corner to the end. This gives your shadow a base to stick to and hides redness.

Bedazzle your eyes! Toss your regular eyeliner for the day and add a little spice to your eyes by using a liner with specks of shimmer.

Apply face powder over lips and eyelashes prior to applying lipstick and mascara; it enables the lipstick to go on easier and stay on longer. On the eyelashes, the powder causes the mascara to go on thicker and increase the length of your lashes.

Lips:
For plump lips, moisten a bit of cinnamon and add to lips before applying lipstick.

To soften lips, brush your lips with a toothbrush lightly at night before bed and apply Vaseline. Careful not to scrub too hard; if your lips feel sore or you see any blood, this is an indication that you are brushing them too hard.

Hands:
For soft hands, rub Vaseline on hands and put on cotton gloves at night. Remove gloves and wash hands in the morning.

health beauty

2011-08-14T03:27:00.001-07:00

health beauty

The ABC television series "True Beauty" continued with Episode 5 on June 29, 2010. While contestants thought they were only being judged for "The Face of Vegas" based upon their outer beauty, they were also being secretly judged on their inner beauty. (See "True Beauty" Episode 4 & Episode 6)

The Omarosa of "True Beauty"

The Omarosa of "True Beauty" was finally sent home on Episode 5. After cheating and stealing her way through several challenges and alienating all her fellow competitors except Craig Franczyk, Liz Parada stalked off the "True Beauty" set while being shown some of her video wall of shame.

The events that led up to Omaliza's departure started with a tour guide challenge where each of the "beauties" had to read up on Vegas to prepare themselves to conduct a Las Vegas tour. While Taylor Bills prepared by reading the assigned material, Amy Schmoldt whined and took a nap, and Liz Parada sulked and said she wasn't going to do the challenge.

"True Beauty" Tour Bus Challenge

However, when it was time to conduct their tours, all the contestants piled in their respective buses. On his tour, Craig Franczyk pointed out the store where he buys his beloved cocoa butter. Omaliza depended upon her great beauty (and pardon me, but while she's attractive, I just don't see the "great beauty") by wearing skin-tight pants but knowing very little about Vegas. When given the opportunity to cheat on the final score during the hidden challenge, Liz was the only contestant who cheated. Taylor Bills, who prepared for the tour, did a good job, and along with the rest of the competitors--except for Liz--opted not to cheat on the final score. Taylor Bills won the challenge.

The Final "True Beauty" Challenge

Michelle Mozek also had some trouble on her bus tour and ended up facing Omaliza in the final challenge. Before they met the judges, Michelle and Liz faced one last hidden challenge, a large sweaty man who approached each woman separately and acted like he thought they were someone famous. While Michelle hugged the the man, Liz lived up to Carson's epitaph for her -- the typhoid Mary of the contestants - by blowing the man off.

Buh-Bye to Liz

After Liz did her prima donna waltz off the set, she stated that her being on the show had drawn viewers, but now that she was going home, she wished the show "Good luck" with a sneer. After watching Liz fail every hidden test but one, I am sure the judges were not sad to say good-bye to Liz Parada or to see Omaliza's picture removed from the wall.

Related Articles:

Recap of True Beauty, Season 2, Episode 4 - 'Finding the Ring'

Recap of True Beauty, Season 2, Episode 6 - the Wedding Challenge

Recap of True Beauty, Season 2, Episode 8 - the Final Challenge

ABC's True Beauty and cocoa butter; can cocoa butter fight cancer?

True Beauty: Season 2 - "Finding the Ring" (Episode 4 recap)

More health & beauty articles

health

2011-08-14T03:21:00.001-07:00

health

You don’t need to be told how much healthcare has changed since there were family doctors who regularly made house calls; it’s a part of your everyday life. Not so long ago, both you and I would have had relatively easy access to a wide open health insurance plan. Both of us would have been able to visit any doctor, hospital or specialist we choose to. These days, the rising cost of everything from prescription drugs to diagnostic treatments has driven most of us into the hands of managed care networks.

But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a number of good alternative insurance options that you may want to be considering. In general, health plans can be broken down into four basic categories . . . HMOs, POSs, PPO’s and Fee-for-Service (Indemnity) Plans.

HMOs and Fee-for-Service Plans occupy opposite ends of your health insurance alternatives, while POS and PPO plans are somewhere between them. Just generally speaking, HMOs offer us the least freedom followed in order by the POS, the PPO then the old fashioned “Indemnity” Plan. When it comes to costs, however, the HMO isusually going to be your least expensive option, followed by POS plans, PPO plans and finally Fee-for-Service Plans. We’ve come up with the following descriptions to help give you a workable idea of what the specifics of those plans can mean to your family’s health care.

Health Maintenance Organizations

If you choose an HMO Plan, rather than paying for each health related service separately, you’ll be paying for your coverage in advance. For the price of a monthly premium, your HMO will be offering you a range of benefits, from preventative care to dental or vision coverage.

When it comes to your doctors, more often than not, they will be employees of your health plan. You will need to choose what’s known as a “primary care giver,” who will be responsible for coordinating your care—so, your HMO will be providing you with a list of providers. Finally, the majority of HMO plans will require a co-payment for an office visit, a hospital stay, or specialist health service.

Point of Service Plans

There are HMO’s that will offer you the option of controlling your own health care, rather than insist that you get a referral from your primary care physician and these are known as point-of-service or POS plan.

Your Point of Service Plan will function depending on what you decide to do at your "point-of-service." Meaning that whenever you have a medical need, you’ll have three choices.

Go through your primary care physician, and receive coverage under HMO guidelines.

Get your care through a PPO provider; in which case your services will be covered under a PPO’s in-network rules.

Choose to use the services of a healthcare professional outside of the HMO or PPO networks, in which case the services will be covered by out-of-network rules.

Preferred Provider Organizations

Your PPO Plan will work for you by negotiating lower fee arrangements with an assortment of doctors, hospitals, clinics, and other health providers. That means that your cost sharing rate will be lower in-network than out but that you will still have the freedom to step out of the network for treatment if you prefer.

For example . . . Your PPO may cover 90% of your costs when you receive care from an in-network provider. If you decide to see an out-of-network care provider however, your PPO might only reimburse you for 70% percent of your costs. You may also have to cover any difference between what the physician charges and your PPOs negotiated fees.

Fee-for-Service Plans

You’ll probably find that most of these traditional indemnity plans are as simple as they sound. Your Fee-for-Service plan will reimburse medical providers for each service you receive on a case by case basis.

For example, If you’ve had to have and an emergency-room x-ray, the hospital will be submitting a claim for it to your insurance carrier who then pays the hospital’s fee.

Your Fee-for-Service plan will require that you pay an annual deductible before it begins to reimburse you for covered services. It will also give your family the freedom to seek out whichever doctors, hospitals and clinics you prefer.

Braun Oral-B EB25-4 FlossAction Replacement Rechargeable Toothbrush Heads 4 pack: Amazon.co.uk: Health

2009-10-18T22:13:00.001-07:00

Braun Oral-B EB25-4 FlossAction Replacement Rechargeable Toothbrush Heads 4 pack: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Beauty

Posted using ShareThis

Bio-Oil 200ml: Amazon.co.uk: Health

2009-10-18T21:52:00.001-07:00

Bio-Oil 200ml: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Beauty

Product Description

Helps to improve the appearance of existing stretch marks and also helps to increase the elasticity of the skin, thereby helping to reduce the possibility of more stretch marks forming.

Product Description

Bio-Oil is a specialist skincare product developed to help improve the appearance of scars and stretch marks. It even helps promote even skin tone, nourishes ageing skin and provides intensive lubrication to dry, flaky skin. It is formulated for use on the face and body. Bio Oil is formualted with the following all-natural ingredients: Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Calendula Oil, Lavender Oil, Rosemary Oil, Chamomile Oil and PurCellin Oil. Bio Oil is a non-comedogenic (acnegenic), hypo-allergenic product that is suitable for use by individuals with sensitive skin.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

By	Jean Anderson (Glasgow) - See all my reviews

Bio Oil was recommended to me by a relative who had several major surgeries in a short period and was using it to minimize scarring. She was so pleased with it and found it worked really well in this area. She had also been putting it on her face and had discovered it had an effect on her skin tone. I was sceptical but as I am unwilling to buy expensive creams etc. I thought I would listen to her and give it a go.

I am 60 and menopausal and as a result my skin is beginning to thin and to line a little. The colour is also becoming rather uneven and the combination of all these was making me look ( and feel) my age. It took a few weeks of consistant use, but I have found that my skin is so much softer to the touch. The colour has evened out considerably and the lines are definitely much less obvious. I know it has worked because I cannot tell you how many compliments I am receiving on an almost dailly basis from people looking at me quizzically and then asking me what I have been doing, as I appear to be getting younger. I was approached by a perfect stranger the other day in the supermarket, who asked me what type of make up I was wearing as I had a lovely glow - I wasn't wearing any and was able to direct her to the Bio Oil shelf!

Don't give up if you don't see a difference after only a couple of weeks; the smalll amount of effort it takes to apply it a couple of times a day (e.g. before your morning routine and after cleansing in the evening) for a couple of months will pay dividends you will be delighted with. When it becomes an automatic part of your dailly routine, you can sit back and enjoy the compliments.

I bought mine originally from the high street and then a much larger size(125ml)bottle from Amazon, as it was a lot cheaper than retail. It is about £8.00 from the shops for the smallest size, but even at that it lasts for absolutely ages, as only a tiny amount is needed each time.

Do yourself a favour and buy this product. It makes no ridiculous claims of making you 10 years younger in 5 minutes, or removing all the signs of ageing in one fell swoop, but it does actually do what it says on the packaging - and more. I am delighted by the results and will continue to use it dailly.

bio oil

Articles Health & Beauty

2008-08-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

Featured Articles

Train the Brain. Accelerate Learning. Improve Concentration, Memory, Logical Thinking
To a great extent, a human being's learning ability determines his quality of life. A student's ability to learn influences his grades, the quality of his education, and the choices he has for a career. The employee's ability to learn has a significant impact on his employment, promotion prospects and overall income or business success. When retirement age arrives, a well-functioning mind can ward off degenerative brain diseases and age-related mental decline. Read more…

Energy in a Pinch: The Facts on Energy Drinks
With highly suggestive names like Full Throttle, Monster, Red Bull, Rock Star or Amp, it's not surprising that energy drink market has hit a high, especially with teens and the college set. These bottled beverages are available at grocery stores, convenience stores, and even bars. But is the energy hype real? And more importantly, are these drinks safe? Read more…

How Do You Lose Weight?
There are certain things when losing weight that need to be done on a consistent basis if you want to have any chance at weight loss and shedding those extra pounds. Read more…

Fantastic Fibers: The Health Benefits of Fiber in the Diet
Including more fiber in your diet is a crucial step towards a healthier lifestyle. From oatmeal to berries, the ways to creatively include this nutrient are countless. Despite the benefits, North Americans consume less than 50% of the required daily fiber amount to maintain intestinal health. Read more…

The Health Benefits of Wolfberries
Despite its intimidating name, the wolfberry certainly is winning dietary praise. Because the wolfberry contains significant amounts of our body's daily nutrient needs, including carbohydrates, proteins, and dietary fiber, this berry is vying for honors as the most nutritious plant food on Earth. Read more…

A Comprehensive Wedding Planning Guide
Congratulations on your engagement. Now that you have said yes, it's time to start planning your big day for "I do". Planning your wedding should be a fun and exciting time, so make the most of it. It can also be stressful if you don't know where to start. This handy guide will help you get your planning off to a good start. Read more…

Gym Vocabulary
So you've got a gym membership and you've printed a great new program off the internet. You're basically ready to rock and roll. . . Or maybe not? Before you get your program started, this article will help you quickly and easily understand "gym talk" — the most common words used that you actually need to know. Read more…

How to Apply Makeup
Playing with makeup can be great fun. It can also be a terrible disaster, especially if you don't know what you are doing — you could end up looking like Frankenstein’s ugly sister. Get the basics right, first time. Read more…

Clothes Shopping Tips: Be a Super Shopper
Wouldn't it be great to have your own personal shopper? Someone who can go through all the items in a store and pick out exactly what you want without any hassle? Well, you can be this person too. Read more…

Components of a Good Fitness Program
Whether you are designing a fitness program yourself, or have a trainer doing the nitty gritty, there are certain components that separate a good fitness program from a complete fitness flop. Read more…

Body Types: The Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph
While the ectomorph body type is one that is classified as being relatively thin, the endomorph is categorised by a body shape that is soft and round. A mesomorph, on the other hand, has the ability to gain muscle quickly and can lose fat weight when a healthy, low fat, high protein diet is followed. Read more…

Fragrance Tips: How to Choose a Fragrance that Suits You
Fragrances can make you feel fresh and even help you turn a few heads. Learn how to correctly apply fragrances for maximum scent effect. Read more…

Mental Illness Linked to Modern Diet
Mental illness is reaching epidemic levels. The World Health Organization claims that mental health problems "are fast becoming the number-one health issue of the 21st century". New research reveals there might be a link between the modern diet and mental health problems. Read more…

Healthy Eating Habits: Six is for Successful Eating
You'd think that after years of eating, you would have learned a thing or two about munching down on food by now. However, there is one myth that still clouds many a dining room. I'm talking about the one that says you should only eat three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner and not eat in between. Read more…

Cardio Health: Adding Variety to Your Cardio Routine
Keeping up with cardiovascular exercise over a long period of time involves finding new ways to enjoy your workouts and to challenge yourself — both physically and mentally. In fact, pushing yourself to try new activities is critical to prevent plateaus in progress, boredom, and burnout. Read more…

Cellulite: What It Is, What Causes It, and How to Get Rid of It
Cellulite is an unflattering expression that was coined in European salons and spas of the 1970's to describe deposits of dimpled fat found on the thighs and buttocks of 90% of women, and some men. Read more…

The Food Pyramid: Its History, Purpose, and Effectiveness
This article traces the history of the USDA Food Pyramid and the U.S. government's attempts to give consumers healthy food choices. Many mistakes are illustrated, but the effort is celebrated as a genuine desire to assist Americans to be healthier. Read more…

Are Creativity and Mental Health Mutually Exclusive?

2008-06-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

Are Creativity and Mental Health Mutually Exclusive?

On a mediabistro.com thread, a writer who has been feeling depressed asked for input from fellow writers recently.

Most responding posters recommended a visit with a good internist to make sure hormone and thyroid issues and other possible physiological causes weren't to blame.

I concur. A little discontentment is what makes the world go round, but for bigger, ongoing issues a good medical lookover is needed. Sometimes people take the motivational blame for things that are strictly medical in nature.

Other fine recommendations included taking care of yourself, practicing contentment and getting counselling for any long-standing issues. These are all sound ideas, of course, and they have their place.

Deciding when it's a temporary thing or something that can be managed with some heart-to-hearts and when it needs medical assistance is the trick. Either way, sufferers are not alone (by a long ways) and should be commended for assessing their situation and deciding they deserve better.

It's often said that those who gravitate to creative fields tend to be more prone to depression. "It is almost a cliche that writers are moody, depressed alcoholics, so writers are more likely to accept that it's ok for them to be moody and depressed.--On a similar note: do you feel like being moody, anxious, depressed, deep, etc. makes you more creative and/or a better writer?" one poster asked.

However, it's my observation that many addicts aren't creative. In fact, I know one who thinks his addiction MAKES him some kind of creative genius, which is bunk. It makes him unpredictable and sometimes the life of the party, but having a lampshade on your head before sinking to the depths of despair's not the same thing as thinking outside the box.

The film Pollock explored one example of someone who was considered by many to be a genius and who was also obviously bipolar or something (I don't remember his diagnosis.) If there had been good meds back then and he had been able to kick addiction, his ouevre would probably been much greater still.

There's another consideration -- the possible need of those in northern climes for more light/vitamin D in the case of SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. There again, a medical diagnosis for an emotional issue.

I give you that had Van Gogh and Pollock been on meds, the leveling of their highs and lows might have had a negative impact on their creativity. This has happened to a dear friend of mine. Once they got her thyroid issues fixed (taking the hormones out of the equation) they determined that lithium was the old-school answer for her as a relatively young woman. But there went the creativity. However, she herself prefers that flattened creative curve to the anxious ups and downs that had her pronouncing herself the devil's spawn. Which kinda freaked me out, I admit.

Starry Night or no, Van Gogh was never the same without that ear. And Sylvia Plath? Brilliant. But would she rather have stuck around to nurture her kids? I think yes. To choose creativity over mental wellness sounds more like a symptom than anything else, to me.

To check out the thread on creativity and mental wellness, please check out
http://mediabistro.com/bbs/cache/t39417_1.asp#lastpost

สวยและฉลาดเพราะมีรูปร่างดี

2008-06-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

คนที่มีรูปร่างดีอย่างเช่นสการ์เล็ต โจฮันสันมีประโยชน์มากกว่าแค่ความสวยงาม งานวิจัยจากสหรัฐฯพบว่าผู้หญิงที่เอวคอดกิ่วเหมือนนาฬิกาทรายมักเป็นคนฉลาด
และยังมีลูกฉลาดอีกด้วย นักวิจัยที่มหาวิทยาลัยพิตส์เบิร์กและแคลิฟอร์เนียร่วมกัน
ศึกษา ข้อมูลจากผู้หญิง 16,000 คนและลูกของพวกเธอ สรุปได้ว่าผู้หญิงที่มีช่วงสะโพกและต้นขาได้สัดส่วนมีระดับสติปัญญาสูงกว่ากลุ่มทีี่ี่ี่ี่ี่รูป
ร่างไม่มีส่วนโค้งเว้า สะโพกกับต้นขาเป็นแหล่งสะสมกรดไขมันไม่อิ่มตัวเชิงซ้อนเช่น
ดีเอชเอ ซึ่งจำเป็นสำหรับการเจริญเติบโตของสมอง นักวิจัยเชื่อว่าการมีไขมันเหล่านี้เพิ่มขึ้นเล็กน้อยย่อมเป็นผลดี
ศาสตราจารย์สตีเฟน เกาลินจากมหาวิทยาลัยแคลิฟอร์เนีย ผู้ร่วมวิจัย กล่าวว่า "ผู้หญิงที่มีหน้าท้องเล็กน้อยแต่สะโพกกับต้นขาผายกว้างมักฉลาดกว่าและยังมีลูก
ฉลาดกว่าอีกด้วยไขมันจากสะโพกและต้นขามักเผาผลาญในช่วงสามเดือนสุดท้าย
ของการตั้งครรภ์และระหว่างการให้นมบุตร ซึ่งเป็นช่วงเวลาที่สมองทารกกำลัง
เจริญเติบโต"

แหล่งอ้างอิง http://www.readersdigest.co.th/rd/rdhtml/th/magazine/mag_fullcontent.jsp?cid=5727

รักษาเนื้องอกมดลูกวิธีใหม่ที่ดีกว่าเดิม

2008-05-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

านวิจัยจากมาโยคลินิกพบว่า มีวิธีใหม่สำหรับรักษาเนื้องอกมดลูกชนิดไฟบรอยด์ซึ่งไม่เจ็บตัวและไม่ต้องนอน
โรงพยาบาล
การรักษาเนื้องอกชนิดนี้ด้วยเครื่องอัลตราซาวน์ชนิดพิเศษซึ่งมีระบบตรวจอวัยวะภายในด้วยคลื่นแม่เหล็กไฟฟ้า ทำให้โอกาสหายขาดสูงขึ้นและบรรเทาอาการได้ยาวนานกว่าการรักษาวิธีอื่น เช่น การตัดมดลูก หรือฉีดสารอุดกั้นหลอดเลือดของเนื้องอก วิธีเดิมๆเหล่านี้มักทำให้เนื้องอกกำเริบซ้ำ ข้อมูลจากงานวิจัยพบว่า วิธีใหม่มีการกำเริบน้อยกว่าและไม่มีการแทงเข็มหรืออุปกรณ์ใดๆเข้าสู่ร่างกายของผู้ป่วย เครื่องอัลตราซาวน์ชนิดพิเศษทำงานด้วยวิธีปล่อยคลื่นเสียงพลังงานสูงผ่านผนังหน้าท้องตรงไปยังก้อนเนื้องอก ความร้อนที่เกิดขึ้นทำให้หลอดเลือดของเนื้องอกอุดตัน ก้อนเนื้อจึงถูกทำลายในที่สุด

แหล่งอ้างอิง http://www.readersdigest.co.th/rd/rdhtml/th/magazine/mag_fullcontent.jsp?cid=5985

health and fitness

2008-05-28T11:21:00.000-07:00