Healthy Body

5 Habits to Break Before It's Too Late

You want to live a long, full life -- to be young and lean forever. But you could be doing yourself more harm than good.

"Someday," you say, "I'm going to get my health back on track, after this next project," or "when I get back from my cruise," or "when the kids get a little older" ... C'mon, you know your list of reasons -- or what I call EXCUSES -- better than I.

Look, if you're waiting for some magical day to appear, you just may be waiting forever. These days do not "show up"; you show up for THEM. I have identified five critical areas, bad habits that many people mindlessly follow. Do you realize that each and every day of your life that you do not reverse these dangerous trends, you get farther and farther from your ultimate goal of living a fulfilling life?

Take a look at each area, determine how you stack up, and then make the fix today:

1) Stealing from sleep: Studies show that a minimum of seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep (at night) are essential for health. Sleep is the time when your body repairs and recovers from all of the metabolic processes that your body performs every second. Sleep supports healthy weight management, raises growth hormone, and heals the adrenals. If you are watching TV, working on your PC, or otherwise stimulating yourself so that you are unable to go to sleep by 11 PM, then establish the Power Down Hour and turn to more relaxing activities like baths, light novels, or cuddling with a loved one (or pet!) at least an hour or two before bedtime. Then ... retrain yourself to sleep through the night.

2) Skipping breakfast: How many times do you find yourself dashing out the door to start your day, only to discover that you forgot to eat? Listen, your body has just "fasted" overnight, and in order to fuel yourself for the day (and lower stress hormones), you must eat a balanced meal that includes proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Otherwise, your body will turn on itself for fuel, and it isn't fat but muscle that it's going to target ... which will cascade into a very nasty sequence of health consequences that will make you fat, old, and tired before your time.

3) Blowing off exercise: If you think you can manage your health and weight through dietary means alone, it won't work. Period. Exercise is crucial for stimulating proper physical and hormonal response necessary for building muscle and bone, burning fat, letting you sleep, keeping you young, giving you energy -- the list is endless. More important is the CORRECT type of exercise, which involves high-intensity interval training, along with resistance workouts. If you can't find 20-30 minutes a day to incorporate these exercises into your life (oh yeah, that is ALL you need, by the way), then you can kiss your health goodbye.

4) Noshing at night: Strapping on the feedbag in the evenings basically signals your body to hold off on burning existing fat stores, raises stress hormones before bedtime, and screws up your body's natural digestive processes at a time when it should be ready to shut down and repair. If you are eating in a hormonally-balanced way during your evening meal, there is absolutely no need to munch afterward.

5) Not counting your beverages: One of the craziest things I encounter in my work is the lack of consideration of high-calorie, high-sugar drinks in the diet. Yes, those healthy "Jumbo Juices," designer coffee slurpees (hey, they may as well be, given all the sugar in them), and those harmless little cocktails every night, especially those fruit-flavored martini and tequila drinks, can really pack on the pounds in a hurry. Make the switch to healthier options like iced green tea -- or, my favorite, Emergen-C -- for some sparkling mineral replacements that not only satisfy, but also fuel and nourish!

Article from: JJ Virgin/yahoo.com

Image from: shutterstock.com

Axe

New Delhi. In what could prove to be a major marketing and legal embarrassment for Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), a 26-year-old man has filed a case against the FMCG company, which owns the Axe brand of men grooming products, for cheating and causing him mental suffering. The plaintiff has cited his failure to attract any girl at all even though hes been using Axe products for over seven years now. Axe advertisements suggest that the products help men in instantly attracting women.

Vaibhav Bedi, the petitioner, also surrendered all his used, unused and half-used deodorant sprays, perfume sticks and roll-ons, anti-perspirants, aftershaves, body washes, shampoos, and hair gels to the court, and demanded a laboratory test of the products and narcotics test of the brand managers of Axe. Vaibhav was pushed to take this step when his bai (maid) beat him with a broom when he tried to impress her by appearing naked in front of her after applying all the Axe products.

No girl ever asked Vaibhav to call her

Where the fu*k is the Axe effect? Ive been waiting for it for over seven years. Right from my college to now in my office, no girl ever agreed to even go out for a tea or coffee with me, even though Im sure they could smell my perfumes, deodorants and aftershaves. I always applied them in abundance to make sure the girls get turned on as they show in the television. Finally I thought Id try to impress my lonely bai who had an ugly fight with her husband and was living alone for over a year. Axe effect my foot! Vaibhav expressed his unhappiness.

Vaibhav claims that he had been using all the Axe products as per the companys instructions even since he first bought them. He argued that if he couldnt experience the Axe effect despite using the products as directed, either the company was making false claims or selling fake products.

I had always stored them in cool and dry place, and kept them away from direct light or heat. Id always use a ruler before applying the spray and make sure that the distance between the nozzle and my armpit was at least 15 centimeters. Id do everything they told. I even beat up my 5-year-old nephew for coming near my closet, as they had instructed it to keep away from childrens reach. And yet, all I get is a broom beating from my ugly bai. Vaibhav expressed his frustration.

Vaibhav claims that he had to do go a lot of mental suffering and public humiliation due to the lack of Axe effect and wants HUL to compensate him for this agony. An advocate in Karkardooma court, who happened to mistake Vaibhav for some deodorant vendor when he entered the court premises with all the bottles, has now offered to take up his case in the court. HUL has been served a legal notice in this regard.

HUL has officially declined to comment on the case citing the subject to be sub judice, but our sources inform that the company was worried over the possible outcomes of the case. The company might argue that Vaibhav was hopelessly unattractive and unintelligent and didnt possess the bare minimum requirements for the Axe effect to take place. Officially HUL has not issued any statement, but legal experts believe that HUL could have tough time convincing the court.

HUL might be tempted to take that line of argument, but it is very risky. There is no data to substantiate the supposition that unattractive and unintelligent men dont attract women. In fact some of the best looking women have been known to marry and date absolutely ghoulish guys. Id suggest that the company settles this issue out of court. noted lawyer Ram Jhoothmalani said.

Story from: yahoogroup.com

Aging

4 Secret Sources of Aging

Sunlight, cigarettes, and botched plastic surgeries will turn your mug into a catcher's mitt, but they're not the only offenders.

Sunlight, cigarettes, and botched plastic surgeries will turn your mug into a catcher's mitt, but they're not the only offenders. The sneakier culprits are the threats you expose yourself to every day without even thinking about—everything from what you eat and drink to how you manage your emotions. Here are four habits that can add wrinkles to your face, wear down your heart, and even undermine your manhood—and how to avoid them.

Eating processed foods

The deep grooves running from nose to mouth—also known as "smile lines"—are called nasolabial folds. These result from thinning underlying tissue. Dermatologists can prescribe high-end volumizers such as Restylane and Sculptra, but you can take action in the kitchen by avoiding excess sugar, which can make collagen more fragile, putting you at greater risk for wrinkles. Similarly, a diet high in white flour can also create what are called glycation reactions between molecules in the skin. This reaction binds collagen and decreases elasticity, so the skin becomes more susceptible to fracture. Base your diet around the 125 best foods for men, and you'll avoid added sugar, fat, and salt, and consume more of the nutrients you need.


Guzzling alcohol

A six-pack is not a sleep aid. Alcohol messes with the normal sleep cycle, especially the back end of the cycle. "Four hours into sleep, alcohol wears off and leaves you in an excitable state," says Alex Chediak, M.D., medical director of the Miami Sleep Disorders Center. And you need that deep, slow-wave, restorative sleep to keep your body looking—and feeling—young. Moderating your booze intake is key. You're 97 percent more likely to reach age 85 if you keep your daily alcohol consumption to fewer than three drinks a day, according to a study of 6,000 patients in the Journal of the American Medical Association. And remember to make one of those drinks a pinot noir. A recent review in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that resveratrol, a compound commonly found in red wine, may prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease.

Losing your temper

Emotional stress causes the release of immune compounds called histamines, which can cause inflammation. "If you reduce inflammation, you reduce the risk of death from a heart attack," says Steven Nissen, M.D., chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. A Duke University study found that when angry men took a multivitamin for six months, their levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6)-an inflammation marker that may increase the risk of heart disease—went from being elevated to as low as those measured in calm guys. The next time you're seeing red, take a deep breath and try some of these 52 ways to conquer stress. Chronic inflammation is also a serious, but easily overlooked, source of fine lines and wrinkles, says Carl Thornfeldt, M.D., in Fruitland, Idaho. When the skin puffs up, the lattice of protein, fats, and oils tends to rupture, creating damage that is difficult to reverse.

Using Harmful Lotions and Potions

Read the list of ingredients in your moisturizers, shampoos, and hair dyes closely. Many of the chemicals they contain are benign; others warrant a better-safe-than-sorry approach. Gary Ginsberg, Ph.D., a toxicologist at the Connecticut Department of Public Health in Hartford, says to steer clear of ubiquitous toxins such as 1,4-dioxane, phthalates, formaldehyde, hydroquinone, and parabens, which researchers have linked to a host of health concerns, including obesity, male fertility problems, and cancer. Instead, opt for products with labels that read "sulfate free," "paraben free," "fragrance free," and "PPD free."

Article source: msn.com
Picture source: shutterstock.com

Blue Film

Chiggy Wiggy...........

Shahrukh Khan and Kajol

Photo From: Vogue India.