Category: Health & Fitness

As a woman, you have special dietary requirements. Your daily meals should be rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc, and B-complex vitamins.

These nutrients can help balance your hormones, which in turn, will improve your mood and overall health.

Calcium, for instance, keeps your bones strong and lowers the risk of osteoporosis. This condition affects over 200 million women worldwide.

What if you don’t have the time to cook healthy meals and track your daily nutrient intake? In this case, women’s vitamins can help.

The key is to use them as part of a balanced diet. Let’s review the best vitamins for women.

Are Women’s Vitamins Really Necessary?

Nowadays, most foods are processed and lack nutritional value. In fact, over 70 percent of the foods available in U.S. stores are loaded with additives, preservatives, and other chemicals.

Even if you eat clean, you may still fail to get enough nutrients in your diet.

Fruits and vegetables, for example, lose valuable antioxidants during storage and transportation. Cooking reduces their nutritional value as well.

Considering these facts, it’s no wonder why most people are deficient in one or more nutrients. About 30 percent of the world’s population is anemic due to iron deficiency. More than 41 percent of Americans don’t get enough vitamin D in their diet.

Nutrient deficiencies can affect your chances to get pregnant. In the long run, they may lead to hormonal imbalances, depression, and osteoporosis. If your diet lacks vitamins A, C, and E, you may experience premature aging.

Women’s vitamins may help prevent these issues and boost your health. Let’s take a look at the most important ones:

Vitamin D

Your body produces this fat-soluble vitamin when it’s exposed to the sun. That’s why health experts recommend spending at least 10 minutes outdoors every day.

Vitamin D plays a key role in calcium absorption, cellular reproduction, and immune function. It also regulates phosphorus levels in the blood and helps your body build stronger bones.

Certain foods, such as tuna, salmon, and cod liver oil, contain this nutrient.

The problem is that most people don’t eat enough of these foods. Women’s vitamins can help prevent deficiencies and add nutrition to your diet.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C supports immune function and protects against infections. Plus, it increases collagen levels in your body, which helps maintain youthful skin.

Your body needs this vitamin to build new tissues, heal itself, and fight disease. Even the slightest deficiency can wreak havoc on your health.

Consume plenty of citrus fruits, leafy greens, and berries to get your daily dose of vitamin C. Take dietary supplements containing this nutrient, especially when it’s cold outside.

Omega-3s

Omega-3s are not a vitamin, but they do play a vital role in women’s health. These essential fats fight inflammation, promote brain function, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Unless you eat fish, nuts, seeds, and avocado on a daily basis, take Omega-3s in supplement form.

Select a premium brand to make sure it has optimum doses of EPA and DHA. Check out this website for quality Omega-3 supplements.

The Smart Way to Boost Your Health

These are just a few of the many vitamins every woman should take. Remember that prevention is better than treatment. Beware that not even the best supplements can compensate for bad eating.

Dietary supplements are not a cure-all, but they can keep diseases at bay and boost your health.

Do you take any vitamins? What would you recommend to other women? Leave a comment below!

Between 40 and 55% of adults suffer from acne, and 54% of women aged 25 and older have adult acne.

If you’re still dealing with acne in your adult years, this post is for you. We’re going to delve deep into why adult acne occurs and the best skincare for adult acne- so you can finally start loving your skin again.

Ready? Let’s get started.

Why Are You Still Getting Acne?

Did you sail through those hormonal teen years without a blemish insight, only to get stuck with a pizza face in your early twenties? Maybe you’ve been battling acne for the past decade and you keep getting your hopes up that it has to end “sometime soon?”

Many people assume acne is a problem for young people since most of us have ou most severe breakouts during our teens. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean your pimples will magically disappear on your 21st birthday. In fact, it’s common to be battling both acne and zits at the same time. Life isn’t fair.

Every pore on your face is part of a hair follicle. When those follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells, the bacteria that causes acne will flourish inside that follicle, instead of staying on the surface of your skin, where it can be washed away.

The bacteria eats away at the contents of the follicle, starting a domino effect. This produces inflammatory enzymes and chemicals, attracting white blood cells and leading to more inflammation. Then the wall of that follicle breaks down, which leads to zits.

Here are some reasons why you may have adult acne:

Hormone Sensitivity

Some people are unlucky and their oil glands have more hormone receptors. This means that when they have androgens in their system, they’re more likely to end up developing acne. The number of receptors we have is determined by our genetics, but for women, birth control pills and other hormonal treatments can block the receptors.

Immune System

While we all want a healthy immune system, some of us have a gene known as TLR7. When this gene senses bacteria, it sends out more white cells than it normally would. This makes it more likely that you’ll have inflamed zits. Anti-inflammatories can be a great way to stop this from occurring.

Cortisol

Noticed that stress seems to make your acne worse? You’re not alone. Research has shown that stress and acne severity go hand-in-hand. That’s because the stress hormone cortisol can impact your androgen receptors, triggering a breakout.

Diet

While it’s a myth that chocolate causes acne, too many refined carbs can indeed increase your breakouts. A balanced diet is not only good for your overall health, but it’s a great way to beat the zits too.

Carbs raise our insulin levels, which trigger the release of hormones that increase oil production and inflame our follicles. Try to avoid high-carb and high-sugar foods and introduce more sources of protein, vegetables, and low-glycemic foods.

Women

Women are more likely to have adult acne. That’s because their hormones change throughout the month. As they get closer to that time of the month, estrogen levels dip, meaning testosterone is left unchecked.

Testosterone is an androgen which can crank up the oil production in your skin, meaning a higher chance that your pores will become clogged, leading to pimples.

The Best Skincare for Adult Acne

Luckily, there are more treatments and skincare options for adult acne than ever before. Whether you want to rely on a cleansing regimen like CleaRx, topical medications, or homemade acne treatments, here are a few things you can do:

Chill out

It turns out that the best skincare for adult acne may start with your stress levels. Since stress impacts your cortisol levels, and cortisone contributes to oiliness and inflammation, it’s a good idea to get this under control.

Think about ways you can de-stress. This could mean taking a kickboxing class, talking to someone about your problems, or practicing mindfulness.

Choose Adult Products

It may seem obvious, but many people are still using the same acne regimens they were using in high school.

These are specifically designed to treat teenage acne and are therefore not the best skincare for adult acne. As we age, our skin becomes less resilient. And harsh acne treatments can make the problem worse. This can also include harsh side effects like sensitivity, flaking, redness, and itching.

Consider Retinol

Retinol A is a derivative of vitamin A, and you can find it in a number of products. Topical retinoids are one of the most effective acne treatments around. They also happen to be one of the most effective antiaging ingredients because they actually help build collagen in your skin. Two birds, one stone.

Exfoliate Regularly

Exfoliation is crucial, and one of the most important things you can do to fight acne, prevent it and treat it.

You should try to exfoliate 3-4 times a week. Look for products with glycolic acid which help get deep down into your skin.

Spot Treat

When you really need to kill a pimple (or pimples) ASAP, consider benzoyl peroxide. Ok, it’s harsh, but it’s your best friend when it comes to zapping your zits. Just dab it onto your trouble spots and it’ll dry them out and kill bacteria.

Fight Inflammation

Unfortunately, inflammation is always part of a breakout. It causes the redness and swelling that we’re usually trying to cover up with concealers. Look for skin repair treatments that are rich in antioxidants and ergothioneine which repair skin cells that have been damaged.

Don’t Pick

Many people have cystic acne. These large, painful pimples will scar if you prod and pick them. The only way you can reduce these zits is by draining them, but it’s not something you should do yourself. The reason they’re so painful is that they expand and stretch the nerves.

Take an anti-inflammatory, apply either a cold or warm compress (see what feels better to you) and visit a dermatologist who will give you a cortisone shot.

Wrapping up

Acne sucks no matter what your age. But by using the best skincare for adult acne, you’ll reduce your breakouts and avoid acne scars.

Remember: What you eat will show on your skin, so check your diet, get enough sleep, and treat your skin well and you’ll be rewarded will clear, glowing skin.

Looking for more beauty tips? Check out some of our most popular beauty posts today.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, about one in every twelve adults has an alcohol dependency issue. But not all of those people pursue alcohol recovery.

Many people don’t even recognize they have a problem. Alcohol dependency doesn’t show up overnight. It develops based on your genetics, environment, and opportunity for addiction and many sufferers have a hard time seeing their own symptoms.

When a drink after work with your coworkers turns into five or six, you may have a problem but you still may not notice. If that becomes a pattern of behavior, then a real problem with alcohol exists.

But when you decide to seek treatment, you may be concerned about the cost. There are so many different phases of treatment, the costs could really add up. Keep reading to find out what kind of finances you need in order to get help today.

Intervention

Alcohol recovery starts with intervention. While some people with alcoholism admit they have the disease, many people live in denial.

They may convince themselves that the disease isn’t serious, or that they can handle it themselves with willpower. These are the people who will need an intervention before they will agree to treatment.

It’s possible to host an informal intervention by gathering friends and family members for support. But many families choose to get help from a licensed therapist to ensure the process is healthy and productive.

If you’re paying to have an intervention, you can expect to shell out between $2,500 and $10,000.

Medical Detox

Once someone has agreed to alcohol recovery, the next step on their journey is detox. If they have an alcohol dependency, then withdrawals can be severe and even life-threatening in some cases.

Medical detox programs offer a safe space for you to go through your detox and have staff that can support you, both physically and mentally. They are a great place to begin sober living.

Families that will pay for medical detox out of pocket can expect to pay about $500-$650 per day for as long as they’re in the facility’s care.

Some patients like to travel for their detox. It can help to get away from the place you were to help get rid of the patterns of behavior you’re trying to correct. Many people have found success at Tucson addiction treatment centers.

Partial Alcohol Recovery Hospitalization Program

Many people going through alcohol recovery choose to live at home during their treatment while spending their days at a treatment center. This gives them the opportunity to have access to in-depth, comprehensive therapies that can give control back to them.

But since they’re living at home, they will have a more difficult recovery than people who choose inpatient rehab. They will have access to temptation and will need very strong willpower to stay on the right path.

Since partial hospitalization programs don’t require housing, the cost of care is not as high as residential treatment centers. Families can expect to pay about $350-$450 a day if they’re paying out of pocket.

When you’re comparing the cost of inpatient care to outpatient, it’s important that you remember outpatient programs generally last several weeks, if not a few months. While people who choose inpatient stays may make progress slightly more quickly, leading to fewer days in treatment and less money.

Outpatient Care

If you need to keep up with your everyday duties, but still want to seek treatment, you can use outpatient care for your alcohol recovery. It’s designed to make treatment accessible to people who need to work while they’re getting better.

If you chose a program like this, you would get therapy for several hours every week, but it isn’t usually an all-day program. You also probably will have to monitor yourself as you recover because you won’t have as much interaction with medical personnel.

Outpatient care is a great way to save on the fees of room and board. These programs are often seen as a bargain since families are only expected to pay around $250-$350 per day.

For patients that are in outpatient care, relapse may be more likely. It should be used as a last step if nothing else is available or you can’t miss work.

The best way to use outpatient treatment is after being released from an inpatient facility. That way you have the stability of medical staff while you’re going through your withdraws and are the most vulnerable to relapse.

Sober Living

For patients who are released from inpatient care, but don’t feel that they are ready to go home, sober living houses are a great option. They give you some of the support of inpatient treatment, while also slowly reassociating you with a daily routine.

Sober living facilities are full of people who are recovering from a variety of different drugs. For that reason, the rules are generally very strict, ensuring that the space remains clean and sober. It can be a great help on your journey to sobriety.

The average sober living home costs between $1,500 and $2,500 per month, but these costs can vary. Try not to miss any payments, as you could get expelled from the home.

Aftercare

Once a formal program is completed, people who have gone through alcohol recovery often need continued support. Your facility may recommend you to a mental health provider for further treatment.

The costs of aftercare vary widely based on what services you need. Be sure to shop around if you find a rate that’s too high. Aftercare is important, as you have already done so much work towards your recovery.

Thrifty Alcohol Recovery

There is no one size fits all solution to alcoholism. In order to make the best decision for yourself and your family, you need to consider what support you think you need to be successful.

Be sure that you’re honest with yourself. Shorting yourself on treatment to save money could make you a victim of relapse.

For more ways to save money and improve your health, check out some more of our articles.

Did you know one in twenty Americans deal with calluses every year?

While calluses are just your body’s way of defending your feet against friction, they’re far from visually pleasing. Plus, if you leave them untreated, they tend to stick around a lot longer than you’d like.

Are you tired of hiding your feet? Let’s look at a few steps you can take to get rid of calluses quickly and effectively!

1. Soak Your Feet in Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is a mildly alkaline herbal tea. Therefore, a chamomile foot soak can temporarily raise the pH of your skin. It’s a soothing way to dry out the outer layer of your skin and get rid of calluses faster.

Boil 4 chamomile tea bags in a quart of water. Then pour the tea into a small tub, and let it cool off for 15 minutes or so.

Once the water is safe to the touch, place your feet in the tub for about 20 minutes. After you pull your feet out, wash them with soap to remove any staining from the tea.

2. Mix Lemon Juice and Aspirin

Aspirin contains salicylic acid, a commonly used peeling agent. As a result, the pain medication a key ingredient in many effective foot peels.

Start by crushing five aspirin tablets with the back of a spoon. Mix the aspirin with 1/4 teaspoon of water and 3/4 teaspoon of lemon juice, creating a paste.

Apply the paste to the problem area, and cover the area with cellophane. Then run warm water over a small towel, and place it on top of the plastic wrap.

After 15 minutes, remove the plastic and towel. Use a pumice stone or callus file to exfoliate your feet.

3. Try Pineapple Peels Before Bed

Bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein, is abundant in pineapples. By dissolving calluses, bromelain can help you maintain beautiful feet.

To take advantage of its benefits, begin by removing the skin from the pineapple. Since you’re only going to need the pineapple peel for this treatment, you can still enjoy the rest of the fruit.

Before you go to sleep, place the inside of the pineapple peel directly against your calluses. Use a cloth or tape to keep it from falling off.

4. Moisturize Daily

The skin on the bottom of your foot is prone to moisture loss. If you want soft and smooth feet, you need to start using a moisturizer.

Many of the best foot creams for calluses contain shea butter. Also, look for foot moisturizing creams that have Vitamin E and cocoa butter.

Moisturizing daily will not only treat your current calluses, but it can also help prevent more from developing.

5. Use a Sugar Scrub

Exfoliating 3-4 times per week can help you get rid of calluses. But if you need to soften up your skin, try an effective foot scrub recipe.

Pour half a cup of sugar into a small bowl or container. Add a bit of mineral oil, and mix the two ingredients together to create a paste.

Dip your fingers into the mixture. Using a circular motion, rub the paste on your calluses for 20 minutes.

Once you’re finished, wash your feet off with warm water.

Final Thoughts on How to Get Rid of Calluses

The five tips outlined above will help keep your feet smooth and healthy.

Keep in mind that ill-fitting shoes often lead to calluses. If you continue having issues, consider visiting a podiatrist for custom orthotics and inserts.

Looking for more surprising health remedies? If so, feel free to check out our health and fitness blog today!

With the recent wave of marijuana debates and legalizations in the United States, pot is a hot topic. But what a lot of people don’t know is that there are different forms of the hemp plant beside the kind that gets you high.

CBD hemp oil is derived from the hemp plant; it’s high in cannabidiol (CBD), as the name suggests. It’s also low in THC, which is the compound that makes you feel high. The high concentration of CBD gives CBD oil a wide range of health benefits.

Check out these 5 amazing health benefits of CBD oil.

1. Positive Effects on the Immune System

Numerous studies have shown that CBD oil can help regulate, and strengthen, the immune system. This has applications with people who have low or defective immune systems, like people with illnesses or people with overactive immune responses.

It also has applications for those with autoimmune diseases, like arthritis, allergies, and even multiple sclerosis.

2. CBD Hemp Oil Can Help People With Sleep Disorders

People who have insomnia, anxiety, sleeplessness, restless leg syndrome, sleep terrors, and other sleep disorders often suffer from extreme fatigue and negative health effects from lack of sleep.

Research shows that CBD oil is able to reduce anxiety, improve insomnia, and better overall sleep time. It has a calmative effect, which can be excellent in promoting a full, good night’s sleep.

It can be inhaled, rubbed onto the skin, or even sprayed onto a pillow to promote restful sleep.

3. Anxiety and Stress Relief

We briefly mentioned in the last section that CBD hemp oil can reduce anxiety. This might be surprising, seeing as marijuana can sometimes give people anxiety due to the THC found in the plant.

CBD oil, however, is low or completely devoid of THC. CBD, unlike THC, has calmative, anxiety-relieving qualities that can significantly reduce stress.

Not only will it lower anxiety, but it can also positively interact with chemicals that make you feel good, like serotonin and dopamine.

4. Pain Relief

CBD oil is perhaps most well known for its pain-relieving qualities. Whether that means chronic pain from migraine headaches, cancer, surgery, or other pain issues, CBD oil can significantly reduce that pain.

It works by interacting with “feel good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine while simultaneously blocking pain receptors from working properly. You can learn more here.

5. Improves Appetite

A decrease in appetite can be a sign of numerous health issues and be a result of various life events, including:

• Long-term illness
• Persistent nausea
• Cancer
• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Drug addiction
• Dementia
• COPD
• Hormone imbalances

While a decreased appetite might be just a symptom of many things, it can result in a worsening condition because of malnutrition and weakness. CBD oil can help increase the appetite of people suffering from these ailments, which will help them gain strength and stay as healthy as possible.

Wrapping Up

CBD hemp oil has numerous health benefits that range from chronic pain relief to anxiety reduction. With all of these benefits, it can help millions of people suffering from a wide range of illnesses and ailments.

If you enjoyed this article, feel free to check out our other health and fitness articles on our blog.