Our Skin Never Forgets

The end of winter, no more short, cold and dark days. Spring is finally here and summer is fast approaching. Hot days and lots of sunshine. But not all fun and sun.

The hot sun can pose a great danger for our skin and our children’s skin. In fact, one of the most important factors for feeling young and healthy is the way we take care of our skin during the summer months.

Skin Cancer

Over the last century, ever-increasing rates of skin cancer have taken some of the greatest tolls on all age groups, young and old. Yet most people don’t realize that skin cancer is a very preventable form of skin cancer, and, that if recognized early enough, is very treatable.

The simple fact is, if we take care of our skin during the summer, we can dramatically reduce the chances of ever getting skin cancer in the first place. The chance of getting skin cancer is directly related to the amount of sunlight we expose our skin to, especially during the summer. Furthermore, it has been shown that going to the solarium on a regular basis is also a risk for the development of skin cancer.

What Causes It

Overexposure to UV A and B light from the sun and the solarium damages skin cells. UV A light in spite of its lower energy, is received by the body in much larger doses, and penetrates into the skin easily causing damage. UV light mainly affects the skin and underlying connective tissues by decreasing the quantities of collagen and elastic fibers present in these tissues. With passing time, the skin becomes more wrinkled and flaccid. One of the most important factors in the pathogenesis of cancer is the fact that the absorbed UV light breaks down water molecules and induces the formation of free-oxygen radicals, which are toxic to certain elements of the skin.

For those of us who have a light or very fair complexion, (type I skin tone) avoidance of the sun and solarium as much as possible is recommended. The rest of us should adjust the amount of sun (UV light) exposure to our proper skin tones.

Skin Type

The reason it's important to know what type of skin tone you have is because the lighter the skin, the less it is capable of dealing with the damaging elements of the sunlight and thus, more the skin needs to be protected.

It’s not difficult to determine what your skin type is. There are six types and by using the scale below, you can determine for yourself how much skin protection you may need.

• Skin type I never turns brown, only burns.
• Skin type II browns very slowly and easily burns.
• Skin type III browns easily and rarely burns.
• Skin type IV is typical of that of southern Europeans (Mediterranean type).
• Skin type V is slightly pigmented similar to those living in India.
• Skin type VI is black.
  

If you fall into either of the first two categories, your skin must be protected at all times from the dangerous effects of the sun!!!!!

Types of Cancer - What You Need To Understand

Skin cancer can be broken down into Melanoma- and non-Melanoma types. The latter consists of both squamous cell- and basal cell skin cancer. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. The proliferation of pigmented skin cells anywhere in the body can, if not diagnosed and treated early, cause death. The frequency of Melanoma around the world is increasing at very rapid rates!!

Squamous cell type of skin cancer is also a malignant form of skin cancer that is directly related to the amount of sun exposure and can quickly spread to other parts of the body.
Basal cell type skin cancer is not malignant and thus wont spread to other parts of the body. However, there is local destruction of the affected skin areas and thus excision of the lesion is a must.

How To Protect My Skin

Well, you may ask how do I protect myself from the dangers of the skin cancer? The answers may not be as difficult to follow as you may think. First and foremost, always protect skin of young children and kids. Their skins are sensitive to sun exposure and burning the skin only increases the risk in later years of developing cancer. It is important to remember that the many years of continuous sun exposure increase the chance of getting skin cancer. In other words, the skin doesn’t forget!! Sporadic sun exposure is more than enough to guarantee a nice brown skin color and the proper production of vitamin D in the body.

If someone wants to get a quick tan, than be sure to use self-browning creams, but remember, they wont protect your skin from sun overexposure and burning. Carotin derivative products have been shown to protect the skin from within and in general have an anti-cancer effect.

During the hot months, a good rule of thumb is to avoid strong sun exposure in the middle of the day, say between 2 and 3 pm, when the sun is hottest. Try to stay in the shade as much as possible and when going into the sun, put on a hat, sunglasses and a shirt just to be sure. Sun tanning protective creams are also a must. A wide spectrum UV protection and a minimum factor of 15 should be applied to the skin at all times for maximum protection. But remember, the best protection from skin cancer is to avoid the exposure to the skin.

Quick Action Is The Key

Finally, and equally important, is that we recognize on ourselves any first signs of potential cancer. Especially be aware of any small wounds or scars on the skin that don’t seem to heal after a month or so. Be aware of skin moles that suddenly begin to itch, bleed, peel, grow, change color or become painful. In any of the above instances, be sure to contact your dermatologist immediately for a full check up. Remember, early diagnosis and treatment along with regular screening is the best way to ensure many happy, healthy summers to come.

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3 Steps To Weight Loss

Most people attempting to lose weight struggle to do so. The truth of the matter is that when approached properly losing weight can be easy and effortless. Looking and feeling better is the reward we achieve by making the effort.

• Step 1: Dieting doesn't work. Engaging in fad diets, or for that matter any diet, may actually do more harm than good. It produces a pendulum effect that creates a cycle of losing and gaining weight. It is much more effective to implement health lifestyle habits that we carry with us for the rest of our lives.
  
  Our bodies have the innate ability to heal themselves. The only requirement is to provide it with the proper nourishment. By eating the appropriate foods we strengthen our blood and cleanse our organs. By altering our daily routine we create the necessary environment for our system to thrive.
  
  The very first step in the process to losing weight and improving our health is to change what we eat. First, eliminate processed and prepared foods. Cut things such as soda, artificial drinks and artificial sweeteners from you diet. Avoid red meat. The primary stable for humans is whole grains, vegetables and fruit.
  
  
• Step 2: Don't rush when you eat. Take the time to sit down and properly enjoy your meal. Chew your food extremely well. When you chew your food well 90% of the digestion will take place in your mouth. You will absorb more nutrition from your food and be satisfied with less. Chewing your food well will take the burden off your stomach and digestive tract.
  Don't eat before bed for at least three hours. While eating before bed may soothe your nerves it doesn't really give you time to digest your food throughly. Also, sit down when you eat and enjoy your meal.Salt should only be used when preparing your meal. Don't put salt on your food at the table. Avoid prepared foods high in sodium. Excess salt binds fat to our system and makes it more difficult to lose weight. Sea salt is preferable to processed salt. Sea salt is rich in trace elements that are essential for our health.
  
  Also, I'm not a believer in counting calories. You should eat as much as you wish with the following caveats. You should chew extremely well and eat wholesome, natural foods.
  
  Step 3: You need some form of activity. I'm not fond of the idea of joining a gym for exercise. While this may work for some people, in a sense it is very much like dieting. It seems to create an endless cycle of joining and quitting, only to vow starting again. Exercise should be an organic part of our daily routine. Walking, running, riding a bike or even swimming are ideal ways to oxygenate our blood and burn calories.
  
  That's it in a nutshell. Do not obsess about your weight. By making these changes an integral part of your daily life, losing weight and regaining your health will be natural and effortless.
  

About The Author: Scott Soloff is the publisher of http://www.natural-remedy-dot-com.com/ and provides additional advice, tips and hard to find information on Weight Loss @ http://www.natural-remedy-dot-com.com/

Need to Lose Weight? Then Increase Your Metabolism…

If you need to lose weight, one great way to start melting pounds away is to increase your metabolism. By increasing your metabolism, you'll be able to process food faster and therefore will store less fat in the body. In fact, with a better metabolism, you're body will even begin
burning away existing fat in order to get the energy it needs to support itself.

How Metabolism Works

Your metabolism can either work for you or against you. The main way we all get energy is from glucose, commonly known as our blood sugar.

When our blood sugar runs low, our metabolism burns the fat in our bodies in order to make more energy. However, when our blood sugar runs high, our metabolism stores fat in our bodies to use later.

So now let's look at how you can get your metabolism to work for you.

Go Ahead and Eat

Many people believe that the key to losing weight is to stop eating. Well, that will actually have a negative effect on your metabolism. Eating less will cause your metabolism to slow down because it will sense that you don't have enough food.

So when you finally eat, your blood sugar will jump through the roof and your metabolism will store the extra glucose as fat.

Instead of starving yourself, eat many smaller, healthy meals that are low in calories and fat. Also, consume plenty of water, fruits, and vegetables.

By eating smaller portions you'll not only curb your appetite, but you'll also trick your body into thinking that it's getting plenty of food. Therefore, your metabolism will kick into a higher gear. Then when it doesn't get the glucose it needs for energy (because you're eating healthy) then it will begin to take that glucose from the stores of fat that are already in your body.

Get Yourself Moving

Exercise is a guaranteed way to increase your metabolism. Always check with your doctor for what is the best exercise regime for you. Most of the time, walking as little as twenty minutes a day, will help increase your metabolism.

Exercise actually helps you lose weight in two ways:

• First, exercise builds muscle and muscle burns calories on its own.
  
  
• Secondly, when you exercise your body is forced to come up with enough energy to support your activity. So, it begins burning fat in order to give the energy you need.
  

Don't be put off when I say exercise - there is no need to be pounding away furiously on a treadmill for hours a day.

A simple yet effective mini routine is all that is needed to give your metabolism a boost.

Some Final Words about Losing Weight

If you need to lose weight, you're certainly not alone. Millions of people are in the same boat. However, most people don't realize what it takes to first lose the weight and then to keep the weight off. If you increase your metabolism, you'll see that over time, your fat will melt off your body and your weight will gradually drop. The two best ways to increase your metabolism are to eat smaller meals more often and to exercise regularly.

by: Matt Falconer