MYTH 1:
It's Easy For People to Tell if Their Own Breath Smells
Many believe they can smell their own breath odor by cupping their hands between their mouth and nose. Unfortunately, we can not tell if our breath smells because we become accustomed to our own odors.Additionally, in many cases, we do not produce bad breath until we talk. This is because bad breath often originates near the back of the mouth and is propelled forward and out of the mouth only when we speak.
How can we tell if our breath smells ? One of the best ways is to have a trusted friend or loved one smell it for you. If you don't want to do this, wipe near the middle of your tongue with a cotton ball or gauze pad. Then smell the cotton ball or gauze pad for odor.A more accurate assessment of bad breath can be performed by a dentist using a device called a halimeter. The patient blows into a straw like tube attached to the halimeter and the machine measures the amount of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in the breath. These volatile sulfur compounds are what give breath its bad smell.
MYTH 2:
Bad Breath Comes From the StomachA common misperception is that bad breath arises from the stomach. While an extremely small percentage of bad breath problems may be due to stomach and digestive problems, the overwhelming majority of bad breath arises from the back of the mouth. Here bacteria feed on mucus and food particles creating odorous sulfur compounds.
MYTH 3:
Good Dental Hygiene (Tooth Brushing and Flossing) Will Always Eliminate Bad Breath
Good dental hygiene (brushing and flossing) helps eliminate bad breath. Unfortunately, most people do not properly brush their teeth.It takes nearly three minutes to completely brush all tooth surfaces yet most people spend only 30 to 45 seconds brushing their teeth. Consequently, they consistently miss tooth surfaces where bacteria are allowed to proliferate and create odorous volatile sulfur compounds.People can brush and floss properly, however, and still be unsuccessful at eliminating bad breath. The problem is that odor causing bacteria often hide deep within the crevices of the tongue under a protective layer of mucus and proteins. Cleaning the tongue with a tongue cleaner (also called a tongue scraper) can remove this layer of mucus and proteins exposing bacteria and freshening breath.
MYTH 4:
Mouthwashes Are Effective in Treating Bad Breath People believe mouthwashes can treat bad breath. Unfortunately, most conventional mouthwashes only temporarily mask bad breath and are relatively useless at treating bad breath.
In fact, most conventional mouthwashes can actually contribute to bad breath formation. This is because mouthwashes contain a high percentage of alcohol which tends to dry out the mouth. Bacteria responsible for creating bad breath grow much better in drier mouths.A new breed of mouthwashes, however, are very effective in treating bad breath. These mouthwashes contain chlorine dioxide which actually attacks the volatile sulfur compounds on the molecular level.
MYTH 5:
To Prevent Bad Breath We Should Focus on the Foods We Eat
It is true that temporary bad breath comes from the foods we eat. Many foods like onions and cabbage contain high amounts of sulfur compounds. When these foods are digested the sulfur compounds are absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the lungs. Here the sulfur compounds are exhaled as we breathe causing our breath to smell.Chronic bad breath , however, is not caused by the foods we eat. Instead, chronic bad breath results when bacteria in the mouth break down left over food particles creating odorous sulfur particles. The primary goal in this case is not a change in diet but a reduction in the number of odor causing bacteria in the mouth. This can be done with proper brushing, flossing, and cleaning of the tongue with a tongue cleaner (tongue scraper).
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
5 common bad breath myths
Posted by eve at 11:47 PM 0 comments
Your Tongue: A Bad Breath Incubator
Surprisingly, it may be your tongue that's causing embarrassing bad breath. People go through great effort to produce a sparkling set of teeth, but they ignore the large organ in between (the tongue) which is literally crawling with odor producing germs.
Bacteria responsible for bad breath, gingivitis, and tooth decay are removed from teeth and gums by normal brushing and flossing. For smart bacteria, however, the tongue provides a perfect hiding place.
Here bacteria live in a virtual compost heap of saliva, protein, and putrefied food remains. Unfortunately for us, bacteria feast on this compost to produce the volatile sulfur particles responsible for foul breath.
Posted by eve at 11:43 PM 0 comments
Steps to become Sexy and Confident
Empower YourselfYou are greater being than you probably think you are. Take some time to assess your strong points, your skills and abilities and multiply them by 100! You are always your own worst critic so give yourself some credit- you are awesome!
Walk this Way
Take a day to examine the way that you walk. Do you take small, shuffling steps or fling your arms around when you walk? Well if you do, it’s time for some Vitamin C, and I don’t mean the Vitamin C you find in your morning orange juice! It’s time for a burst of Confidence! You may be doing something sub-consciously that does not really compliment your style so now its time to be aware of how you walk. Be quick and energetic with a spring in your step.
The Smile behind the Eyes
Smile as often as you can and, if you can manage, let a tiny smile hang around the corners of your mouth. In all your interactions, look people in the eye, greet them and smile. You'll see the other person transform in front of you.
Be Empathic
Your confidence levels rise drastically when you successfully connect with people around you. You need to be empathic towards your family, friends and colleagues. Once you are able to help other people with their emotions and problems, you immediately increase your influence with your circle of friends, acquaintances and colleagues.
Knowledge is Power
Knowledge almost always boosts self-confidence. Bikini Models not only empower themselves with knowledge of their immediate surroundings but of the world around them. A good grasp of current events will make you sounds worldly and helps you strike up meaningful conversations.
Posted by eve at 11:29 PM 0 comments
Benefits of Body Massage
Touch is a very important part of human contact. It helps us feel connected and loved by those around us.
Massage uses touch through rubbing or kneading of parts of the body to aid circulation, relax the muscles, or provide sensual stimulation.
Massage is one of the oldest, simplest forms of therapy.
The basic goal of massage therapy is to help the body heal itself and to increase health and well-being.
There are many health benefits to receiving massage therapy on a regular basis:
Relieves stress
Encourages relaxation
Improves circulation
Improves posture
Lowers blood pressure
Helps manage pain
Relaxes muscles
Improves flexibility
Improves breathing
Relieves tension headaches
Strengthens immune system
Decreases depression
A good massage is an exhilarating experience.
Posted by eve at 10:05 PM 0 comments
Nail care tips
No nail care product alone can give you healthy nails. But following these simple guidelines can help you keep your nails looking their best:
1.Don't abuse your nails. To prevent nail damage, don't use your fingernails as tools to pick, poke or pry things.
2.Don't bite your nails or pick at your cuticles. These habits can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside your nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter and cause an infection (paronychia). Because your nails grow slowly, an injured nail retains signs of an injury for several months.
3.Protect your nails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when using soap and water for prolonged periods or when using harsh chemicals.
4.Perform routine nail maintenance. Trim fingernails and clean under the nails regularly. Use a sharp manicure scissors or clippers and an emery board to smooth nail edges. Never pull off hangnails — doing so almost always results in ripping living tissue. Instead clip hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.
5.Moisturize your nails frequently. Nails need moisture just like your skin does. Rub lotion into your nails when moisturizing your hands. Be sure to apply a moisturizer after removing fingernail polish.
Posted by eve at 10:00 PM 0 comments
Benefits of Apple
We all know that old adage about an apple a day keeping the doctor away, but did you know that apples are fabulous for beautifying our complexions? They are! The alpha-hydroxy fruit acids in apples are the greatest for sloughing off old tired skin so the fresh skin underneath can be revealed, and their pectin firms and tightens saggy skin–as well as healing inflammations and smoothing fine wrinkles.
Apples are mentioned in ancient literature as magical fruits sacred to many goddesses. Now it’s autumn and the apples are round and ripe, ready to be picked so you can be a Goddess of Beauty with their help. Find out apples’ secrets here–and learn why they’re also great for your teeth and breath!
For Teeth and Breath
The pectin in apples helps to neutralize food odors, so the next time you have garlic or onions, have an apple for dessert! The fibers also serve as a natural dental floss.
Honey of an Apple Glow Mask
This one really wakes up a dull complexion and it’s fun, too! This formula combines the magical apple with sweet honey, a great humectant–meaning it will bring moisture to your skin.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cored apple
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Pulse ingredients in a food processor, combining well. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. Apply this mixture to a clean face. With your fingertips, begin gently patting your face. Continue until the mixture feels very, very sticky–this will bring the blood to the surface of your skin, making it glow. Rinse with warm water.
To Reduce Wrinkles and Inflammation
Grate an unripe apple and apply to clean skin to heal and improve the appearance of fine wrinkles or inflammation. Allow pulp to remain on skin for 10 to 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
Oily Skin/Acne Healing Mask
Mix equal parts grated raw apple (or unsweetened applesauce) and honey. Apply mixture to a clean face and allow to remain on skin for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water.
To Reduce Eye Puffiness
Mix 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce with one small grated raw potato. Lie down and apply to eyes, covering with a warm damp washcloth, if desired. Allow to remain on for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
Autumn Magic Facial Mask
This formula soothes and nourishes skin and nerves, and provides gentle exfoliating action.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cored apple, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon rolled oats
1 teaspoon cream
1 teaspoon honey
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Apply to clean face, massaging gently, and allow mixture to remain on skin for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
Posted by eve at 3:01 AM 0 comments
Yummy Food for Great Skin
BERRIES: berries have more protective plant antioxidants than almost any other food. These compounds of berries not only lower your disease risks, they help prevent memory loss.
SALMON: salmon is a a small fish and is the most significant source of omega-3s, the healthy fats that fend off heart disease and may more important nutrients. Just 3 ounces of the fish serves up 170% of your daily vitamin B12 and more than 80% of your D. So don’t miss on salmons now.
WHOLE GRAINS: Whole grains have up to 96 percent more fiber, magnesium, zinc, chromium and vitamins E and B6 than refined grains. This nutritional powerhouse helps prevent the same health problems that refined grains help cause: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and even obesity.
YOGURT: Low- or no-fat plain yogurt is one of the best source of B vitamins, protein, calcium and –if it has active cultures–the healthy bacteria known as probiotics, which crowd out disease-causing germs. Don’t forget to take your daily yogurt does then.
Posted by eve at 2:56 AM 0 comments
All about Facials: Skin Care and Treatment
Learn the benefits of facials, facial skin care and beauty products, facial massage, treatment and different kinds of facials. Most of us know that getting a facial done is as simple as going to the parlour, spending a few hours in the presence of someone who claims that they will make us beautiful and get a wad of greens for their services! But then, one of the joys of womanhood is taking the time to pamper ourselves so we can face each new day looking and feeling our best.
Facial skin care and treatment
Our skin is our largest organ, performing several functions, including protecting us from invasion by foreign substances and serving as the transfer point for the release of toxins from our bodies. Facials are deep skin treatments that cleanse, rehydrate and rejuvenate the skin, apart from minimizing skin blemishes, acne, dry skin and, of course, wrinkles. Facials vary depending on your skin type, the kind of treatment you've chosen, the products used and the person's age. However, it is advisable to start having facials in your late 20's.
Facial skin care and beauty products
The skin provides an honest mirror of our inner health and well-being. It is thus especially important to use only natural, gentle ingredients on our skin whenever possible. Application to the skin of fresh, natural products such as essential oils, plant waters (also called "hydrosols") and cold pressed unscented oils helps maintain a youthful, glowing complexion.
Essential oils and hydrosols are the fragrant liquids that are distilled from different plant parts, such as flower petals; herbs leaves and tree barks, and are fundamental components of any solid, natural skin care regime. Cold pressed unscented oils are extracted from various fruits, nuts and seeds, and include olive oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil and jojoba oil. Used in tandem, essential oils, hydrosols and cold pressed unscented oils work together to soothe and nourish the skin, encouraging a healthful, radiant complexion.
Benefits of facials and facial massage
Facials involve a cleansing procedure, a massage and steam, and the application of a face mask. What they help to do is remove the dead, dull outer layer of cells that make up the skin's surface or epidermis along with pollutants. The massage, which is an important part of a facial, helps blood circulation, which in turn aids lymphatic drainage (the removal of toxins and waste from the body). A facial massage also relaxes the facial muscles and is very important to delay the onset of wrinkles.
The face is steamed during a facial for two main reasons. Firstly, steam helps the skin absorb cream better. Secondly, it helps in softening blackheads and whiteheads so that they can be removed easily. The application of a face mask in the end helps tone and clarifies the skin. Face masks are also used to treat dry and acne-ridden skin.
Different types of facials
* A basic clean up
* Normal facials
* Special facials
* Bio-lift facials
* AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) facials
* Paraffin facials
* Anti-oxidant and pollution-fighting facials
* Acne Facials
* Collagen Facials
* Aromatherapy Facial
* Galvanic Facial
* Gold Facial
Posted by eve at 2:46 AM 0 comments
How to improve physical appearance?
When you desire to be a beautiful girl or woman, you should be ready to bring about some changes within yourself. Read this article to learn more about how to become beautiful. Beauty and femininity goes hand in hand. Every woman loves to look beautiful. It is not that only those woman who feel they are ugly want to know how to become beautiful. Even beautiful women wish to become more beautiful. For this, they make a lot of effort to improve their physical appearance. They spend so much of time in selecting the right skin cream, eye makeup, clothing, etc. However, all these beauty products will help to make them beautiful only temporarily. For a permanent effect, you should learn to make yourself beautiful from within.
Posted by eve at 2:35 AM 0 comments
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American recording artist.The eldest child to Italian American parents Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta.
Posted by eve at 6:19 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Smoking
In a study conducted by British Journal of Dermatology, it is found that female smokers experience ‘dotty skin’.
It also says that smoking is not one reason for women developing marks on their face. Stress, pollution, hormonal alterations, occupation, exposure to steam and heat for longer hours etc. lead to non-inflammatory acne. As skin make-up varies from individual to individual so all smokers may not experience such dermatological problems.
Nevertheless, smoking is found to aggravate such problems which actually highlight health problems within. There is a world wide awareness campaign going on against smoking because smoking causes infinite damage to smokers and surrounding people.
The study also found that smoking reduces skin secretions like Vitamin E and thereby does damage to the skin all over the body. As the skin on the facial region is more sensitive than the other parts of the body and is the most exposed part of the body, the face is affected severely compared to the other parts of the body.
During teenage we develop the habit of smoking and carry on with it until we suffer from major diseases that prevent us from smoking. From our personal experiences we have found that smoking affects the color and smoothness of our lips. Lips become dark and rough.
We try rubbing lemon and honey and other home made therapies on our lips for sometime only. It is often heard that the smoker tries to stop smoking but finds it difficult to give up this obnoxious habit.
Posted by eve at 9:35 PM 0 comments
philosophy talk about beauty
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? John defines beauty as that which brings enjoyment to the person who looks or contemplates. John defines subjective properties as properties that require subjects of the right sort to make a difference. When we say something is beautiful, are we recommending to others that they should take delight in it? Beauty may be intersubjective, but is it objective? Can we argue rationally about whether something is beautiful? Ken introduces Alexander Nehamas, professor at Princeton. Is beauty both skin deep and in the eye of the beholder? Nehamas distinguishes between surface beauty and deep beauty.
Kant thought that if we think something is beautiful then we want everyone to agree with us. Ken proposes the idea that perception is a skill. Would the world be better off if everyone agreed on what is beautiful? Nehamas thinks the world would not be better off because what we find beautiful is a reflection of our personality and individuality. What can we learn about ourselves from what we find beautiful? Nehamas thinks that it illuminates our style. Is taste a function of education and economics?
Is natural beauty ever better than constructed beauty, like in art or music? Do beauty and happiness go together? What is the relation between beauty and the sublime? Nehamas says that the sublime is our reaction in the face of something so overpowering that it consumes or obliterates us. There is a saying that truth is beauty and beauty is truth, but is that correct? John thinks it is false. Why does beauty matter?
Posted by eve at 7:46 PM 0 comments
Skin and Health Benefits of Banana Peel
Skin and Health Benefits of Banana Peel
In many countries, banana fruit and the peel are considered to be the ‘golden fruit’ of nature because the fruit helps promote natural beauty and keep the body healthy. Eating bananas regularly can keep the digestive system running at an optimal level, restore energy and also provide the body with essential nutrients that help with cell regeneration.
Banana peel contains a number of antioxidants and minerals that can help the skin restore itself naturally. Banana peels have been used as a home remedy for a number of skin conditions including allergies, bruises and skin irritation. The key compounds in the peel include potassium and other antioxidants that help to keep the skin looking soft, supple and healthy. These compounds and have a positive effect on conditions such as psoriasis and warts, and also help to relieve irritation from allergies and other skin conditions.
Posted by eve at 7:29 PM 0 comments
5 steps to be beautiful
1. Seek beauty around you. How do you define beauty? As you go through your day, try to make note of things and people that strike you as beautiful: art, the sky, someone's freckles. If you can, write them down. Try to understand what makes them beautiful to you. They may not be beautiful to others, but that's why beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
2. Recognize the beauty in yourself. Look in the mirror and search for beauty. By now, you've probably noticed that the most beautiful things in life are often subtle and hidden. The same goes for the beauty you hold. Maybe you have smooth, well-proportioned hands, or a flawless forehead, or perfectly-shaped shoulders. Whatever it is, it's yours--revel in it.
3. Enhance your physical beauty. Looking beautiful is all about emphasizing those features in you that are already beautiful. There are millions of ways to do this, as there are millions of potentially beautiful features on a single body. The important thing is to experiment with accentuating that beauty until you can look at your reflection and feel like you've given your beauty the representation it deserves.
4. As beautiful as ever.Develop your inner beauty. There are plenty of so-called beautiful people out there who lie, cheat, steal, and even kill. Their beauty never lasts, but yours can. By finding yourself and building your character through integrity, you can be beautiful both on the inside and on the outside. Better yet, your inner beauty will always emanate and never fade, wrinkle, or turn gray.
5. Create beauty outside of yourself. Now that you see beauty and you are beautiful (as you always have been, but now know it), it's time to make beauty. Art is a very popular emulation of beauty, but it's possible to inject beauty into everything you do (your work, how you interact with people, and the way you decorate your room, for example). This is an extremely satisfying pursuit that will not only make the world a more beautiful place, but it will also bring your quest for beauty full circle.
Posted by eve at 6:45 PM 0 comments