Screening Your Skin From Damage

There is one product that everyone needs: sunscreen. Even if your skin is naturally dark, you still need to use a sunscreen. Protecting your skin from the sun prevents sunburn, which hurts and is a kind of skin damage. Sunscreen also can help prevent wrinkles when you get older and can decrease the risk of skin cancer, which is caused by exposure to the sun's harmful rays.

Choose a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or 45, and apply it evenly. Try not to miss any spots, such as your neck or the middle of your back. Have a friend or your parent help you with the hard-to-reach spots. Follow the directions on the sunscreen, which often recommend reapplying it, especially after swimming or sweating.

Because sunscreen cannot protect your skin completely from the sun, it's also a good idea to wear a brimmed hat and use a lip balm containing sunscreen. If you need more protection from the sun, wear long sleeves and pants. Also, avoid the sun between 10 AM and 2 PM.

Allergies to Skin Care Products

Sometimes when you use a new kind of soap or other skin product, your skin may get irritated or you may get an allergic reaction. If you get a rash or if your skin feels itchy, hot, dry, or like it's burning, tell an adult. Stop using the product and don't forget that it caused a reaction. You don't want to use it again or buy a product with the same active ingredient.

To test a new product, place a tiny bit of it on the inside of your wrist or arm. Watch for any redness or irritation over the next 24 hours. If your skin becomes red or irritated, don't use the product. Sometimes, your skin is fine with a new product the first time, or few times, you use it, but then your skin gets red or irritated later on. You'll want to stop using the product whenever redness or irritation occurs.

Why Be Nice to Your Skin?

Like the heart, stomach, and brain, your skin is an organ. In fact, it's the largest organ in your body, but it's still easy to take skin for granted. Unless there's a problem, you may not think about your skin very much. But skin has an important job to do.

Your skin is constantly protecting you. Your skin keeps infections out of your body and keeps you from getting sick. When you take care of your skin, you're helping your skin do its job. And taking care of your skin today will help prevent future problems, like wrinkles and even skin cancer.

Clean Skin Is Happy Skin

One simple way to take care of your skin is to keep it clean. Keeping your hands clean is especially important because your hands can spread germs to the skin on other parts of your body.

When washing your hands, use water that's comfortably warm. Wet your hands, then lather up with a mild soap. You should lather and rub everywhere, including the palms, the wrists, between the fingers, and under the nails. Rinse well, dry thoroughly with a clean towel, and you're done!

You'll also want to use water that's warm, not too hot, when you take a shower or bath. Use a gentle soap to clean your body. Don't forget under your arms and behind your ears! Your face needs attention, especially as you enter puberty and the skin on your face gets more oily. It's a good idea to wash your face once or twice daily with warm water and a mild cleanser.

If you look in the drugstore, you'll see shelf after shelf of skin care products, but kids don't usually need anything more than a gentle soap. Talk to a parent or your doctor if you have questions about what to use on your skin.

If you have dry, flaky, or itchy skin, you might use a moisturizing lotion or cream. When choosing a moisturizer, pick one without a lot of colors and perfumes. Petroleum jelly can work for some kids. If you are worried about pimples, look for a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (won't cause pimples).

With pimples, you might think that scrubbing your face is the way to get rid of them. But actually, your skin will be less likely to break out if you clean it gently, using your fingertips, not a rough washcloth. If you have trouble with pimples, talk with your doctor about which cleansers are best to use.

What Causes Stress?

 

What Causes Stress?

Plenty of things can cause stress in your life. The trick is to remember that some types of stress are good and others are bad. Good or normal stress might show up when you're called on in class or when you have to give a report. Have you ever gotten butterflies in your stomach or sweaty hands? Those can be signs of good stress — the kind of stress that can help you to get things done. For example, you may do a better job on your book report if the anxiety inspires you to prepare well before you get up and read it to the class.
But bad stress can happen if the stressful feelings keep going over time. You may not feel well if your parents are fighting, if a family member is sick, if you're having problems at school, or if you're going through anything else that makes you upset every day. That kind of stress isn't going to help you, and it can actually make you sick.

Once you recognize that you're feeling stressed, there are several things you can do. You can try talking about what's bothering you with an adult you trust, like a parent or teacher. Bring up what's been on your mind and how it makes you feel. An adult may have ideas about how to solve whatever is worrying you or making you uncomfortable.

Finding a Balance

The best way to keep stress away is to have a balanced life. That means making good decisions about how to spend your time. If you're only dealing with stuff and have no time to play, or relax you can get stressed. Make sure you keep your SELF in mind: Sleep, Exercise, Leisure (something fun), and Food.
If you take care of yourself and get enough sleep and food, and if you exercise and leave time for fun stuff, you'll probably be less stressed out!

Are you STRESS?

Have you ever felt sick to your stomach during a test? Have you had days when you were so loaded down with homework that you had trouble sleeping? Have you ever been so worried about something that you ended up with a terrible headache?

If so, then you know what it's like to feel stress. You've probably heard people say, "Wow, I'm really stressed out" or "This is making me totally stressed." Maybe you hear adults say those kinds of things all the time. But kids have lots of things going on in their lives that can cause stress, too.

What Is Stress?

Stress is what you feel when you are worried or uncomfortable about something. This worry in your mind can make your body feel bad. You may feel angry, frustrated, scared, or afraid — which can give you a stomachache or a headache.
When you're stressed you may not feel like sleeping or eating, or you might sleep or eat too much. You also may feel cranky or have trouble paying attention at school and remembering things at home.

How to Prevent Obesity

Prevention is they key to any health-related issue. Recognizing symptoms of a problem before it actually becomes a problem defines prevention. There are simple ways to recognize if your body and health are deteriorating. Most health related issues can be prevented and obesity is no exception.

How to Prevent Obesity :

Step 1  Stay active. The most common way to prevent obesity is to live an active lifestyle. Simple activities, such as taking the stairs or walking to the store, can help tremendously. Many people also enjoy going to the gym. A local health club membership can be a wonderful way to stay active and socialize with other like-minded individuals.

Step 2 Eat healthy. The FDA recommends that the average person consume 2,000 calories per day in foods such as dairy, meats, breads, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Tailoring your diet to meet these FDA standards is the most effective way to prevent obesity.

Step 3 Watch your weight. You should weigh yourself once a week to monitor your health. If you notice that you are starting to gain some weight, you should take appropriate measures to lose that weight. Investing in a scale for the home is recommended.

Step 4 Drink water. Many times people will mistake dehydration for hunger signals in the body. The FDA recommends drinking eight to 10 glasses of water per day. Water cleanses and detoxifies all the impurities in your system.

Step 5 Get a physical at least once a year. Doctors advise that adults receive a medical physical on a yearly basis to prevent any health complications. By catching any early complications, your doctor can treat you accordingly.

Step 6 Keep junk food out of your house. The lure of sweet junk food can sometimes be too much to bear and you may succumb to the temptation. Be smart and don't buy it at all!

Step 7 Only eat when you are hungry. Studies have shown that those who are naturally thin only eat when they are hungry. Only eating when your body signals you to eat can be a great way to prevent obesity.

Top 10 Reasons Why People are Obese

David Allison, a University of Alabama biostatistician has compiled a report on that details the top 10 reasons for obesity.

He was assisted in this venture by 19 other scientists in the United States, Canada and Italy.

The researchers looked at more than 100 studies on the reasons for obesity besides exercise and diet. They found that the following reasons could be an answer

* Inadequate sleep: Sleep deprivation leads to some sort of weight gain

* Endocrine disruptors are substances in some foods that may alter fats in the body and this increase a person's weight.

* Nice temperatures people who work in air-conditioned offices burn less calories and are thus fat.

* Fewer people smoking leading to less of appetite suppression

* Population changes: Increase in number of Hispanics, who are naturally prone to obesity

* Older birth moms: As people have children late, it increases their chances of being obese

* Genetic influences during pregnancy.

* Darwinian natural selection

* Assortative mating Fat people mating with fat people begets fat offspring

Dr. Robert Kushner, medical director of the weight-management program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said the study was very creative, "We are facing an epidemic with no tipping point in the near future. At this point, there are no silly ideas," Kushner said.

4 Reasons you are "Fake Hungry"

Our appetites can be quite the pranksters.  They often fool us to think we are hungry, when often, we may be suffering from something completely different.  Distinguishing between false hunger and true hunger will help you know when your body really needs food and when it needs something else. 

1. Hunger Due to Eating the Wrong Food: Symptoms include craving high sugar foods or feeling “hungry” soon after eating a meal.  If you just had a big meal that is high in simple carbohydrates and did not contain fiber, protein or healthy fat, all of which help provide a sense of satiety, you may have experienced a drop in blood sugar. In this case, have a healthy snack, such as a piece of fresh fruit and nuts, or cottage cheese or celery and peanut butter or 1/2 of a sandwich on whole grain bread).

2. Emotional Hunger: Sometimes, our appetites can go haywire when we are experiencing boredom, fear, anxiety, stress or loneliness. Try taking a walk, journaling, listening to some favorite music, calling a friend or chewing a piece of mint gum instead. Read a book, go to a “safe place” like a library or museum or park where you will not be tempted to overeat or distracted by food. Take a bath, meditate, or think about what REALLY would satisfy you, vs. eating to stuff down emotions you do not want to confront. 

3.Hunger Due to Sleepiness: Experts at www.WebMD.com state that two major hormones, leptin and ghrelin, affect and control sensations of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, while leptin, made in fat cells, alerts the brain that you have had enough to eat. Lack of sleep causes a significant drop in leptin levels as well as an increase in ghrelin levels, a so called double whammy for appetite control and feelings of satiety.  Daytime fatigue may lead people to overeat (often, high sugar, nutrient poor foods) in an attempt to get an extra surge of energy. This is equivalent to placing a Band-Aid on the true problem. It provides only temporary relief, which is soon followed by a crash in energy levels and a resurgence of “hunger” leading to more snacking, increased sugar cravings, etc….a vicious cycle.  If you are feeling mid-afternoon hunger pains, try: a brisk 10 min walk around the block (fresh air helps, as does exercise, to boost alertness and increase circulation), a cup of green tea (high in antioxidants and low in caffeine relative to coffee), a 1/4 cup of almonds and a small apple (high in protein, healthy fat and carbohydrates, low in sugar, and a good source of magnesium and fiber). Even taking a few deep breaths can help curb fatigue! 

4.Hunger Due to Thirst: We often mistake thirst for hunger. Try drinking a glass or two of water to identify whether you are truly hungry or just slightly dehydrated, in which case water is the perfect antidote!
When you are really experiencing true hunger, however, it is pretty clear to identify.  For instance, a growling stomach will cause us to be cranky and unfocused…until we get some food, that is! If it has been four hours since your last meal or snack, you may well be truly hungry. Don’t ignore true hunger…doing so may exacerbate it and cause you to overeat to compensate for the missed calories. It is important to eat regularly and consistently to keep energy levels elevated and avoid dips in blood sugar. Try to include fruits and vegetables at each meal and snack, along with some protein (cheese, beans, lean meat/poultry/fish) and some healthy fat (avocado, olives, nuts, oil). This whole foods approach will help keep you at a healthy weight and lessen the likelihood for emotional hunger to rear its head!

by:shine.yahoo.com